USA TODAY International Edition
Mock draft: Fultz, Ball going 1- 2
The Boston Celtics NEW YORK are in the Eastern Conference finals — and on the clock.
Thanks to a 2013 trade with the Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics can add to their riches after winning the draft lottery. President Danny Ainge isn’t one to reveal his pick for June 22, but the consensus for No. 1 seems clear.
USA TODAY Sports spoke with several NBA executives who requested anonymity in order to keep their draft leanings secret. Our mock first round. 1. Celtics ( via Nets): PG Markelle Fultz, Washington. He has every skill NBA teams are looking for in a point guard, including the ability to play off the ball as needed. The biggest worry is about his motor, but it’s difficult to parse if that was the result of a focusing issue or playing for a mediocre college team. 2. Los Angeles Lakers: PG Lonzo Ball, UCLA. The LakersBall pairing has seemed preordained for months, even as the Lakers might be better off going elsewhere. Still, it’s hard to deny the offensive potential of a backcourt of Ball and D’Angelo Russell. 3. Philadelphia 76ers: PG De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky. The 76ers need a new backcourt and would love to land Fultz. But 6- 3, 170- pound Fox is a freakish athlete who played smart in a system that has been incredibly successful with point guards. 4. Phoenix Suns: SF Josh Jackson, Kansas. The Suns are in a tricky spot in their rebuilding. But Devin Booker and whomever they draft seem to be centerpieces. Jackson is a potential ace defender whose passing is underrated and who won’t take the ball out of Booker’s hands. 5. Sacramento Kings: F Jay-
son Tatum, Duke. Tatum has the upside to go as high as No. 2, as he’s the most polished scorer in this class. His perimeter skills often place him as a small forward, but he should fit comfortably in the mold of a modern stretch power forward with a little added bulk.
6. Orlando Magic: PG Dennis Smith, North Carolina State. Smith fits the mold of a modern NBA point guard a bit more easily than Ball, Fox, Malik Monk or Frank Ntilikina. He’s 6- 3 and explosive, with great vision and scoring ability.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: F Jonathan Isaac, Florida State. No player in this class has as much defensive potential. That plus his positional versatility make him a nice fit with Karl- Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. 8. New York Knicks: G Malik Monk, Kentucky. If Phil Jackson wants to remain committed to the triangle offense, Monk makes sense. He’s a natural scorer with dynamic athleticism who could play on or off the ball in a triangle setting. He’s also one of the least- efficient players being discussed in this range. 9. Dallas Mavericks: PF Lauri Markkanen, Arizona. He is the latest 7- foot European with a jumper to be labeled “The Next Dirk Nowitzki.” The Finland native actually plays like the Mavericks legend. His ability to slide into the Dallas lineup as Nowitzki prepares to retire would be difficult to pass up.
10. Sacramento Kings ( via New Orleans Pelicans): PG Frank Ntilikina, France. Ntilikina’s 6- 5 frame gives him defensive versatility, and an emerging jumper could allow him to eventually become a shooting guard. 11. Charlotte Hornets: SG Luke Kennard, Duke. Other than All- Star point guard Kemba Walker and 31- year- old Marco Belinelli, the Hornets regressed big time on three- pointers last
season. Kennard should be able to play as a rookie. 12. Detroit Pistons: G Dono
van Mitchell, Louisville. With Kentavious Caldwell- Pope’s restricted free agency and Reggie Jackson’s health situation, the Pistons know they need a guard. Mitchell is a tenacious competitor at either guard spot who has worked hard to improve his shooting and playmaking. 13. Denver Nuggets: C Zach Collins, Gonzaga. Collins took over the NCAA tournament with blocked shots and rebounds, and his efficiency statistics are eyepopping. There’s little doubt he can be a rim protector at the next level, and he could be even more. 14. Miami Heat: F OG Anunoby, Indiana. One game into the college basketball season, Anunoby’s stock was soaring. Were it not for a knee injury that kept him out the second half of the season, he’d be a top- 10 pick. 15. Portland Trail Blazers: C Jarrett Allen, Texas. Allen was the fastest and the best jumper of anyone who measured 6- 10 or taller at the combine. He projects as a rim- protecting, rimrunning modern center, a la Tyson Chandler. 16. Chicago Bulls: SF Justin Jackson, North Carolina. A series of trades left the Bulls depleted on the wings, and Jackson fits the profile of what they like to draft: He’s a proven college player with a versatile skill set. 17. Milwaukee Bucks: C Harry Giles, Duke. The Bucks savor high- end potential picks in the middle of the first round. Giles tested well in the combine, notably handling the agility course faster than any other big man. 18. Indiana Pacers: PF John Collins, Wake Forest. The Pacers want to win now to keep Paul George happy. Collins was an emergent star as a sophomore, and he showed the combination of skill, size and know- how to be a contributor quickly.
Patton,19. Atlanta Creighton. Hawks: PattonC Justinfits the nation modernof defense,game with athleticism,his combihandle bloomer anda coupleshot. Give years the behindlate Dwightturn into Howard, something. and he might
20. Portland Trail Blazers ( via Memphis Grizzlies): PF TJ Leaf, UCLA. Everyone on UCLA put up gaudy offensive numbers last season, but Leaf’s were insane: He made 61.7% of his field goal attempts and 46.6% of his three- point shots.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: SF Terrance Ferguson, Australia. Ferguson brings to mind Terrence Ross in that he could win a dunk contest or three- point contest but has major holes in his game otherwise.
22. Brooklyn Nets ( via Washington Wizards): PF Jordan Bell, Oregon. No one improved his stock at the combine more than Bell, who was amazing in scrimmages. He can defend at least three and possibly all five positions.
23. Toronto Raptors ( via Los Angeles Clippers): C Ike Anigbogu, UCLA. He averaged 13 minutes and 4.7 points per game last season because of injuries and a deep Bruins team. The combine validated that Anigbogu’s frame is outstanding: At 252 pounds, he had half the body fat of most players in his weight class; his 7- 61⁄ wingspan was 4 second. 24. Utah Jazz: SF Rodions
Kurucs, Latvia. Predicting which team likes which international player is always a challenge, but everyone seems intrigued by Kurucs. He has a smooth game and good size, and as a 19- year- old would make an ideal draft- and- stash fit to bring over in two years, when his deal with Barcelona ends.
25. Orlando Magic ( via Toronto Raptors): C Bam Adebayo, Kentucky. One NBA exec told USA TODAY Sports that Adebayo stands out among this crowded field of big men because of his natural ability to switch onto guards while still protecting the paint, a valuable skill.
26. Portland Trail Blazers ( via Cleveland Cavaliers): C Isaiah Hartenstein, Germany. Born in America but raised in Germany, Hartenstein has proved divisive among NBA types. His playing time for Lithuania’s legendary Zalgiris team was limited to garbage time, but he has shown in youth tournaments that he is a great passer who knows how to use his size. 27. Nets ( via Celtics): C Jonathan Jeanne, France. Jeanne is 7- 2 with a 7- 61⁄ wing2 span, making him the tallest and longest player at the combine. He also weighs 207 pounds despite 8.7% body fat. That physique is scary, but Jeanne shows perimeter skills and has the ceiling to be a valuable long- term player.
28. Lakers ( via Houston Rockets): SG Hamidou Diallo,
Kentucky. His 441⁄ 2- inch vertical leap made it clear why many call him the best athlete in the draft. But after not playing a game for Kentucky because of an eligibility situation, Diallo might be better served passing up a late first- round pick and returning to school. 29. San Antonio Spurs: C Anzejs Pasecniks, Latvia. Pasecniks, 21, is a 7- 2 giant who has been hyped in certain NBA circles for years, in part because he’s older than a lot of the top European prospects.
30. Utah Jazz ( via Golden State Warriors): PG Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State. The biggest gap between Evans and the point guards in the top 10 is size; he measured under 6 feet at the combine. But he’s a brilliant natural playmaker with enough speed and strength to be a factor on pick- and- rolls.