NBA Mock Draft 2019: Latest Projections and Comparisons for Underrated Prospects

The NBA draft is still more than three weeks away, but it's almost certain that Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett will be the first three names commissioner Adam Silver calls when he steps to the podium June 20.

Texas Tech star guard Jarrett Culver seems like a strong choice at the No. 4 position, while Cam Reddish is likely to join his Duke teammates Williamson and Barrett with an elite selection at No. 5.

As the draft moves past the fifth slot, much will be determined by individual workouts that will follow in the upcoming weeks.

In this piece, we offer our latest first-round mock draft, as well as projections and comparisons for underrated prospects.

We look at late first-round pick guard Luguentz Dort of Arizona State and second-round prospect center Nicolas Claxton of Georgia, offering player comparisons for both.

2019 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft

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

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

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

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

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Cam Reddish, F, Duke

6. Phoenix Suns: Darius Garland, G, Vanderbilt

7. Chicago Bulls: Coby White, G, North Carolina

8. Atlanta Hawks: De'Andre Hunter, F, Virginia

9. Washington Wizards: Sekou Doumbouya, F, France

10. Atlanta Hawks (from Dallas): Brandon Clarke, F, Gonzaga

11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas

12. Charlotte Hornets: PJ Washington, F, Kentucky

13. Miami Heat: Kevin Porter Jr., G, USC

14. Boston Celtics (from Sacramento): Bol Bol, C, Oregon

15. Detroit Pistons: Nassir Little, F, North Carolina

16. Orlando Magic: Romeo Langford, G, Indiana

17. Brooklyn Nets: Rui Hachimura, F, Gonzaga

18. Indiana Pacers: Ty Jerome, G, Virginia

19. San Antonio Spurs: Goga Bitadze, C, Republic of Georgia

20. Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers): Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G, Virginia Tech

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Grant Williams, F, Tennessee

22. Boston Celtics: Chuma Okeke, F, Auburn

23. Utah Jazz: Keldon Johnson, G, Kentucky

24. Philadelphia 76ers: Mfiondu Kabengele, C, Florida State

25. Portland Trail Blazers: Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland

26. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Houston): Tyler Herro, G, Kentucky

27. Brooklyn Nets (from Denver): KZ Okpala, F, Stanford

28. Golden State Warriors: Cameron Johnson, F, North Carolina

29. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto): Luguentz Dort, G, Arizona State

30. Milwaukee Bucks: Carsen Edwards, PG, Purdue

Guard Luguentz Dort, Arizona State

Dort is a thick-bodied, long-armed guard who says he is going to play point guard in the NBA.

Dort came in at 6'2¾" sans shoes and 222 pounds with a 6'8½" wingspan at the combine. He is coming out after a freshman year that saw him average 16.1 points and 4.3 rebounds. While his shooting was not impressive at 40.5 percent, his ability to create his own shot and score should help him establish himself at the next level.

Dort is likely to get drafted late in the first round, and he told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic that he has interviewed with five teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers.

"The feedback I've gotten from the teams, I feel like I'm in pretty good position for this draft," he said.

Dort has talent and skill, but his strength and body thickness is similar to Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics. The Arizona State guard has heard the Smart comparisons, and he also offered up Utah guard Donovan Mitchell.

"Marcus Smart is a pretty good one," Dort said. "I feel like Donovan Mitchell a little bit, too, on how hard he competes and how big of a guard he is and stuff like that."

Smart was named to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team for his work this season. Smart is a 6'4", 220-pound guard who averaged 8.9 points and 4.0 assists per game last season.

If the Smart comparison is accurate, Dort should be a solid all-around contributor at the NBA level—perhaps not a star, but a player who can help on both ends of the court.

Center Nicolas Claxton, Georgia

Claxton is a 6'10", 217-pound big man who does not have a sophisticated offensive game. However, he has the tools to get better in that area, and he can block shots and play defense.

Claxton averaged 13.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game for the Bulldogs last season. He registered 11 blocks during the NBA combine, per Scott Phillips of NBADraft.net.

The center has until May 29 to either declare that he is remaining in the draft or decide to return to Georgia. A first-round opportunity could help him to decide to remain, and his stock has been rising, per Chip Towers of DawgNation.

NBA Draft Room compared Claxton to former NBA players JaJuan Johnson and Jason Thompson. Johnson played just one year in the NBA, but Thompson played nine seasons, including seven with the Sacramento Kings and one with the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors.

Thompson was a 6'11", 250-pound center who averaged 8.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game during his NBA career.

Claxton would clearly need to add weight and strength to be a consistent force in the middle, but an impressive performance at the combine has helped get him on the NBA radar.