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5 things you should know about the 2018 NBA Draft

Who's going No. 1? Will there be any trades?

The 2018 NBA Draft is filled with uncertainty. Experts make their picks, but there always seems to be surprises on draft night. Fans of bad teams hope this is the year their team makes the pick that changes their franchise. The draft class this year is loaded with talent from top to bottom. With big names being in abundance this is a deep draft class, but who's the best player in the draft? Who's going No. 1? Will there be any trades?

Here are five things you should know about the 2018 NBA Draft.

1. Luka Doncic, listed at guard for Real Madrid, is one of the best players in the draft and has a chance at being the first pick. He led his team to the EuroLeague championship this past season and earned himself EuroLeague MVP honors. Doncic is a consensus top-five player and has a chance to be drafted number one overall. There have been prominent international players in the past, but few have notched the same accomplishments as Doncic. Doncic is a 6’8 combo guard who has the size to play the forward spot and is one of the best passers in the draft. He averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists during the 2017-2018 EuroLeague season.

2. The NBA is evolving before our eyes, the top players in this draft seem to be trending towards a tall and lean build. Ten years ago a tall and skinny big man was of no use. In 2018 the skinny big men who can run the floor is as valuable as gold. Six of the top prospects are listed at 6 feet 10 inches or taller. Prospects Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, and Mo Bamba are all versatile players who have the height and speed to excel in the NBA. The game is trending towards players of this build.

3. Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. is a top prospect, but scouts have injury concerns. Porter has everything NBA scouts look for. He has the height and speed needed to face NBA competition and has the shooting stroke of a guard, but stands at 6 feet 11 inches tall. While scouts have been drooling over his measurables and skills, they’ve been hesitant to rate him No. 1 due to injury concerns. Porter suffered a back injury at Mizzou that prevented him from playing the majority of his freshman season. Pair that with a couple of canceled NBA team workouts due to a strained hip and you’ve got the cautious optimism that scouts have about Porter.

4. Deandre Ayton, a center from the University of Arizona, is rumored to be the number one pick the Phoenix Suns, but are the Suns drafting for an era that no longer exists? During the 2018 NBA playoffs, traditional centers had a very little impact and even less playing time. The NBA is trending towards switching defensive assignments and jacking up threes. This gives a reason to believe traditional centers may not have a place in the NBA, let alone the number one pick in the draft. Ayton is a seven-footer who can run the floor and shoot the three well for his position.

5. There will probably be a trade, possibly involving Kawhi Leonard. It will be hard to top the stunner of a trade during last year’s draft that sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it is the NBA Draft so anything can happen. The biggest trade rumor that has made headway is a trade involving San Antonio Spurs all-star Kawhi Leonard. A possible match for the Spurs and a Leonard trade would be Boston. Boston is plentiful in resources and may want to shake things up. A trade between the Celtics and the Spurs would involve Kawhi and another asset for Kyrie Irving, a first-round pick, and a player like Jaylen Brown or Marcus Smart.

The NBA Draft is always full of surprises and filled with drama. Whether it’s last minute trades or shade thrown on Twitter, the NBA Draft on Thursday will not disappoint. Get your popcorn ready.

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