Weeks after the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers for their fourth championship in franchise history it was draft night in New York City. The draft started with little surprise as the Phoenix Suns selected Deandre Ayton with the first pick and Marvin Bagley III was selected second by the Sacramento Kings. Luka Doncic, the European superstar whose name was associated with the top pick, was picked third by the Atlanta Hawks. However, in a surprising turn of events he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Trae Young, who was selected fifth overall, and a 2019 first round pick that is protected for the first five picks. While this trade was shocking to most, Doncic was not surprised as he had been in significant contact with the Mavericks before the draft and developed a relationship with the organization. This trade was the first of many for the night with ten more trades occurring.
Two trades that are notable are the Nets traded G Hamidou Diallo (45th overall pick) to the Hornets as part of the C Dwight Howard trade to the Nets. Diallo was then traded to the Thunder for undisclosed considerations. Another draft night surprise was the drop of Michael Porter Jr. who was projected to be one of the top picks in the, but due to a back injury and surgery found himself fall down the draft board to number fourteen to the Denver Nuggets.
Draft Order
1. Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton, C, Arizona
2. Sacramento Kings: Marvin Bagley III, PF, Duke
3. Atlanta Hawks: Luka Doncic, PG, Slovenia – rights traded to Mavericks for No, 5 pick and 2019 first-round pick
4. Memphis Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr., PF, Michigan State
5. Dallas Mavericks: Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma – rights traded to Hawks for No. 3 pick
6. Orlando Magic: Mohamed Bamba, C, Texas
7. Chicago Bulls: Wendell Carter Jr., PF, Duke
8. Cleveland Cavaliers: Collin Sexton, PG, Alabama
9. New York Knicks: Kevin Knox, SF, Kentucky
10. Philadelphia 76ers: Mikal Bridges, SF, Villanova – rights traded to Suns for No. 16 pick and Miami’s 2021 first-round pick
11. Charlotte Hornets: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Kentucky – rights traded to Clippers for No. 12 pick and two future second-round picks
12. Los Angeles Clippers: Miles Bridges, SF, Michigan State – rights traded to Hornets for No. 11 pick and two future second-round picks
13. Los Angeles Clippers: Jerome Robinson, SG, Boston College
14. Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr., SF, Missouri
15. Washington Wizards: Troy Brown, SF, Oregon
16. Phoenix Suns: Zhaire Smith, SF, Texas Tech – rights traded to 76ers for No. 10 pick
17. Milwaukee Bucks: Donte DiVincenzo, SG, Villanova
18. San Antonio Spurs: Lonnie Walker IV, SG, Miami
19. Atlanta Hawks: Kevin Heurter, SG, Maryland
20. Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Okogie, SG, Georgia Tech
21. Utah Jazz: Grayson Allen, SG, Duke
22. Chicago Bulls: Chandler Hutchinson, SG, Boise State
23. Indiana Pacers: Aaron Holiday, PG, UCLA
24. Portland Trail Blazers: Anfernee Simons, SG, IMG Academy (Florida)
25. Los Angeles Lakers: Moritz Wagner, PF, Michigan
26. Philadelphia 76ers: Landry Shamet, PG, Wichita State
27. Boston Celtics: Robert Williams III, C, Texas A
28. Golden State Warriors: Jacob Evans, SG, Cincinnati
29. Brooklyn Nets: Dzanan Musa, SF, Bosnia-Herzegovina
30. Atlanta Hawks: Omari Spellman, PF, Villanova
Second Round
31. Phoenix Suns: Elie Okobo, PG, France
32. Memphis Grizzlies: Jevon Carter, PG, West Virginia
33. Dallas Mavericks: Jalen Brunson, PG, Villanova
34. Atlanta Hawks: Devonte’ Graham, PG, Kansas – rights traded to the Hornets
35. Orlando Magic: Melvin Frazier, SG, Tulane
36. New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson, C, Chalmette (Louisiana)
37. Sacramento Kings: Gary Trent Jr., SG, Duke – rights traded to the Blazers
38. Philadelphia 76ers: Khyri Thomas, SG, Creighton – rights traded to the Pistons
39. Philadelphia 76ers: Isaac Bonga, SF, Germany – rights traded to the Lakers
40. Brooklyn Nets: Rodions Kurucs, F, Latvia
41. Orlando Magic: Jarred Vanderbilt, SF, Kentucky – rights traded to Nuggets
42. Detroit Pistons: Bruce Brown Jr., SG, Miami
43. Denver Nuggets: Justin Jackson, SF, Maryland – rights traded to Magic
44. Washington Wizards: Issuf Sanon, PG, Ukraine
45. Brooklyn Nets: Hamidou Diallo, SG, Kentucky – rights traded to the Hornets
46. Houston Rockets: De’Anthony Melton, SG, USC
47. Los Angeles Lakers: Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, SG, Kansas
48. Minnesota Timberwolves: Keita Bates-Diop, SF, Ohio State
49. San Antonio Spurs: Chimezie Metu, PF, USC
50. Indiana Pacers: Alize Johnson, PF, Missouri State
51. New Orleans Pelicans: Tony Carr, PG, Penn State
52. Utah Jazz: Vincent Edwards, SF, Purdue
53. Oklahoma City Thunder: Devon Hall, SG, Virginia
54. Dallas Mavericks: Shake Milton, SG, SMU – rights traded to the 76ers
55. Charlotte Hornets: Arnoldas Kulboka, SF, Lithuania
56. Philadelphia 76ers: Ray Spalding, PF, Louisville – rights traded to the Mavericks
57. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Hervey, SF, UT Arlington
58. Denver Nuggets: Thomas Welsh, C, UCLA
59. Phoenix Suns: George King, SF, Colorado
60. Philadelphia 76ers: Kostas Antetokounmpo, SF, Dayton – rights traded to the Mavericks