National Basketball Association: 2018 NBA Draft
NEW YORK (AP) Marvin Bagley III and Michael Porter Jr. believe they are the best players in this NBA draft, though the best they can hope for is probably the No. 2 pick.
The Sacramento Kings own it, and thats where the intrigue appears to begin Thursday.
Arizona center Deandre Ayton is expected to be taken by the Phoenix Suns to open the draft, and then Bagley, Porter, Slovenian guard Luka Doncic or Michigan States Jaren Jackson Jr. could be considered by Sacramento.
The Kings have been one of the leagues lowliest franchises, not making the playoffs since 2006. But Bagley and Porter both said they would be open to playing in Sacramento, and getting picked so early would be an accomplishment for Porter after a back injury sidelined him for nearly all of his only season at Missouri.
Bagley thrived in his one season at Duke and doesnt expect that to change once hes a pro.
I want to be the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball, and I mean that in the most humble way possible, he said. Not to sound cocky or come off as arrogant, but thats just the mindset that I have. I always say, if you dont want to get to that level or be the best, then theres really no need to play.
Doncic only arrived in the U.S. on Wednesday after helping Real Madrid win the ACB league championship a day earlier. If the Kings dont select him, he could end up in Atlanta, Memphis or Dallas, who round out the top-five spots.
Other things to know before Thursdays draft at Brooklyns Barclays Center:
BAHAMAS TO
BROOKLYN
Ayton could join 1978 top pick Mychal Thompson father of Golden State star Klay Thompson as the only players from the Bahamas to go No. 1.
Its just a huge opportunity to show the world that were coming. Bahamian people are coming, Ayton said. Were not just only a country of track and field athletes. We can also play basketball.
If it happens and Doncic follows, it would be the first time the NBA draft started with two international-born players.
TERRIFIC
TEAMMATES
Power programs such as Duke (Bagley and Wendell Carter Jr.), Michigan State (Jackson and Miles Bridges), national champion Villanova (Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo) and Kentucky (Kevin Knox and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) could have multiple players taken in the top 10-15 selections of the two-round draft.
TURN OFF TWITTER
Porter was frustrated when he felt comments he made in an interview were turned around, quickly learning that life will be different in the NBA.
Ill give you an example. Yesterday I get asked, who have you been compared to in the NBA? Who do people compare you to? Porter said. And I said, You know, Ive been compared to KD (Kevin Durant) before. Ive been compared to Tracy Mc-Grady, and then they put it on Twitter, its like, Michael Porter says hes as good as KD and Tracy McGrady. And Im like come on, bro, I didnt say that. But at the end of the day, thats why I try to stay off Twitter.
STYLE WATCH
Carter wore pants that had a different pattern on each leg to his Wednesday media session and there was some other sparkle in the room, but the best of the style figures to come out, as usual, on draft night.
All the way from when LeBron had the all-white coming out, the suits are what stand out to me, what they wear, Young said. Everybody has a different background and different story on how they got there, but what theyre wearing is what sticks out to me right now.
