The 2018 Final Four isn’t exactly loaded with high-level NBA Draft prospects, but that doesn’t mean NBA teams won’t be watching. There’s still projected lottery pick Mikal Bridges, a couple of possible backup point guards and plenty of situational bigs still available.
Rather than just listing out the matchups to keep an eye on, we figured it’d be fun to mock draft the remaining players in the tournament, assigning them to NBA teams and discussing their potential fits at the next level.
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So here’s a look at what the 2018 NBA Draft lottery might look like if front offices could only select from the Final Four player pool.
NOTE: The lottery draft order is based on FiveThirtyEight’s win projections as of March 27. A player’s rank on our current Big Board is listed below to give you an idea of their NBA prospects.
1. Suns — Mikal Bridges, SG/SF, Villanova
Age: 21.6 | Height 6-7 | Weight: 210
Current Big Board rank: No. 7
Bridges is by far the highest-ranked prospect remaining on our current Big Board. The 6-7 wing brings a bevy of 3-and-D credentials to the table. He’s a career 39.9 percent 3-point shooter and is averaging 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per 40 minutes as a redshirt junior. Bridges’ upside hinges on his creation potential, whether on the ball as a handler or off it as a shooter, but in any scenario, his 3-and-D-ness will contribute to winning basketball.
A wing rotation of Bridges, Devin Booker and Josh Jackson would be one of the more fun youth movements in the NBA.
Read more about Mikal Bridges here.
2. Grizzlies — Malik Newman, SG, Kansas
Age: 20.9 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 190
Current Big Board rank: N/A
Mario Chalmers, Wayne Selden and Ben McLemore. The Grizzlies’ current roster is stacked with former Kansas guards, so snagging another one here just seemed like the right thing to do. Although Newman isn’t the next highest-rated prospect on our Big Board, he’s making a strong push with a huge March. Once a top-10 recruit coming out of high school, Newman’s averaging 24.1 points per 40 minutes in the sport’s biggest month.
He’s consistently flashed his credentials as an outside shooter and, more importantly, is proving he can comfortably create space getting to the basket. His defense has also been excellent. Newman still probably profiles as a microwave bench scorer, but he’s done as much as anyone to help his so-called draft stock in March.
3. Hawks — Jalen Brunson, PG, Villanova
Age: 21.6 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 190
Current Big Board rank: No. 36
Assuming he declares, Brunson will be one of the many backup point guard prospects in the 2018 NBA Draft with some equity to end up as a starter. The 21-year-old is one of the most efficient scorers in college basketball. His 64.3 true shooting percentage ranks 58th nationally. Brunson is a capable three-level scorer who can even help a team invert its offense by playing through the post. There are definitely some athleticism concerns, but front offices won’t find a higher basketball IQ player in the draft.
Read more about Jalen Brunson here.
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4. Mavericks — Moritz Wagner, PF/C, Michigan
Age: 20.9 | Height: 6-11 | Weight: 242
Current Big Board rank: No. 48
Sometimes the pieces fall into place. With Dirk Nowitzki on the tail end of his NBA career, the Mavericks snatch up another sweet-shooting German big man. Wagner is a career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter on over five attempts per 40 minutes at Michigan. He’s comfortable shooting off movement and would make for an interesting pick-and-roll partner for Dennis Smith Jr.
Wagner isn’t Nowitzki — nor is he even Lauri Markkanen — but he’s a legitimate NBA prospect in his own right given the advantages of having shooting at the center spot.
5. Kings — Devonte’ Graham, PG, Kansas
Age: 23.1 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 185
Current Big Board rank: No. 34
Reunited and it feels so good! For two seasons, Graham and current Kings point guard Frank Mason were the starting backcourt at Kansas. Now, they’re back together in Sacramento. Graham’s a much different player than Mason, forgoing the bulldog rushes to the rim in favor of pull-up 3-pointers.
The 23-year-old is a career 40.7 percent shooter from behind the arc and could slot in as a third point guard behind Mason and De’Aaron Fox. Given his success as an off-ball shooter, the Kings could even run back a few minutes per game of the old Mason-Graham backcourt.
6. Magic — Lagerald Vick, SG/SF, Kansas
Age: 21.0 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 175
Current Big Board rank: N/A
Current Magic general manager John Hammond had a penchant for seeking out versatile athletes when he was with the Bucks, and Vick may fit that profile long-term. Although he’ll need to add strength to bolster his defensive versatility, he’s an impressive vertical athlete and is often the target of the Jayhawks’ lob plays.
Vick is a career 38.4 percent 3-point shooter as well, which would bring some necessary spacing to Orlando. The 21-year-old would be a potential second-rounder if he opted to leave school early at the end of the season.
7. Cavaliers (via Nets) — Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, SG/SF, Kansas
Age: 20.8 | Height: 6-8 | Weight: 205
Current Big Board rank: No. 59
Here’s to hoping LeBron James returns to Cleveland. Mykhailiuk, a 6-8 senior wing, is one of the sweetest shooters in college basketball. He’s made 40.8 percent of his career 564 3-point attempts and recently broke the Jayhawks’ record for most made 3s in a season. Mykhailiuk is consistent shooter both in spot-up or relocation situations and coming off screens.
During the NCAA Tournament, he’s also proven himself a more capable straight-line driver from the perimeter. He’d look at his best — as would many — on the receiving end of James’ passes.
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8. Bulls — Charles Matthews, SG/SF, Michigan
Age: 21.1 | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 200
Current Big Board rank: N/A
Matthews, a former Kentucky transfer, brings positional size on the wing. He’s an excellent athlete and an improving playmaker on the offensive end. His 55.9 2-point percentage is an attractive indicator of his slashing ability.
Whether he’ll ever shoot remains the swing question for his NBA stock. So far, the signs aren’t great. He’s shot 32.0 percent from behind the arc this season and his statistical indicators — 1.1 makes per 40 minutes and a 57.4 free throw percentage — aren’t inspiring.
9. Knicks — Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas
Age: 18.3 | Height: 7-0 | Weight: 280
Current Big Board rank: N/A
If it were 15 years ago, we’d potentially be talking about Azubuike as a first-round prospect. He’s a massive, bruising big man who makes his lot on offense in the post and as a play finisher. He’s an impressively bouncy lob threat for his size and may one day play himself into an NBA role as a rim-running situational big.
The problems for Azubuike lie on the defensive end, where he struggles with rotations, doesn’t deliver high-level rim protection and is a mediocre rebounder given his physical advantages.
10. Hornets — Omari Spellman, C, Villanova
Age: 20.4 | Height: 6-8 | Weight: 255
Current Big Board rank: N/A
Spellman would be a much more intriguing NBA prospect if he were two inches taller. The 6-8 center thrives on the perimeter offensively. He’s shooting 44.6 percent from 3-point range this season on over five attempts per 40 minutes and can even comfortably attack closeouts in a straight line drive.
The problem is slotting him in somewhere defensively. He has the size to compete with NBA bigs, but his rim protection numbers are sorely lacking.
11. 76ers (via Lakers) — Donte Ingram, SG, Loyola
Age: 22 | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 215
Current Big Board rank: N/A
Loyola is the least talented team left in the field from an NBA perspective, but that doesn’t mean the Ramblers don’t have a shot at winning it all. They succeed because of the sum of their parts.
Ingram is probably the most likely bet to get a shot at the next level because he possesses the size and shooting necessary to play on the NBA wing. At 6-6 and 215 pounds, he’s made 38.6 percent of his 453 career 3-point attempts.
12. Clippers (via Pistons) — Silvio De Sousa, C, Kansas
Age: 19.5 | Height: 6-9 | Weight: 245
Current Big Board rank: N/A
De Sousa has developed into an impressively useful college player for someone who was playing high school basketball in December. The 19-year-old is an undersized center who excels as a play finisher on offense and a rebounder on the defensive end. Kansas uses him as a dump-off outlet and roll man. He has the potential to develop into a situational big at the next level, but his size limitations are a concern.
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13. Clippers — Jordan Poole, SG, Michigan
Age: 18.5 | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 190
Current Big Board rank: N/A
Poole is the Michigan freshman who possesses an "overdose of swag," according to head coach John Beilein. At 6-4, he’s made 38.3 percent his 3-point attempts as a freshman, and he has a projectable stroke that suggests it's not a fluke.
Poole needs to make some strength gains before he hits the NBA radar, but averaging 1.6 steals per 40 minutes for another year or two could put him in the 3-and-D conversation.
14. Nuggets — Eric Paschall, PF/C, Villanova
Age: 21.2 | Height: 6-7 | Weight: 250
Current Big Board rank: N/A
Paschall is another college big with size concerns for the NBA. The 6-7 junior is primarily a spot-up threat who knocks down 33.3 percent of his 3-point attempts and can attack the basket in straight-line drives.
If the 21-year-old can improve his accuracy from deep, he’ll get a shot at the league given the mismatches he can occasionally generate on offense.