NBA: 2018 Mock Draft Vol. 2

1. Phoenix Suns: DeAndre Ayton (Arizona C): Ayton is the main option for the Suns at the top spot, along with Luka Doncic. We'll say the Suns settle on the former-Arizona product. He was a monster for the Wildcats last year, going for 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much of him in March because Arizona was upset by Buffalo in the opening round. Ayton reminds us of Myles Turner because of his ability to play down low and block shots, and also step outside and hit consistently from the perimeter. The Suns desperately need a big man who can score and Ayton could be the guy.

NBA Comp: Myles Turner

2. Sacramento Kings: Marvin Bagley III (Duke PF): Bagley wasn't always "the guy" at Duke because of Grayson Allen, who was the senior leader and had the ball during most critical situations, but Bagley was the best player on the team and it's inarguable. It's possible that all five Blue Devils starters will get drafted and Bagley leads the group. He won't fall any further than the three spot, and the Kings need help in pretty much every spot expect point guard. Bagley, although he has the potential to be a perennial All-Star, reminds us of Michael Beasley because of his ability to score from all over the place, while still rebounding efficiently.

NBA Comp: Michael Beasley

3. Atlanta Hawks: Luka Doncic (Slovenia PG): Doncic is an unknown to most fanbases, like many international players are because we don't see them play in college, but that doesn't take away from his potential. We initially had him going No. 1 overall in our Mock Draft Vol. 1. He reminds me a lot of D'Angelo Russell during his Ohio State days because of the high level of creativity to match his skill. Doncic is already just as good as Russell in my eyes and as he gains more strength in the coming years, he could realistically become an MVP candidate. He averaged 16.1 points and 4.4 assists on 58.3 percent from the field.

NBA Comp: D'Angelo Russell

4. Memphis Grizzlies: Mo Bamba (Texas C): Bamba took a little while to get acclimated to the game of college basketball and the speed, so don't expect him to produce Day 1 in the NBA. But give him so time to develop and he has huge potential. Bamba has the longest wing span in the entire draft class and when he enters the league, will have the longest wing span of anyone. If you watched him at Texas, it was incredible to watch just how many shots he effected or blocked every single game. He protected the rim constantly and consistently for the Longhorns. Bamba averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game.

NBA Comp: Rudy Gobert

5. Dallas Mavericks: Trae Young (Oklahoma PG): Young was the first player in NCAA history to lead the country in assists and points per game, so it's pretty obvious that he can ball. I actually think he'll have a better pro career than college because opposing teams won't be able to hone in on him as much. He was Oklahoma's only pure scorer so his opponents would trap him repeatedly and run him off the three-point line, and his teammates weren't able to carry the Sooners beyond the Round of 64. Young averaged 27.4 points and 8.7 assists. His NBA comparison is Darren Collison, who led the league in three-point shooting at 46.8 percent.

NBA Comp: Darren Collison

6. Orlando Magic: Jaren Jackson Jr. (Michigan State PF): Jackson is not the best scorer, but he is a capable shooter from mid-range and from the three. He can also play solid post defense and block a lot of shots as he showed at Michigan State. Jackson has a 7’4 wingspan that can create matchup problems, which is one of the largest in the draft class. Jackson had to share a lot of his playing time with other skilled players like Miles Bridges (who we'll get to in a second) and Nick Ward, so his stats aren't as impressive as they could be, but he finished his one year at Michigan State averaging 10.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

NBA Comp: Serge Ibaka

7. Chicago Bulls: Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke C): Carter is pretty close to the same height and weight as Jonas Valanciunas. Also like Valanciunas, he is not the most athletic big man, but can find different ways to score in the post and beyond. He also has excellent footwork for a frontcourt player and has been improving at his low post defense. The Los Angeles Clippers are stuck between the bottom of the playoffs and the top of the draft, which is arguably the worst place to be. Carter has a ton of talent, so much that some expect him to go as high as No. 3. We predict that he'll see a bit of a slide, but will end up with a better organization.

NBA Comp: Jonas Valanciunas

8. Cleveland Cavaliers: Mikal Bridges (Villanova SF): Bridges had a wonderful career at Villanova, as he was a key factor in two national championship teams, including being a starter on the 2017-18 Wildcats squad that is fresh off of a title. He reminds us of Rashard Lewis, who won the Big 3 MVP last year. Bridges has extreme length and can stretch the floor with ease. He also has a ton of athleticism that will help him on both ends of the floor, and should allow him to adjust to the NBA game quicker than most. Whether the Cleveland Cavaliers have LeBron James or not, it's clear they need to get younger and Bridges would be a nice addition.

NBA Comp: Rashard Lewis

9. New York Knicks: Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri SF): Porter's size and scoring arsenal makes him a great isolation player, similar to Khris Middleton when he is healthy. Porter has the potential to reach that level but he also has a history of injury similarly to Middleton. He missed a lot of his freshman year with an injured back, which means some teams might be nervous about taking a chance on him. It's reported that he could go anywhere from 4th to 14th. We'll settle for somewhere in the middle. Porter can also defend more than one position on the court. He averaged 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds at Missouri.

NBA Comp: Khris Middleton

10. Philadelphia 76ers: Kevin Knox (Kentucky SF): Knox can score through more ways besides isolation, as he can spot up shooting, slashing, and driving. He really needs to improve on his on-ball defense, but there is a ton of potential from the former Kentucky Wildcats forward. I've heard some people comparing him to Devin Booker because of how well they both scored at Kentucky, but Booker seems like he's due for a meteoric rise next year, while Knox is likely a while away from anything like that. We see him more like Tobias Harris, who is a legitimate scorer from multiple spots on the floor. Harris averaged 18.6 points. Knox put up 15.6 points per game.

NBA Comp: Tobias Harris

11. Charlotte Hornets: Collin Sexton (Alabama PG): Sexton is so explosive that he has drawn comparisons to guys like Russell Westbrook, but we think it's more realistic to compare him to Eric Bledsoe. Although Bledsoe isn't on the same level as Westbrook, he's an ultra quick and high-leaping point guard, and Sexton fits that to a tee. We witnessed Sexton's ability to take over games in the SEC Tournament, and he averaged 19.2 points and 3.6 assists per game during his lone season at Alabama. Charlotte also has Kemba Walker, who can help Sexton mature and improve his game.

NBA Comp: Eric Bledsoe

12. Los Angeles Clippers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Kentucky PG): Gilgeous-Alexander is a tall, lanky guard, that can score and create for others. He can also be a great defender like Dejounte Murray with his length and speed. Murray is still a young player, so we aren't sure what his future holds, but he's been a solid guard for the San Antonio Spurs through his first couple of years in the NBA. If Gilgeous-Alexander can do the same thing then the Charlotte Hornets will be happy with this decision. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points and 5.1 assists per game at Kentucky. Watch for him to possibly climb up the boards prior to the draft.

NBA Comp: Dejounte Murray

13. Los Angeles Clippers: Zhaire Smith (Texas Tech SF): In our scenario, the Clippers use the latter of their two straight picks to take the best player available, since they've already gotten the big man (watch for them to let go of DeAndre Jordan). The best player, at least to us, is a three-way tie between Miles Bridges, Zhaire Smith, and Donte DiVincenzo. Smith is the best athlete of the bunch and could potentially become a fantastic two-way player in this league. He has the ability to stretch the floor on offense and will continue to refine his outside shot, and has the length to play smothering defense. He put up 11.3 points and 5.0 rebounds.

NBA Comp: J.R. Smith

14. Denver Nuggets: Donte DiVincenzo (Villanova SG): The last pick in the draft lottery goes to the Nuggets because they just barely missed out on the playoffs. Their consolation prize is DiVincenzo, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, after (pretty much) single handily beating Michigan in the national title game. After that game, he declared for the draft and hasn't looked back. According to many, he was one of just a few that really impressed at the combine, and drastically improved his stock. He put up 13.4 points and 3.5 assists in his sophomore year. His comparison is Evan Fournier because of how good of a scorer he can potentially be.

NBA Comp: Evan Fournier

Photo Credit: CBS Sports.