NBA Mock Draft 2019: Predictions for Top Prospects with Draft Day Approaching
June 17, 2019
With Anthony Davis heading to the Los Angeles Lakers, the New Orleans Pelicans will be entering a new era. And what better way to start than with two of the top four picks in the 2019 NBA draft.
The Pelicans received the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery and will acquire the No. 4 selection from the Lakers in the Davis trade, which ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday.
Of course, there's a chance New Orleans decides to flip the No. 4 pick in a deal, according to Wojnarowski. But if the Pelicans hold on to it, they'll be adding two of the best players from this year's draft class.
Assuming the draft order stays the same by Thursday, here's a look at how the dominoes could fall in the opening round.
2019 NBA Mock Draft 1st-Round Predictions
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. New Orleans Pelicans (via Lakers): De'Andre Hunter, SF/PF, Virginia
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
6. Phoenix Suns: Coby White, PG/SG, North Carolina
7. Chicago Bulls: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
8. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, SG/SF, Duke
9. Washington Wizards: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
10. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas): PJ Washington, PF/C, Kentucky
11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Keldon Johnson, SG/SF, Kentucky
12. Charlotte Hornets: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
13. Miami Heat: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
14. Boston Celtics (via Sacramento): Bol Bol, C, Oregon
15. Detroit Pistons: Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF, France
16. Orlando Magic: Rui Hachimura, PF, Gonzaga
17. Atlanta Hawks: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
18. Indiana Pacers: Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina
19. San Antonio Spurs: Brandon Clarke, PF/C, Gonzaga
20. Boston Celtics (via Clippers): Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, Iowa State
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
22. Boston Celtics: Nassir Little SF/PF, North Carolina
23. Utah Jazz: Goga Bitadze, C, Georgia
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
25. Portland Trail Blazers: Admiral Schofield, PF, Tennessee
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Houston): Mfiondu Kabengele, PF/C, Florida State
27. Brooklyn Nets (via Denver): Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland
28. Golden State Warriors: Chuma Okeke, PF, Auburn
29. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto): Eric Paschall, PF, Villanova
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Carsen Edwards, PG, Purdue
De'Andre Hunter, SF/PF, Virginia
The Pelicans appear to be stockpiling young talent, and De'Andre Hunter would be a nice addition to their roster at the No. 4 pick after they use the top selection on Zion Williamson three picks earlier.
Hunter will be the best player available at this pick, as he had an impressive sophomore season at Virginia in which he averaged 15.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He also led the Cavaliers to the national championship to cap their 35-3 campaign.
While Williamson and Hunter were ACC rivals this past season, they could become two key pieces for the Pelicans to build around as they move on from Davis.
Perhaps if New Orleans decides to trade the No. 4 pick, it could be to a team such as the Phoenix Suns or Chicago Bulls, who hold the Nos. 6 and 7 picks, respectively. That could allow for the Pelicans to still get Hunter because those teams would likely be looking to move up to draft a guard.
Coby White, PG/SG, North Carolina
The Suns need a point guard to facilitate an offense that features top scoring threat Devin Booker and 7-foot-1 center DeAndre Ayton, the No. 1 overall selection in last year's draft.
With Ja Morant off the board at this point, Phoenix will need to decide between Darius Garland and Coby White. And that's a choice that may have already been made.
According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, the Suns appear to be leaning toward White as they have not "done much work" on Garland. Either point guard would likely provide an immediate boost to the Phoenix offense, but White, who is 6'5", provides combo guard skills and strong outside shooting, which could be the Suns' reasoning for preferring the former Tar Heel.
He averaged 16.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his only season at North Carolina.
Cam Reddish, SG/SF, Duke
With Reddish still on board at the No. 8 pick, the Hawks should take the talented former Blue Devils guard, who will be the best player available at that point. Should they decide to pass on Reddish, it's possible they could then select him with the No. 10 pick, if they feel he could still be on the board at that point.
Reddish visited with the Hawks last week, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, so it appears the team has interest in him. This past season at Duke, he averaged 13.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Expect Reddish to be picked by the Hawks at either No. 8 or No. 10, becoming the third Duke player to be selected after Williamson and Barrett go within the first three picks.