Want to make an easy $100? Simply plop down a cool $8,000 on Zion Williamson to be drafted first on Thursday night. His Duke teammate, Canadian R.J. Barrett, won't be far behind.
It’s time to officially put the Toronto Raptors’ first-ever title in the rearview mirror and start looking toward next basketball season with the 2019 NBA Draft on Thursday night from Brooklyn. Sports Interaction offers a handful of NBA Draft props.
Toronto Raptors Likely Quiet at NBA Draft
The Raptors don’t have a first-round pick on Thursday night because they traded that along with DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl last summer to San Antonio for some guy named Kawhi Leonard. Any complains about that deal? Thought not. Toronto does have the penultimate pick of the night (barring a trade) at No. 59 overall.
Obviously very unlikely that the Raptors find a player there who will help next season or even make the team. That said, gems can be found. For example, former Celtics star Isaiah Thomas was the 60th and last pick of the 2011 draft by the Sacramento Kings. The 59th pick last year was Colorado guard George King by the Phoenix Suns. He played all of six minutes in one NBA game this past season but was largely in the G-League.
Zion Williamson Going New Orleans Pelicans
Want to make an easy $100? Then simply plop down a cool $8,000 on the Sports Interaction prop asking which player will be taken first on Thursday night. Barring Armageddon or an alien invasion before then, it’s a 100 per cent certainty that the New Orleans Pelicans will take Duke freshman sensation Zion Williamson, who is -8000 to be chosen first. Fitting because Zion will replace Anthony Davis as the franchise player for the Pelicans, who traded Davis last weekend to the Los Angeles Lakers for three young players and three first-round picks, including No. 4 overall on Thursday. Williamson is considered the best prospect to enter the NBA since Davis went No. 1 overall in 2012.
NBA Draft 2019
The top three picks appear set in stone. The Memphis Grizzlies will take Murray State point guard Ja Morant at No. 2; the Grizz made that even more clear Wednesday when they traded point guard and franchise icon Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz. Morant is given an over/under draft position of 2.5, with the under at -2000. That’s also easy money.
The New York Knicks are expected to take Duke’s R.J. Barrett, a Mississauga native, at No. 3 overall. Barrett could be one of four Canadian players taken in the first round and a record five overall drafted. Virginia Tech’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke will be first-round picks, Florida State’s Mfiondu Kabengele might be, and Arizona State’s Luguentz Dort should go in the second round.
The intrigue should start at No. 4 as the Pelicans reportedly are shopping that pick around. The hot name right now entering the draft is Vanderbilt freshman point guard Darius Garland, who has been compared to a young Damian Lillard. A handful of teams are looking to acquire the No. 4 to get Garland – the Knicks did work him out this week but it’s likely a smokescreen. Garland is given a draft position of 4.5, with the under a -210 favourite.
If the Pelicans stay at No. 4, they could go for Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver (O/U position of 4.5, with over favoured at -250) or Virginia’s DeAndre Hunter (O/U of 5.5, with both at -120). Or maybe they take Garland despite having a good backcourt of Jrue Holiday and new addition Lonzo Ball.
NBA Draft 2019
Duke is going to have three freshmen picked in the lottery – and the Blue Devils didn’t even make the 2019 Final Four – with Cam Reddish having a draft position of 7.5. Many scouts think Reddish has a ceiling only below Zion’s, but Reddish often stood around and simply watched Williamson and Barrett last year. He has thus been compared to Canadian Andrew Wiggins, who has all the talent in the world but lacks a motor.
NBA Draft Predictions
Zion at No. 1, Morant at No. 2, Barrett at No. 3, Garland at No. 4, Hunter at No. 5 to Cleveland, Coby White (O/U 6.5) at No. 6 to Phoenix, and Reddish No. 7 to Chicago.
