NBA Mock Draft 2018: 1st-Round Projections for Top Prospects' Landing Spots

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 1998 NBA draft, which featured three surefire future Hall of Famers (Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce) in addition to two players who enjoyed long careers with multiple All-Star appearances (Antawn Jamison and Rashard Lewis).

Furthermore, some other non-All-Stars picked that year made names for themselves in the league, such as Mike Bibby and Jason "White Chocolate" Williams.

This year's class has the potential to stack up with 1998, as numerous players sport sterling resumes heading into the June 21 draft. Matching that trio of Hall of Famers is a tall order, but seeing five players from this class land in an All-Star game isn't out of reach.

Here's a look at a mock draft, as well as analysis on three prospects we could be talking about in 2038 thanks to their long and prosperous careers.

NBA Mock Draft: Lottery

1. Phoenix Suns: Arizona C Deandre Ayton

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Real Madrid PG/SG Luka Doncic

3. Dallas Mavericks: Duke F/C Marvin Bagley III

4. Atlanta Hawks: Michigan State F/C Jaren Jackson Jr.

5. Orlando Magic: Missouri SF/PF Michael Porter Jr.

6. Chicago Bulls: Texas C Mohamed Bamba

7. Sacramento Kings: Duke C Wendell Carter

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics): Oklahoma PG Trae Young

9. New York Knicks: Alabama PG/SG Collin Sexton

10. Philadelphia 76ers (via Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns): Villanova SF Mikal Bridges

11. Charlotte Hornets: Texas Tech G/F Zhaire Smith

12. Los Angeles Clippers (via Detroit Pistons): Texas A&M F Robert Williams

13. Los Angeles Clippers: Kentucky PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

14. Denver Nuggets: Cedevita Zagreb SF Dzanan Musa

NBA Mock Draft: Picks 15-30

15. Washington Wizards: Missouri C Jontay Porter

16. Phoenix Suns (originally via Miami Heat): Villanova PG Jalen Brunson

17. Milwaukee Bucks: Chalmette High School C Mitchell Robinson

18. San Antonio Spurs: Michigan State SF/PF Miles Bridges

19. Atlanta Hawks: Miami SG Lonnie Walker IV

20. Minnesota Timberwolves (originally via Oklahoma City Thunder): Kentucky SF/PF Kevin Knox

21. Utah Jazz: Boise State SF Chandler Hutchison

22. Chicago Bulls (via New Orleans Pelicans): Ohio State SF/PF Keita Bates-Diop

23. Indiana Pacers: USC PG/SG De'Anthony Melton

24. Portland Trail Blazers: Creighton SG Khyri Thomas

25. Los Angeles Lakers (originally via Cleveland Cavaliers): Oregon F Troy Brown

26. Philadelphia 76ers: Duke SG Gary Trent Jr.

27. Boston Celtics: Villanova F/C Omari Spellman

28. Golden State Warriors: UCLA G Aaron Holiday

29. Brooklyn Nets (originally via Toronto Raptors): IMG PG Anfernee Simons

30. Atlanta Hawks (originally via Houston Rockets): Villanova SG Donte DiVincenzo

Khyri Thomas

Creighton guard Khyri Thomas shot 40.6 percent from the three-point line in three years with the Bluejays in addition to averaging 1.4 steals per game. He can become a solid three-and-D player on the next level. NBADraft.net compares him to New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, who just averaged 19.0 points and 1.5 steals. 

Rafael Uehara of RealGM notes that Thomas has a 6'10" wingspan, which will help him defend in the NBA. And although it's a one-game sample, Thomas proved he can excel against top competition when he dropped 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting in an overtime win against eventual national champion Villanova.

The issue for Thomas is he's 6'3", which is on the smaller side for an NBA shooting guard. That being said, Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum is just an inch taller and has averaged 21.7 points per game in his three seasons as a starter.

McCollum can be a lights-out shooter, which is his calling card, but Thomas' ability to defend should keep him in the league for a while. He could be a quality starter on a contending team.

Miles Bridges

The issue for Michigan State forward Miles Bridges might be the one that former Arizona forward Derrick Williams encountered in the 2011 NBA draft. Both Bridges and Williams were talented players with excellent production on the collegiate level, but they were stuck between the small forward and power forward positions.

Unlike Williams, who was taken second overall and therefore had lofty (and perhaps unfair) expectations off the bat, Bridges likely won't be going until the late lottery or the middle of the first round. Therefore, the pressure is lessened a little bit, as he isn't about to join a team that is expecting him to help carry the franchise within a year or two.

That should help Bridges' transition to the league, but regardless of whether he plays more at small or power forward, his three-point shot needs to improve. Bridges made 38.9 percent of his treys in 2016-17, but that number regressed to 36.4 percent last season.

Still, Bridges is solid on the glass (7.6 rebounds in two years at MSU) and led the team in scoring in both of his seasons at MSU. So long as that three-point shot improves, he will be able to find a home in the NBA for a long time.

Gary Trent Jr.

If you take a look at the three-point shooting statistics from this past season, you will notice that the Minnesota Timberwolves attempted the fewest shots from beyond the arc, per Basketball Reference.

You'll also spot that the T-Wolves shot the three 22.5 times per game on average, which is one nearly every two game minutes. In other words, that's still a ton of three-point attempts.

The NBA's reliance on the three-pointer has risen drastically in recent years; Minnesota's 22.5 three-point attempts per game would have been just above the league average three years ago.

This is a long-winded way of saying players such as Duke shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. are more than welcome in this NBA era. Not only does Trent have solid size for the position at 6'6", but he's not shy about shooting the three-ball, attempting 6.5 per game for the Blue Devils in his lone season in Durham, North Carolina. Trent connected on 40.2 percent of his shots.

He also helped carry the Duke offense on occasion last year, like when he dropped 30 points against Miami on 9-of-14-shooting (including six three-pointers).

The fact Trent was able to drill more than 40 percent of his threes is impressive enough, but to do to as a teenager (he does not turn 20 until January 2019) shows there is ample time for him to continue working on his jumper and become a better marksman. At worst, Trent should become a top scoring option off a team's bench.