NBA Draft Picks 2018: List of Results, Grades and Analysis

All the waiting is over! The 2018 NBA Draft is finally here.

For months, the debate has raged over who should go first. Deandre Ayton came out on top. The next step is proving it. Will he be able to keep guys like Luka Doncic and Marvin Bagley off his heels?

Before we get those answers, we turn to some immediate reaction to the picks as they went down Thursday.

1. Phoenix Suns, Deandre Ayton

Listen, there are plenty of experts and analysts who feel like this is a no-brainer. But the defensive concerns are real, and it's much easier to see Jaren Jackson and Wendell Carter fitting into today's wing-dominated game, in which bigs are asked to have more guard skills.

And speaking of wings, Doncic is tailor-made for today's game. It's hard to figure how anyone could watch teams being forced to play small in the playoffs over the last few years and not see how perfectly Doncic fits.

Grade: B

2. Sacramento Kings, Marvin Bagley

Most nights, Marvin Bagley looks like a walking 20 and 10. But there are defensive concerns here, too. If he hits his ceiling, though, this is potentially a prototype playmaking 5.

Bagley's not quite as skilled as Doncic, but there are some physical tools the latter can't quite approach right now. 

Grade: B

3. Dallas Mavericks (via Atlanta Hawks), Luka Doncic

There's a good chance this is the steal of the draft.

He's just 19 years old and averaged 20.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.6 steals per 36 minutes, while posting a .592 true shooting percentage, for Real Madrid. He won both the EuroLeague and Spanish ACB titles, as well as EuroLeague MVP, EuroLeague Finals MVP and Spanish ACB MVP.

We've never seen a draft prospect this accomplished. And his point-forward skill set makes him seem like a perfect player for today's game.

Grade: A+

4. Memphis Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson

Jaren Jackson, Jr. has a chance to be the best player in this draft. He's a versatile defender who can protect the rim and hit some threes.

And Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns are the only freshman in Sports Reference's database who posted better box plus-minuses than Jackson.

Grade: A+

5. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks), Trae Young

Trae Young has been compared to Stephen Curry throughout much of this season, but Danny Manning's comparison to Damon Stoudamire may be fairer.

Stoudamire averaged nearly 20 and 10 over his first three seasons in the league. That kind of dynamic offensive force could lift the Hawks, but there's a chance they traded this year's best player to the Mavericks.

Grade: B

6. Orlando Magic, Mohamed Bamba

The Magic may have a bit of a logjam inside, with Nikola Vucevic, Bismack Biyombo and Jonathan Isaac in place. And pending Aaron Gordon's restricted free agency, he could be there, too.

That doesn't make this a bad pick, though. Mohamed Bamba is a monster, and his 7'10" wingspan will be the longest in the league. He's a great shot-blocker and the addition of a three-point shot makes him a near-seamless fit in today's game.

An Isaac/Bamba frontcourt could be a versatile nightmare in a year or two.

Grade: A

7. Chicago Bulls, Wendell Carter

Passing and defense are pretty important for bigs in today's NBA, right?

Well, check out a comparison between Wendell Carter and Ayton in those skills and more:

• Ayton: 21.4 rebounding percentage, 10.2 assist percentage, 6.1 block percentage, 1 steal percentage, 26.6 usage percentage, 10.9 box plus-minus
• Carter: 18.4 rebounding percentage, 13 assist percentage, 7.6 block percentage, 1.7 steal percentage, 22.8 usage percentage, 13.5 box plus-minus

The fit with Carter and Lauri Markkanen feels perfect. That's a skilled frontcourt, and Carter can cover for a lot of Markkanen's defensive issues.

Grade: A

8. Cleveland Cavaliers, Collin Sexton

Collin Sexton is an explosive, shoot-first point guard, but his lack of size and shooting ability make him a bit of a question mark in the NBA.

And his 30-plus usage percentage may raise some eyebrows, too.

Grade: C+

9. New York Knicks, Kevin Knox

Kevin Knox was the first in a run on potential 3-and-D wings. And while some of the advanced numbers prefer guys like Mikal Bridges, Miles Bridges or Zhaire Smith, Knox is still just 18 years old and has plenty of upside.

Grade: C+

10. Phoenix Suns (via Philadelphia 76ers), Mikal Bridges

This pick has seemed inevitable for months. Mikal Bridges feels like a near-perfect fit on the wing for the 76ers, and his mom is the Vice President of Human Relations for the team.

Bridges can defend and hit some threes off the bench for Philly right away, whether he's coming off the bench or starting alongside Robert Covington on the wing.

Grade: A

11. Los Angeles Clippers (via Charlotte Hornets), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

In terms of size and frame, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Malik Monk may feel a little redundant. But redundancy isn't necessarily bad these days.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Monk both being combo guards could give the Hornets a position-less backcourt that could switch all over the floor.

Grade: B+

12. Charlotte Hornets (via Los Angeles Clippers), Miles Bridges

Miles Bridges' sophomore season was statistically similar to Bobby Portis'. His freshman season was statistically in line with Justise Winslow's.

A player with Portis' offense and Winslow's defense would be intriguing.

Grade: A

13. Los Angeles Clippers, Jerome Robinson

Jerome Robinson has slowly worked his way up from a 0.5 box plus-minus as a freshman to a 4.4 box plus-minus this past season as a junior.

The top prospects have box plus-minuses at or around double digits, and they put them up as freshmen. Not being able to put up even mediocre until you're a junior is a bit of a red flag.

Grade: C- 

14. Denver Nuggets, Michael Porter

The injury concerns caused Michael Porter, who was a potential No. 1 pick before this season, to slide all the way to the end of the lottery.

If he can get healthy, though, this could wind up being the steal of the draft. His raw talent is immense, and Denver has a need at the 3.

A potential lineup of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Porter, Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic has best-offense-in-the-NBA potential.

Grade: A

15. Washington Wizards, Troy Brown

Another potential 3-and-D player, Troy Brown still has a little work to do in terms of shooting (29.1 percent from three this season), but his playmaking is intriguing.

In the incoming position-less era, wings need to be able to create and facilitate. And Brown posted a solid 4.1 assists per 40 minutes.

Grade: B+

16. Philadelphia 76ers (via Phoenix Suns), Zhaire Smith

Zhaire Smith has the 10th-best freshman box plus-minus in Sports Reference's database.

He's a potential defensive juggernaut on the wing with a .618 True Shooting Percentage. And his dynamic athleticism could allow him to play anywhere from the 1 to the 3.

Grade: A+

17. Milwaukee Bucks, Donte DiVincenzo

This feels like a home run. DiVincenzo is one of the best shooters in this draft, plus he posted a 42-inch vertical at the combine.

Having him flanking drives from Giannis Antetokounmpo should make the Bucks more dangerous.

Grade: A

18. San Antonio Spurs, Lonnie Walker

There was some buzz about Lonnie Walker potentially sneaking into the lottery in recent weeks, so this could be solid value for the Spurs here.

However, Walker's shot was up and down at Miami and his assist-to-turnover ratio is cause for some concern too. The athleticism and size gives him some upside as a 1, though.

Grade: B

19. Atlanta Hawks, Kevin Huerter

Shooting has always been the most important skill in basketball, but it may be even more crucial in today's game. And Huerter can flat-out shoot.

He looks like Klay Thompson coming off cuts to catch and shoot. His form is compact and looks the same every time. It's a big part of why he shot 41.7 percent from three this season.

Grade: A

20. Minnesota Timberwolves, Josh Okogie

Josh Okogie is a solid scorer with plenty of room to improve on both ends. But his athleticism is intriguing. He tied with DiVincenzo for the best vertical at the combine.

And he has the size to play either the 1 or 2. With Jamal Crawford opting out of his contract, this pick makes plenty of sense for the Wolves.

Grade: B+

21. Utah Jazz, Grayson Allen

This pick is a little curious for the Jazz. They've been trending toward position-less basketball for a few years now, and Allen is a little too small to fit that mold. There are also questions about his defense.

Maybe Utah's stellar player development system can turn him into something.

Grade: C+

22. Chicago Bulls, Chandler Hutchison

Chandler Hutchison's size and athleticism scream modern wing/forward, but it took him a while to dominate college ball.

That's generally a concern, but at this point in the draft, maybe not as much of one.

Grade: B-

23. Indiana Pacers, Aaron Holiday

Aaron Holiday is small. There's no question about it. And being undersized in today's NBA can be a killer.

But Holiday can flat-out shoot, and playing next to Victor Oladipo could cover for some of the issues Holiday might face as a defender.

Grade: B

24. Portland Trail Blazers, Anfernee Simons

This is an upside pick. Anfernee Simons is raw, but he has great size and athleticism for a combo guard.

And with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum already on the roster, there should be plenty of time for Simons to grow over the next couple years.

Grade: B+

25. Los Angeles Lakers, Moritz Wagner

There are some legitimate questions about Moritz Wagner's mobility as a defender, but he can shoot well for a big man. Over his three years at Michigan, he hit 38.5 percent from three on 160 attempts.

With Brook Lopez entering free agency, maybe Wagner can replicate some of that.

Grade: C+

26. Philadelphia 76ers, Landry Shamet

Landry Shamet hit 43.7 percent of 364 three-point attempts during his three years at Wichita State.

If J.J. Redick leaves this summer, the 76ers could use some of those threes.

Grade: B+

27. Boston Celtics, Robert Williams

This is one of the best athletes in this draft. He looks like he's been shot out of a cannon when he explodes to the rim and could be a dynamic lob target for Kyrie Irving and Boston's treasure trove of wings.

He averaged 14.4 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per 40 minutes during his sophomore campaign at Texas A&M. Getting a possible DeAndre Jordan facsimile at 27 is a steal.

Grade: A+

28. Golden State Warriors, Jacob Evans

This pick makes perfect sense for the Warriors. He can do a little bit of everything.

Over the course of his three years with Cincinnati, he averaged 16.2 points, six rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per 40 minutes. And he's had a double-digit box plus-minus in each of the last two seasons. Oh, and he's shot 39.4 percent from three over the last two seasons.

Grade: A

29. Brooklyn Nets, Dzanan Musa

Another solid late-round pick, Dzanan Musa is a teenager coming off a season in which he averaged double-figures in the Adriatic League.

It's not quite Doncic in the Spanish ACB, but this is still professional basketball. Musa's upside as a scorer makes him a logical target at this point.

Grade: A

30. Atlanta Hawks, Omari Spellman

Omari Spellman is an interesting pick, and probably worth a flyer at this point. At 6'9", he's probably a little short to play the 5, but that's probably where he'll end up. As a stretch 5 who shot 43.3 percent from three this season, he makes some sense in the modern NBA.

Grade: B+

Second Round

31. Phoenix Suns, Elie Okobo

32. Memphis Grizzlies, Jevon Carter

33. Dallas Mavericks, Jalen Bruson

34. Charlotte Hornets (via Atlanta Hawks), Devonte Graham

35. Orlando Magic, Melvin Frazier

36. New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

37. Portland Trail Blazers (via Sacramento Kings), Gary Trent

38. Detroit Pistons (via Philadelphia 76ers), Khyri Thomas

39. Philadelphia 76ers, Isaac Bonga

40. Brooklyn Nets, Rodions Kurucs

41. Denver Nuggets (via Orlando Magic), Jarred Vanderbilt

42. Detroit Pistons, Bruce Brown

43. Denver Nuggets, Justin Jackson

44. Washington Wizards, Issuf Sanon

45. Brooklyn Nets, Hamidou Diallo

46. Houston Rockets, De'Anthony Melton

47. Los Angeles Lakers, Svi Mykhailiuk

48. Minnesota Timberwolves, Keita Bates-Diop

49. San Antonio Spurs, Chimezie Metu

50. Indiana Pacers, Alize Johnson

51. New Orleans Pelicans, Tony Carr

52. Houston Rockets (via Utah Jazz), Vince Edwards

53. Oklahoma City Thunder, Devon Hall

54. Philadelphia 76ers (via Dallas Mavericks), Shake Milton

55. Charlotte Hornets, Arnoldas Kulboka

56. Dallas Mavericks (via Philadelphia 76ers), Ray Spalding

57. Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Hervey

58. Denver Nuggets, Thomas Welsh

59. Phoenix Suns (via Toronto Raptors), George King

60. Dallas Mavericks (via Philadelphia 76ers), Kostas Antetokounmpo