First-round 2018 NBA mock draft

The Suns are in a position to take the best player available, pairing him with young star Devin Booker. There is debate about the best player in the draft between Ayton and Slovenian Luka Doncic, but Ayton would seem to be the safer pick. Plus, in NBA history teams have usually opted for the big man first. Ayton won Pac-12 Player of the Year after averaging 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds while shooting over 61 percent from the field in his lone college season.

The Kings got a favorable draw in the lottery, and will now be able to add young talent to their core of Buddy Hield, De'Aaron Fox, Willie Cauley-Stein, and company. The 19-year-old Doncic averaged 15.2 points per game this season in the EuroLeague and should be an immediate contributor from day one. There is some anticipation that he could be an immediate star as a player who can do just about everything offensively.

Bagley has the talent of a first overall pick and a great fit for the Hawks, who are in need of a skilled big man. He averaged 21 points and 11.1 rebounds, showing himself as a true offensive force and impressively winning the ACC Player of the Year. 

The Grizzlies are in a position to take the best player available as they try to get younger. Porter Jr. was the consensus No. 1 overall pick entering the college basketball season, but a back injury caused him to miss most of the year. Still early in the process, Porter could go just about anywhere in the top eight picks depending on how convinced teams are that he's going to remain healthy.

The Mavs tanked and could be very fortunate if Bamba falls to them. The athletic center shot 54 percent from the field while averaging a staggering 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks in Shaka Smart's system. 

It's dire days in Orlando, but Jackson has a chance to be their next uber-talented big man. Jackson is a force defensively and still developing his offensive game. He only scored 10.9 points per game in his freshman season at Michigan State but had three blocks per contest.

Another big man isn't a huge immediate need for the Bulls, but Carter Jr.'s talent could be too good to pass up. He averaged 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in 2017-18 on an overwhelmingly talented Duke team. The upside could be much more than what we saw last season, given that Carter Jr. was overshadowed by other talented players.

The LeBron sweepstakes could ultimately determine where Cleveland goes with this pick. Young garners comparisons to Stephen Curry after averaging 27.4 points and attempting more than 10 threes per game. If not for Curry's success in the NBA, there's no telling where Young would go in the draft.

The Knicks are in need of a point guard to complement Kristaps Porzingis and help put Frank Ntilikina in better position to score. Sexton finished the season averaging 19.2 points while shooting nearly 45 percent from the floor for the Crimson Tide, and his surge late in the year could be a great sign for the team that drafts him.

Philly ranked tied for 10th in three-pointers made per game this season, and could use more long-range ability. Bridges shot nearly 44 percent from three this season and wouldn't be going far from Villanova to join the Sixers.

Charlotte is in the market for a swing to complement Kemba Walker and Dwight Howard. The versatile 6-9 Knox is built for the current NBA, attempting 4.5 three-pointers per game in his freshman season for the Wildcats. The talented youngster might not go in the top 10, but he could still turn into a star.

The Clippers are in rebuild mode and ready to add at just about any position. It's unclear if Bridges helped his draft stock by returning to Michigan State last season, but the talented wing averaged 17 points and shot nearly 38 percent from three in his two seasons with the Spartans.

Williams is more DeAndre Jordan than Blake Griffin, but the Clippers would take a young version of either. Limited offensively in his two seasons for the Aggies, Williams did average 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this year. 

Another talented point guard outside the top five, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points and 5.1 assists for the Wildcats this season. He could help Jamal Murray to make a very talented backcourt for a developing Nuggets squad.

Walker became much more consistent for Miami as his freshman season rolled along, putting up double-digit points in 14 of his last 17 games. Washington isn't exactly in need of guard help, but could potentially have an imposing offensive lineup with Bradley Beal, John Wall, and Walker. He'd likely work his way off the bench early on.

Phoenix will be in a position to take the best player available, which could be Thomas at this spot. He blossomed in his three seasons at Creighton, averaging 15.1 points and shooting 41 percent from three this year.

A potential complement to the Greek Freak, Brown averaged 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in his freshman season, and he has nice size as a wing at 6-7.

Musa is an interesting European teenager, showing great long-range ability. He shot 36 percent from three for Cedevita this season and has excellent size at 6-9. The Spurs have a history of success with European players, making him all the more intriguing in this spot.

Smith is a first-round prospect after a solid freshman season for the Red Raiders, averaging 11.3 points and shooting nearly 56 percent from the field. He's a bit of a project for the Hawks but could emerge as a starter in a couple years.

Minnesota has plenty of high upside talent already, and Simons presents another opportunity. Simons is skipping college and entering the NBA Draft through a loophole. Somewhat undersized at 6-3, Simons provides plenty of scoring potential.

Utah is looking for ways to make star sophomore Donovan Mitchell even better. Holiday has the potential as a point guard who can create (and make) his own shot. He shot at least 41 percent from three in all three seasons for the Bruins.

He might not be a star at the next level, but Brunson is a very smart point guard who should have a long career. He can be an immediate leader for a Bulls squad that needs one. The college AP Player of the Year shot better than 40 percent from three this year with 4.6 assists per game, averaging nearly 19 points per game as well.

The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, Bates-Diop averaged 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds last season. He started to develop his outside shot, and is suddenly looking like a solid NBA player after helping his draft stock last year.

Robinson didn't play college basketball this year after dropping out of his commitment to Western Kentucky. At seven feet tall, he still has the upside of a lottery pick and adds imposing potential next to Jusuf Nurkic.

The Lakers have big plans this offseason should determine where they go with this pick. Like the rest of the Cincinnati squad, Evans can played defensive. He can also shoot from the outside, shooting nearly 38 percent from three for his career.

Philadelphia already has an incredibly versatile big man in Ben Simmons, and Porter potentially gives them another. The younger brother of Michael Porter Jr., Jontay had an impressive year despite facing older competition in college this season. He averaged 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and really showed his long-range game late in the year. 

A sharpshooter at 6-10, Wagner has been an impressive and often unguardable big man for the Wolverines over the last two seasons. He's an interesting potential offensive weapon for Brad Stevens.

The Warriors might not find a starter at this point, but Milton is a great fit for depth behind Stephon Curry. The guard averaged nearly 43 percent from three during his career at SMU.

McCoy had a big freshman year, averaging 16.9 points and 10.3 rebounds for the Rebels. He has potential to develop behind fellow young big man Jarrett Allen.

Hutchison is an experienced college power with decent upside after developing his outside shot over the last two seasons. He averaged 20 points per game last season, shooting nearly 36 percent from three.