The Smoking Cuban
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NBA Mock Draft 4.0 – Best Case Scenario (Without Trades)

By Kohl Rast

BOISE, ID - MARCH 15: Deandre Ayton #13 of the Arizona Wildcats handles the ball against the Buffalo Bulls during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 15, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
BOISE, ID - MARCH 15: Deandre Ayton #13 of the Arizona Wildcats handles the ball against the Buffalo Bulls during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 15, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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LAWRENCE, KS – FEBRUARY 19: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners walks off the court during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on February 19, 2018 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS – FEBRUARY 19: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners walks off the court during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on February 19, 2018 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

Oklahoma. 3. 125. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. PG. Trae Young

The rumors of Trae Young to Atlanta have been circulating a lot lately and I will bite on one of them. The idea of Young as a top 5 pick doesn’t make that much sense to me personally, but I can understand the draw that he will bring as someone who is full of offensive potential and will be an instantly recognizable name for whoever takes him.

My distaste for Young is probably at least a little bit unwarranted considering he led the NCAA in both points and assists in his freshman year. That is something that hasn’t been done in a long time and it is not necessarily because of his incredibly high usage rate (37.0).

I’m not sold on Young as an NBA prospect, but I can see the draw to him and I would not be surprised at all if he did go in the top 3 of this draft.

Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Michigan State. 4. PF/C. Jaren Jackson Jr.. 211

The youngster from Michigan State, Jaren Jackson, has been turning more and more heads as we get closer to the draft. An uber-athletic big man with a sweet stroke and a lot of defensive potential, many believe that JJJ will be the best two-way player in the draft. This is not hard to believe as Jackson averaged 3 blocks per game and has been heralded as the best perimeter defender of the big men in this class.

There are concerns with Jackson translating to the NBA by some, although others believe him to be the safest player in the entire class. Regardless of what you believe, he is a good player to take a chance on and would fit in well with the Grizzlies as he could play alongside Marc Gasol pretty seamlessly.

Jaren Jackson Jr. could easily turn into something special and I think the Grizzlies will take a shot on his upside.

Next: #5 & #6