2018 NBA Mock Draft: 1st-Round Picks for Every Team and Players to Watch
The 2018 NFL draft provided plenty of drama and intrigue on Thursday, which seems to be commonplace every year.
However, there's only one American professional sports league that can create mass hysteria and drama over bouncing pingpong balls that float in large machines, and that's the NBA.
The lottery will take place on May 15 to officially decide the top 14 of the NBA draft (the rest is set in stone barring further trades). Until then, here's a look at a mock draft in addition to some players to watch as the draft nears on June 21.
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: Kentucky PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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): Missouri C Jontay Porter
13. Los Angeles Clippers: Alabama PG/SG Collin Sexton
14. Denver Nuggets: Ohio State SF/PF Keita Bates-Diop
Lottery Player To Watch
Seeing how Oklahoma point guard Trae Young bounces back from a tough end to his 2017-18 campaign will be interesting.
OU rolled through its first 16 games, going 14-2 (and 4-1 in the Big 12) while Young averaged 30.1 points and 10.0 assists per game, per Sports Reference. He also routinely sent college basketball Twitter on fire with his nightly performances, such as when he dropped a combined 82 points in two matchups with TCU.
However, the last half of the year was disappointing for Oklahoma, as it won just four of its final 16 games and made early exits in the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. Young still posted excellent numbers, but his scoring average in the second half dipped to 24.7 points as his shooting percentage fell to 38.6 percent.
It wasn't the finish Young wanted, but he showed college basketball fans everywhere he's an excellent scorer and can carry a team to wins at his best.
The question is where the 6'2" point guard would fit in the lottery. With a solid group of big men leading the way in this year's draft (coupled with the excellent 6'8" Real Madrid combo guard Luka Doncic), it's hard seeing Young land anywhere in the top four or so. But his floor is almost assuredly the back end of the lottery, which makes a few teams attractive should they not land top lottery picks.
The New York Knicks could be an option, especially considering their desire to move 2017 draft pick Frank Ntilikina to 2-guard near the end of the season. That being said, the team is sans head coach right now, and a new one may want to shake things up and try Ntilikina at the point again. In that scenario, Young to New York would be unlikely.
Two other spots that make sense are Cleveland and Orlando.
The Cavaliers need more scoring punch in the backcourt (and may need scoring punch period if free agent LeBron James heads elsewhere this offseason). The Orlando Magic are in full rebuild mode and are searching for a new head coach. With Elfrid Payton no longer in town, the Magic need to find a long-term solution at point guard. Young could be the answer.
Wherever Young goes, there's always the possibility he's must-see television thanks to his scoring prowess. He will be an interesting player to monitor this summer and next season.
NBA Mock Draft: Picks 15-30
15. Washington Wizards: Texas A&M C Robert Williams
16. Phoenix Suns (originally via Miami Heat): Villanova PG Jalen Brunson
17. Milwaukee Bucks: C Mitchell Robinson (Chalmette High School)
18. San Antonio Spurs: Cedevita Zagreb SF Dzanan Musa
19. Atlanta Hawks: Miami SG Lonnie Walker Jr.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (originally via Oklahoma City Thunder): Michigan State SF/PF Miles Bridges
21. Utah Jazz: Kentucky SF/PF Kevin Knox
22. Chicago Bulls (via New Orleans Pelicans): Boise State SF Chandler Hutchison
23. Indiana Pacers: USC PG/SG De'Anthony Melton
24. Portland Trail Blazers: Nevada SF Caleb Martin
25. Los Angeles Lakers (originally via Cleveland Cavaliers): Cincinnati SF Jacob Evans
26. Philadelphia 76ers: Creighton SG Khyri Thomas
27. Boston Celtics: Villanova F/C Omari Spellman
28. Golden State Warriors: UNLV C Brandon McCoy
29. Brooklyn Nets (originally via Toronto Raptors): IMG PG Anfernee Simons
30. Atlanta Hawks (originally via Houston Rockets): Duke SG Gary Trent Jr.
1st-Round Player To Watch
While Villanova big man Omari Spellman hasn't hired an agent, which would seal his placement in the 2018 NBA draft, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 6'9", 245-pound forward make the leap after he manned the post for the 2018 national champion Wildcats this year.
The freshman was fantastic for Villanova, averaging 10.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 28.1 minutes per game. Furthermore, he can shoot it from deep, making 43.3 percent of his three-pointers. It's not as if he only takes around one a game, either, as Spellman has averaged 3.8 shots from beyond the arc per night.
In a three-point-happy NBA, where big men are routinely going to the perimeter to hoist (and defend) shots, that could make the 20-year-old a hot prospect as draft day nears.
Spellman also left a nice impression for any scouts watching in the Final Four, as he averaged 11.5 points and 12 rebounds in those two games, adding three blocks in a win over Kansas.
NBADraft.net mocks Spellman to the Philadelphia 76ers at 26th overall, and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report called him "an interesting option in the 20-50 range."
Ultimately, Spellman shouldn't be in danger of being undrafted should he declare. It's a matter of how high his stock can go and whether he's comfortable entering the draft now as opposed to later when his standing can improve.
The guess here is he ends up falling somewhere in the back end of the first round.
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