The NBA mock draft for 2018 features some great talent coming into the league and the potential for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls to add a great prospect at their positions. As of right now, the draft order has yet to be determined, but both of these teams could be making picks in one of the top five or six spots. That gives them each the chance to take a future star and one mock draft spotlights two players who could very well be those future stars. Trae Young and Michael Porter, Jr. seem to fit the bill as great picks for both teams.
As UPROXX reported on Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers could end up with the No. 5 pick in the draft, while the Chicago Bulls could select one spot below them. In their mock draft, that could mean that the Cavs take the Oklahoma Sooners’ talented point guard, Trae Young, a potential candidate for Player of the Year. He’d be a major pickup for a Cavs team that recently traded away Isaiah Thomas as part of the Lakers trade before the deadline. He’s currently standing out amongst NCAA Division I basketball players as he leads in scoring (28.3 ppg) and assists with 9.2 per game.
The Chicago Bulls would select next for UPROXX ‘s mock draft and they are projected to take small forward Michael Porter, Jr., who also wouldn’t be a terrible choice for Cleveland. The Missouri Tigers’ freshman hasn’t had a whole lot of exposure on the college basketball court due to injury. He’s dealing with a back issue which could hurt his draft stock, dropping him a bit. Still, teams draft on a player’s potential upside and Porter is expected to have just that. The Bulls may be in the perfect spot to take Porter if other teams pass on him.
The NBADraft website has him going as high as the third pick to the Dallas Mavericks in their mock draft . They mention he’s got “high-level intangibles and competitiveness,” as well as “tremendous size for a wing forward.” Porter has put his game on display during his high school days, as well as with the Nike Basketball Academy and at the USA Junior National Team camp. Porter averaged 34.8 points and 13.8 rebounds to help lead his school, Nathan Hale, to a perfect 29-0 season. That was a major improvement after a 3-18 record the season before.
While the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t looking for a turnaround, they could opt for a player of Michael Porter, Jr.’s caliber if LeBron James decides he wants to leave. Neither team could really go wrong with either of these players, but they could also select higher based on how the draft order works out. That would open up a lot more possibilities for each team to consider, such as the big men expected to go in the top three, and international star Luka Doncic.
