Here are five NBA draft props to consider ahead of the NBA draft on Thursday night, courtesy of 5Dimes.
Texas C Jaxson Hayes draft position: over 11.5 (+225)
Hayes is regarded as the top center in this class, but he doesn’t possess many of the qualities that make centers stand out in the modern game.
Most importantly, he can’t space the floor.
Many mock drafts slot Hays to the Atlanta Hawks at No. 10 overall, but Atlanta reportedly is trying to trade up or back in the first round. If it trades up, it would likely be for Jarrett Culver or De’Andre Hunter. If it trades down to take Hayes, this prop is a winner.
It’s possible Hayes is available at 17 for the Hawks if they want him there, and no other rebuilding team should take a project center with a lottery pick.
F Sekou Doumbouya draft posistion: Over 9.5 (+145)
Barring surprises, the top eight — in some order — will be Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, RJ Barrett, Darius Garland, Coby White, Jarrett Culver, De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish.
That leaves only one draft spot for Doumbouya to hit the under — No. 9 overall to the Washington Wizards.
The Wizards don’t have a GM, and it’s not clear where they want to go with this pick. But players like Nassir Little or Brandon Clarke would make sense for a franchise that’s hamstrung by John Wall’s injured Achilles and his supermax contract.
It’s almost impossible to rebuild around a contract like that, so the Wizards might as well think long-term.
There’s just not much of a window for Doumbouya to go in the top 9, so taking the extra juice here makes sense.
Brandon Clarke drafted before Rui Hachimura (+205)
This is a value play. Clarke’s range starts a tad earlier than Hachimura’s, and could be as early as No. 9 to the Wizards or No. 10 to the Hawks.
Minnesota at No. 11 has been rumored to be interested in the former Gonzaga big man.
Meanwhile, Hachimura seems like he’s going to fall into the mid-teens. He could slip as far as the Spurs at No. 19, and Clarke will surely be off the board by then. This isn’t a lock, but the value at +205 makes sense.
Bol Bol draft position under 17.5 (+100)
Bol Bol has been one of the draft’s biggest fallers throughout the pre-draft process. He’s coming off a foot injury at 7-foot-3 and weighed in at just more than 200 pounds at the combine — two huge red flags.
Still, he has the frame and shooting ability to impact every game. If he reaches his potential, his gravity on both ends would shift the geometry of the floor in his team’s favor — either as a center who can really shoot it, or as a shot blocker with a 7-foot-8 wingspan.
Despite the concerns, an NBA team could fall in love with those traits and take a home-run swing on Bol. For even money, it’s not a bad bet.
International players drafted in 1st round: under 2.5 (+135)
If you’re looking for a draft prop to sweat out, this is the one for you.
Foreign players Sekou Doumbouya and Goga Bitadza are virtual locks to be taken in the second round.
The wild card here is Croatian big man Luka Samanic. The Spurs have been mocked to take Samanic at No. 29, as have the Nets at No. 27. But this is a deep draft after the first 20 picks, and Samanic could easily fall out of the first round.
If you go for the under, you’ll be rooting for names like Talen Horton-Tucker, Carsen Edwards, Daniel Gafford, Terance Mann, KZ Okpala, Dylan Windler and Chuma Okeke to come off in round one.