2018 NBA Draft: 5 under-the-radar prospects at center

We’ve already broken down the five best prospects at the center position in the 2018 NBA Draft. Here are the guys flying under the radar.

The center position is in an interesting spot. While a strong interior presence is still leaned on heavily at the college level, the NBA is trending away from that. Centers are branching out to the perimeter, and with that comes an increased emphasis on versatility.

As the position changes, so do the ideal traits for prospects. Mobility is valued over interior scoring, and a strong defender typically holds the edge over those who are geared towards offense. It boils down to the fact that teams need players who can both evolve offensively and keep up on the other end.

That shift in ideals is what makes the 2018 NBA Draft class especially intriguing. With Marvin Bagley III, DeAndre Ayton and Mo Bamba among the headliners, this is the most frontcourt-heavy group we’ve seen since the Warriors sent the league into pace-and-space overdrive.

When weighing the importance of raw talent against current utility, however, it’s the centers who fall outside of the lottery conversation who make the debate more difficult. Centers who have significant flaws yet show out at a high level collegiately (or internationally) always fluctuate on draft boards, and this year’s class has no shortage of names who will be flying under the national radar.

Here are some worth watching.