2018 NBA Mock Draft: Latest Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects
For all the action packed into this year's March Madness, the eventful tournament probably didn't change the early portion of the 2018 NBA draft board.
We're far enough into the process that different tiers are starting to form. Deandre Ayton (Arizona) and Luka Doncic (Slovenia) probably make up the top one. The next stretches near the end of the lottery. The lower half of the first round flips to undeveloped young projects and more polished upperclassmen with seemingly less potential.
Below we'll run through a one-round mock, then examine the potential fit of our three top prospects.
2018 NBA Mock Draft
1. Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton, C, Arizona
2. Memphis Grizzlies: Luka Doncic, SG/SF, Slovenia
3. Dallas Mavericks: Marvin Bagley III, PF/C, Duke
4. Atlanta Hawks: Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C, Michigan State
5. Orlando Magic: Mohamed Bamba, C, Texas
6. Sacramento Kings: Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF, Missouri
7. Chicago Bulls: Wendell Carter Jr., C, Duke
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Brooklyn Nets): Collin Sexton, PG, Alabama
9. New York Knicks: Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma
10. Philadelphia 76ers (via Los Angeles Lakers): Mikal Bridges, SF, Villanova
11. Charlotte Hornets: Kevin Knox, SF, Kentucky
12. Los Angeles Clippers (via Detroit Pistons): Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Michigan State
13. Los Angeles Clippers: Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
14. Denver Nuggets: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Kentucky
15. Washington Wizards: Khyri Thomas, SG, Creighton
16. Phoenix Suns (via Miami Heat): Dzanan Musa, SG/SF, Bosnia and Herzegovina
17. Milwaukee Bucks: Daniel Gafford, C, Arkansas
18. Atlanta Hawks (via Minnesota Timberwolves): Zhaire Smith, SF, Texas Tech
19. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Troy Brown, SG/SF, Oregon
20. San Antonio Spurs: Lonnie Walker IV, SG, Miami
21. Chicago Bulls (via New Orleans Pelicans): Mitchell Robinson, C, USA
22. Utah Jazz: Anfernee Simons, PG/SG, IMG Academy
23. Indiana Pacers: Jacob Evans, SF, Cincinnati
24. Portland Trail Blazers: Chandler Hutchison, SG/SF, Boise State
25. Los Angeles Lakers (via Cleveland Cavaliers): Aaron Holiday, PG, UCLA
26. Philadelphia 76ers: Jerome Robinson, SG, Boston College
27. Boston Celtics: Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland
28. Golden State Warriors: Jalen Brunson, PG, Villanova
29. Brooklyn Nets (via Toronto Raptors): Moritz Wagner, C, Michigan
30. Atlanta Hawks (via Houston Rockets): Bruce Brown Jr., SG, Miami
Suns Keep Deandre Ayton in Arizona
After clinching the lottery's best odds, the Phoenix Suns have to like their chances of finding a difference-maker. They're early enough in their rebuild that they could take the best prospect regardless of position, but Deandre Ayton would arrive as both the top talent and a need-filler.
He is 7'1", 250 pounds of potential awesomeness. He might not have played the entire season with his motor at full throttle, but he still provided 20.1 points on 61.2 percent shooting and 11.6 rebounds on a nightly basis. He's huge, immensely athletic and skilled in a way that should alleviate some of the Suns' primary issues.
"Phoenix needs a lot of help, most notably a legitimate offensive big man to play off Devin Booker," Jordan Schultz wrote for Yahoo Sports. "Ayton is a physical specimen who can really score. He stretches the floor as a shooter and you can put him in any ball-screen situation as well."
The Suns are closer to escaping their post-Steve Nash shadow than their league-worst record suggests. Adding Ayton would be a big step toward getting that done.
Between Ayton, Booker, Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren, Phoenix would have an intriguing young nucleus to build around—plus the flexibility to go big-game hunting in free agency.
Memphis Keeps Options Open with Luka Doncic
It's hard to say the Memphis Grizzlies are completely rebuilding when Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are still on the payroll. Then again, no team with a sub-.300 winning percentage can be labeled a win-now club, regardless of how much damage the injury bug has caused.
The Grizzlies must be open to multiple scenarios as their best path forward. Drafting Luka Doncic would allow that, since he brings both the polish of playing high-level pro ball overseas and the upside of being a 19-year-old playmaker with advanced feel and an improving shot.
"This is a terrific fit for Doncic, whose size, feel and developed skill set would slot right in to help engineer a turnaround," Jeremy Woo wrote for SI.com. "His greatest strength is his on-court intelligence, and while he may not evolve into a dominant scorer, lessening that pressure while placing him alongside other great passers should bring out the best in him."
There might not be a natural go-to option in the Gasol-Conley-Doncic trio, but all are smart and willing passers who can carry the scoring torch in spurts. Surround them with enough shooters and athletes, and Memphis could find a way to reverse its fortunes as soon as next season. If not, it would have Doncic as a centerpiece and veteran trade chips to fetch forward-focused assets.
Mavs Find Their Post-Dirk Frontcourt Anchor
If Marvin Bagley III hadn't reclassified for the class of 2017, he'd be planning out his final weeks of high school right now. Instead, he's surging toward the NBA draft with (ahead-of-schedule) freshman averages of 21.0 points on 61.4 percent shooting and 11.1 rebounds.
He just turned 19 in March. During the same month, he also put 21 points and 15 rebounds on defending champion North Carolina, went for 33 points and 17 boards in an ACC tournament quarterfinal against Notre Dame and tallied 66 points on 72.2 percent shooting over his first three NCAA tournament outings.
"No freshman has done more in his freshman year than Marvin," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN). "He's broken every record, and he's really represented us at the highest level. I'm proud of him because he came in late and he adapted at the highest level."
There might be questions about Bagley's jump shooting and defensive ability, but he's been a wrecking ball at every level so far. There's value alone in his size, athleticism and energy, and he has the offensive ceiling of a focal point.
That's exactly what the Dallas Mavericks need for their post-Dirk Nowitzki future—assuming The Diggler does, in fact, walk away at some point. Bagley could be an ideal screening partner for Dennis Smith Jr., and if those two can handle the primary scoring roles, Harrison Barnes could dazzle as a high-level complementary option.
Statistics used courtesy of Sports-Reference.com and ESPN.com.
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