:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72388178/1476025712.0.jpg "NBA Draft 2023 odds: Which players have best chance to be selected in top 5 picks?")
The 2023 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 22 at the Barclays Centers in Brooklyn, New York. It will begin at 8 p.m. ET and will air on both ABC and ESPN. The San Antonio Spurs will be on the clock first, followed by the Charlotte Hornets, Portland TrailBlazers, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons to round out the top five.
NBA Draft 2023 odds to be picked in the top 5
Brandon Miller -10000 Amen Thompson -1600 Cam Whitmore -340
Jarace Walker +210 Ausar Thompson +255 Taylor Hendricks +1000
Keyonte George +2000 Anthony Black +2000 Gradey Dick +5000
Carson Wallace +5000 Jordan Hawkins +7500 Kobe Bufkin +7500
Nick Smith Jr. +7500 Jett Howard +7500 Rayan Rupert +7500
Bilal Coulibaly +1000 Kris Murray +10000 Gregory Jackson +10000
Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson are notably omitted from this list. Their odds are too great to be included here and are near locks to go in the top five, if not with the first two picks overall. Miller and Henderson have been interchanged in the top three behind Wemby, which is why his odds are so big. The Thompson brothers, Whitmore and Walker, are the next most likely to be selected in the top five.
If we can assume that Miller, Henderson and Wembanyama go in the top three, that leaves two spots in the top five for a player to hit this bet successfully. The Rockets are likely to stay at No. 4, but Detroit could be on the move. They are already young, and if there is another team that would be willing to part with proven talent, it wouldn't be shocking to see the fifth pick moved.
I think Amen Thompson comes off the board to Houston, so really, it comes down to what happens at No. 5. Whitmore and Walker are both solid choices. Whitmore is 6 ft. 7, and projects as a small forward at the next level, averaging 12.5 points and 5.3 rebounds over 26 games at Villanova. The 6 ft. 8 Walker averaged 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 36 games at Houston. Whitmore has better playmaking and was a slightly better shooter in college, but Walker is more NBA-ready with how well-rounded he is. I am taking Walker, assuming that Detroit keeps the pick or if they trade with a team that doesn't have a glaring small guard or big man needs.