2018 NBA Draft: 5 potential first round steals

While some great picks were made, for many teams, the real steals of the 2018 NBA Draft may not be clear until after the free agency dust settles.

There are a lot of factors that can make draft night pivotal for almost any franchise. The truth is there are just too many unknown factors. Whether it be overseas players with limited scouting or young players with untold growth potential, the bottom line is that a generational talent can be found at almost any position in the draft.

Just four years ago, the Denver Nuggets found their franchise player in Nikola Jokic at the 41st overall pick. You just never know where the talent is hiding.

For this reason, it is nearly just as much fun to look at who the potential steals of the draft could be as it is to analyze the household names who will be top lottery selections.

Sure, Marvin Bagley III may be an immediate impact for the Sacramento Kings, and Deandre Ayton is almost a lock to put up consistent numbers for the Phoenix Suns. But especially considering the effort and assets teams sacrifice often to move up or back just one measly spot in the draft, when a steal comes along, it is all the more sweet for teams and fans that get to reap the benefits of smart scouting.

While the 2018 NBA Draft had a lot of lottery talent worth considering, let’s break down who the best first round steals were and who will likely thrive the most in their NBA careers.