All the NBA Draft Picks and What Experts Had to Say About Them

See what six top NBA experts said about all 30 picks in the first round of the draft.

June 22, 2018 6:15 am
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 21, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York, United States.  (Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 21, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York, United States. (Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Last year’s consensus No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, Markelle Fultz, was, to put it nicely, a bust.

Hurt for much of the season and ineffective when he wasn’t, Fultz couldn’t even crack the rotation for the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs when they could have desperately used scoring – something he was projected to be able to provide.

The point? Actually, not to dump on Fultz, but rather to point out that there are no sure things in the NBA, even at No. 1 overall.

As often as they get it right, NBA teams get it wrong on draft night, as do the experts that are paid to cover them.

Since that’s the case, we thought it’d make sense to look at all 30 first-round picks from last night’s draft along with what blue-checkmarked NBA experts Kevin O’ConnorAdrian WojnarowskiJeff Goodman, Matt Norlander,  Jeremy Woo and The Ringer had to say about ’em directly afterward.

That way, when this year’s Fultz shows himself during the season, we’ll know who was right, who was wrong and maybe even who to blame.

Let’s see what we got:

No. 1: Phoenix Suns – Deandre Ayton, Center

No. 2: Sacramento Kings -Marvin Bagley III, Power forward

No. 3: Atlanta Hawks – Luka Doncic, Shooting guard (traded to Mavericks)

No. 4: Memphis Grizzlies – Jaren Jackson Jr., Power forward

No. 5: Dallas Mavericks – Trae Young, Point guard (traded to Hawks)

No. 6: Orlando Magic – Mo Bamba, Center

No. 7: Chicago Bulls – Wendell Carter Jr., Center

No. 8: Cleveland Cavaliers – Collin Sexton, Point guard

No. 9: New York Knicks – Kevin Knox – Power forward

No. 10: Philadelphia 76ers (via Lakers) – Mikal Bridges – Small forward (traded to Suns)

No. 11: Charlotte Hornets – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Point guard (traded to Clippers)

No. 12: Los Angeles Clippers (via Pistons) – Miles Bridges, Swingman (traded to Hornets)

No. 13: Los Angeles Clippers – Jerome Robinson, Point guard

No. 14: Denver Nuggets – Michael Porter Jr., Power forward

No. 15: Washington Wizards – Troy Brown, Small forward

No one tweeted anything about this pick. Good sign? Bad sign? We’ll see.

No. 16: Phoenix Suns (via Heat) – Zhaire Smith, Shooting guard (traded to 76ers)

No. 17: Milwaukee Bucks – Donte Divencenzo, Small forward 

No. 18: San Antonio Spurs – Lonnie Walker, Shooting guard

No. 19: Atlanta Hawks (via Timberwolves) – Kevin Huerter, Shooting guard

No. 20: Minnesota Timberwolves (via Thunder) – Josh Okogie, Shooting guard

No. 21: Utah Jazz – Grayson Allen, Shooting guard

No. 22: Chicago Bulls (via Pelicans) – Chandler Hutchinson, Shooting guard

No. 23: Indiana Pacers – Aaron Holiday, Point guard

No. 24Portland Trail Blazers – Anfernee Simons, Shooting guard

No. 25: Los Angeles Lakers (via Cavaliers)- Mo Wagner, Power forward  

No. 26: Philadelphia 76ers – Landry Shamut, Point guard

Again, no one tweeted anything about this pick. Good sign? Bad sign? We’ll see.

No. 27: Boston Celtics – Robert Williams,

No. 28: Golden State Warriors – Jacob Evans, Shooting guard

No. 29: Brooklyn Nets – Dzanan Musa, Power forward

No. 30: Atlanta Hawks (via Rockets) – Omari Spellman, Power forward

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