2018 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Most Athletic 1st-Round Prospects

The most exciting moment during the NBA postseason won't involve an actual playoff game for many basketball fans. Rather, it will take place on Tuesday, May 15, when the order for the lottery portion of this year's NBA draft is revealed following a drawing.

This NBA draft is not short on elite talent, as it's conceivable to see a handful of 2018 picks enjoy long and prosperous All-Star careers.

Here's a look at a new mock draft as the lottery nears, in addition to a look at where three of the most athletic first-round prospects may head 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 Jr.

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): Missouri C Jontay Porter

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: Texas A&M F 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 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): Cincinnati SF Jacob Evans

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

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): Villanova SG Donte DiVincenzo

Phoenix Suns: Arizona C Deandre Ayton

If the Phoenix Suns land the No. 1 overall pick, they could conceivably pair Real Madrid combo guard Luka Doncic with shooting guard Devin Booker and hope that pairing works for a decade-plus, but the team has a more pressing need down low. The Alex Len era seems all but over with him set to become a free agent, and Tyson Chandler has one year left on his deal.

In other words, the team doesn't have a long-term solution in the post, and the first priority with this pick should be to find one.

Therefore, 7'1" big man Deandre Ayton is the obvious choice. He should immediately become the team's starting center and form a frontcourt partnership with Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss. With the team largely bereft of veteran presences in the locker room, Ayton could also lean on Chandler's tutelage for a year.

The only potential issue is that the Suns have a trio of players who hog a great deal of team usage right now, namely shooting guard Booker (31.7 percent usage rate, per Basketball Reference), Josh Jackson (26 percent usage) and T.J. Warren (24.9 percent usage). Will Ayton, who had a 26.6 percent usage rate in his one year at Arizona, per Sports Reference, be able to fit in with them?

That remains to be seen, but the Suns have to give it a shot in order to find a long-term solution in the paint.

Dallas Mavericks: Duke F/C Marvin Bagley III

The Dallas Mavericks could look entirely different in a matter of two seasons. A lot of money comes off the books after the 2018-19 campaign, and that cap space could increase if Harrison Barnes and Dwight Powell use their player options and become free agents.

The only position that seems locked down into the next decade is point guard, as rookie Dennis Smith Jr. flashed excellent athleticism and great potential en route to posting 15.2 points and 5.2 assists per game.

Ultimately, the Mavs need to find some building blocks around Smith. If they land the third overall pick, they should look down low to find future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki's heir apparent, and that player could be Duke big man Marvin Bagley Jr., who averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds in his one season in Durham, North Carolina. He would immediately provide some rebounding help for a team that finished dead last in rebounding differential last year.

Dallas also needs some scoring help, as it finished near the bottom of the league in numerous offensive categories, including points per game (28th), field-goal percentage (26th) and offensive efficiency (23rd, per ESPN.com). Bagley was one of the more efficient players in college basketball last year, making 61.4 percent of his shots and 39.7 percent of three-pointers en route to being named the ACC Player of the Year.

Ultimately, adding Bagley should help alleviate two big needs for Dallas.

New York Knicks: Alabama PG/SG Collin Sexton

The New York Knicks can go a few different directions if they land the No. 9 pick, but finding a guard to complement 2017 first-round selection Frank Ntilikina is probably the best bet.

If last season is any indication, Ntilikina's future with the team might be as a shooting guard, where he played down the stretch. However, he shot the ball poorly last year (36.4 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three-point range). Those are numbers that can (and should) improve in future years, but right now, his No. 1 attribute is his defensive effort, which drew praise from numerous sources last year.

A proficient scoring guard to help bring up the ball might be the best complement to Ntilikina, and that player could be Alabama's Collin Sexton, whom NBADraft.net called "one of the most dynamic guards in the country and has the tools to become a versatile weapon at the NBA level." Sexton, who averaged 19.2 points on 44.7 percent shooting last year, will be just 19 years old when the 2018-19 NBA season begins and could help bring some life to Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks haven't had someone just lock down the point guard position for a decade since Walt "Clyde" Frazier did so in the teams' heyday of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and perhaps Sexton can be that player. Provided big man Kristaps Porzingis comes back 100 percent from his torn ACL, he could form a solid partnership with Sexton and provide hope for a desperate Knicks fanbase.