2019 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Where 1st-Round Prospects Will Land
With the NBA Draft Combine breezing through the Windy City, it's a reminder the annual talent grab is closer than you think.
OK, maybe it doesn't feel that way for everyone. Some fans might have circled June 20 on their calendars before the season even started.
But for hoop heads devouring every second of playoff action or focused more on free agency, consider this a wake-up call. In a little over a month, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will be officially connecting teams to prospects.
For now, we can only make hypothetical connections, which we'll do below with our mock first round and a closer look at three under-the-radar players to know.
2019 NBA Mock Draft
1. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, PF/C, Duke
2. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
3. New York Knicks: RJ Barrett, SG/SF, Duke
4. Los Angeles Lakers: De'Andre Hunter, SF/PF, Virginia
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
6. Phoenix Suns: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
7. Chicago Bulls: Coby White, PG/SG, North Carolina
8. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, SG/SF, Duke
9. Washington Wizards: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
10. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks): Bol Bol, C, Oregon
11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF, France
12. Charlotte Hornets: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
13. Miami Heat: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
14. Boston Celtics (via Sacramento Kings): Goga Bitadze, C, Georgia
15. Detroit Pistons: PJ Washington, PF/C, Kentucky
16. Orlando Magic: Keldon Johnson, SG/SF, Kentucky
17. Brooklyn Nets: Rui Hachimura, PF, Gonzaga
18. Indiana Pacers: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
19. San Antonio Spurs: Brandon Clarke, PF/C, Gonzaga
20. Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers): Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, Iowa State
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
22. Boston Celtics: Chuma Okeke, PF, Auburn
23. Utah Jazz: Nassir Little, SF/PF, North Carolina
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina
25. Portland Trail Blazers: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Houston Rockets): Mfiondu Kabengele, PF/C, Florida State
27. Brooklyn Nets (via Denver Nuggets): KZ Okpala, SF/PF, Stanford
28. Golden State Warriors: Ty Jerome, PG/SG, Virginia
29. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors): Dylan Windler, SF, Belmont
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Isaiah Roby, PF/C, Nebraska
Brandon Clarke, PF/C, Gonzaga
Clarke's prospect profile is almost impossible to follow.
He's a 22-year-old with major growth potential. You don't see that often. While his offensive arsenal needs polish, he still produced nine different 20-point outings and paced everyone with a 137.9 offensive rating.
He's also an elite shot-blocker despite standing just 6'8¼" and possessing a wingspan the same length. At 207 pounds, he's built more like a wing, but he plays like a center.
His athleticism is incredible (40½" vertical), and his motor stays fully revved from the opening tip through the final buzzer. Add mobility to the mix, and he has defensive-specialist potential with the energy and bounce to help his next team's above-the-rim attack.
Chuma Okeke, PF, Auburn
The first thing to know about Okeke is that he's not available to play now and might not be for a while. He tore his ACL during the NCAA tournament, making it unclear when exactly his NBA career will start.
For clubs who can afford to be patient, though, the versatile forward should be worth the wait.
The 6'8", 230-pounder looks like he was built for the modern game. He can stretch out defenders with a 38.7 percent three-point stroke, punish smaller ones in the post and handle perimeter switches at the opposite end.
The 20-year-old averaged 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.1 minutes this past season, meaning you're looking more at a role player than a future star. But every contender needs a Swiss Army knife, and he possesses that type of skill set.
Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina
Interested in three-point shooting? Then you should probably take a long look at Johnson.
As a 23-year-old with limited athleticism and not much in the way of shot-creation, he may not appeal to the league's long-term rebuilders. But any win-now team in need of more spacing—aka, every win-now team in today's NBA—should have him on their radar.
"It's easy to envision Johnson as a shot-making specialist," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "At 6'9", he finished in the 97th percentile while shooting out of spot-ups and the 97th percentile shooting off screens."
During his second and final season with the Tar Heels—he transferred from Pitt—he was a walking flamethrower. He not only averaged 2.7 triples a night, he buried his long-range looks at a 45.7 percent clip.
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