NBA Draft Order 2018: Fresh Mock Draft After Lottery Results

The Phoenix Suns won the NBA draft lottery and the option of presumably choosing between Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic.

That seems as close to a sure thing as there is in the 2018 NBA draft, and even then there's uncertainty regarding who will be the top selection, according to ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony:

The Suns will welcome the debate as the franchise can make the first No. 1 overall pick in its 50-year history. It can also easily take the "best player available" route since there are glaring voids when it comes to playmaking and having an interior presence.

So, who gets the call between Ayton and Doncic? Which prospect will follow those two heavyweights at No. 3?

Let's run through an updated mock draft and take a closer look at our projected top three.

2018 NBA Mock Draft

1. Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton, C, Arizona

2. Sacramento Kings: Luka Doncic, PG/SG, Slovenia

3. Atlanta Hawks: Marvin Bagley III, PF/C, Duke

4. Memphis Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C, Michigan State

5. Dallas Mavericks: Mohamed Bamba, C, Texas

6. Orlando Magic: Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF, Missouri

7. Chicago Bulls: Mikal Bridges, SF, Villanova

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Nets): Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma

9. New York Knicks: Wendell Carter, PF/C, Duke

10. Philadelphia 76ers (via Lakers): Lonnie Walker, SG, Miami

11. Charlotte Hornets: Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Michigan State

12. Los Angeles Clippers (via Pistons): Collin Sexton, PG, Alabama

13. Los Angeles Clippers: Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M

14. Denver Nuggets: Kevin Knox, SF/PF, Kentucky

15. Washington Wizards: Jontay Porter, C, Missouri

16. Phoenix Suns (via Heat): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Kentucky

17. Milwaukee Bucks: Zhaire Smith, SF, Texas Tech

18. San Antonio Spurs: Mitchell Robinson, C, USA

19. Atlanta Hawks (via Timberwolves): Troy Brown Jr., SG/SF, Oregon

20. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Thunder): Dzanan Musa, SG/SF, Bosnia & Herzegovina

21. Utah Jazz: Anfernee Simons, PG/SG, IMG Academy

22. Chicago Bulls (via Pelicans): Moritz Wagner, C, Michigan

23. Indiana Pacers: Aaron Holiday, PG, UCLA

24. Portland Trail Blazers: Chandler Hutchison, SF, Boise State

25. Los Angeles Lakers (via Cavs): Donte DiVincenzo, SG, Villanova

26. Philadelphia 76ers: Jacob Evans, SG/SF, Cincinnati

27. Boston Celtics: Khyri Thomas, SG, Creighton

28. Golden State Warriors: Jalen Brunson, PG, Villanova

29. Brooklyn Nets (via Raptors): Gary Trent Jr., SG, Duke

30. Atlanta Hawks (via Rockets): Elie Okobo, PG, France

Top-3 Breakdown

Ayton Stays in Arizona

There are a ton of arguments for considering Doncic. He worked directly with new Suns coach Igor Kokoskov on the Slovenian national team, and Doncic's playmaking prowess would be an obvious boon for an offense that tied for 28th with 21.3 assists per game.

The arguments for Ayton are simple—players this big, athletic and skilled are seldom seen.

He averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds during his lone season as an Arizona Wildcat, and he makes you believe he can approach those marks in NBA games sooner rather than later.

The Suns can rightfully question what kind of an impact Ayton will make on their worst-ranked defense. What they can't do is ignore how much of an upgrade he would be over the current center crop, which has disappointed. It also could be thinning out with Alex Len bound for unrestricted free agency and Tyson Chandler entering the final year of his contract.

Kings Grab Doncic

The Kings entered the lottery with the seventh-best odds for the top slot and came out of it with the second selection. That's the exact type of good fortune this franchise needs to finally progress toward snapping the Association's longest playoff drought (12 seasons).

Doncic—assuming he's still available—would be a dream draft-night addition.

Sacramento doesn't have a natural table-setter. De'Aaron Fox was its top distributor with just 4.4 assists per game, and only seven teams assisted on a lower percentage of their field goals (55.6).

"Scouts rave about Doncic's basketball aptitude, and his playmaking ability and remarkably advanced game for age 19 will enable him to succeed," Jeremy Woo wrote for SI.com. "...He could be the glue that ties the Kings' pieces together."

On paper, the strengths of Doncic (decision-making, creativity) and Fox (explosiveness, speed) form a snug fit. These could be the primary building blocks that help the organization turn itself around.

Hawks 'Settle' for Bagley

Don't bother telling the Hawks they are consolation-prize winners.

Sure, Atlanta is probably outside of the Ayton/Doncic range—although, anything seems possible with Sacramento. But the Hawks have long been enamored with Bagley, per Givony:

Bagley's numbers were basically the same as Ayton's (21.0 points, 11.1 rebounds) despite there being more mouths to feed in the Blue Devils offense. Bagley also converted 61.4 percent of his field goals and added 23 threes at a 39.7 percent clip.

He's long, agile, effortlessly explosive and always energetic. He didn't always get to show it at Duke, but he has the handle needed to turn rebounds into transition chances or attack slower bigs off the bounce.

If he was a better shot-blocker (0.9 per game), he'd be an easier fit alongside John Collins, who will enter his second season. But the athleticism and motor of a Bagley/Collins frontcourt would be incredible to see.

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball Reference or NBA.com.