2019 NBA Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions, Breaking Down Prospects on the Rise
The stock of NBA draft prospects can rise or fall at any time.
That was true before the college basketball season started, after it ended and will remain so until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver starts announcing official selections on June 20.
With the promise of the NBA postseason's clean slate upon us, we'll embrace our optimistic side and spotlight three players on the rise after running through our latest mock.
2019 NBA Mock Draft
1. New York Knicks: Zion Williamson, PF/C, Duke
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
3. Phoenix Suns: RJ Barrett, SG/SF, Duke
4. Chicago Bulls: Coby White, PG/SG, North Carolina
5. Atlanta Hawks: De'Andre Hunter, SF/PF, Virginia
6. Washington Wizards: Cam Reddish, SG/SF, Duke
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
8. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks): Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
10. Minnesota Timberwolves: PJ Washington, PF/C, Kentucky
11. Los Angeles Lakers: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
12. Boston Celtics (via Sacramento Kings): Brandon Clarke, PF/C, Gonzaga
13. Miami Heat: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
14. Charlotte Hornets: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
15. Detroit Pistons: Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF, France
16. Brooklyn Nets: Goga Bitadze, C, Georgia
17. Orlando Magic: Keldon Johnson, SG/SF, Kentucky
18. Indiana Pacers: Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina
19. Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers): Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, Iowa State
20. San Antonio Spurs: Rui Hachimura, PF, Gonzaga
21. Boston Celtics: KZ Okpala, SF/PF, Stanford
22. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
23. Utah Jazz: Nassir Little, SF/PF, North Carolina
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
25. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Houston Rockets): Mfiondu Kabengele, PF/C, Florida State
26. Portland Trail Blazers: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
27. Brooklyn Nets (via Denver Nuggets): Luguentz Dort, SG/SF, Arizona State
28. Golden State Warriors: Grant Williams, PF/C, Tennessee
29. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors): Dylan Windler, SF, Belmont
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Carsen Edwards, PG, Purdue
Draft order via Tankathon.com
Prospects on the Rise
De'Andre Hunter, SF/PF, Virginia
Hunter's tournament play as a whole didn't jump off the page, but like his Cavaliers, he ended on the highest possible note.
Virginia doesn't win the title game without him. He scored a game-high 27 points, buried a triple at the 12-second mark to force overtime and limited fellow lottery prospect Jarrett Culver to just 15 points on 22 shots.
"Honestly, I wanted to show that I was the better player," Hunter told reporters afterward.
Shining brightest on the biggest stage possible against elite competition should bump Hunter into top-five consideration, although he must continue rising to the occasion on the workout circuit to stay there.
Brandon Clarke, PF/C, Gonzaga
What can Clarke do you for? If you're a win-now team looking to plug a hole at the heart of your defense, the answer is quite a lot.
The 22-year-old bouncy big man had a marvelous run through March Madness, even if the tournament ended sooner than his Bulldogs would've liked. After barely breaking a sweat in the opening round (12 points, eight boards and three blocks in 23 minutes), Clarke sprinted through the finish line his final three times out.
In the second round, he blitzed Baylor for 36 points on 15-of-18 shooting, eight rebounds, five blocks, three assists and two steals. He didn't have the same shooting success against Florida State's stingy defense (6-of-15), but still flooded the box score with 15 points, 12 boards and another five rejections. Finally, he went for 18 points (7-of-10), 12 boards, three dimes and two blocks against Texas Tech.
"The San Jose State transfer may not be a star in the making, but in today's NBA, where the 22-year-old could take on a Jordan Bell-like role, he's a winner," CBS Sports' Reid Forgrave wrote after the second round. "NBA folks have him rated all over the place in this extremely fluid draft, but he certainly helped his case over the first weekend."
Mfiondu Kabengele, PF/C, Florida State
If you're unfamiliar with Kabengele, he's the nephew of former NBA great Dikembe Mutombo and an intriguing prospect for plenty of other reasons.
Almost all of them were on display at the NCAA tournament—through the first two rounds, at least. During FSU's wins over Vermont and Murray State, Kabengele had nearly as many points (43) as minutes (52), plus 17 rebounds, four blocks and two steals. He also hit 18-of-25 from the field (72 percent), 2-of-3 from distance and 9-of-12 at the stripe.
"Kabengele caught the attention of scouts during the postseason," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "... He's still on the raw side, but 6'10", 250-pound size, improved shooting range and specialty shot-making from the post could be enough to draw first-round interest this upcoming June."
Kabengele isn't as polished as you'd like a 21-year-old prospect to be, but he also might offer more potential than the typical player his age. Nearly his entire stat line climbed during his sophomore campaign, and his growth as a shooter (50.2/36.9/76.1 slash this season) indicated significant upward mobility.
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