It's NBA Draft day.
The draft begins at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The Hawks have the third pick and two more picks later in the first round, Nos. 19 and 30.
Here’s a glance at how seven mock drafts we surveyed project the Hawks’ first-round selections:
> CBS Sports has the Hawks taking Real Madrid guard Luka Doncic with the third pick. Gary Parrish writes: "I don't think there's any doubt he'll be, at worst, a useful NBA player immediately and for a long time. And the potential for stardom is certainly there."
> Sports Illustrated's mock has the Hawks using their first pick on Michigan State forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. if they don't trade the No. 3 selection. "Some scouts think Jackson could end up as the best player in the draft when it's all said and done," SI writes.
> NBA.com has the Hawks getting Duke forward Marvin Bagley III with the third pick. David Aldridge writes: "The Hawks are in the best possible position in this year's draft (if they stay at No. 3); they're certain to get one of the top three players on the board without lifting a finger. ... The Hawks are strong favorite to move one or both of their other firsts and could move all over the board, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that they could move down a couple of spots from three and garner another future first or young player if someone else wants this pick bad enough."
> USA Today predicts the Hawks will select Doncic at No. 3, writing: "The EuroLeague MVP has excellent size, vision and range. At minimum he's a savvy distributor for years; at maximum he's an All-Star."
> ESPN.com sees the Hawks taking Jackson after Sacramento picks Doncic at No. 2.
> Sporting News projects Doncic to the Hawks at No. 3, writing: "Atlanta's selection here is a difficult one to peg. This pick realistically shouldn't be that difficult."
> NBADraft.net predicts the Hawks will take Jackson, leaving Doncic to Memphis at No. 4.
> As for the Hawks' later first-round picks, barring trades, the seven mock drafts we surveyed were predictably all over the map. The names penciled in for the No. 19 pick included French guard Elie Okobo, Texas A&M forward Robert Williams, Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo, Duke guard Grayson Allen, Bosnian forward Dzanan Musa and Texas Tech guard Zhaire Smith. And the guesses at No. 30 included USC guard De'Anthony Melton, Creighton guard Khyri Thomas, Cincinnati guard/forward Jacob Evans, Tulane swingman Melvin Frazier and Musa.
* * *
TODAY’S LEADOFF LINKS
> The Hawks face a blue-sky draft in which almost anything is OK, Mark Bradley writes.
> Hawks GM Travis Schlenk prepares to take his first big "swing of the bat" in the draft. See Michael Cunningham's story here.
> The Braves lost to the Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon, and Atlanta fans weren't thrilled with the Facebook-only broadcast.
About the Author
