An in-depth exploration of a rather wacky 2019 NBA Draft simulation that includes first round selections for all 30 picks, including the Atlanta Hawks selecting at #4 and #10 overall.
For the Atlanta Hawks, the 2019 NBA Draft will be the single-most important aspect of the team’s offseason and will help further cement General Manager Travis Schlenk’s vision for the franchise – which was brought to light by selecting Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Omari Spellman in the first-round last year.
All three players performed well in their first seasons, but there is still plenty of room for improvement as the Hawks go into the NBA Draft lottery in under two weeks with the 5th-best odds at landing the number one overall pick.
In our last full mock draft, we stuck with the order of picks as they are currently laid out. However, with flattened lottery odds, it is highly unlikely that the draft order will stay the same – as teams lower down the lottery have a much higher chance of vaulting up the list to #1 overall than they did in years past.
For this mock draft, we used a single simulation of Tankathon’s mock draft feature, and the results were frankly shocking.
Read on to explore our 2019 NBA Draft Full Mock, which includes the first overall pick going to… none other than the Los Angeles Lakers!
#30. Milwaukee Bucks – Luguentz Dort
With the final pick of the first round, the Milwaukee Bucks will be looking to upgrade the team’s wing rotation. Though currently stacked with burly options, multiple major players on Milwaukee will be free agents going into next offseason including Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez.
Beyond that, the Bucks lack a big wing that can move his feet on the perimeter while also providing some bulk instead. With the 30th pick in the NBA Draft, the Bucks could land Luguentz Dort out of Arizona State as a long-term option for that role on the team.
After one season at ASU, Dort showcased excellent defensive instincts as well as a truly striking athletic profile in which his chiseled frame helped lead the Sun Devils to a First Four victory over St. John’s in the NCAA Tournament.
Dort was the best option for Arizona State in the scoring department logging 16.1 PPG, though Zylan Cheatham and Remy Martin (great name) also produced for ASU.
At 20 years old, Dort is slightly older among the freshman of this draft class, but his sterling athleticism and still-untapped upside should be attractive to the Bucks as a potential developmental option late in the first round.
#29. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors) – Bruno Fernando
The San Antonio Spurs still employ traditional big men in most of the team’s lineups. With that being the case, only LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poeltl fit the bill on the team – with little depth after that.
The Spurs even had to pick up Donatas Motiejunas for the stretch run of the playoffs, and he actually played 5 games out of the 7 that San Antonio played against the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
By taking Bruno Fernando out of Maryland 29th overall, the Spurs would have a high-upside and high-floor big man that Gregg Popovich would be able to turn into one of the more productive players from this class if given the chance.
Pop has shown a willingness to play young players if they can follow his strictures, and with Fernando, Lonnie Walker, Dejounte Murray and Derrick White in the fold, the Spurs would have an extremely interesting young core that could grow and learn together – as they attempt to regain the league-wide perception of the Spurs being a mystical franchise that always tends to be competitive no matter who’s on the team.
Fernando is a geed rebounder and excellent finisher, and he also showed a better knack for passing as a big man in his sophomore season – which would match up perfectly with Pop’s penchant for finding do-it-all players late in the first round.
#28. Golden State Warriors – Eric Paschall
With Jordan Bell and likely Kevon Looney both leaving via free agency, the Golden State Warriors might prioritize a big man here that can switch across multiple positions and also play high-level defense.
However, since Draymond Green will likely remain on the team (unless he is traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a shocking turn of events), his switchability will still be the most important swing factor for the team. With that in mind, the team could take a smaller version of Green in Eric Paschall out of Villanova.
Paschall is an NCAA Champion and has the necessary defensive chops to switch across a variety of positions on defense while also providing the necessary interior heft to serve as an excellent help defender.
A solid shooter in his college career (34.8 percent), Paschall would have to be guarded from downtown moreso than Draymond has in recent years.
Beyond that, Paschall’s athleticism and college pedigree should convince the Warriors that he’s worth a shot late in the first round. Recent draft picks such as Bell, Patrick McCaw and Damian Jones haven’t really worked out for the Warriors, so taking a swing on a higher-floor prospect at a position of need (wing) might make sense.
#27. Brooklyn Nets (via Denver Nuggets) – Nicolas Claxton
With this pick, the Brooklyn Nets will be taking a swing on a high-upside sleeper that is widely believed to be more of a second-round pick than anything else.
In fact, we have previously outlined the ways in which Nicolas Claxton out of Georgia might make for an excellent upside play in the second round for the Atlanta Hawks, but in this scenario, the Nets scoop him up late in the first round with a pick acquired in the Kenneth Faried salary dump from Denver.
Claxton is only 19 years old, despite playing two seasons at Georgia, and he often served as the team’s primary offensive initiator due to the Bulldog’s dearth of options at the point guard position.
Beyond that, Claxton was an excellent defender with good size (6-foot-11, 220 pounds) and strong defensive instincts.
The Nets already have their big man of the future in Jarrett Allen, but Claxton could provide another option on the bench to offer up some size and length as well as the willingness to pull up from downtown (something Allen does not offer).
As a better ballhandler and more willing shooter, Claxton is a more modern option at the center spot for the Nets, which might serve as a harbinger for the team’s future if he pans out.
#26. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Houston Rockets) – Keldon Johnson
After a truly putrid season last year in which they finished with 10 fewer wins than the Atlanta Hawks (a team that, remember, was also not that good), the Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to upgrade its talent at every position – especially if the team finds a taker for Kevin Love in a trade.
Even if they don’t, the team will have a likely Top 5 pick in the coffers and the continued development of Cedi Osman and Collin Sexton – the latter of which had a surprisingly good rookie season from a raw production standpoint.
With this pick, which the Cavs acquired from the Rockets in the three-team Alec Burks, Iman Shumpert, Brandon Knight deal, Cleveland will likely be in best player available mold and should select Keldon Johnson out of Kentucky.
Johnson was thought to be a late lottery pick coming into the season, but despite myriad flashes, he was never able to put it all together in his freshman season at UK, though the flashes and athletic profile should be enough for Cleveland to take a chance on a player that could be a franchise pillar if he lives up to the hype.
#25. Portland Trail Blazers – KZ Okpala
After drafting two backcourt players in last year’s draft and accruing multiple big men over the course of the past few years, the Portland Trail Blazers will likely be looking to improve the team’s wing rotation in this draft.
Luckily for them, a high-upside combo forward out of Stanford will be ripe for the taking with the 25th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft when the Blazers select – KZ Okpala had a strong year in his sophomore season with the Cardinal – with per-40 minutes numbers of 20.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals with a 54.5 true shooting percentage and a 37.5 percent clip from deep.
Okpala has terrific, NBA-ready size at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, and he flashed the ability to create off the dribble with that size in his final year at Stanford.
Though his stock has fallen after a torrid start to the year, Okpala would be a terrific bet in the late first round for a Blazers team that is still battling to make it to the Western Conference Finals. Though he’s raw, wouldn’t the Blazers like to have a replacement for Evan Turner ready to go when his contract terminates? Okpala could be that guy – and more.
#24. Philadelphia 76ers – Ty Jerome
Ty Jerome’s eloquent moniker of “Ty Ballgame” – provided by Mark Titus and Tate Frazier of The Ringer’s One Shining Podcast – perfectly encapsulates the gutsy way in which Jerome played in his final season at Virginia.
While Jerome’s measurables don’t necessarily scream “high-level NBA prospect,” it’s all about the basketball IQ when speaking of Jerome. Sure, he might look a tad slow trying to keep up with the speedy guards of the ACC, but sitting atop his slight 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame is a brilliant basketball mind that would certainly aid the Philadelphia 76ers with the 24th pick of the first round in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Beyond just being a better overall option at backup point guard than T.J. McConnell (who the Atlanta Hawks should still think about signing in free agency), Jerome’s shooting and ability to read defenses in the backcourt would be a huge boon for Philly.
According to College Basketball Reference, in three years at Virginia, Jerome shot 39.2 percent from long range on a three-point attempt rate above 50 percent (50.8 percent). In his most recent season, he shot a career-high 39.9 percent from deep on a 48.4 percent rate from deep. On a spacing-challenged team like the Sixers, Jerome’s heady play and shooting ability would be a perfect fit in the late first round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
#23. Utah Jazz – Kevin Porter
Throughout much of the season, Kevin Porter out of USC was regarded as a late-lottery pick or mid-first round selection in the 2019 NBA Draft. Recently, however, Porter’s stock has fallen, and he is regarded by Tankathon as only the fifth-best shooting guard prospect in the draft behind Culver, Herro, Langford and Alexander-Walker.
Still though, for such a vaunted prospect, the Utah Jazz would feel as if they’d won a lottery of their own with the 23rd overall pick in the draft – similar to when they were able to land Donovan Mitchell in the 2017 Draft thanks to an ill-fated trade the Nuggets made to give up Mitchell.
One area in which the Jazz struggled in their swift series against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs was on offense and especially shooting the ball. Though the team had one of the greatest shooters of all time in reserve, Kyle Korver, he just could not stay on the floor defensively.
If the Jazz drafted Porter, he would be able to serve as a change-of-pace ballhandler when Mitchell doesn’t want to handle, and he could stay on the floor on defense due to a 6-foot-5½, 22-pound frame and a +4 wingspan. A good shooter (41.2 percent from deep), means he would also provide always-important spacing to Utah’s offense.
#22. Boston Celtics – Tyler Herro
Perhaps the only holdover from our previous mock draft due to the fluid nature of our Tankathon simulation, Tyler Herro serves as the fourth and final selection of the first round for the Boston Celtics in the 2019 NBA Draft.
With their own pick, the C’s could opt for a solid three-and-D option out of Kentucky, who widely outplayed expectations and surged up draft boards after a sterling showing in the NCAA Tournament – especially against 2-seed Houston:
Herro flashed solid scoring chops in his lone season at Kentucky (14 points per game, 17.2 points per 40 minutes), and his shot-creation ability would be something that he would be able to employ on bench units for the Celtics.
Of course, most (if not all) of the Atlanta Hawks choices in this draft will likely be made for another team as part of an Anthony Davis (or other superstar) trade so that the C’s can entice Kyrie Irving to stay for another year and try and win.
This offseason is huge for the Celtics, but if they don’t trade any (or all) of their picks, Herro is a fairly safe, high-floor bet in the first round.
#21. Oklahoma City Thunder – Cam Johnson
While this might be seen as something of a reach at #21 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder were exposed on the offensive end due to a supreme lack of shooting in the team’s first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, which they lost four games to one.
In our first full mock draft, we had the Thunder taking Ty Jerome out of Virginia, but in this one, the Thunder opt for a little more size and length with their pick – something that Sam Presti has valued throughout his tenure in OKC – by taking Cameron Johnson out of UNC 21st overall.
Though Johnson will be old for a rookie (23 on draft day), the Thunder need a player who can “win now,” due to the team’s accelerated timeline surrounding Paul George and Russell Westbrook (and to a far lesser extent, former Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder).
Johnson would be able to bring his versatile jump shot to the Thunder and immediately provide perimeter spacing that the team desperately needs – as George was really the only consistent three-point shooter the team had last season.
Johnson’s sterling statistical profile per KenPom featured a 129 offensive rating (15th in the NCAA), a 45.7 clip from three-point territory (31st in the NCAA), a 64.8 true shooting percentage (35th in the NCAA) and a 62.1 effective field goal percentage (52nd in the NCAA).
#20. Boston Celtics (via LA Clippers) – Nickeil Alexander-Walker
With the team’s third pick of the first round in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics will be looking to nab a replacement for Terry Rozier, who will likely be on his way out to another team via restricted free agency.
By taking Nickeil Alexander-Walker out of Virginia Tech, the Celtics will be getting a crafty and quick guard with good size and length (6-foot-5, 210 pounds, 6-foot-9 wingspan) that helped lead the Hokies to a Sweet Sixteen appearance this past season.
Alexander-Walker, a cousin of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Clippers, was named to the All-ACC team last year due to a striking statistical profile. NAW finished with per-game averages of 16.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per College Basketball Reference. His 3.4 percent steal rate was in the Top 75 in the country according to KenPom.
What do the Celtics love? Under the careful gaze of Danny Ainge, the C’s have become a versatile guard/wing creation factory, and the team has developed Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum into extremely effective players throughout their tenure with Boston.
With that same approach, Nickeil Alexander-Walker could be the next in that lineage to help lead the Celtics to yet more postseason success.
#19. San Antonio Spurs – Darius Garland
For two straight drafts, the San Antonio Spurs will be selecting in the late teens with their own pick. Just like in 2018, the Spurs will also be able to reap the benefits of a player falling down draft boards in the 2019 NBA Draft by selecting Darius Garland 19th overall.
Many mock drafts have Garland as a dead ringer for a lottery selection, with him being mocked as high as 3rd and 4th depending on how the board shakes out.
However, in this scenario, teams have lingering concerns about Garland’s injury and tiny frame. With that being the case, the Spurs would be happy to take a chance on a more offense-first guard as opposed to the two defensively talented established guards on the roster in Dejounte Murray and Derrick White.
Last year, the team also selected a guard in Lonnie Walker, but not all of those guards need to have the ball in their hands to be effective, so there wouldn’t be too much of a worry about overlap in the backcourt.
Beyond that, the Spurs already nabbed a big man at the end of the first round, so there’s no reason to plug that hole with this selection.
#18. Indiana Pacers – Matisse Thybulle
In our first full mock draft on SDS, Matisse Thybulle fell to the San Antonio Spurs with the 19th overall pick. In this scenario, the Indiana Pacers opt for Thybulle one pick earlier at 18th overall.
As we have already outlined why Thybulle would be a great fit on the Atlanta Hawks, there is no question that Thybulle’s sparkling defensive accolades would make for a good fit on the defense-oriented Indiana Pacers as well.
According to Cleaning the Glass, the Pacers had the 4th-best offense in the NBA during the 2018-19 season – ahead of the Raptors, Celtics and Warriors. With Thybulle in the fold, likely coming off the bench in his first season, the Pacers would add another versatile defender that should be able to serve as an expert three-and-D role player on this team.
Another wrinkle is that the Pacers’ starting small forward Bojan Bogdanovic is a free agent this offseason, which means the Pacers will either have to pony up to keep him or find a replacement. Could Thybulle slide into the starting lineup in his first year? Thybulle is certainly an exceptional athlete, and he is also a fourth-year senior out of Washington, making him a seasoned college player.
The defensive numbers he produced this season were astounding, so perhaps he would be able to make his mark as a starter in his first year with the Pacers in this scenario.
#17. Brooklyn Nets – Goga Bitadze
To be perfectly honest, the Atlanta Hawks should seriously consider taking Goga Bitadze from Georgia (the country, not the university) with their own second lottery pick if they have him high on their board.
In this scenario, the Hawks opt for a different option, meaning that Bitadze slides down the board to 17th overall where the Nets will gladly stroll to the podium to select a high-upside international big man.
The Nets have not been shy about taking international players, as both of their selections last year, Dzanan Musa and Rodions Kurucs, were not from the U.S., and both of them showed flashes. Kurucs, in particular, was an integral part of the team’s rotation, and he even started multiple playoff games before the Nets had to adjust.
With this pick, the Nets again take an interesting big man prospect, but Bitadze fills a more ready-made role in today’s NBA as a rim-protector and floor-spacer. Bitadze has the requisite size (6-foot-11, 7-foot-2 wingspan) to alter shots at the rim, and his three-point shooting form is beautiful to behold.
Neither of the Nets big man options (Jarrett Allen and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson) have much of a perimeter shot, so Bitadze would provide another element to the team’s attack as a sweet-shooting big man. For a highly regarded prospect to fall this low would be a coup for the Nets.
#16. Orlando Magic – Romeo Langford
The Orlando Magic have long been searching for the team’s ballhandler of the future. Though veteran D.J. Augustin provided the team with a thrilling upset in Game 1 of its first playoff series since the Dwight Howard era.
Despite that, Augustin is not a long-term option, and with the status of Markelle Fultz unknown going forward, the Magic would be smart to take swing on Romeo Langford, yet another vaunted prospect who has fallen down this draft board due to various issues in his game (though he would still be a good fit on the Atlanta Hawks if they felt like taking him late in the lottery).
For Langford, it’s the lack of shooting that has doomed his stock. Langford shot only 27.2 percent from deep in his freshman season, which is certainly not encouraging. Though his form looks good, the shots just didn’t go down.
Despite that, Langford proved he was a solid defender in college and his good size (6-foot-6, 211 pounds, 6-foot-11 wingspan) means he projects to be switchable across at least three positions – perhaps four if he can pack on some more strength at the next level.
The Magic have long adored wingspan ever since John Hammond took over as General Manager and took lanky, long-limbed big men Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba in back-to-back drafts. Here, Hammond still stays within his purview of athletic marvels while also nabbing a player at a position of need. It’s a win-win!
#15. Detroit Pistons – PJ Washington
The Detroit Pistons have a long history of players that care little for what others think of them. Just look at two of the most successful eras in team history: The Bad Boys of Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and others of the late 80s and early 90s and the 2004-05 team that effectively ended Kobe Bryant/Shaquille O’Neal Lakers dynasty of the early 2000s.
Both of those teams were filled with brilliant players who played with a mean streak and confidence that couldn’t be shaken off. With the first non-lottery pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Pistons hope to regain some of that confidence with the selection of PJ Washington out of Kentucky.
Washington broke out in a big way in his sophomore season, legitimizing his decision to return to school after an unassuming freshman campaign. Washington was the best player on Kentucky, and he continued to get better throughout the season – transforming into a terrifying force as the NCAA Tournament rolled around:
Washington produced per-40 minute statistics of 20.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks all with a 59.2 percent true shooting percentage and 42.3 percent clip from deep per College Basketball Reference.
Not only that, but Washington carries himself with a nastiness that would help bring that sort of “chip on his shoulder” culture that has made the Pistons multiple-time champions over the past 3 decades.
#14. Boston Celtics (via Sacramento Kings) – Nassir Little
With the Boston Celtics second pick of the first round in the 2019 NBA Draft, the team will likely be choosing on behalf of another team as part of a big-name trade. However, if a deal does not get done, then the team could opt for a high-upside play in Nassir Little out of North Carolina.
Little was one of the best high school players in the country and was widely expected to cement himself as a top-five prospect with the Tar Heels during the season, but he was never to fully catch on with head coach Roy Williams – as his lack of feel and less-than-stellar basketball IQ could often be seen on a game-to-game basis.
Though the desire to perform and the motor and intensity are certainly fair from questions marks, Little is a still a supremely raw prospect who needs time to develop and hone his craft.
By being selected by the Celtics, Little will be able to learn under the tutelage of Brad Stevens, who has turned a multitude of young Celtics stars into a team that, on its best night, can look worthy of beating the Warriors – such as when they slaughtered the Bucks on the road in the first game of the two team’s second round playoff series.
Little’s striking athleticism and penchant for producing big plays on both ends should be intriguing to the Celtics and attaining him at 14th overall will seem like a steal for GM Danny Ainge.
#13. Miami Heat – Grant Williams
This might be perhaps the biggest reach on the board so far. Grant Williams out of Tennessee led the Volunteers to a #1 overall ranking for much of the season as well as a thrilling victory against the Gonzaga Bulldogs, though his senior teammate overshadowed the junior Williams in that particular contest.
Williams is a supremely strong and burly wing that projects to be able to defend in space and in the interior as well. Though his length (6-foot-11 wingspan) and height (6-foot-7) are not ideal, he showed the ability to switch across a myriad of positions in college, and his strength should be a major factor at the next level.
For the Heat, Williams would provide a knack for shot creation and defensive upside late in the lottery and could slide next to Bam Adebayo as the team’s frontcourt of the future. The lithe and athletic Adebayo would pair nicely with Williams, who won back-to-back SEC Player of the Year awards for Tennessee.
A brilliant foul-drawer and passer at his position, Williams is also only 20 years old, which is extremely young for a junior – meaning he still has plenty of room to grow his already polished game on both ends.
#12. Charlotte Hornets – Rui Hachimura
Rui Hachimura of the Gonzaga Bulldogs has moved up ever so slightly from the most recent 2019 NBA Draft full mock we posted last month. In that scenario, Hachimura fell to 15th overall – out of the lottery – where the Pistons snapped him up gladly.
Instead, in this mock, Hachimura is back up into the lottery, where his unique skill set is attractive to the talent-strapped Charlotte Hornets. With Kemba Walker likely on the move this offseason after the team failed to make the playoffs again in a watered-down Eastern Conference, the team will be looking to improve at almost every position.
Though they have Miles Bridges from the 2018 NBA Draft and Jeremy Lamb is still only 26 years old (for another month at least) and coming off the best season of his career, Hachimura could be the team’s next franchise cornerstone.
He might not have the best feel or basketball IQ, but Hachimura certainly produced some sterling numbers in his junior season at Gonzaga per College Basketball Reference – including 19.7 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game and 1.5 assists per game on the way to being named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year and a consensus All-American.
Rui would be the most vaunted collegiate prospect to be drafted by Charlotte for a long while, and he would provide the post-Kemba Charlotte team a slim ray of hope after its best player in franchise history likely leaves for greener pastures.
#11. Minnesota Timberwolves – Brandon Clarke
Brandon Clarke had an incredible breakout year with the Gonzaga Bulldogs last season, and was one of the most effective players in the NCAA last season. An astonishing vertical athlete, Clarke could serve any team in the lottery (or in the NBA, for that matter) as a rim-running play finisher.
Clarke’s anticipation on defense is also frequently evident, and he delivered one of the best defensive highlights of the season last year against Tennessee:
Though he has a rippling physique, Clarke is slightly undersized to play the center position (6-foot-8, 215 pounds), and is thus better suited to playing the four alongside a more conventional center that would allow Clarke to roam around the paint and perimeter on defense – producing highlight plays with regularity.
In this scenario, this is exactly what happens. With Karl-Anthony Towns locked up on a max extension starting next season (that the Atlanta Hawks could potentially trade for), Towns’s offensive brilliance would pair well with Clarke’s innate athleticism and defensive pedigree – creating one of the most fun frontcourt duos in the entire NBA for years to come.
Since Towns will almost always be playing big minutes, Clarke can paper over some of Towns’s defensive deficiencies all the while serving as a “garbage man” on the offensive boards and crushing home lobs whenever they’re offered up to him in the pick-and-roll.
#10. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks) – Bol Bol
Though choosing who the Atlanta Hawks would take 10th overall was an absolute struggle here (especially with numerous SDS favorites such as Brandon Clarke, Grant Williams, Romeo Langford and PJ Washington still on the board), the upside of the one and only Bol Bol was too much to overcome.
Now, the Atlanta Hawks selected Bol in the lottery is dependent upon him being medically cleared and with no evidence that his navicular fracture in his foot will be a serious impediment to his development going forward. If all of those tests and documentation come back clear, Bol would make for a scintillating inclusion to this Atlanta Hawks squad.
We already know that GM Travis Schlenk values three-point shooting in the draft, and the team also needs a rim-protecting center. Though painfully thin at 7-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Bol’s highlights are truly eye-popping:
His shooting touch from the outside and around the paint are very real, as his 52 percent clip from deep through 9 college games would indicate (on only 25 total attempts) per College Basketball Reference.
With two lottery picks, the Atlanta Hawks would be hedging their bets with these selections. Bol is a big-time upside play, which is exactly what a rebuilding team should do with their second of two lottery picks. Read on to see how they mitigate the risk of selecting Bol with their own first round pick.
#9. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies) – Sekou Doumbouya
Because the Lakers zoomed up the draft board all the way to #1 overall, the Memphis Grizzlies slipped out of the top 8, which meant that their pick will convey this season to the Boston Celtics.
For the Grizz, this is a win, as the protections on that pick are far less strenuous going forward – meaning that the Celtics might be able to reap the benefits of a Grizz team that lacks both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley – who is expected to be traded as soon as this offseason.
In this case, the Celtics will select 9th overall and will choose of the youngest and highest-upside players on the board. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound French national from Guinea displays fluid athleticism and innate scoring ability whenever he’s on the court, he is still an extremely raw prospect that will need time to grow and develop.
Luckily, the Celtics have an immense amount of good players on the roster already, so Doumbouya can take his time to develop.
Of course, because the Celtics have a whopping four selections in this mock draft, some of these players might be re-routed as a part of an Anthony Davis trade. Still, Doumbouya deserves a look-in from any and all lottery teams — especially those with multiple picks.
#8. New Orleans Pelicans – Jarrett Culver
It might seem rather shocking to see a vaunted prospect like Jarrett Culver fall down the 2019 NBA Draft board, but according to a recent mock by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, teams are not quite as high on Culver as originally thought, and he falls in this mock due to that fact.
Culver still possess immense upside, and depending on how the Anthony Davis trade sweepstakes shake out, Culver could spearhead an immediate rebuild that might include various other young prospects from teams that are looking to make a move on a superstar like AD.
Culver’s brilliant defense (86.9 defensive rating in 18-19 per College Basketball Reference) and ability to create shots for himself and his teammates off the dribble (25.9 percent assist rate in his sophomore season) should prove to be a boon for a Pelicans team that will likely trade both AD and Jrue Holiday during this offseason (or at least regular season).
The Texas Tech Raiders had an exceptional season last year and were one De’Andre Hunter three-pointer shy of winning the national championship. Culver was a big reason why, and he can hopefully serve as the centerpiece of the rebuilding efforts in the New Orleans franchise.
#7. Washington Wizards – Jaxson Hayes
Though Dwight Howard of the Washington Wizards unsurprisingly picked up his player option for 2018-19, Howard will be in his 15th season next year – meaning the Wiz should begin to look around for a cornerstone at the center position.
Perhaps the team already has it in Thomas Bryant, who played an astonishingly good season at age 21 last year, but he might command a larger sum than the Wiz are willing to pay in restricted free agency this offseason (perhaps even from the Atlanta Hawks).
If that’s the case, the Wiz might opt to add raw, high-upside big man Jaxson Hayes out of Texas.
Hayes was a rim-rolling, shot-blocking extraordinaire in his freshman season. His 10.6 block rate was 13th in the entire country and his 2.2 blocks per game were 3rd in the Big 12 conference per College Basketball Reference.
Beyond that, Hayes didn’t force this issue on offense, only going for shots he could capably finish – which, for the most part, were lob dunks that he could crush home over far smaller defenders.
At 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Hayes has the requisite height and length needed for a center, though he could still look to pack on some muscle to truly hang with the biggest centers in the NBA.
#6. Chicago Bulls – Coby White
The Chicago Bulls clearly need an upgrade at the point guard spot. With various players locked into their position on the team such as Lauri Markkanen at center, Otto Porter at the three and Zach Lavine at the two, White immediately would slide in as a prodigious scorer at the point guard spot.
Though the team’s current backcourt header of Kris Dunn is clearly a good defender, despite what Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks did to him on multiple occasions, his offense has severely hampered the Bulls during his tenure in Chicago.
Coby White comes in with a strong pedigree of scoring, and he is able to get off his versatile jump shot in a variety of ways – whether it be curling off screens, pulling up or spotting up.
With impressive vertical lift and an absolutely breathtaking mass of floppy hair, White would be the capstone for an extremely entertaining and engaging young core for the Bulls not seen since the early days of Derrick Rose’s heyday in Chi-town.
According to College Basketball Reference, White produced 16.1 points per game and 4.1 assists per game on 35.2 shooting from deep in his first season, even besting Michael Jordan’s University of North Carolina freshman scoring record. Not bad company, Coby!
#5. New York Knicks – Cam Reddish
This is an absolute nightmare scenario for the New York Knicks in this simulation.
Though the team, for the first time in forever, actually properly tanked during the 2018-19 season by losing a whopping 65 games, their reward in this scenario is only the 5th overall pick – an unmitigated disaster.
However, the team must still make a choice here. With Kevin Durant likely incoming via free agency (unless he decides to go to the Atlanta Hawks), just what direction would the Knicks go here?
Perhaps the Knicks would go for the headlines by selecting big college name Cam Reddish, who was the widely vaunted 2nd overall recruit in the 2019 draft class.
Though he was blown out of the water by the brilliance of Zion Williamson and the less-brilliant but similarly effective game of R.J. Barrett, Reddish still showed a ton of flashes in his freshman.
His stats might have been rather meager, he has good size and a beautiful shooting stroke that should be quite portable to the next level.
While the real prize for the Knicks will most likely come via free agency or trade, Reddish is an excellent consolation prize for a long-suffering Knicks fanbase.
#4. Atlanta Hawks – De’Andre Hunter
And here is where the Atlanta Hawks will be selecting first in the 2019 NBA Draft in this simulation. While this only represents a small lottery victory, selecting 4th is indeed one better than 5th, so I’m sure the Atlanta Hawks will be happy with this scenario.
With this pick, it comes down to a debate between Jarrett Culver and De’Andre Hunter at 4th overall. Though the last mock draft we did had the Atlanta Hawks taking Culver in the 2019 NBA Draft, in this one, the team will instead opt for the higher floor and immediate impact that Hunter should provide the team.
While Culver likely has more upside due to being younger, Hunter has more NBA-ready size and his fully fleshed out three-and-D skillset should pay immediate dividends for the Hawks. Hunter could even slide in and take Taurean Prince’s place in the starting lineup if Prince is traded for, say, Draymond Green this offseason.
Hunter is a proven winner and was the best player for a title-winning Virginia team that also featured likely first round pick Ty Jerome and potential second-rounder Kyle Guy.
In his career per College Basketball Reference, Hunter shot 41.9 percent from downtown, and in his sophomore season of 18-19, he shot an enticing 43.8 percent – all while being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Hunter is also an elite defender who should be able to provide an immediate upgrade in an area where the Atlanta Hawks struggled mightily last season.
#3. Cleveland Cavaliers – R.J. Barrett
R.J. Barrett of Duke University is a worthy #2 overall pick behind the brilliance of Zion, but in this draft, the Suns scoop up the apple of their eye in Morant – meaning that Barrett falls to third, where the Cleveland Cavaliers will have their next big star.
It seems reasonable to project that Barrett’s ability to get to the rim with his quickness, large frame and ability to carve out space with his body will translate to the NBA, though he will have to work on his jump shot if he truly wants to reach his potential.
Despite only shooting 30.8 percent from deep on a whopping 237 attempts from downtown, Barrett is still a box score-stuffing offensive hub who has excellent passing ability that showed in his 23.5 assist percentage (10th in the ACC) and 164 overall assists (3rd in the ACC).
Sure, Barrett might’ve sometimes suffered from tunnel vision going to the basket – notably in the team’s final game of the season in the NCAA Tournament when they were ousted by Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans in the Elite Eight – but when Barrett wasn’t looking off his teammates, he was making spectacular between-the-legs passes for the win:
While Barrett has lost some of his shine after coming into the 2018-19 season as the most highly regarded prospect in his class, he is still a fine consolation prize at 3rd overall.
#2. Phoenix Suns – Ja Moran
Also moving up in this simulation are the Phoenix Suns from #3 to #2. Though technically tied with an identical record with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Suns lost a tiebreaker that lowered the “floor” of this pick to 7th overall.
Moving up to #2 is really the perfect scenario for Phoenix, as they are not forced to make a decision between Zion Williamson and dynamic point guard Ja Morant – who the team has been widely linked to for a while. If the Suns do win the lottery, that might aid the Atlanta Hawks in a very specific way, too.
Since Zion is already off the board, Morant is the perfect fallback option.
While we’ve already explored the possibility that the Suns would even take Morant #1 overall, with their selection sitting at second overall, there will likely only be one choice for the point guard-strapped Suns.
Morant is a highlight waiting to happen, and the team’s young core of Morant, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Devin Booker and bench youngsters like De’Anthony Melton and Elie Okobo would be extremely fun to watch grow and learn over the next few years – on offense at least.
Morant, in his second season with the Murray State Racers, finished #1 in the country in assists (331) and assists per game (10.) – showing a floor general mentality that would greatly help a playmaking-challenged team in the Suns.
#1. Los Angeles Lakers – Zion Williamson
That’s right, in this scenario, none other than the Los Angeles Lakers shuffle all the way up to #1 on the draft board – winning the lottery in one of the most epoch-defining drafts in recent history.
If this were to actually happen, there is literally no telling what the rest of the offseason would bring in the NBA, though you can be sure that all hell would break loose on NBA Twitter as people prepare their memes regarding the one and only choice – Zion Williamson – suiting up in the purple and gold.
Of course, the more reasonable explanation is that the Lakers would trade the rights to the #1 overall pick for Anthony Davis, as the Lakers having Zion on the board in trade discussions likely outweighs anything that the Celtics could give them.
As a counterpoint though, what if Zion stays with the Lakers and they opt not to trade for AD? Though we know that LeBron James isn’t crazy about playing with young players, Zion is perhaps the only player currently in the NBA that has a skill set that vaguely resembles Bron’s, so wouldn’t it be extremely fitting for James to serve as a mentor to Zion in what will (maybe) be his swan song in L.A.?
Though extremely unlikely to happen because the Lakers only have a two percent chance at landing the #1 overall pick, if it did, the possibility of the NBA changing forever is in the cards.
So there you have it! What do you think of this loopy 2019 NBA Draft scenario? This will likely be our last mock draft until the actual NBA Draft lottery takes place on May 15, but until then, stay tuned to Soaring Down South for plenty more Atlanta Hawks draft coverage.