2018 NBA Draft: Selection Order, Prospects to Watch and More

Drew Packham of NBA.com compiled 10 NBA mock drafts from some of the best internet sources for a May 22 article, and the results showed that seven of 10 believe that Arizona center Deandre Ayton will be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft to the Phoenix Suns.

That seems like the most plausible scenario given the Suns' low-post need, though it isn't set in stone. If Ayton does, in fact, go No. 1 though, then the next few picks could be interesting. Will the Sacramento Kings take Real Madrid guard Luka Doncic, or will they decide on a big man? And what will the Atlanta Hawks do at No. 3?

Below you'll find analysis and thoughts on the No. 2 and No. 3 selections if Doncic ends up falling out of the top three, with notes on the prospects to watch in those slots. In addition, you can find the NBA draft's first-round order.

NBA Draft: 1st-Round Order

1. Phoenix Suns

2. Sacramento Kings

3. Atlanta Hawks

4. Memphis Grizzlies

5. Dallas Mavericks

6. Orlando Magic

7. Chicago Bulls

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics)

9. New York Knicks

10. Philadelphia 76ers (via Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns)

11. Charlotte Hornets

12. Los Angeles Clippers (via Detroit Pistons)

13. Los Angeles Clippers

14. Denver Nuggets

15. Washington Wizards

16. Phoenix Suns (originally via Miami Heat)

17. Milwaukee Bucks

18. San Antonio Spurs

19. Atlanta Hawks

20. Minnesota Timberwolves (originally via Oklahoma City Thunder)

21. Utah Jazz

22. Chicago Bulls (via New Orleans Pelicans)

23. Indiana Pacers

24. Portland Trail Blazers

25. Los Angeles Lakers (originally via Cleveland Cavaliers)

26. Philadelphia 76ers

27. Boston Celtics

28. Golden State Warriors

29. Brooklyn Nets (originally via Toronto Raptors)

30. Atlanta Hawks (originally via Houston Rockets)

Prospects To Watch

Marvin Bagley III and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jonathan Givony of ESPN provided this interesting note in a May 20 report:

"The growing consensus among NBA decision-makers in attendance at Stark Arena in Belgrade is that the teams drafting behind the Phoenix Suns at No. 1, the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks are likely to pass on European prodigy in favor of American frontcourt players. The question remains whether a team will trade up into the top three to snag Doncic, or if he will fall to the No. 4 (Memphis) or even the No. 5 pick (Dallas) after being heavily scouted in the Euroleague playoffs against Panathinaikos and mostly struggling."

If that sentiment comes to fruition, Michigan State forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and Duke forward Marvin Bagley III could go second and third, in some order. If Doncic falls, it's also possible that we may see a wildcard enter the top three, such as Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. or Texas center Mohamed Bamba.

However, Jackson and Bagley seem to be the next-ranked players on many big boards after Ayton and Doncic. For example, the duo ranks third and fourth on Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report's ranking, respectively, while Aran Smith of NBADraft.net has Bagley third and Jackson fourth.

Although Doncic may be the most talented player in this year's draft class, the bottom line is the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings' need for a big man may trump taking the best player available for a few reasons.

First, the Hawks and Kings have significant scoring and rebounding needs.

Atlanta ranked 26th in offensive efficiency and 25th in points per game, while the Kings were 29th in offensive efficiency and last in points per game. Sacramento was also just one of two NBA teams to score under 100 points per game this past season.

On the glass, Atlanta was fifth-last in the NBA in rebounding differential, while Sacramento was fourth-last. The Kings were also second-last in defensive rebounds per game.

Second, the Hawks' and Kings' frontcourt futures are in flux.

Hawks power forward John Collins figures to be a mainstay in Atlanta for a while after a successful rookie campaign, but the rest of the frontcourt was more or less rotated throughout the year between Dewayne Dedmon, Mike Muscala, Miles Plumlee and Eryan Ilyasova (who was eventually traded to the Philadelphia 76ers).

Atlanta needs a long-term frontcourt partner for Collins that the team can build around, so a big man like Bagley or Jackson makes sense.

As for Sacramento, veteran power forward Zach Randolph is a free agent and very likely won't be back as the Kings undergo a youth movement. Center Kosta Koufos is also a free agent.

Big man Willie Cauley-Stein showed potential in his last nine regular-season games, scoring 16.9 points, grabbing 7.9 rebounds and dishing 3.0 assists in 29.6 minutes per game, according to Basketball Reference. He'll be just 25 years old next year, but the team needs someone else to step up alongside Cauley-Stein. That answer could be found in the draft.

Third, while Bagley and Jackson may be considered a cut below Doncic and Ayton at this time, both big men are still excellent prospects worthy of top-three picks. In previous drafts, both players could make great cases for going No. 1, but this draft is stacked with talent at the top.

Bagley was the ACC Player of the Year in his lone season at Duke, averaging 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He was also an impressive shooter from downtown, making 39.7 percent of his three-pointers in addition to 61.4 percent of his field goals overall.

Jackson was a shot-blocking machine in his one year at MSU, swatting 3.0 shots per game in just 21.8 minutes of action. Like Bagley, he was also an adept three-point shooter, hitting 39.6 percent of his threes.

Bagley is the better scorer and rebounder, while Jackson is the better defender. Either way, both have plenty of time to develop and improve in other areas, as the two will be just 19 years old when the NBA season begins in October.