We don’t usually do mock drafts on the site, but we do them when a draft class is this darn stacked.

There are players in this year’s draft class that will be taken after the Lottery and will make instant impacts for their teams. There are even guys who were Lottery pick locks just a month ago, but are now slotted to go in the 20’s. There are also some young talents who suffered injuries last season (Bol Bol) and are tumbling down draft boards.

The first three picks are almost a certainty (even though I think there’s a chance #3 could be a Wild-Card), but after that trio, it could be a wild ride. There are also some teams picking early in the draft who are shopping their picks, so that could change things even more.

Here is our 2019 NBA Mock Draft.

1. New Orleans Pelicans – Zion Williamson – PF (Duke) – This is a no-brainer. Every team was tanking last season to try and earn as many ping-pong balls as possible. The new lottery format helped quell the tanking a little, but teams like the Knicks gave little effort down the stretch. The Pelicans scored the first pick in the Lottery and shipped star Anthony Davis to the Lakers for some young talent and picks. Williamson should be a monster in the NBA from day one.
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Ja Morant – PG (Murray State) – Morant will be the highest selected player from a true mid-major in decades. Morant is a dynamic scorer and can play both sides of the ball. Memphis officially ushered in the ‘Morant Era’ today when they traded star point guard Mike Conley to Utah for a couple of white dudes and a pick. Morant is about as much of a ‘sure thing’ there is in the NBA Draft, behind Zion, of course.
3. New York Knicks – RJ Barrett – SG (Duke) – I’ve been high on Barrett since early last year. I now feel that he is a little underrated since Zion took up so much of the oxygen at Duke. I almost didn’t place Barrett here because there have been some buzz about the Knicks bucking the norm and selecting Vanderbilt PG Darius Garland at #3. It could very well happen, but I have a feeling the Knicks will select Barrett if they stay at #3. They could always move down a spot and complete a trade with the Pelicans for the #4 pick (and maybe Lonzo Ball) for the #3 pick. 
4. New Orleans Pelicans – Jarrett Culver – SG (Texas Tech) – The Pelicans don’t really need a player like Garland since they are set at point guard right now. They do need some more shooters and Culver would fit the mold. They are built for the future if they leave this draft with Williamson and Culver.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers – Darius Garland – PG (Vanderbilt) – I know the Cavs just used their first-round pick last year on a point guard (Collin Sexton). I think the team could go with a back-court of Garland/Sexton and it would work. Garland is good enough of a shooter for it to work. The Cavs just need to take ‘the best player available’ until they have a squad worthy of drafting for need. They just need everything right now. The Cavs could give UNC guard Coby White a look if they don’t want to feel like they are pushing Sexton out of a job.
6. Phoenix Suns – Coby White – PG (North Carolina) – The Suns have been in need of a franchise point guard since they shipped Steve Nash to Los Angeles. They’ve had established players fill the immediate need since, but they need a young point guard to lead this team. Many of their past point guard past draft picks have been bombs. White should be able to run an up-tempo offense while he finds his shot in the NBA.
7. Chicago Bulls – Cam Reddish SG/SF (Duke) – Before last college basketball season, there was a lot of hype about the possibility that Duke could have the top-three picks in this NBA Draft. Reddish didn’t shine as much as Williamson and Barrett. There were also some motivation concerns about him. Does he have the motor to become great, or is he just content with being good? The Bulls could have loved to come out of this draft with a point guard, but since White is off the board, Reddish is the best player available.
8. Atlanta Hawks – DeAndre Hunter – SF (Virginia) – If Hunter falls to Atlanta, they would be ecstatic. He’s one of the best defenders in the draft and he has improved each year in college. He would be the oldest player taken up to this point as he was a junior last season. The Hawks need defense and they would get it in spades with Hunter.
9. Washington Wizards – Nassir Little – SF (North Carolina) – The Wizards are trying to find the right guy to be their team president and come into this draft without a leader in the war room. They’ve been attached to Little since early on in the entire draft process. He didn’t have a decorated career at UNC and was often the target of criticism. I don’t peg the Wizards as being ‘outside-of-the-box thinkers’ right now. They will probably go with the expected choice of Little. They could also go with a foreign player as SF/PF Sekou Doumbouya is climbing up boards.
10. Atlanta Hawks – Jaxson Hayes – C (Texas) – Hunter landed where the Hawks wanted him to and if Hayes is there at #10, I think they will take him. They need a big man in the paint who can rebound all the Trae Young shots. Scouts also project him to be able to eventually space out the floor as he has good shooting mechanics from beyond the paint.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves – Rui Hachimura – SF/PF (Gonzaga) – As soon as Hachimura skipped the combine, people have been wondering which lottery team gave him a strong promise. People have pretty much narrowed down the possible teams to Minnesota. If it’s not Hacimura here, it could be Doumbouya or Hachimura’s teammate at Gonzaga, Brandon Clarke.
12. Charlotte Hornets – Sekou Doumbouya – SF/PF (France) – This is a ‘he’s raw, but he could be the next *current top player*’ pick. He could be selected in the top-ten, but this is just where he fell after seeing who was available. He was a member of the France’s gold medal-winning U18 team. He didn’t start playing basketball until he was 12, so he could be a diamond in the rough or the next Bruno Caboclo.
13. Miami Heat – Romeo Langford SG (Indiana) – Langford was once thought to be a top-six pick, but has been falling since he doesn’t have the best shooting form. He’s a volume shooter and needs the ball in his hands a lot. The Heat could be the right team for him to learn on the job.
14. Boston Celtics – Goga Bitadze – C  (Rep. of Georgia) – Goga could be a popular name during the draft. He is a ‘Nikola Jokic-type’ big man. He has a nice shot from deep and can pass well. The Celtics have a ton of picks and just feels like a Danny Ainge pick.
15. Detroit Pistons – PJ Washington – PF (Kentucky) – Washington was a borderline first-rounder last year, but went back to school and improved. He is a now legit threat from deep, a skill that was so-so last year. The Pistons need shooters and this is a great fit.
16. Orlando Magic – Tyler Herro – SG (Kentucky) – If the Magic gets PG Markelle Fultz on the floor, they need someone next to him that can shoot. Herro has a masterful stroke from deep and would be a nice complement to Fultz going forward.
17. Atlanta Hawks – Kevin Porter Jr. – SG (USC) – Atlanta got what they wanted with their first two picks. They played it safe with solid picks with little-to-no risk. Porter has all the skills in the world, but off-court issues make this pick risky. They have a lot of young talent on the team and this could be a high-reward risk if Porter keeps his nose clean.
18. Indiana Pacers – Bol Bol – C (Oregon) – Bol is slipping in the draft due to his ankle injury last season at Oregon. He only played in a handful of games, but he showed all the skills of a millennial big man in the NBA. He can shoot, handle the ball and can even move on the fast break. His other issue is his body. He is a skinny guy and his father never packed on much weight during his playing days either. Indiana could be a place where they would fit his unique skill-set next to other big guys who can move. I would love the Pacers roster with the addition of Bol Bol.
19. San Antonio Spurs – Luka Samanic – PF (Croatia) – The Spurs saw another team in Texas draft a Luka last year with a ton of success. Samanic doesn’t have the same level of skill as Doncic, but he’s talented enough to select him at #19. He could help solve some of their front-court issues.
20. Boston Celtics – Keldon Johnson – SG/SF (Kentucky) – The Celtics really need to figure out who they want to throw a bunch of money at this offseason before selecting anyone in the draft. It just doesn’t make any sense to not factor that in their decision. Johnson would be the best swingman available and they did bring him in for a workout earlier this month.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder – Nickeil Alexander-Walker – SG (Virginia Tech) – NAW made a name for himself during the NCAA Tournament. He’s a big guard and could be a nice change-of-pace guard for the Thunder. He is a good shooter and his defense is pro level right now.
22. Boston Celtics – Ty Jerome – PG/SG (Virginia) – This would be a selection if they thought they were out of the Kyrie Irving Sweepstakes. He may not have huge upside, but he can fill-in right now and run an offense and hit shots.
23. Memphis Grizzlies – Darius Bazley – SF/PF (High School) – I could be a little early on Bazley, but he’s intriguing. This is the guy who sat out a year after high school and took an internship with New Balance. That strategy didn’t look like a winner during the season, but he is creeping up draft boards the last couple weeks. There’s enough upside with him that I think Memphis should pick him at #23.
24. Philadelphia 76ers – Cameron Johnson  – SF (North Carolina) – If the Sixers choose not to re-sign J.J. Redick, Johnson could be a nice replacement here. He’s one of the best shooters in the draft.
25. Portland Trail Blazers – Eric Paschall – PF (Villanova) – Paschall is a guy who can playing right away. Portland showed in the playoffs that they aren’t very far off from being an NBA title contender. Paschall can help space the floor and has a good shot for a big man.
26. Cleveland Cavaliers – KZ Okpala – SF (Stanford) – As I said before, the Cavs just needs talent. Okpala is a lanky player that could afford to eat a sandwich or two…but he’s a talented player. He improved all-around in his sophomore season.
27. Brooklyn Nets – Mfiondu Kabengele – PF/C (Florida State) – The Nets could use some more size up front. He’s another big man who can spread the floor with his shot. He is just a guy who keeps improving when you think he’s peaked…and improves on that.
28. Golden State Warriors – Nicolas Claxton – PF (Georgia) – The Warriors need size up front now that they will almost certainly lose Boogie Cousins. He needs to add some muscle, but could be a double-double player on a team that shoots a lot of threes.
29. San Antonio Spurs – Brandon Clarke – PF (Gonzaga) – Clarke could really go anywhere from about 12th pick through the early-second round. He’s talented, but he’s one of the oldest players who will be drafted in this year’s class. He’s a skilled defensive player, but many teams are turned off by him turning 23 by the time the season begins.
30. Detroit Pistons – Carsen Edwards – PG (Purdue) – Edwards doesn’t have the size that many teams covet at point guard, but the dude can flat-out hoop it up. He can shoot the lights out when he’s hot. Detroit needs a bench scorer and can run the offense for the second team right away.

Follow us on Twitter @Sweetbob & ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook!

About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.