2019 NBA Mock Draft: There’s movement in the top 5
Kentucky. Keldon Johnson. 10. player. 18. . G/F
Before we talk about how I think Johnson could be Boston’s eventual replacement for Jaylen Brown and/or Marcus Morris, let’s talk about the history of this pick. It comes by way of Jeff Green, a player whom the Celtics traded twice and received this first-rounder by way of Memphis as well as — prior to that — Ray Allen.
Green, whose name is the LITERAL color the Celtics wear every night proves the existence of some type of eternal basketball deity, has been the gift who keeps on giving for Boston. This year, despite a weaker draft class, the Grizzlies’ first-rounder would provide the Celtics with their fourth pick should it convey.
However, that’s far from a given at this point. The Grizzlies are surely shopping both Chandler Parsons and Marc Gasol as they look toward the future and should the right deal arise, they would part with Mike Conley as well. And even if they keep the roster intact and push their decisions down the line into the summer, Memphis could easily just keep losing. They have won just four of their last 23 games and though they have more games at home over the final two months of the season, the reality is this team just isn’t very good.
The Grizzlies can either give up the pick this year and risk losing it next year when their team — minus Gasol and/or Conley — could be even worse.
Johnson would be a prize if he falls this far. The Kentucky standout is shooting 39 percent from deep and consistently bails the Wildcats out in late-clock situations, making smart plays with the ball in his hands.