First-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

The Suns are in a position to take the best player available and aren't expected to trade down with such a dire need of talent. Ayton is just one player in consideration. They've had plenty of time to scout the big man at Arizona, and 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 but has been non-committal about making the jump to the NBA next season.

Bagley averaged 21 points and 11.1 rebounds, showing himself as a true offensive force and impressively winning the ACC Player of the Year. He's certainly in the conversation for No. 1 overall pick.

Memphis is in a position to take the best player available. While Jackson is limited offensively, he's potentially dominant defensively. He only scored 10.9 points per game in his freshman season at Michigan State but had three blocks per contest.

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. 

Orlando was unlucky to fall to No. 6, but the Magic would do well if Porter Jr. falls this far. He 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.

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 James 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 players to complement Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina. Bridges shot nearly 44 percent from three this past season and averaged 17.7 points per game, showing plenty of versatility offensively.

The Sixers don't exactly need point guard help, but Sexton can also be a significant scorer. 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.

Another talented point guard outside the top five, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points and 5.1 assists for the Wildcats this past season. He has a chance to play significant minutes immediately.

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.

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.

Limited offensively in his two seasons for the Aggies, Williams did average 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this past year. The Nuggets are looking to revamp the squad in the paint and help Jamal Murray.

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, though the position the Suns choose No. 1 overall could have an impact on what they do at No. 16. Thomas blossomed in his three seasons at Creighton, averaging 15.1 points and shooting 41 percent from three this past year.

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. Looking for a complement for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Smith makes the Bucks more talented in the backcourt and could make a difference sooner than later.

The Spurs could be in rebuild mode, making Simons a more attractive prospect. Simons is skipping college and entering the NBA Draft through a loophole. Somewhat undersized at 6-3, he provides plenty of scoring potential.

Atlanta needs all the help it can get, and Trent is a high-upside prospect late in the first round. He averaged 14.5 points per game for the Blue Devils as a freshman, shooting better than 40 percent from three.

Brown averaged 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in his freshman season, and he has nice size as a wing at 6-7. He could get minutes off the bench in his rookie season.

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 could be another goldmine after the Jazz hit on Donovan Mitchell last year.

The Bulls certainly could use help at point guard, among other areas. 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.

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 now looking like an excellent NBA prospect.

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. Musa could go as early as the middle of the first round or could miss the first round entirely.

He might not be a star at the next level, but Brunson is a very smart point guard who should have a long career. Brunson might not be the best fit for L.A. with Lonzo Ball in town, but it remains to be seen if the Lakers will even retain this pick as they look to make a big offseason splash.

The catalyst of the Shockers over the last two seasons. Shamet averaged 14.9 points and 5.2 assists last season. He has a chance to play either the point or shooting guard in the NBA. He developed outstanding range, shooting 44 percent from three over the last two seasons.

Boston has consistently drafted well, and Evans looks like a safe bet in the NBA because he can defend. He also shot well from three in college at nearly 38 percent for his career.

Hutchison is an experienced college player with decent upside after developing his outside shot over the last two seasons. He would seem to be a nice fit off the bench for the sharpshooting Warriors.

DiVincenzo raised his NBA stock with his play during the NCAA Tournament. The guard also averaged 13.4 points for the season, shooting 40 percent from three. At worst, he seems like a solid offensive player off the bench.

A sharpshooter at 6-10, Wagner has been an impressive and often unguardable big man for the Wolverines over the last two seasons. Atlanta is in a position to draft upside at this spot after winning only 24 games this season.