Where to find the best 2018 NBA Draft coverage.

Since we started MockOut, we’ve had a long-standing debate about the Drafts: Which is better, the NBA Draft or the NFL Draft?

The appeal and popularity of the NFL Draft is undeniable. It has a much bigger total audience. There are more trades. You get a weekend to watch the combine, which is like the Olympics of workouts. ALL teams have a chance to improve their rosters. And the whole event spans an entire weekend like some concert festival called Draft-chella, and the end every team has a new cast of players.

Yet I still love the NBA Draft more. I’m bullish that it will overtake the NFL Draft in popularity. The gap between the losers and winners is so wide that it creates drama. The NFL Draft is like giving every team a few $10 scratch-off lottery tickets. The NBA Draft is like giving 10 teams a $1 Powerball ticket and then announcing the small group of winners all in one night. Every NBA Draft, a few super players save franchises, and a few sidekicks are drafted, too. The NBA Draft transforms a franchise. Last year, the Utah Jazz were in a terrible position, about to lose their franchise player. Now they have Donovan Mitchell on their roster for at least the next 8 years.

The reason I really love the NBA Draft is that it all unfolds through a few key events, like episodes of a good HBO series. The trade deadline reveals which teams will be tanking and vying for the top picks. The NCAA Tournament is the film session: draft prospects face top talent on a big stage and we all overreact to the best and worst performances. NBA Lottery night introduces dumb luck to the experience. And for the next six weeks we get to make mock drafts, analyze player movement on the big boards, and pray that our team doesn’t trade with Danny Ainge. Then we all get to feast on Draft Night, thinking we know exactly who the winners are.

We’ve entered the start of when the real excitement begins. I’m getting a head start on my next 2018 NBA mock draft and entering it into some way-too-early mock draft contests on the MockOut app. If you want to make your own mocks, download the free app.

But there are a lot of good and bad resources out there. Here’s the NBA Draft resources I’ve been relying on this draft season. BTW, I intentionally only provide resources that don’t have a paywall.

The 7 Best Resources for the 2018 NBA Draft

7. HoopsHype Draft Rumors

HoopsHype does have an NBA Draft section — which is good and updated often — but their real value is the updated draft rumors where you can see what players teams are working out, who might be trading their picks, and which NBA players might be available on draft night.

6. r/NBA_Draft

If you want instant feedback on your mock, this is the place. There’s always a few hive-minders with weak-ass opinions, but there are also a lot of knowledgeable draftniks here. It’s a breeding ground for some of the best amateur (or not-yet-pro) scouts.

5. NBADraft.net

I don’t care what you think, NBADraft.net will always be the O.G. of draft sites. The classic design of their mock draft gives you an easy to see birds-eye view of where generally players are projected to go. Never change, NBADraft.net.

4. The Stepien

Like drafting Paul George or Kawhi Leonard in the middle of the first round, this site came out of nowhere to become one of the best resources for updated draft information. They’re publishing new articles every day, and I’ve already learned a lot about the 2019 NBA Draft. My only beef with them is their beef with Marvin Bagley.

3. Crossover’s Front Office

Quality journalism is still alive and well in the world of the NBA Draft. The Front Office is more about quality and not quantity. A good mix of mock drafts, longform articles, and updated analysis about which college players you should be scouting.

2. Frankie Vision College Basketball Highlight Videos

YouTube is by far the best thing to happen to the Draft since the invention of the mock draft. Of all the highlight channels, Frankie’s my favorite.

1. The Ringer’s NBA Draft Guide

Some sites just WANT it more. It’s clear The Ringer decided that it was going to invest a lot into owning the NBA Draft space. Last year, Kevin O’Connor and team came out firing on all cylinders, and I suspect that is one of the reasons why ESPN acquired DraftExpress. They didn’t want to get beat. It’s obviously a cool-looking site, and the information is organized for people to easily grasp it. I’ve come to trust their analysis, too. There’s originality in the scouting without the hot-takeness. O’Connor was pretty adamant last year that Jayson Tatum was an exceptional talent when a lot of scouts and faux experts were bagging on him. Right now, this is my top NBA Draft site.