Rod Beard's 2019 NBA mock draft 3.0

1. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, forward, Duke. Let’s just assume a team could put a trade package together to try to pry the No. 1 pick. What would that look like? Never mind; let’s move on.

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, guard, Murray State: The Grizzlies aren’t entertaining trading this pick either, so there’s not much use in trying to rethink this one. He’ll bring excitement to a young squad that’s rebuilding on the fly and will be exciting to watch.

3. New York Knicks: RJ Barrett, guard, Duke. The Knicks would get skewered by their rabid fan base if they chose anyone else. Barrett will bring some stability to the backcourt and add a skilled star who will grow with their core.

4. Los Angeles Lakers: Jarrett Culver, shooting guard, Texas Tech. This is part of the looming trade for Anthony Davis, so this would be the Pelicans’ pick — which ultimately could be moved again in a bigger deal for a veteran star or more picks. If they keep it, Culver fills a need.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland, guard, Vanderbilt. They could look at De’Andre Hunter at this spot, but they’ll opt for the player with the higher upside in Garland. It’s tough because Collin Sexton looks to be their guard, but they’ll take the best available player over need.

6. Phoenix Suns: Coby White, point guard, North Carolina. The Suns will be fortunate to get one of the top point guards before they’re gone. They would take the best available option at wing or guard in this spot. If White adapts to the NBA, the Suns could make a big jump.

7. Chicago Bulls: De’Andre Hunter, wing, Virginia. The Bulls miss getting one of the top point guards, but Hunter isn’t a bad consolation prize. He’ll add some size and scoring to a group that struggled to do much of anything well last season.

8. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, wing, Duke. With their abundance of first-round picks, the Hawks are prime candidates to trade up, possibly as high as No. 3 or 4. If they stay put, they’d love to add an athletic wing in Reddish, who is a surprise to slip this far.

9. Washington Wizards: Sekou Doumbouya, wing, France (international). The Wizards will have their choice of several wings or big men, but Doumbouya, who came into his own in the highest pro league in France, looks to be the choice.

10. Atlanta Hawks: Jaxson Hayes, center, Texas. If they keep the picks, the Hawks will round out their roster with a good big man in Hayes, who is very athletic. He’s still developing, but he’ll fit their young roster well.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Brandon Clarke, forward, Gonzaga. The Timberwolves and their new front office could look to trade the pick to get a comparable talent later, but Clarke is as skilled a two-way player as they’d want at this spot.

12. Charlotte Hornets: Goga Bitadze, center, Georgia (international). They’d love to have Hayes available, but Bitadze has a good skill set and he’s the next-best center on the board. If not, they’ll look at Rui Hachimura and PJ Washington.

13. Miami Heat: PJ Washington, forward, Kentucky. Washington can step in and help right away and add some versatility to the big-man mix of Hassan Whiteside, Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk. Another guard to fill the void of Dwyane Wade’s departure is an option.

14. Boston Celtics: Nassir Little, wing, North Carolina. With their three picks, the Celtics are a good trade target and could move up if they feel they need a better guard option, in case they feel Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier both will depart.

15. Detroit Pistons: Cameron Johnson, wing, North Carolina. Whether the Pistons end up trading down or just stay put, Johnson looks to be the best option for them. At 6-foot-9, he has the size they lack and his 46 percent on 3-pointers helps check several boxes for them. Kevin Porter Jr. and Keldon Johnson are other good options.

16. Orlando Magic: Romeo Langford, wing, Indiana. With such depth at the wing position, the Magic will have a good group from which to pick. There are questions about Langford’s shooting because of a thumb injury, but he’ll get a chance to show how good he is.

17. Brooklyn Nets: Rui Hachimura, forward, Gonzaga. The Nets reportedly are trading this selection to the Hawks in a deal involving Taurean Prince and Allen Crabbe. The Hawks can draft for depth — and Hachimura is good value at this point.

18. Indiana Pacers: Keldon Johnson, wing, Kentucky. The Pacers need to add versatility to their backcourt, after sustaining some big injuries. Johnson can handle and score and fits the bill for them this late in the first round.

19. San Antonio Spurs: Kevin Porter Jr., wing, Southern California. There are red flags about Porter’s work ethic after being suspended last season, but the Spurs can afford to take a chance on him, with their organizational strength.

20. Boston Celtics: Tyler Herro, wing, Kentucky. The Celtics like versatility in the backcourt and can just load up on guards, with the depth they already have on the roster. Herro is a good scorer and can play multiple positions.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Darius Bazley, wing, Princeton (HS). Bazley has risen in many mock drafts after spurning Syracuse and taking a year to work on his game before entering the draft. He has good size and athleticism to fit the Thunder’s style.

22. Boston Celtics: Bol Bol, center, Oregon. With three picks, the Celtics can afford to take a risk on Bol, who could be a lottery pick, but has questions about his size and durability after an injury ended his season early at Oregon.

23. Utah Jazz: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, wing, Virginia Tech. The Jazz could be looking at some subtle changes in their roster and could use a good combo guard and scorer in Alexander-Walker, who played both spots last season.

24. Philadelphia 76ers: Luguentz Dort, wing, Arizona State. The Sixers might have to replace Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, so they could go in almost any direction in terms of position. Dort is a good option, as is Ty Jerome.

25. Portland Trail Blazers: KZ Okpala, wing, Stanford: The Blazers need a more imposing forward, and Okpala has the size and skill set to fit right in. With their strength in the backcourt, any help from the frontcourt is welcome.

26. Cleveland Cavaliers: Talen Horton-Tucker, wing, Iowa State. At this point, they could also look at big men, but just getting talent for new coach John Beilein is a priority. Horton-Tucker is a nice versatile piece to add to the mix.

27. Brooklyn Nets: Mfiondu Kabengele, power forward, Florida State. Depending on their plans in free agency, the Nets could make some nice moves in the draft to augment their roster and strengthen their depth. Kabengele is an inside force who can help.

28. Golden State Warriors: Ty Jerome, guard, Virginia. With Klay Thompson out for at least much of the season, they may be looking for depth at the wing spot and Jerome shot 40 percent on 3-pointers and posted 13.6 points and 5.5 assists. He could be a nice piece for their bench.

29. San Antonio Spurs: Matisse Thybulle, wing, Washington. The Spurs traditionally have been good talent developers, and Thybulle could grow into a good two-way player. With a focus on defense, he’ll find a way to get playing time with coach Gregg Popovich.