NBA Mock Draft 2019: Round 1 Projections, Prospects' Post-Lottery Landing Spots

Now that the 2019 NBA draft lottery is in the books, a number of prospects have a much clearer idea as to where they may wind up starting their professional careers.

Despite entering Tuesday night with just a 6 percent chance of claiming the top overall pick, the New Orleans Pelicans walked away as the biggest winners of the lottery. The Memphis Grizzlies (second) and the Los Angeles Lakers (fourth) also managed to make some moves as well.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers (fifth) and the Phoenix Suns (sixth) found themselves dealing with some tough luck after recording the joint-second-worst records in basketball this season.

A lot can change between now and the draft on June 20, but below is an early look at how the first round might shake out following the lottery.

2019 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft

1. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, SF, Duke

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State

3. New York Knicks: RJ Barrett, SG, Duke

4. Los Angeles Lakers: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: De'Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia

6. Phoenix Suns: Coby White, PG, North Carolina

7. Chicago Bulls: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt

8. Atlanta Hawks: Cameron Reddish, SG, Duke

9. Washington Wizards: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas

10. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks): Bol Bol, C, Oregon

11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga

12. Charlotte Hornets: PJ Washington, PF, Kentucky

13. Miami Heat: Rui Hachimura, SF, Gonzaga

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

Los Angeles Lakers

Rob Pelinka and Co. went from potentially being on the outside of the top 10 to leaving the lottery with the fourth overall pick. 

As a result, they have the opportunity to bolster four-time NBA MVP LeBron James' supporting cast with one of the top talents in the draft.

There appears to be a consensus on the top three picks in this year's draft: Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett. While Los Angeles would likely be thrilled to see any of those players fall to it, chances are the team will have to figure out who is the most deserving after that group.

Jarrett Culver is coming off a strong season that saw him lead the Texas Tech Red Raiders to their first NCAA title game berth. As a sophomore, he averaged 18.5 points on 46.1 percent shooting while adding 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

His strong sophomore season earned him second-team All-American honors.

After shooting 38.2 percent from three-point range as a freshman, Culver took a step backward in that regard last year despite his all-around stellar year. He shot just 30.4 percent from distance in 2018-19. That's a shot the Lakers would need him to rediscover so that there is dependable perimeter shooting around James.

It's worth noting Culver measured in well at the combine as well, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony:

Pelinka let it be known on Tuesday, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, that the Lakers would be looking for an "impact player" at No. 4 if they kept the pick—and Culver certainly fits that mold.

But Los Angeles may try to use the fourth overall pick to try to land an established star, such as the New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis. If they hang on to the pick, though, it would be tough to pass on a player of Culver's caliber.

Phoenix Suns

Phoenix appeared to have a good chance of landing Murray State star Ja Morant, but after falling in the lottery, the Suns will have to explore alternatives.

With Morant likely to be long gone by the time Phoenix goes on the clock, North Carolina's Coby White and Vanderbilt's Darius Garland are likely to be among the available options at No. 6.

Garland has some buzz surrounding him after showing some potential with the Commodores last season. He averaged 16.2 points on 58.1 percent shooting (18 of 31), including 47.8 percent (11 of 23) from beyond the arc. He was, however, limited to just five games after suffering a meniscus injury in his left knee in November.

That injury could affect his draft stock, and perhaps the Suns thus look for a lower-risk (in terms of health) prospect. That makes White someone to keep an eye on.

White is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.1 points as a freshman for the Tar Heels, shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from distance. 

The 6'4", 191-pound guard got off to a bit of a slow start, topping 20 points just once in his first 12 career games. However, he averaged 17.1 points over his final 15 games. He shot 37.9 percent from three-point range in 30 regular-season games.

As White found his groove, so too did North Carolina. White and the Tar Heels finished the season by winning 17 of their final 20 games, defeating R.J. Barrett and archrival Duke twice while winning a share of the regular-season ACC title.

Coming out of high school, White was rated as a 5-star recruit by 247Sports. He more than validated that rating during his time in Chapel Hill, putting himself in a position to be among the first players off the board.

Phoenix has promising young pieces in place in Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges, with 2017 fourth overall pick Josh Jackson also a work in progress. The next step in the rebuilding process would be finding a point guard of the future, and White could be the top available player when the Suns make their pick.