Breaking down the top prospects in the 2019 NBA Draft … in June 2018.
The 2018 NBA Draft recently came to a close, with plenty of excitement on draft night. The Mavericks traded up for Luka Doncic, netting the best international prospect of all-time. The Philadelphia 76ers turned Mikal Bridges into Zhaire Smith and an unprotected first-round pick.
Now we turn our attention, at least briefly, toward the projected rookie class of 2019. From viral sensations to talented swingmen, there is plenty of firepower at the top of this draft — even if the depth, comparatively speaking, doesn’t stack up to recent years.
Zion Williamson, Cameron Reddish and R.J. Barrett are the top-three high school seniors on most recruiting lists. All three will be attending Duke alongside Tre Jones, another five-star recruit. Coach K continues to add to his impressive resume of high-level recruiting.
We’ll also see several names that picked up draft hype alongside the 2018 class, with Daniel Gafford, Jontay Porter and other upperclassmen finding themselves in lottery projections. With less depth up top, we could see older prospects sneaking their way into that conversation.
This board is still fluid. It’s way too early to get a concrete reading on these prospects, something we won’t have until the college season actually starts. There are also several variables at play when it comes to determining a player’s draft stock, ranging from team situation to individual performances.
We can’t form conclusions an entire year early. Think of this as a primer of sorts, giving you names worth watching and breaking down some of the best freshmen (and sophomores) in the 2019 class.