NBA Draft 2014: 1st-Round Selection Order and Predictions for Every Team

There is still plenty of time before the 2014 NBA draft takes place on Thursday, June 26, at the Barclays Center in New York, but basketball fans have already turned their focus to where the top prospects will land.

With top names like Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid all waiting to hear which team will select them on draft day—the Cleveland Cavaliers have the No. 1 pick for the third time in four years—the sport is buzzing about the 2014 draft class.

Here is the full first-round draft order, predictions for every team and a focus on the player to watch during the festivities.

Pick No.	Team	Selection	College/Country
1	Cleveland Cavaliers	Andrew Wiggins	Kansas
2	Milwaukee Bucks	Joel Embiid	Kansas
3	Philadelphia 76ers	Jabari Parker	Duke
4	Orlando Magic	Dante Exum	Australia
5	Utah Jazz	Julius Randle	Kentucky
6	Boston Celtics	Aaron Gordon	Arizona
7	Los Angeles Lakers	Noah Vonleh	Indiana
8	Sacramento Kings	Marcus Smart	Oklahoma State
9	Charlotte Hornets	Doug McDermott	Creighton
10	Philadelphia 76ers	Nik Stauskas	Michigan
11	Denver Nuggets	Gary Harris	Michigan State
12	Orlando Magic	Dario Saric	Croatia
13	Minnesota Timberwolves	Rodney Hood	Duke
14	Phoenix Suns	James Young	Kentucky
15	Atlanta Hawks	Tyler Ennis	Syracuse
16	Chicago Bulls	Adreian Payne	Michigan State
17	Boston Celtics	Zach LaVine	UCLA
18	Phoenix Suns	Jerami Grant	Syracuse
19	Chicago Bulls	T.J. Warren	NC State
20	Toronto Raptors	Kyle Anderson	UCLA
21	Oklahoma City Thunder	P.J. Hairston	UNC/Texas Legends
22	Memphis Grizzlies	Jusuf Nurkic	Bosnia and Herzegovina
23	Utah Jazz	K.J. McDaniels	Clemson
24	Charlotte Hornets	Cleanthony Early	Wichita State
25	Houston Rockets	Jordan Adams	UCLA
26	Miami Heat	Shabazz Napier	Connecticut
27	Phoenix Suns	Clint Capela	Switzerland
28	Los Angeles Clippers	Elfrid Payton	Louisiana-Lafayette
29	Oklahoma City Thunder	Mitch McGary	Michigan
30	San Antonio Spurs	C.J. Wilcox	Washington

First-Round Prospect To Watch: Joel Embiid, Center, Kansas

While much of the talk surrounding the 2014 NBA draft has been focused on prospects Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, the player basketball fans must be watching in the first round should be talented Kansas center Joel Embiid.

Not only does Embiid have the size to be a dominant center in the NBA, but he also has the raw athletic skill to be a force on the defensive glass and in the offensive zone as a scoring big man who can still rebound.

Just how big is Embiid? Chad Ford of ESPN shared his measurements at one of his latest workouts on Twitter:

Embiid racked up an impressive 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds in his first year at Kansas, but teams will be drafting the center for his long-term potential to grow into his body and blossom into a star in the NBA.

When asked about Embiid and the back injury that kept him out of the NCAA tournament, Bill Simmons of Grantland talked about exactly what he saw from the center during a private workout and how much upside he possesses:

"

He wasn’t playing against anyone, just going through a two-hour workout with Will Perdue. Here’s what I can tell you: He moves around as effortlessly as a 7-foot Serge Ibaka; he’s such an athletic freak that he’s one of those ‘still going up as he’s finishing the dunk’ guys; his freakish wingspan might make Jay Bilas pass out; he has been playing basketball for only four years (which seems impossible); he gave up a world-class volleyball career; he has 3-point range; he can shoot jump-hooks with both hands already; he couldn’t have seemed more coachable/agreeable/likable; he’s a hard worker with a goofy sense of humor; his voice is just a touch Mutombo-y (deep with a heavy African accent); and his friends call him ‘Jo-Jo.’ And again — his back seemed totally fine.

"

For those fans still skeptical about Embiid’s back, Bleacher Report shared a video of the prospect working out and showing no lingering issues with the injury:

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports was also at Embiid’s private workout in Santa Monica last week and gave the center the ultimate vote of confidence:

While Wojnarowski and other experts believe Embiid is an option at No. 1 overall, Sam Amico of Fox Sports and Alex Kennedy of BasketballInsiders.com doubt that he will go that high:

Regardless of whether the Cleveland Cavaliers will take Embiid with the No. 1 overall pick or not, there is little doubt that he will not make it out of the top three selections. He is clearly one of the top prospects in the draft.

If Cleveland passes on Embiid at No. 1, the Milwaukee Bucks will have a tough decision to make. While adding a talent like Embiid would be a major upgrade, there are plenty of teams who would love to move up and make the pick.

Milwaukee must analyze Embiid’s back injury closely. If doctors and team officials have any doubt about the long-term stability of the injury, trading out of the No. 2 pick could yield several high selections in the coming years from a franchise willing to make a deal.

Even if Milwaukee trades the No. 2 overall pick, Joel Embiid will be the second player taken in the 2014 NBA draft. The Bucks would be smart to take him, though.

Predicted Landing Spot: No. 2 Overall to the Milwaukee Bucks

*Stats via NBA.com.

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