15
Theo Maledon Guard, France
5.9 Points, 1.3 Rebounds, 3.4 Assists, 40% FG, 38% 3PT, 15 MPG
Theo Maledon is in a very similar situation to the before mentioned Killian Hayes. Both are past-first guards playing abroad in Europe and both are hopeful to be lottery selections in this draft.
Maledon is also a very solid prospect, however, Hayes has the advantage in playing time, size, and defensive ability. Maledon may have the chance to increase his playtime this season in the EuroLeague, but the numbers aren’t everything in his case.
Maledon has the tools to be a very solid point guard in the NBA as a floor general. His solid three point shooting coupled with elite vision will be very enticing to NBA scouts. Oklahoma City is at the point now where they need to take big swings and hope to nail a draft pick early in the rebuilding process, and playing Maledon with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be a very nice fit.
Draft Stock Trend: +1
16
Tyrese Maxey Guard, Kentucky
12.3 Points, 4.2 Rebounds 3.6 Assists, 0.8 Steals, 38% FG, 28% 3PT
Evan Fournier is having a fantastic season down in Central Florida so far, averaging over 20 points per contest on very good shooting marks. Markelle Fultz has also shown flashes of solid play, but if Orlando wishes to go anywhere past the First Round of the Playoffs, some sort of change at the point will be needed.
Tyrese Maxey is technically a shooting guard, but can play both on and off of the ball.
His shooting statistics do not tell the whole story, as he is a very good shooter from range and can pull from the catch or off of the dribble at a high level. The passing ability also appears to be there, with decent averages so far in that category during his freshman season in Lexington.
His size is a bit concerning going forward, but small combo guards have seemed to fair decently well in the modern NBA. If he wants to get his stock up, he will need to improve his efficiency marks.
Draft Stock Trend: +/- 0
17
Isaac Okoro Forward, Auburn
13.7 Points, 4.9 Rebounds, 1.8 Assists, 0.8 Steals, 1.0 Blocks, 57% FG, 25% 3PT, 30 MPG
After entering the season with a lot of question marks surrounding him, Isaac Okoro opened the season strong and has continued to do so through 2019. His defense has always been on an NBA-level, but his offense dragged lightyears behind.
In his short time at Auburn, Okoro has made improvements that the likes of Precious Achiuwa and Nassir Little have yet to make at this point. Okoro could rise even further on draft boards throughout the course of this season and quite possibly establish himself as a top-two wing in his class.
Sacramento has virtually every position addressed by a solid young player, so the game of the game here is looking for another potential star to pair with De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III. If Okoro were to continue to improve and to develop into an elite two-way talent, the Kings could have something very special on their hands with this group.