2019 NBA Draft: Mock Draft 3.0 – Who do Pelicans take with Lakers’ pick?
21. Oklahoma City Thunder – Matisse Thybulle, Washington, SF
Perhaps the most promising defensive prospect in this draft, Matisse Thybulle can join the Oklahoma City Thunder and learn a lot from Paul George to further his development. If he can mesh a solid offensive game with his defensive potential, he could be huge for the Thunder. PG-13 had a similar career trajectory, so this pairing makes sense.
22. Boston Celtics – Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga, PF
Here we have one of the most divisive prospects anywhere in the 2019 NBA Draft. Native of Japan Rui Hachimura put up great scoring numbers for Gonzaga, but he’s not a good playmaker and isn’t great from range. He’s the type of player that can see success in a very specific role, so Boston seems like a good fit with their breadth of young talent pretty much everywhere on the roster. They won’t have to ask Hachimura to do too much, which could be very mutually beneficial.
23. Utah Jazz – Keldon Johnson, Kentucky, SF
Earlier in the NBA season, Keldon Johnson was rumored to be a Top 10 pick. Since then, his stock fell a bit with teammates PJ Washington and Tyler Herro seemingly becoming the better NBA prospects. Like the trio of Duke draft picks, however, it’s entirely possible Johnson was a victim of there simply being too much talent on the same roster for him to truly shine. The Jazz need wing help, and Johnson could be it.
24. Philadelphia 76ers – Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State, SF
Iowa State’s Talen Horton-Tucker is a bowling ball. at 6’4″, 234 pounds, he’s definitely an imposing dude. He also has a wingspan over 7 feet, giving him the ability with his length and strength to guard almost any position on the court. The Cyclones used him in many different positions, and the Sixers could do the same, slotting him in wherever he makes sense in any given rotation.
25. Portland Trail Blazers – KZ Okpala, Stanford, SF
With Al-Farouq Aminu entering free agency and Evan Turner going into a contract year, the Blazers could stand to add some depth on the wing. KZ Okpala out of Stanford is one of the best available prospects at this position this late in round one, so he’d make sense for Portland to take a flyer on here. He’s projected a bit lower in most mock drafts, but he’s got the athleticism and body to be a fine rotational piece in the NBA with some hard work.