NBA Draft 2019: USC basketball’s Kevin Porter Jr. projected for mid-first round

The 2019 NBA Draft is just around the corner, with USC basketball’s Kevin Porter Jr. projected to be selected in the middle of the first round.

After going years without seeing a USC basketball player selected in the NBA Draft, the Trojans are likely to be treated to a second year in a row with a pick in 2019.

Even better, guard Kevin Porter Jr. is expected to become the first Trojan to be taken in the first round since Nikola Vucevic in 2011.

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Porter Jr. is one of 22 players who will be in the Green Room in Brooklyn, waiting to hear his name called on Thursday night. He received a late invite to join that group, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN, which should offer at least some indication of his selection prospects.

What he did at USC

The five-star guard out of Seattle started just five games for USC, but played in 21 and averaged 9.5 points per appearance, ranking fourth among Trojans. He shot 47.1 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.

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Unfortunately, USC never got to really see him hit his stride. A longer-than-expected injury to his thigh held him out for almost all of December and the first week of January. His return to action was short-lived as an indefinite suspension for behavioral issues saw him sit out another two weeks of play.

When it comes down to it, Porter Jr.’s career with the Trojans will always feel like a case of “what could have been,” regardless of what his NBA future holds.

What the mock drafts predict

Kyle Boone of CBS Sports gave his prediction with Porter Jr. at No. 12 overall to the Hornets. He would be expected to help Charlotte deal with Jeremy Lamb entering free agency.

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“He’s a top 5 talent worth heavily investing in,” Boone wrote.

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Garry Parrish of CBS Sports projects Porter Jr. as a steal for the 76ers at No. 24. He’s a steal based on his talent, but is expected to tumble because of the red flags with his injury status and suspension history.

Sticking on the CBS Sports train, Reid Forgrave went with a later projection as well. It’s the Oklahoma City Thunder taking Porter Jr. at No. 21 in his final mock. While he too has character concerns, he notes Porter Jr. has “the look and feel of an NBA player, a 6-6 dynamo.”

For Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, the Thunder are also the landing spot for Porter Jr., citing his “strength, athleticism, shot-creation and shot-making” as traits that give him “too much talent this late for Oklahoma City to pass.”

NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster compares Porter Jr. to Oregon’s Bol Bol in terms of talent and red flags when slotting both players to the Boston Celtics in his mock draft, with the Trojan going No. 22 overall. Having said that, he also predicts the Celtics to trade out of their spot, so it’s not exactly a prediction.

The latest projection for Porter Jr. comes from Jonathan Givony of ESPN, who expects a late first round selection by the Brooklyn Nets at No. 27 because “at this stage of the draft, the rewards likely outweigh the risks.” That would certainly earn Porter Jr. a big ovation from the hometown fans in Brooklyn.