2019 NBA Mock Draft: Full Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects Prior to Lottery
The 2019 NBA draft lottery will be held Tuesday night, which will give projected No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson a clearer outlook on his future.
Although there won't be any games between now and the draft, there will still be opportunities for prospects to try to separate themselves by June 20. Most notably, the 2019 NBA Draft Combine will be held in Chicago on Friday and Saturday.
The lottery, which will be broadcast at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, will go a long way in determining how the first round plays out, but here's a look at how the first round is shaping up before the order is officially determined.
NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. New York Knicks: Zion Williamson, SF, Duke
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: RJ Barrett, SG, Duke
3. Phoenix Suns: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
4. Chicago Bulls: Coby White, PG, North Carolina
5. Atlanta Hawks: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
6. Washington Wizards: De'Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
8. Memphis Grizzlies: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
9. Atlanta Hawks (via Mavericks): Cameron Reddish, SG, Duke
10. Minnesota Timberwolves: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga
11. Los Angeles Lakers: Rui Hachimura, SF, Gonzaga
12. Charlotte Hornets: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
13. Miami Heat: PJ Washington, PF, Kentucky
14. Boston Celtics (via Kings): Nassir Little, SF, North Carolina
15. Detroit Pistons: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
16. Orlando Magic: Goga Bitadze, C, Georgia
17. Brooklyn Nets: Grant Williams, PF, Tennessee
18. Indiana Pacers: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
19. San Antonio Spurs: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
20. Boston Celtics (via Clippers): Sekou Doumbouya, PF, France
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina
22. Boston Celtics: Keldon Johnson, SG, Kentucky
23. Utah Jazz: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Jontay Porter, C, Missouri
25. Portland Trail Blazers: KZ Okpala, PF, Stanford
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Rockets): Daniel Gafford, C, Arkansas
27. Brooklyn Nets (via Nuggets): Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
28. Golden State Warriors: Carsen Edwards, SG, Purdue
29. San Antonio Spurs (via Raptors): Bruno Fernando, PF, Maryland
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Ty Jerome, PG, Virginia
Top Prospects
Zion Williamson
Barring a shocking development, Zion Williamson will be the first overall pick.
There had been several players mentioned for the first overall pick prior to the 2018-19 men's basketball season. But once the 6'7", 285-pound took the court at Duke, there was very little question as to who was the best draft prospect in the country.
Williamson had a jaw-dropping season for the Blue Devils, averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game as a freshman.
He took home just about every individual honor possible, from ACC Rookie of the Year to ACC Player of the Year to first-team All-American to National College Player of the Year.
While ESPN's Tracy McGrady said in March that he was hearing Williamson didn't want to play in a big market, the 18-year-old phenom is on the record of saying he would welcome the opportunity to play for the Knicks.
"To the New York fans, I really appreciate the love and support," Williamson said, per Steve Serby of the New York Post. "If the Knicks did draft me, I would love to be there.
"I know that they're a very historic-like team. They have a lot of history based off of. I mean, if they draft me, it'd be an honor to play for them."
New York will be hoping the pingpong balls bounce their way Tuesday night, and if they do, the future of the franchise will be in Zion's hands.
RJ Barrett
While Williamson received the headlines at Duke, Barrett had a standout season himself.
Barrett was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2018 by 247Sports and more than lived up to the hype. He averaged 22.6 points on 45.4 percent shooting while adding 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. When Williamson was sidelined by a knee injury, Barrett kept his team in the mix for a No. 1 seed by upping his game, averaging 26.2 points over a six-game stretch.
And it was Barrett, not Williamson, who played the role of hero to keep the Blue Devils' season alive in the second round of the 2019 NCAA tournament:
Barrett is one of the top offensive players in this year's draft class, though he has proved he can do more than just score. The 6'7", 202-pound forward has the size and athleticism to be a difference-maker in the NBA.
Ja Morant
Morant made a name for himself while earning the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year honors, and an electrifying postseason helped solidify his status as one of the top prospects in the draft.
The 6'3", 175-pound point guard averaged 24.5 points, 10.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game for Murray State as a sophomore. In a first-round victory over fifth-seeded Marquette, Morant (17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds) became just the eighth player to record a triple-double in the NCAA tournament.
He followed that up with a 28-point performance in the second round, when he was 5-of-5 on three-pointers in the first half.
Morant appears poised to be a top-three pick—especially if the Phoenix Suns fall in that range. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie reported in April that there was buzz that Morant was the player the Suns "prefer to end up with" in this year's draft. Of course, that would be put to the test should they win the lottery.
Morant would make a lot of sense for Phoenix. Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges, the 10th overall draft pick last year, give the rebuilding Suns talent to work with. However, they are still searching for their point guard of the future—and there aren't many prospects in this year's class who have Morant's playmaking abilities.
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