2019 NBA Mock Draft
By Jakob Ashlin
New Balance. Darius Bazley. Small Forward. 25. player. 18. .
Darius Bazley may be the most interesting prospect in this draft. Bazley committed to Syracuse but then left to play in the G-League for one season. However, Bazley never played in the G-League either. Instead, he is set to be an intern at New Balance for three months. Bazley signed a shoe deal with the company, as well.
Bazley is only 18 years old and was a five-star recruit out of high school. He still possesses an enormous amount of upside.
Bazley can score, pass, shoot, and defend. He is a combo forward and has the size and athleticism to defend all five positions. Questions about his conditioning and his ability to be the first option on offense will keep him out of the lottery, but Bazley, surprisingly, does not seem like he has the potential to be a bust.
His floor is a solid all-around rotation player. His ceiling is Tobias Harris on offense and Luc Mbah a Moute on defense. The Celtics would wise to take Bazley if he slides to 25.
If Bazley slid to pick 28, the Blazers should select him. No other prospect in this range can contribute both in the short term and in the long-term like Bazley.