The NBA is at the 2019 All-Star Break so we’re going to look ahead to the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. Some teams are already in full tank mode it appears but will that help them get that #1 pick?
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Using Tankathon, I simulated the lottery based upon current standings and will predict all 14 NBA Lottery Picks. While the Knicks and Suns are crashing, neither won the lottery, actually they fell as far as they could right now in the 2019 NBA Draft.
2019 NBA Mock Draft Lottery
1 – Chicago Bulls
The Pick: Zion Williamson (PF – Duke)
2 – New Orleans Pelicans
I think Jayson Tatum will be a Pelican next season as he’ll leave Boston in the Anthony Davis trade this summer. So I see the Pelicans picking a player to pair with him.
The Pick: RJ Barrett (SG – Duke)
3 – Miami Heat
Goran Dragic most likely is done in Miami so they’ll need a new PG.
The Pick: Ja Morant (PG – Murray State)
4 – Cleveland Cavs
The Cavs are trying to rebuild so they need major building blocks. They’ll go for the best player available at four.
The Pick: Cam Reddish (SF – Duke)
5 – Phoenix Suns
Phoenix can’t win a game…nor the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. They fall to five and desperately need to find someone they can pair with Devin Booker and last year’s top overall pick DeAndre Ayton to find a way back to respectability.
The Pick: Rui Hachimura (SF – Gonzaga)
6 – New York Knicks
The Knicks seem to be tanking but it backfires as they drop to sixth in the draft. After trading away Porzingis, the Knicks could go anywhere with this pick. Their best strategy is taking the best player available on their board. They draft a PG to go with Dennis Smith Jr.
The Pick: Darius Garland (PG – Vanderbilt)
7 – Atlanta Hawks
With Trae Young and John Collins, the Hawks will look for a big to compliment these guys.
The Pick: Bruno Fernando (C – Maryland)
8 – Memphis Grizzlies
After trading away Marc Gasol this season, the Grizzlies are in full rebuild mode. Will Mike Conley be gone this offseason? The Grizzlies have to go with the best player available at eight.
The Pick: Jarrett Culver (SG – Texas Tech)
9 – Washington Wizards
After the John Wall injury that could keep him out a big chunk of next season as well, will the Wizards tear the team down in the offseason?
The Pick: De’Andre Hunter (SF – Virginia)
10 – Atlanta Hawks (from Dallas Mavericks)
The Mavs don’t mind letting the Hawks have this pick as it was part of the trade that brought in likely 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic. The Hawks grabbed a big earlier in the lottery so they may look for another potential starter.
The Pick: Nassir Little (SF – North Carolina)
11 – Orlando Magic
Orlando is closing to being a playoff contender in the East. They need help in the back court to get over the hump.
The Pick: Romeo Langford (SG – Indiana)
12 – Minnesota Timberwolves
What’s the future for the T-wolves? After to a rocky start to the season with the Jimmy Butler fiasco and Tom Thibodeau firing, the Timberwolves need to find a way to become a playoff contender in the West.
The Pick: Keldon Johnson (SF – Kentucky)
13 – Los Angles Lakers
Who does LeBron want to join the Lakers? Probably not a rookie. I think this pick gets moved for a current NBA star but I’ll project the pick for the Lakers.
The Pick: KZ Okpala (SF – Stanford)
14 – Boston Celtics (from Sacramento Kings)
This pick is more than likely being sent to New Orleans for Anthony Davis this summer in a blockbuster NBA trade. For sake of this mock draft, I’ll make the pick for the Celtics.
The Pick: Jaxson Hayes (C – Texas)
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