Please don’t let the best players fall out of the top draft spots, NBA teams

The NBA Draft is less than one week away, and rumors are about to start running wild. There’s already speculation that the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies are looking to trade down from the No. 3 and No. 4 picks, respectively.

Take that with a grain of salt: it’s hard to tell what’s a smoke screen and what isn’t this time of year. It’s also true that any draft pick can theoretically be had for the right price in a trade.

But the rumors about Atlanta and Memphis looking to trade down are particularly juicy for one reason: it’s starting to appear likely Luka Doncic and Jaren Jackson Jr. will not selected by the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings with the first two picks.

In my opinion, those are the two best players in the 2018 NBA Draft.

In that sense, their apparent slide down draft boards is understandable.

Doncic doesn’t have the raw athleticism you typically expect from a No. 1 overall draft pick, especially for a wing. The type of wing that historically goes No. 1 in the NBA Draft looks more like Andrew Wiggins, who has had a good-not-great career since being selected in the top spot the Timberwolves in 2014. In that sense, Wiggins is a perfect contrast for Doncic as we think about the type of player who thrives in today’s NBA.

Wiggins was an elite athlete, but thus far he’s been unable to leverage that into stardom. Doncic doesn’t have his explosiveness, but he’s better as a passer, ball handler, and shooter, competes defensively and on the glass, and has shown off an advanced basketball IQ. A bet on Doncic is a bet on skill and smarts outweighing athleticism. Apparently some NBA at the top of the draft aren’t willing to make that wager quite yet.

Jackson simply doesn’t have the eye-popping numbers dominant college centers should have. He averaged only 11 points and six rebounds per game as a freshman at Michigan State, but those modest stats belie the fact that his skill set is an ideal fit for the today’s league.

Jackson is long (7’5 wingspan) and mobile. He blocked shots at a top-five rate nationally and hit 40 percent of his three-pointers. He’s a quick center who can protect the rim and stretch the floor. Those are skills that translate, even if his college stats didn’t exactly show it.

If the Suns take Arizona center Deandre Ayton at No. 1 as expected and the Sacramento Kings chose between Marvin Bagley III and Michael Porter Jr., teams should be blowing up the phone for the Hawks and Grizzlies doing everything they can to trade up.

The Hawks reportedly like Trae Young, which makes sense, because Trae Young could be excellent in a league that values shooting and passing more than ever. The Grizzlies reportedly want to unload Chandler Parsons’ massive contract in any deal. A team like the Chicago Bulls at No. 7 or New York Knicks at No. 9 would be in a unique position to move up and grab Doncic or Jackson while giving back the extra assets or cap relief these teams are looking for.

Doncic is the most accomplished European prospect ever. Jackson’s game is a perfect fit for today’s era. The Hawks and Grizzlies should be able to get some major assets in return for the No. 3 and No. 4 picks. Doncic and Jackson are worth the price.

Like my man Tommy Ziller said: this draft is setting up to be bonkers. The Kings are a true wild card (that’s putting it charitably) with the second pick. Players like Porter, Bagley and Texas’ Mohamed Bamba are tantalizing enough that there’s a real chance one or both of Doncic and Jackson slide.

Don’t let it happen, NBA teams. For my money, Doncic and Jackson are going to be the two best players in this draft. If you can trade up to get them, you have to do it.