Mock Draft Monday: Five teams that need to get it right in the 2019 NBA Draft

While no team wants to mess up in the NBA draft, some teams have more of a cushion than others. For some teams, the draft is a chance to change the fortunes of their future or at least begin the process of doing so. Below is a list of five teams that really need to make sure they get it right come Thursday, June 20th. I should note that I'm not addressing the Pelicans, Grizzlies, or Knicks since it's pretty clear what they're going to do. The Pelicans are expected to take Zion Williamson, the Grizzlies are expected to take Ja Morant, and the Knicks are expected to take R.J. Barrett. If any of those three teams mess it up, their GM should be sent down the Amazon river tied to a wooden raft.

The Lakers have several different options that they can choose from. They can go with Virginia small forward  DeAndre Hunter, Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland, or even Maryland center Bruno Fernando if they want to go big. They could also trade the pick. Given all the turmoil in their front office, they need to make sure that on draft day, they make the right call. They can't let their dysfunction bleed into the draft, which might be easier said than done. 

The Bulls were hoping to win the Zion Williamson sweepstakes and instead they're picking 7th. Fortunately for them, there's a lot of talent that they can choose from if they keep the pick. Nassir Little who I'm really high on could be available. Other talented guys like Cameron Reddish should also be available. After not getting the chance to draft Williamson, the Bulls need to at least make sure they find the right fit for their team with the 7th pick. Don't compound bad luck by making an unwise pick. There's still a chance the Bulls walk away as one of the winners from this draft provided they do their homework.

The Phoenix Suns currently possess the 6th overall pick in the draft and already have a talented young core with Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker. What this team needs more than anything is a veteran leader, ideally a point guard, that can run the offense and help mentor the younger guys. With this being the case, it makes sense for them to explore trade packages and see if they can perhaps get such a point guard by giving up the pick. Having the 6th pick isn't bad, so unless they really get a good deal, they should keep the pick and maybe see if they can land a point guard the old fashioned way. NBADraft.net actually has North Carolina point guard Coby White going to the Suns 6th overall, so perhaps that is the direction they should go.

Note: My friend Brandon Condron runs a really good Phoenix Suns channel on YouTube. He addressed this topic a little while back. Click here to check it out.

The Wizards are picking 9th overall and with the John Wall/Bradley Beal era not yielding enough fruit, they need to revamp their look ASAP. There's plenty of talented players for them to choose from with this pick or like the Suns they could trade the pick and get some veteran help in return. Regardless of what they do, they have to make the right decision. What adds to the drama in all of this is they still don't have a general manager. The Wizards are a bit dysfunctional at the moment, but doing well in the draft could do wonders to steady the boat.

The Hawks recently made a trade sending Taurean Prince and a 2021 second round pick to the Nets for Allen Crabbe and the No. 17 overall pick in this year's draft and a protected first round pick in 2020. As a result of this trade, the Hawks now have three picks in the first round of this year's draft (#8, #10, and #17). On top of that, they have three second round picks, giving them six picks in total. With so much flexibility and picks to play with, the Hawks have a lot of freedom. But with that freedom comes responsibility. They need to make sure they use all these picks to the best of their advantage. If they do, they could walk out as one of the big winners from the draft.

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