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NBA Draft 2019: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Latest Mock Draft Predictions
June 18, 2019
The latest batch of prospects to enter the NBA are set to find out which teams they will play for Thursday night during the 2019 NBA draft.
New Orleans holds the No. 1 overall pick and is expected to take Duke forward Zion Williamson.
The 18-year-old is in line to be the second No. 1 pick in New Orleans franchise history. The other one, Anthony Davis, is on his way to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade.
The Davis trade shook up the draft order, as the Pelicans have the rights to two of the top four selections, which is a twist of fate few expected after New York, Cleveland and Phoenix had the best odds to win the No. 1 pick in the lottery.
Williamson is one of three players from Duke expected to be taken in the top 10 picks, and one of those three prospects might land with a team that could have one of the busiest nights Thursday.
2019 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, PF, Duke
2. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
3. New York Knicks: R.J. Barrett, SF, Duke
4. New Orleans Pelicans (from Los Angeles Lakers): De'Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
6. Phoenix Suns: Coby White, PG, North Carolina
7. Chicago Bulls: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
8. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, SF, Duke
9. Washington Wizards: Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF, France
10. Atlanta Hawks (from Dallas): Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga
12. Charlotte Hornets: P.J. Washington, PF, Kentucky
13. Miami Heat: Nassir Little, SF, North Carolina
14. Boston Celtics (from Sacramento): Rui Hachimura, PF, Gonzaga
15. Detroit Pistons: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
16. Orlando Magic: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
17. Atlanta Hawks (from Brooklyn): Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
18. Indiana Pacers: Goga Bitadze, C, Republic of Georgia
19. San Antonio Spurs: Mfiondu Kabengele, C, Florida State
20. Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers): Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
22. Boston Celtics: Keldon Johnson, SF, Kentucky
23. Utah Jazz: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina
25. Portland Trail Blazers: Grant Williams, PF, Tennessee
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Houston): Luka Samanic, PF, Croatia
27. Brooklyn Nets (from Denver): Ty Jerome, PG, Virginia
28. Golden State Warriors: KZ Okpala, SF, Stanford
29. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto): Carsen Edwards, PG, Purdue
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Nicolas Claxton, C, Georgia
3 Duke Prospects Expected To Go In Top 10
If everything goes according to plan Thursday, Duke will have had five players selected in the top 10 in the last two years.
Williamson is considered a lock to go No. 1 to New Orleans, and there is a high chance R.J. Barrett lands with the New York Knicks at No. 3.
The only factor that could throw a wrench in those plans is the mixed opinions on Cam Reddish, who could land as high as the No. 8 pick or drop out of the top 10 if he is not valued as highly by Atlanta or Washington.
Currently, the consensus in most mock drafts is the 19-year-old will land at No. 8 to the Hawks as the first of their three selections.
Of the teams slated to pick between Nos. 8 and 12, Atlanta should present Reddish with the best opportunity to grow.
In Atlanta, he would be able to develop as a solid wing player without the spotlight shining bright on him every game, which is a label you can put on Trae Young.
As ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony noted in his latest mock draft, Reddish's combination of size, length, fluidity and perimeter shooting ability is highly intriguing.
He is less of a known quantity than Williamson and Barrett because he often took a back seat to the pair and also missed a game at the NCAA men's basketball tournament due to an unknown injury.
The one-and-done star will have an opportunity to prove all of his critics wrong wherever he lands, which is all you can ask for as a young prospect.
When Williamson, Barrett and Reddish are taken in the first round, it will mark the second straight year in which Duke had three players taken in the first round after Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter and Grayson Allen were selected a year ago.
What Will Atlanta and Boston Do With 3 Picks Each?
Atlanta and Boston are two of the most intriguing teams to watch Thursday because of the wealth of assets they possess.
The Hawks added the No. 17 pick in a trade with Brooklyn to go along with the pair of top 10 picks they have, one of which came from a draft night trade with Dallas in 2018.
According to Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo, the Hawks have continued to explore every possibility with their haul of picks, and a move up to No. 4 or No. 5 is still a possibility.
Jarrett Culver and De'Andre Hunter are likely the top targets for a move up the draft board by Atlanta since it already has a franchise point guard on its roster.
Culver is an ideal fit because he would bring the Hawks yet another shooting option out of the backcourt, while Hunter would improve the team's two-way ability with his strong defensive qualities.
If the Hawks stay put at No. 8 and No. 10, they should be able to take Reddish and one of the best big men in the draft, whether it be Jaxson Hayes, Brandon Clarke or Rui Hachimura.
At No. 17, the Hawks could either go after another premier paint player or a shooting guard who rounds out their depth.
Boston is in a peculiar spot with Nos. 14, 20 and 22 since it needs to improve its roster due to the impending departure of Kyrie Irving and the failure to trade for Anthony Davis.
The good news for the Celtics is they can reload their roster with three quality prospects to partner Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for the long term.
Boston can go in a variety of directions with its first pick, with frontcourt prospects Hachimura and Goga Bitadze expected to be available, as well as a wide range of shooting guards such as Romeo Langford and Tyler Herro.
No matter which way Boston goes with its draft, it is expected to develop at least one of those players into a star, just like former first-round selections Tatum, Brown, Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.