Now that the playoffs are over, almost everything in the NBA is focused on the upcoming draft and thus the start of the hottest phase of the offseason. We have gathered all information about the draft, the order and the transfer and dare a forecast via Mock Draft.
As every year, all teams are hoping to draft the next superstar and position themselves for the next few years. Especially the teams in the Lottery (Top 14), who missed the playoffs last season, have every reason to hope for that.
Because the 2018 vintage promises to be a very good one. Especially at the top are various exciting talents, above all center talent Deandre Ayton and the Slovenian prodigy Luka Doncic from Real Madrid, but this year is also very well positioned in breadth.
Last but not least, there are also three German players to choose from, although Moritz Wagner in particular has high hopes of being penalised in the first round. We have all the information on the draft.
As every year, there are rumours and reports in the run-up to the drag that Team A values Player B higher than others or that certain teams are considering trading their pick. This year, for example, Sacramento (2) and Dallas (5) are considering trading “down” to get more picks or players if necessary.
Certainty is rare, as Luka Doncic, for example, who was considered a No.1 pick just a few weeks ago and has now fallen a long way behind in many mock drafts, shows this year. At Trae Young, these “fluctuations” are even more extreme; between 3 and 12, almost anything seems possible at the triple specialist.
At the top, however, there seems to be something like clarity – the Suns have apparently already decided to design Arizona Center Deandre Ayton. Out of a class full of highly talented big men, the 19-year-old stands out with his brute physique and his offensive versatility.
This is what the lottery could look like:
Moritz Wagner, a native of Berlin, is considered the great hope for 2018, winning the Big Ten Conference twice in a row with the Michigan Wolverines and was voted MOP (“Most Outstanding Player”), then even at the NCAA March Madness until the Championship Game, where Michigan lost to the Villanova Wildcats.
Nevertheless, Wagner gave up his fragrance brand and recommended himself for the next task. In the NBA he could become an optimal role-player, a stretch-four or -five, because he has a strong distance throw in his kit. “If you look at how the league has developed, it is much easier for him to fulfil his dream,” Heat-Scout Glen Rice, for example, praised the 21-year-old.
It seems certain that Wagner will be picked, but the position is unclear – some draft portals see him at the end of the first lap, others in the middle of the second.
Max Montana, on the other hand, has very little chance of being an outsider. The 22-year-old forward has had three knee surgeries, which could put off many NBA teams, and his college season at San Diego State was not a triumph. Although the March Madness was reached, the final stop was already after the first round.
Montana, who used to be called Hötzel, nevertheless decided against another college season. Should he not be drafted, he could still recommend himself for a professional contract via the Summer League, whether in the NBA or in Europe.
Isaac Bonga, on the other hand, has much better cards, with him a team in the second round should probably strike. Bonga plays a kind of point forward with the Frankfurt Skyliners and the DBB team: for his height (2.06 metres) and wingspan (2.19 metres) he has excellent ball handling and is able to stage his teammates. Question marks stand meanwhile behind his throw.
In the past, he explained that his long-term goal was “definitely” the NBA. It would also be conceivable that he would be drafted and still remain in Europe for a year or two to mature playfully.
Karim Jallow (Munich), Leon Kratzer (Würzburg) and Louis Olinde (Bamberg), however, have withdrawn their names and will try to do so in the next few years.
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