Cade Cunningham is Going to be the No. 1 Pick in 2021, Isn’t He?

I feel as if we will look back on these days five or 10 years from now in wonder that Cade Cunningham — three- or four-time NBA All-Star — spent time in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Whether that time is four days or four months remains to be seen.

ESPN came out with their 2021 NBA Mock Draft this week, and — my gosh — Cade Cunningham is atop the pile. Here are the current top 10 picks (Isaac Likekele, by the way, is pegged as the 40th pick to Sacramento — bring me more pros!).

Here’s what they said (sort of) about Cunningham.

[Jalen] Green appears to be on a significant upward trajectory and had a highly productive weekend that had some scouts mentioning his name as a potential No. 1 overall pick. Green, Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley have cemented themselves as the cream of the crop by a wide margin and will likely continue to battle it out for consideration as the No. 1 prospect in the class. [ESPN]

Hold me.

ESPN isn’t the only one either. NBADraft.net has Cunningham going No. 2 (with Bryce Thompson No. 12!). NBA Draft Room has him going No. 1 and compares him to a stronger Shaun Livingston. Never smoked a cigarette, but I’m gonna need one in a minute.

There are of course predictions that Cunningham is not going to end up in Stillwater — and I am totally prepared to live in that world — but man, it would be such a coup if he did end up there. If he did wear orange and black for a season.

Not just because what it would mean for that season but what it would mean for the spotlight on this program. To have the No. 1 (or No. 2 or No. 5 or whatever) pick in Stillwater for a whole year with the attention the NBA Draft gets these days would be a massive deal. Something Mike Boynton could leverage in future recruiting and something that would only be a boon for all the 5-stars he wants to try and snag in all the years after that.

OSU has had eight first-round picks in the modern NBA, with Country and Marcus Smart tied for the highest pick at No. 6. Other firsts include Joey Graham (No. 16), Desmond Mason (No. 17), James Anderson (No. 20), Tony Allen (No. 25), Brooks Thompson (No. 27) and Byron Houston (No. 27). Surely Cunningham would usurp them all. Wouldn’t it be cool if that went in the OSU media guide and onto this page someday.