







1. Phoenix Suns - DeAndre Ayton, C, Arizona

2. Sacramento Kings - Marvin Bagley III, PF/C, Duke

3.Atlanta Hawks - Luka Doncic, G/F, Slovenia

4. Memphis Grizzlies - Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C, Michigan St.



5. Dallas Mavericks - Michael Porter Jr., F, Missouri

6. Orlando Magic - Trae Young, G, Oklahoma



7. Chicago Bulls - Mo Bamba, C, Texas

8. Cleveland Cavaliers - Wendell Carter Jr., PF/C, Duke

9. New York Knicks - Kevin Knox, F, Kentucky

10. Philadelphia 76ers - Mikal Bridges, G/F, Villanova

11. Charlotte Hornets - Miles Bridges, F, Michigan St.



12. Los Angeles Clippers - Collin Sexton, PG, Alabama



13. Los Angeles Clippers - Lonnie Walker IV, SG, Miami

14. Denver Nuggets - Robert Williams PF/C, Texas A&M

15. Washington Wizards - Mitchell Robinson, PF/C, No College



16. Phoenix Suns - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Kentucky

17. Milwaukee Bucks - Zhaire Smith, G/F, Texas Tech

18. San Antonio Spurs - Troy Brown Jr., G/F, Oregon



19. Atlanta Hawks - Aaron Holiday, PG, UCLA

20. Minnesota Timberwolves - Elie Okobo, PG, France



21. Utah Jazz - Keita Bates-Diop, F, Ohio St.

22. Chicago Bulls - Kevin Huerter, G/F, Maryland



23. Indiana Pacers - Grayson Allen, SG, Duke

24. Portland Trailblazers - Chandler Hutchison, G/F, Boise St.

25. Los Angeles Lakers - Donte DiVincenzo, G, Villanova

26. Philadelphia 76ers - Josh Okogie, G/F, Georgia Tech



27. Boston Celtics - Jerome Robinson, G, Boston College



28. Golden State Warriors - Khyri Thomas, G, Creighton



29. Brooklyn Nets - Jalen Brunson, PG, Villanova



30. Atlanta Hawks - Dzanian Musa, F, Bosnia

This pick just makes sense for the Suns. While they have invested draft capital looking for a franchise big man with Alex Len, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss they have only shown flashes and are not consistent. Ayton should be able to come in right away and contribute. He put up 20/10 for Arizona last year with double-doubles in 24 out of 35 games. Ayton has great size at 7 foot, 260 pounds and is a very good athlete.He also has a smooth shooting stroke and shot 34% from 3 point range. What he needs to improve on is defensive effort and consistency - but he has all the size, athleticism and smarts to be an excellent two-way player.The Suns desperately need a star to pair with Devin Booker, I think Ayton is the right pick.The Sacramento Kings are easily the most puzzling team in the NBA. I honestly have no clue who they are going to pick, but Bagley III would make sense. I think the best player available would be Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic, but the Kings have invested heavily in the backcourt with Buddy Hield and De'Aaron Fox. Bagley III is a good prospect however. While not as big as Ayton, Bagley runs the court better than any big man in the draft and is arguably the most athletic player available period. He's not built as well as Ayton and needs to add weight so he doesn't get pushed around. I like Bagley's tenacity on the boards, but he has to prove that he can defend with the same level of energy. While he shot 39% from 3 in college, Bagley still needs some development offensively as well. This is the hardest pick in the draft to forecast and I could see even someone like Trae Young or Michael Porter Jr. going here just because it's the Kings, but Bagley may be the right pick.While the Hawks would probably love DeAndre Ayton, I would think they would love if Doncic fell here. Doncic might actually be the best player in this draft. Even at 19 years old, he has a veteran's feel for the game. Doncic can come in right away and become an excellent playmaker for others as well as himself. He's extremely versatile on offense, where he can play multiple positions, drive to the basket, create space with dribble moves and kicking it out to the open man. While not an elite athlete, Doncic has the size you look for with a forward with guard handling skills and is deadly in transition. He does need to become a more consistent shooter and defender, but I am very high on his game. The Hawks could stand to improve at almost every position, but drafting Luka Doncic would be a great start.The Grizzlies would love to get Luka Doncic, but will have to settle for Jaren Jackson if this is how the draft shakes out. Jackson is the best player left on the board here, and helps prepare Memphis for life after Marc Gasol. Jackson has elite defensive potential (3.0 Blocks a game at MSU) and is no slouch on offense either (shot nearly 40% from 3). I like Ayton and Bagley more, but I could see Jackson eventually developing into a nice piece for this team.Michael Porter Jr. may be the riskiest pick in the draft. He has a lot of injury concerns and saw limited action in college. However, he was one of the most hyped players going into the college basketball season last year. Porter has crazy potential at either forward position due to his size, handling ability, vision and shooting. The problem is we don't really know how his potential will translate. Missing almost the entire college season definitely hurts his stock. The Mavs would make sense to take a risk with him as they really just need to add talent all around. Porter was talked about as a potential number 1 pick before last season, and the Mavs would be happy to add that kind of potential. Since Dirk's career is winding down, adding Porter to team up with Dennis Smith Jr. gives them a solid plan for the future.I'm not too high on Trae Young, but the Magic really need some star power and scoring. Trae Young will definitely put people in the seats in Orlando. Young was one of the best scoring guards in the NCAA last year and has a knack for making some Steph Curry level shots. I'm just legitimately worried that he's a one trick pony. He is a pretty good playmaker, but turns the ball over way too much (5.2 TOV per game at Oklahoma). Young isn't as an efficient of a 3 point shooter as his reputation suggests - 36% on 10 attempts per game. I also don't really know what he offers as a defender based on his size and athleticism. I'm not sure if the Magic have anything to build around other than Aaron Gordon and maybe Jonathan Isaac, but Young still has a lot of potential despite his shortcomings.The Chicago Bulls need to return to what made them somewhat successful in the post-Jordan era: defense. Mo Bamba has the highest defensive upside of any of the big men in this draft (3.7 BPG). I could see Bamba going as high as pick 2, and I could also see the Celtics trading up to get him, but if he falls to the Bulls, they would be thrilled. Bamba profiles as an athletic rim-protecting big who doesn't offer a whole lot offensively, but I like his potential in transition and on pick-and-rolls/lobs.So much of what the Cavs do will depend on whether or not LeBron returns, but something is clear: they desperately need more good players. Carter is one of the safest picks in the draft. He does just about everything well. The only reason he's not being talked up as a top 5 pick, is that he doesn't really do anything at an elite level. Still to get a player like Carter at pick 8 is an absolute steal, and he would immediately be an upgrade over Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr. for the Cavs.Kevin Knox is one of the youngest players in the draft and has a lot of potential on both sides of the court. At 6 foot 9, 218 pounds, Knox is the prototypical size for a swing forward in today's NBA. While Mikal or Miles Bridges may be better know, Knox's youth sets him apart. I think he projects as a "3 and D" player at the next level, and would fit good with what the Knicks are building.Bridges will come in right away for the Sixers and provide 3 point shooting and grit on defense. I like his fit with Ben Simmons and Embiid and might be able to start over JJ Redick right off the bat. Pair Bridges with Robert Covington and you have 2 very good defensive players who don't need the ball too much on offense.Miles Bridges is a well built, versatile forward for the modern NBA game. While he is 6 foot 7, 230 pounds, he plays more like a small ball 4. Not to be cliche, but its easy to compare him to fellow MSU alums Draymond Green and Denzel Valentine. I think he's closer to Draymond but definitely in between the 2. Charlotte needs help at most positions, and Bridges is a classic glue guy that can fit on any team.Coming from a college more known for their football talent, Collin Sexton is one of the best Alabama prospects in quite some time. Sexton is a little undersized but makes up for it with fearlessness. Sexton will play hard night in night out and will not back down from any moment. Any other year, Sexton would be in the pick 5-10 range, but this is such a big-heavy draft that I see him slipping a little bit. Sexton is a nice piece to develop for the Clippers and can learn from a similarly feisty Patrick Beverly.With 2 picks in a row, the Clippers look to strengthen their backcourt. While he has some similarity to Lou Williams, Walker has high upside because of his scoring ability. He offers more as a shooter than Collin Sexton, so both could develop nicely together.Denver desperately needs wing help, but Williams is the best player left at this point. Williams projects as a high energy defender and rebounder and would pair nicely next to star center Nikola Jokic. I'm not in love with Williams' game, but at the low end of the lottery you know what he can provide for your team.Mitchell Robinson benefits here as most of the blue-chip bigs have been taken. Robinson is a tremendous risk. The former McDonald's All-American was suspended from Western Kentucky after violating team rules and ended up not playing at all last season. This kid has a ton of upside as he's really athletic and 7 feet tall, but he withdrew from the NBA scouting combine for unknown reasons. It really seems like the only thing holding him back from being an excellent player is Robinson himself. While he may never turn it around, the Wizards can afford to take a risk on him since they are solid all around and just need young players to develop.Phoenix gets the big they want at number 1, and pick up an intriguing PG prospect here at 16. Gilgeous-Alexander is raw, but could eventually turn into a nice player.Zhaire Smith fits in perfectly with the Bucks. He's explosive and a long defender that goes hand in hand with what the Buck have looked for the past few years.Brown is a playmaking wing who can defend. He's also just 18 years old. The perfect player for the Spurs to develop.Jrue and Justin Holiday's younger brother comes off the board here at 19 to the Hawks, who could use his spark in relief of Dennis Schroeder.The Timberwolves could use an upgrade at 2 spots - PF and back up PG. While Derrick Rose showed a few flashes last year, Okobo is a nice developmental piece and could be an improvement over Tyus Jones.A 4 year player for OSU, Bates-Diop is ready to come in and play a role for a well rounded team like the Jazz. Projects as a "3 and D" guy off the bench.By taking Bamba, the Bulls found the perfect pairing with Lauri Markkanen. If they add Huerter with their 2nd pick, they're adding someone who does a little bit of everything. Huerter is a good shooter and solid passer and can compete with Denzel Valentine for a role on the wing.Grayson Allen is a polarizing player. I will personally never root for the guy, but I see him finding a niche in the NBA. Indiana would like his shooting and he provides good depth for them.Portland needs more role players on the wing. Hutchison should be able to provide defense and shooting eventually at the NBA level.The hero of the National Championship, Donte DiVincenzo joins former teammate Josh Hart in LA. The Lakers want to make a big splash this offseason and may look to either trade this pick or draft a player they can keep in Europe. I like DiVincenzo as a project for them however.Philadelphia adds another athletic wing with defensive upside. Potential G-League guy here, but I like his game.The Celtics add a guy who scored 20 points a game last year in college. Robinson could be their next Terry Rozier given some time.Another classic Warriors pick - a long, defensive minded guard. Decent upside on offense too.Brooklyn gets a gritty, traditional PG here. Good value.I'm sure there will be more draft and stash players, but this one makes sense here. Musa is young and the Hawks can afford to wait.Well it looks like that's it for the 2018 NBA Mock Draft. Always one of my favorite times of the year, can't wait to see what goes down on Thursday. As always stay tuned for more posts and podcasts both right on this blog and on our Soundcloud - www.soundcloud.com/thebyeweek