2009 NBA Mock Draft v8.0 (Round 1)

1) LAC- Blake Griffin
A no-brainer for the Clippers.
2) MEM-Hasheem Thabeet
Memphis' asking price is simply too high. The Griz keep the pick and address their biggest need- interior defense.
3) OKC- James Harden
The Thunder have a tough choice between Harden and Rubio. It may come down to Russell Westbrook- he showed the ability to play the point last season, but struggled with his jump shot, making the move to off-guard seem implausible.
4) SAC- Ricky Rubio
Sacramento stays at four and gets their pick of their presumptive top 3- Rubio, Tyreke Evans, and Jonny Flynn. Rubio makes the biggest splash and has the most upside, which makes him a good fit for a team still in the middle of the rebuilding process.
5) WAS- Tyreke Evans
Evans has blazing speed and great size and will be able to play the one or the two in the NBA. He would be a good fit in Washington, but may still be headed to a different destination.
6) MIN- Stephen Curry
Minnesota has been very aggressively looking to move up. If they're unable to do so, they'll land a very solid player at 6 in Curry. His jump shot and heart will make him an effective player for years to come.
7) GSW- Jordan Hill
Whether or not a promise was made to Monta Ellis, Hill is the best pick here. He's a top five talent and has huge value. If the Warriors decide against him, they should look to trade the pick, because New York is said to be very high on the Arizona Junior.
8) NYK- Brandon Jennings
If the draft plays out this way, the Knicks will have a tough choice between Jennings and Jrue Holiday. Holiday has great size and a lot of upside, but could easily be a bust. Jennings has similar upside, but is more of a known commodity.
9) TOR- DeMar DeRozan
Toronto needs an athlete on the wings and DeRozan is the perfect fit. Toronto would be crushed to see DeRozan off the board here, because their other options (Gerald Henderson, Earl Clark) are a huge step down.
10) MIL- Jrue Holiday
The biggest hit-or-miss prospect in the draft, Holiday will be aided by the return of Ramon Sessions now that Milwaukee has freed up some cap space.
11) NJN- DeJuan Blair
Teams' fears over Blair's knees seem to have calmed, causing Blair's stock to rebound in a big way. He is exactly the "moose" that Rod Thorn is looking for and reportedly won't slip past Indiana at 13, making a Nets-Bulls trade unlikely.
12) CHA- Terrence Williams
It seems that Charlotte is looking for an athletic off-guard. I think they would land Holiday if they had the chance, but Williams and Gerald Henderson and the options here, and Williams gets the nod because he's ready to contribute from day one.
13) IND- Jonny Flynn
Flynn will get looks from teams as high as number four, but will be hurt by the depth of the point guards in this draft. I don't see him falling past 14, but #13 to Indiana would be a good fit as well.
14) PHO- Earl Clark
The Suns will likely target an athletic wing or a replacement for Steve Nash. With Holiday, Flynn, and Jennings all gone, the wings have much better value here. Clark and Gerald Henderson seem to be the two possibilities.
15) DET- James Johnson
Detroit begins their rebuilding efforts with the versatile Johnson, who can play both the three and the four.
16) CHI- Tyler Hansbrough
The Bulls are reportedly very high on Hansbrough and had considered moving up (presumably) to get him. Now, with Blair back in the lottery, Chicago should able to land their man with their pick at 16.
17) PHI- Gerald Henderson
Philadelphia would love to land a point guard with this spot, but Henderson's value is just too large to pass up. A trade is another possibility here.
18) MIN- BJ Mullens
As a Timberwolves fan, I think that Mullens is a terrible fit in Minnesota, which is exactly why I think the Wolves will draft him. Mullens has great size, but little defensive aptitude- the Wolves' major need on the inside, and is years away from being a consistent contributor.
19) ATL- Jeff Teague
Atlanta hopes to re-sign Mike Bibby, but are still in search of their point-guard-of-the-future, after Acie Law didn't pan out. Teague can play a little off the ball, too, which would help if the Hawks can't re-sign Marvin Williams.
20) POR (from UTA)- Ty Lawson*
Lawson reportedly has many suitors, but will likely be another casualty of the point guard depth in this draft. He could factor in the late lottery, but in this scenario, Portland gives the 24th pick and the rights to Petri Koponen to move up and grab him at #20.
21) CLE (from NOH)- Wayne Ellington*
Ellington could well be the biggest sleeper in the draft. New Orleans has been vocally shopping this pick for some financial relief, and the Cavaliers, in dire need of a shooter, would be happy to oblige.
22) DAL- Eric Maynor
Maynor is perhaps the most NBA-ready of all the point guards in the class, and would be a steal at number 22. Dallas could also pick a wing to make Josh Howard expendable, but Maynor would be a great replacement for Jason Kidd.
23) SAC- Austin Daye
Daye is another hit-or-miss project in need of some seasoning, which makes him perfect for a mid-rebuilding franchise like Sacramento.
24) UTA (from POR)- Chase Buddinger*
Utah uses their 20th pick to land a promising foreign prospect in Petri Koponen and still grabs the guy the wanted at 20 in Chase Buddinger.
25) OKC- Taj Gibson
After taking a guard in James Harden with the third pick, the Thunder need a big man in a huge way. Gibson has above average athleticism and a promising offensive game.
26) CHI- Omri Casspi
Chicago has their point guard in Derrick Rose, and grabbed one of the few big men available in Tyler Hansbrough at #16. Now, they need to find an athletic wing man. Casspi has a lot of upside, but may need a year or two.
27) MEM- Derrick Brown
Brown is very long and athletic and has a pretty respectable jump shot. Some execs believe he will be able to play the four in the NBA, but I'm not sold. Memphis could roll the dice with him or opt for a foreign power forward like Jonas Jerebko or Victor Claver.
28) MIN- Sam Young
After landing a point guard and a true center, the Timberwolves get a great value in Young at #28. Young is a very capable scorer and is one of the more NBA-ready players in the draft.
29) LAL- Darren Collison
Collison would have an easy transition with the Lakers after playing his college ball at UCLA. (He also played with Jordan Farmar as a freshman.) He has good speed and real leadership potential.
30) NOH (from CLE)- Marcus Thornton*
Thornton had a good workout with the Hornets and is reportedly very high on their list. If they could swing a deal to get some cash and still land Thornton, they would jump at the opportunity.

UTA trades the 20th pick to POR for the 24th pick and the rights to Petri Koponen.

NOH trades the 21st pick to CLE for the 30th pick and cash.