NBA Mock Draft 2019: Latest Pre-Lottery Projections for 1st-Round Action
We have had a good idea of which players will be selected early in the 2019 NBA draft since the end of the men's college basketball season.
The other half of the draft equation gets solved Tuesday, when the lottery determines which teams will select within the top 14.
Once the order is set, we will know where Duke's Zion Williamson, the projected No. 1 overall pick, and the other premier prospects in the draft class will land.
2019 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. New York Knicks: Zion Williamson, PF, Duke
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: RJ Barrett, SF, Duke
3. Phoenix Suns: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
4. Chicago Bulls: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
5. Atlanta Hawks: De'Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia
6. Washington Wizards: Cam Reddish, SF, Duke
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
8. Memphis Grizzlies: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
9. Atlanta Hawks (from Dallas): Sekou Doumbouya, PF/SF, France
10. Minnesota Timberwolves: Coby White, PG/SG, North Carolina
11. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga
12. Charlotte Hornets: Rui Hachimura, PF, Gonzaga
13. Miami Heat: Romeo Langford, SF, Indiana
14. Boston Celtics (from Sacramento): PJ Washington, PF, Kentucky
15. Detroit Pistons: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
16. Orlando Magic: Nassir Little, SF, North Carolina
17. Brooklyn Nets: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
18. Indiana Pacers: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
19. San Antonio Spurs: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
20. Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers): Goga Bitadze, C, Republic of Georgia
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland
22. Boston Celtics: Grant Williams, PF, Tennessee
23. Utah Jazz: Keldon Johnson, SF, Kentucky
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Talen Horton-Tucker, SF, Iowa State
25. Portland Trail Blazers: Cameron Johnson, PF, North Carolina
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Houston): Ty Jerome, PG/SG, Virginia
27. Brooklyn Nets (from Denver): Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
28. Golden State Warriors: Carsen Edwards, PG, Purdue
29. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto): Luguentz Dort, SG, Arizona State
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Mfiondu Kabengele, C, Florida State
Duke Trio Expected to Land in Top 10, Possibly Top 5
The 2019 NBA draft is expected to be one of the best in Duke basketball history.
Williamson is the clear-cut favorite to be taken No. 1, while RJ Barrett is likely to land in the top three, either right after Williamson or third behind Murray State's Ja Morant.
The projected landing spot of Cam Reddish is a bit more complicated to figure out, but he is likely to land somewhere between the fourth and eighth picks.
Duke also had three players selected in the first round in 2018, but only Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. were taken in the top 10. Grayson Allen went 21st to the Utah Jazz.
Williamson's out-of-this-world athleticism has set him apart from the other players in the draft class, and he is expected to be the top pick regardless of which franchise wins the lottery.
Depending on who selects second, Barrett could follow Williamson off the draft board. If a team like Atlanta or Cleveland, who already has a young point guard in place, earns the No. 2 pick, they could be more inclined to take Barrett over Morant.
Even if Morant goes second, Barrett should come off the board right after at No. 3 since he is one of the top scorers and wing players available.
Reddish will be in the mix for the No. 4 pick alongside De'Andre Hunter and Jarrett Culver. The decision at No. 4 could come down to something as simple as the best fit for that team.
In order to land at No. 4, Reddish needs to prove that he can be a more consistent scorer and can make an impact in all aspects of the game after taking a bit of a backseat to Williamson and Barrett during the NCAA tournament.
Hunter Withdraws from NBA Combine
Hunter was one of three players to withdraw from the NBA Draft Combine on Monday, per Jonathan Givony.
The Virginia forward is No. 5 on the draft big board put together by Givony and Mike Schmitz at ESPN.com.
Givony and Schmitz compared Hunter physically to OG Anunoby, Danny Granger and Rudy Gay when they were coming out of college.
Although missing the combine is not great for Hunter, his draft status might not be affected too much. Hunter's defensive prowess as a wing player will draw plenty of eyes, and it could help him land as high as No. 4.
If he does not get selected fourth, Hunter should not have a long wait on his hands, as plenty of prospective suitors will be waiting to swoop him up.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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