Marvin Bagley III starred for Tempe, Arizona's Corona del Sol High School and led that team to a state championship before dominating during his one season at Duke University.At Duke, he established himself as an NBA-ready star, averaging 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per contest.Standing tall at 6’11” and with length, ball-handling skills and a three-point stroke, Bagley is built perfectly for the modern NBA and has drawn comparisons to (a more-athletic version of) Chris Bosh.Earlier in the month, he worked out for the Phoenix Suns, who have the top pick in this year’s draft. In a media session afterwords, he explained why he felt overlooked in the top-pick conversation.“Absolutely,” Bagley said, per AZCentral.com. “I’ve put so much into this game – every single day. I’ve sacrificed a lot. And it’s kind of disrespectful in a way. Kind of just knowing what I do every single day and knowing how hard I go, you never want to be second. You want to be first. You want to be on top. I use it as drive.” Former University of Arizona star DeAndre Ayton is presumed to be the No. 1 pick on Thursday and also has Phoenix-area connections. As a big man who enjoyed an unbelievable one-and-done collegiate season, Ayton sits atop most mock drafts that have been released.

No guarantee at the top

But, not so fast, at least according to the Phoenix-native Bagley.

“I still think I can be the No. 1 pick,” he said earlier this week, per Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated.

“To be able to play in Phoenix, to have it all come full circle, from where I started playing basketball to be there as a professional, it would be a dream come true,” Bagley added.

While he clearly wants to hear his name called first, he made it clear that he’d be perfectly happy ending up with the Sacramento Kings, who hold the second pick.

“Sacramento is a great place,” he noted. “When I say I want to go No. 1, it’s not a knock on any other team in the draft. If I end up going two, I’ll love being in Sacramento. Being a part of that team and that franchise, that’s a big plus.”

Since both Ayton and Bagley project to become stars in the NBA and will undoubtedly be high picks, it all comes down to fit. Who fits best on Phoenix’s roster and within their new scheme under new head coach Igor Kokoskov? 

We will find out.