NBA 2019: 5 players from the 2018 Draft that should look for a trade

The 2019 NBA Draft took place on June 20th 2019 and there were a flurry of trades that happened which really messed with the mock drafts of a lot of experts.

But at the end of the night, 60 players were drafted by the various teams to play in the NBA.

The 2018 NBA Draft did not have a flurry of trades happening throughout the night, but it did have its own set of star players that joined the teams but then for some reason or the other, had an underwhelming rookie season.

Let's take a look at the top 5 rookies from the 2018 draft that should and need to demand a trade to reinvigorate their young careers once again.

#5 Troy Brown Jr. (Washington Wizards)

Washington Wizards drafted Brown with the 15th pick in 2018

The Washington Wizards have been a team that do not have a set path or a vision in mind, they seem to be swerving wherever they have space to squeeze themselves. This season, with another John Wall injury, they became a team that tried to make it to the playoffs but failed.

In all this, rookie Troy Brown Jr. tried to keep his head down and get his season going. Brown is a shooting guard, who can also play small forward, standing at 6 foot 7 with a 6 foot 10 wingspan and can defend multiple positions on the defensive end.

Yet, he was barely used this season as he played just 52 games for the Wizards, averaging 14 minutes a game and 4.8 points. He had a bad three-point shooting percentage of 31% but it seemed to be getting better when compared to his college days at Oregon.

If Brown needs to play more minutes, he needs to try and force a trade to a team where he can get more minutes. His ability to handle the ball and a great eye for passes needs to be exploited more and a team like the Wizards is not the best place for him to develop into a better player.

#4 Jerome Robinson (Los Angeles Clippers)

The Los Angeles Clippers drafted Robinson with the 13th pick

Jerome Robinson did not enjoy the same meteoric rise in the NBA that he did in the 2018 NBA Draft. Projected to be a late first round or an early second round pick, Robinson was drafted by the Clippers at #13, which had seemed like the ideal franchise to start the rookie's career, alongside Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, another rookie.

Yet, Robinson was sparsely used, as the Los Angeles Clippers mounted an unlikely playoff run, ending in a first round loss to the Golden State Warriors. This meant that Robinson ended up behind Lou Williams and Landry Shamet, who established himself in the starting lineup almost as soon as he arrived.

As a result, Robinson spent a lot of time in the G-League and ended up playing only 33 games this season, averaging 9.7 minutes and 3.4 points per game. With the Clippers looking to get in some big name free agents in the summer, Robinson might have to look to other teams to get a shot at getting the playtime he deserves.

#3 Mortiz Wagner (Los Angeles Lakers)

The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Wagner with the 25th pick

The Los Angeles Lakers have decided that the time is now to make a push for the NBA championship and have already traded their young core for Anthony Davis, which makes Mo Wagner an uneasy fit in this franchise.

They still might keep him as they do not have a lot of players or cap space, but last season Wagner played just 43 games and averaged 10.4 minutes a game, scoring 4.8 points. He was projected to be a stretch big man in the NBA but shot at just 28% from beyond the three-point line in his rookie season.

While he might develop into a solid player in the future, the Los Angeles Lakers are not on the same timeline as him and even if they keep Wagner, they will not actively look to develop him into the player he can become. Wagner should look to demand a trade and move on from Lakers to a team that will more appreciate his game.

#2 Lonnie Walker IV (San Antonio Spurs)

San Antonio drafted Walker with the 18th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft

The San Antonio Spurs made waves last season as they drafted guard Lonnie Walker IV with the 18th pick. He had superb athleticism and great shooting mechanics. It seemed like a great fit next to their future star Dejounte Murray, setting up their backcourt for the future.

But in a trade for Kawhi Leonard, The Spurs got DeMar DeRozan back, who is a superstar in his own right and made the shooting guard spot his own. Even though Walker was injured in the beginning, his return did not spark a change.

Breakout guards Bryn Forbes and Derrick White had usurped his spot and veterans Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli too were ahead of him in the pecking order, forcing him to play in the G league. Walker played just 17 games in his rookie season, averaging 6.9 minutes and 2.6 points per game.

This order does not look to change anytime soon as Murray will return from his injury this season and DeRozan looks set to stay as well.

The rotation is solid and Pop will not mess with it barring major injuries to their players. Walker should look to ask for a move if he wants to join a team where he will get more minutes in the starting lineup night in and night out.

#1 Mohamed Bamba (Orlando Magic)

Everyone assumed that the Orlando Magic had drafted their center for the future when they picked up Mohamed Bamba with the 6th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Bamba was a solid player in college and everyone had hoped that his freakish size (7 feet 10 in wingspan), along with the ability to shoot the 3 point shot will make him the next big thing in the NBA.

But a tibia fracture cost him half the year and Bamba ended up playing just 47 games, averaging 6.2 points, 5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in 16 minutes on the court. While he can still come back and become a great player, the biggest roadblock in his path is center Nikola Vucevic, who had a career year himself.

Vucevic was the biggest reason why the Magic made the playoffs this season after 2011-12. He even became an All-Star and while Vucevic is a free agent this season, the Magic have made signing him a priority over the development of Bamba.

If Vucevic re-signs with the team, Bamba will again end up with a reserve role and with the large amount of big men on this roster, his playing time might end up being lesser than last season's. Bamba and the Magic should look to cut their losses and trade him provided Vucevic signs in the off-season.