With the third round of the NCAA Tournament set to tip off Thursday, it marks another weekend where a huge wave of future NBA stars will be auditioning for the next stage of their basketball career while, of course, helping their respective teams advance in the do-or-die tournament.
Headlining that group will be Duke stars Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett — prized assets in an intriguing draft that will be defined by three potential franchise players at the top, and plenty of question marks thereafter.
Most mock drafts will reflect the current NBA standings, with the last-place New York Knicks picking first. But because the NBA’s lottery has ensured the actual draft order usually doesn’t exactly reflect the standings, we’ve spun the wheel on RealGM’s draft lottery simulator and will be drafting based on those results.
With that set, let’s draft:
| Pick | Team | Player |
| 1 |  |
Zion Williamson, F, Duke |
| The NBA’s best and most coveted prospect since LeBron James, Zion has seemingly limitless potential and comes to the league already equipped with elite, practically unheard of levels of strength and athletic ability — at 285 pounds, he’ll be the second-heaviest player (trailing only seven-foot-three Serbian giant Boban Marjanovic) and yet routinely hovers his head above the rim when he takes off from the ground. He’s a marketer’s dream — one of the reasons the Knicks, like many teams, have been not-so-subtly tanking for the opportunity to land him — and, best of all, is a complete basketball player beyond all of the obvious physical tools. The Wizards don’t deserve Zion, but they, like all teams, would turn their fortunes around instantly by winning the 2019 lottery. | ||
| 2 |  |
Ja Morant, PG, Murray State |
| Playing for an unheralded collegiate program didn’t hurt Morant’s stock one bit. When you’re as talented as he is, and can fill the highlight reels as regularly, it’s hard not to notice. Morant, an incredible leaper, was the NCAA’s assists leader and a proven scorer to boot. He could struggle to defend at the NBA level, and there are questions about his jump-shot mechanic, but for a team searching for a franchise point guard like Phoenix, this is a no-brainer. | ||
| 3 |  |
R.J. Barrett, G/F, Duke |
| It seems a given that Barrett’s success at every level of basketball on his way to the NBA will be able to translate once he enters the league. He has a ton of skills and is as potent a scorer as anybody in the draft. He seems like a lock to average 20 per game out of the gate if he lands on a team ready to anoint him a go-to scorer from Day 1, and Chicago certainly fits that bill. His three-pointer needs to fall more consistently, and there are moments when he forces his shot, but Barrett is a five-star prospect who’s winning pedigree should bode well for his next step. | ||
| 4 |  |
De’Andre Hunter, F, Virginia |
| In a draft with three clear star prospects and then a pretty apparent down curve from there, Knicks fans and brass alike would be devastated to fall out of the top three. Free agency will be a major focus for the franchise, with tons of money to spend and rumours linking them to all-NBA talents like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker. But they’ll be drafting before free agency begins, so going for the best overall player makes sense. Hunter has a game that should be able to translate to the NBA well and can make an impact on both ends of the floor. | ||
| 5 |  |
Coby White, G, North Carolina |
| In old school parlance, White is a total “gamer.” He’s been dynamic all season for North Carolina and showed off his clutch shot-making ability during their opening-round win. The Mavericks are in as good a position as any lottery team, with a core built around Luke Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, and White would offer a valuable piece whether as a future starter or spark plug off the bench. | ||
| 6 |  |
Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech |
| One of the highest draft-board risers from the beginning of the season to the end, Culver has the tools to become a go-to scoring option and starting-quality shooting guard for a Cavaliers team in need of help and bankable talent at several positions. | ||
| 7 |  |
Cam Reddish, G/F, Duke |
| The Hawks have a soon-to-be superstar at point guard in rookie sensation Trae Young, and a borderline all-star calibre front-court force in John Collins. Looking to shore up the wing, Reddish is a tough prospect to evaluate — he clearly has NBA-calibre scoring skills, and has shown he can be a game-changer at times but can just as easily become a forgotten man on the court. Still, his shooting ability alone makes him an intriguing option here for a team that should have the time and patience to develop him and see if they can unlock his clear potential. | ||
| 8 |  |
Brandon Clarke, F/C, Gonzaga |
| This pick belongs to the Memphis Grizzlies but becomes the Celts if it falls out of the top three. Boston could go in any number of directions this summer. Kyrie Irving is a free agent, they have four first-round picks that could be packaged in a deal for Anthony Davis, and those possibilities will dictate their needs. But you can’t go wrong with Clarke, a versatile big man who thrives on the defensive end and is deadly around the rim. He stands to learn a lot from Al Horford. | ||
| 9 |  |
Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt |
| Garland was playing like a top-five pick before his season was ended due to injury back in November. The Pelicans have long been in need of back-court help alongside Jrue Holiday, who can play either guard position, and Garland is a worthy risk for a team eyeing a rebuild anyways. | ||
| 10 |  |
Kevin Porter, G/F, USC |
| Off-court issues have hurt Porter’s stock a bit, but despite there being some talented forwards available, the Lakers need to start surrounding LeBron James with shooters if they want to maximize his impact. | ||
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