Everything You Need to Know About the 2019 NBA Draft

A one-stop shop for the 2019 NBA draft, featuring the latest rumors, intel, mock drafts, analysis, rankings and more.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jun 5, 2019

Welcome to Sports Illustrated’s 2019 NBA draft guide—your one-stop shop to prepare for the biggest night of the NBA offseason. Whether you're cramming for June 20 or have been following along closely all year, we've got you covered. Below you’ll find all of the latest rumors, intel and analysis of the draft, including Jeremy Woo’s latest Mock Draft, prospect rankings and more. We also have scouting reports on the Top 100 players in the 2019 NBA draft, breaking down each prospect’s strengths and weaknesses. Finally, we have in-depth features and interviews with Chris Mannix and Andrew Sharp with some of the biggest names in the class.

Check back everyday for more coverage leading up to the 2019 NBA draft.

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ZION WILLIAMSON

F. DUKE | FRESHMAN

Arguably the most dominant college freshman ever, it took Williamson little time to separate himself as the top prospect in this class. His immense athletic ability and basketball instincts are conducive to easy baskets, transition offense and momentum-swinging plays on both ends. Playing downhill with his strength, deft touch and passing ability, he was almost impossible to defend at Duke. While he is not an outstanding jump shooter, Williamson can simply barrel into the paint when defenses sag, and will draw gobs of fouls. His unusually pronounced strengths have covered for his flaws in prolific fashion. To maximize his ability long-term, Williamson will gradually need to expand his skill set in a way that relies less on his explosiveness and more on craft.

JA MORANT

PG, MURRAY STATE | SOPHOMORE

A remarkably natural and instinctive playmaker, Morant exhibited star potential at Murray State and will be fun to watch at the NBA level. His superior passing vision, ambidextrous touch, explosiveness and change of direction are hard to oversell. His athleticism has been touted, but Morant also takes over games with skill and feel and excels playing at different speeds, in transition and in the halfcourt. He should see his game take off even further when surrounded by more talent. His jumper continues to improve, and should be more than passable as he adds upper body strength. It may not happen right out of the gate, but he has the ability to end up as the best player in this draft class in a best-case scenario.

JARRETT CULVER

SG, TEXAS TECH | SOPHOMORE

Culver plays an intuitive, unflashy style and has made a big leap over the course of the past year, shifting perception dramatically as to where his upside might lie. His size and developing handle profile nicely as an off-guard and secondary playmaker, and he has the ability to become an NBA building block if he continues to improve. Culver is an instinctive finisher, unselfish passer, and should be able to fit in with a variety of lineups and systems. There are two key areas of improvement going forward, one being his shooting off the dribble, which is not quite natural yet. The second issue is a lack of elite athleticism, which was exposed at times when he faced better defenders. He’s a worthy early selection who offers a very appealing floor, if not a true star ceiling.