On the morning of the 2011 NBA Draft, it appears we finally have some kind of mock draft consensus for Klay Thompson. The Washington State wing has bounced around in various 2011 NBA mock drafts throughout the process, but with the draft just hours away, the biggest mock drafts project Thompson as a top-10 pick. He's just barely inside the top-10, but he's there.
Both Chad Ford's latest mock draft and DraftExpress' mock draft had Thompson at No. 10, taken by the Milwaukee Bucks, but Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick joined the masses and also put the WSU product at No. 10. Is Thompson destined for Milwaukee? If the mock drafters are right, it sure looks that way.
The Bucks might see Colorado shooting guard Alec Burks as the better prospect, but every talent evaluator I've spoken with prefers the sharpshooting Thompson over the slashing Burks. Or perhaps the Bucks go big: Coach Scott Skiles is believed to be a big fan of Marcus Morris. Valanciunas will entice them as well if he slides this far. VIDEO
But there is a significant chance a wrench could be thrown into everyone's plans. NBA Draft day is notorious for wheeling and dealing, with trades prevalent throughout the evening. Teams will shift, swap picks and change the order, destroying pre-draft projections in the process. In terms of his draft stock, though, Thompson should be happy with how far he's risen.
We'll find out where Thompson ends up as the 2011 NBA Draft gets underway on Thursday at 4 p.m. For the latest projections ahead of the draft, stay with our 2011 NBA mock draft StoryStream. For more on the Washington State Cougars, head over to SB Nation's CougCenter.