# Who is the best player from the 2018 NBA Draft class?

> One draft night produced an MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year and a handful of second-round steals. Lottery stars meet late picks who outplayed their draft slot.

*By YPB Team · Published November 4, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-player-from-the-2018-nba-draft-class*

---

## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Shai Gilgeous-Alexander** — score 1000/1000
   The 11th pick, sent to the Clippers on draft night, he won the 2024-25 MVP and Finals MVP while leading Oklahoma City to the title.
2. **Robert Williams III** — score 733/1000
   Boston's 27th pick from Texas A&M, he made the 2021-22 All-Defensive Second Team and started for the Celtics in the 2022 Finals.
3. **Luka Dončić** — score 635/1000
   Taken third by Atlanta and traded to Dallas on draft night, he won 2018-19 Rookie of the Year and led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals.
4. **Wendell Carter Jr.** — score 550/1000
   Chicago's seventh overall pick out of Duke, he became Orlando's long-time starting center after a 2021 trade.
5. **Jarred Vanderbilt** — score 498/1000
   A 41st pick out of Kentucky traded to Denver on draft night, he became a starting defensive forward for Minnesota and later played a rotation role for the Lakers.
6. **Grayson Allen** — score 498/1000
   Utah's 21st pick out of Duke, he led the NBA in three-point percentage with Phoenix in 2023-24.
7. **Trae Young** — score 498/1000
   Picked fifth by Dallas and traded to Atlanta, he is a multiple-time All-Star who led the Hawks to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals.
8. **Devonte' Graham** — score 440/1000
   A 34th pick from Kansas, he averaged 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game for Charlotte in 2019-20.
9. **Gary Trent Jr.** — score 440/1000
   Taken 37th and traded to Portland, he became a starting scorer for Toronto, averaging 18.3 points per game in 2021-22.
10. **Collin Sexton** — score 440/1000
   Cleveland's eighth overall pick from Alabama, he averaged 24.3 points per game for the Cavaliers in 2020-21.
11. **Mitchell Robinson** — score 440/1000
   A 36th pick by the Knicks who skipped college, he became New York's starting center and one of the league's top offensive rebounders.
12. **Jaren Jackson Jr.** — score 372/1000
   Memphis's fourth overall pick, he won 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year and led the NBA in blocks in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
13. **Kevin Huerter** — score 372/1000
   Atlanta's 19th pick from Maryland, he was a starting shooter on the Hawks team that reached the 2021 Eastern Conference finals.
14. **Miles Bridges** — score 200/1000
   Picked 12th by the Clippers and traded to Charlotte, he averaged 20.2 points per game for the Hornets in 2021-22.
15. **Michael Porter Jr.** — score 200/1000
   Denver's 14th pick, he was the starting forward beside Nikola Jokić when the Nuggets won the 2023 NBA title.
16. **Deandre Ayton** — score 200/1000
   The first overall pick by Phoenix, he was the starting center on the Suns team that reached the 2021 NBA Finals.
17. **De'Anthony Melton** — score 200/1000
   A 46th pick by Houston, he built a career as a ball-hawking guard for Memphis, Philadelphia and Golden State.
18. **Anfernee Simons** — score 200/1000
   Taken 24th by Portland out of a post-graduate prep year, he averaged over 21 points a game for the Trail Blazers in 2022-23.
19. **Donte DiVincenzo** — score 0/1000
   Villanova's 2018 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, drafted 17th by Milwaukee, he set the Knicks' single-season three-pointer record in 2023-24.
20. **Jalen Brunson** — score 0/1000
   A second-round pick (33rd) by Dallas, he became the Knicks' leading scorer and made the All-NBA Second Team in 2024.
21. **Mikal Bridges** — score 0/1000
   Drafted 10th by Philadelphia and traded to Phoenix, he started on the Suns' 2021 Finals team and made the 2021-22 All-Defensive First Team.

Tags: basketball, players, nba, nba draft, 2018