2018 NBA Draft Lottery Tracker
Jun 21, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: Apr 25, 2019, 4:46 pm
(Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
By: Kyle Madson
Welcome to our NBA draft lottery tracker!
We provided live updates throughout the lottery portion of tonight’s draft, with thoughts and observations for each pick.
1. Phoenix Suns | DeAndre Ayton | C | Arizona
No surprise here. Ayton has been the consensus No. 1 pick since January. The Suns get a center that can stretch the floor and provide some much-needed assistance for budding star Devin Booker.
2. Sacramento Kings | Marvin Bagley III | F | Duke
The Kings get the guy they had at the top of their draft board. Bagley is a superb athlete capable of getting 20 points and 10 boards per night, but he’ll have to answer some questions about his defense.
3. Atlanta Hawks | Luka Doncic | G | Real Madrid
Doncic was the consensus No. 2 pick until the Kings moved up in the lottery. He’ll be headed to Dallas via trade if Trae Young is available at No. 5.
4. Memphis Grizzlies | Jaren Jackson Jr. | F | Michigan State
Jackson is perfectly built to play in today’s NBA. He’s a 6-11, 235-pound monster that can protect the rim, and stretch the floor beyond the arc on offense. He’s just 18-years-old, but Jackson could develop into one of this draft’s best players.
5. Dallas Mavericks | Trae Young | G | Oklahoma
Young is a flat-out playmaker. He led the nation in points and assists, and plays with Steph Curry-like shot selection. This completes the Mavs’ reported trade with the Hawks. Young and a future first-round pick will head to Atlanta in exchange for Luka Doncic.
6. Orlando Magic | Mo Bamba | C | Texas
This is an interesting choice given the Magics’ glut of big men, but Bamba’s size and length could make him an immediate defensive difference maker.
7. Chicago Bulls | Wendell Carter Jr. | F | Duke
Our first real surprise of the first round. Carter stuffed the stat sheet last season, averaging 13.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.1 blocks in 26.8 minutes-per-game as a freshman. He may never make an all-star team, but Carter has all the tools to be a high-quality contributor for a long time.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers | Collin Sexton | G | Alabama
The famed Brooklyn pick the Kyrie Irving trade centered around results in the Cavs snagging a point guard. Sexton once dropped 40 points while keeping the Crimson Tide in a game where they had to play 3-on-5. He could’ve gone No. 1 on that feat alone.
9. New York Knicks | Kevin Knox | F | Kentucky
Does an NBA draft count if a Kentucky player doesn’t go in the top 10? Knox has the size and athleticism to defend all three front court spots. Whether he can shoot well enough to stretch the floor on offense will determine how big his impact is in New York.
10. Philadelphia 76ers | Mikal Bridges | G | Villanova
Bridges stays in Philly, and the 76ers snag one of the draft’s most NBA-ready players. It seems unfair that the 76ers add a young wing that plays defense and knocks down threes. Alas, here we are.
11. Charlotte Hornets | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | G | Kentucky
Lengthy wings who can shoot threes are like gold in today’s NBA. Gilgeous-Alexander is 6-6 and hit 40 percent of his threes for the Wildcats last season. He’ll be headed to the Clippers in a trade.
12. Los Angeles Clippers | Miles Bridges | F | Michigan State
Bridges will wind up in Charlotte once the Hornets trade is finalized. He wound up playing a couple years for the Spartans, and becomes the next ‘tweener’ to come out of East Lansing. He’s a little undersized for a forward, but he rebounds well and stretches the floor offensively.
13. Los Angeles Clippers | Jerome Robinson | G | Boston College
Boston College is off the hook. They finally had a player selected in the NBA draft lottery. Robinson is a scoring machine who averaged 20.7 points-per-game as a junior last year, and compiled 17.7 points-per-game across his three years. LA needs some scoring help in their backcourt, and the 6-foot-7 Robinson should help that right away.
14. Denver Nuggets | Michael Porter Jr. | F | Missouri
This was a surprisingly deep fall for Porter Jr who came with a slew of injury questions. Denver was rumored to be shopping the No. 14 pick, but getting a talent like Porter Jr at this spot could wind up being the steal of the draft.
