2016 NBA Mock Draft: Latest Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects

With the 2016 NBA draft now just a month away, teams must start to narrow down their lists and focus on their preferred handful of prospects, especially those clubs set to pick early on June 23.

There was no shake-up in the selection order following the NBA draft lottery last Tuesday, which meant the pingpong balls bounced a certain way for the first time, according to Boston.com contributor and CelticsHub's Brian Robb:

This means teams in the lottery will not need to alter their plans.

It has been over two weeks since this mock draft appeared, and much has changed after the conclusion of the NBA Draft Combine on May 15. Let us take a look at the updated mock as well as some thoughts on several of the draft's top prospects.

Pick	Team	Player	School/ Team
1	Philadelphia 76ers	Ben Simmons	LSU
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Brandon Ingram	Duke
3	Boston Celtics (from Brooklyn)	Dragan Bender	Maccabi Tel Aviv
4	Phoenix Suns	Jaylen Brown	California
5	Minnesota Timberwolves	Jamal Murray	Kentucky
6	New Orleans Pelicans	Buddy Hield	Oklahoma
7	Denver Nuggets (from New York)	Jakob Poeltl	Utah
8	Sacramento Kings	Kris Dunn	Providence
9	Toronto Raptors (from Denver)	Henry Ellenson	Marquette
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Demetrius Jackson	Notre Dame
11	Orlando Magic	Domantas Sabonis	Gonzaga
12	Utah Jazz	Denzel Valentine	Michigan State
13	Phoenix Suns (from Washington)	Deyonta Davis	Michigan State
14	Chicago Bulls	Timothe Luwawu	Mega Leks
15	Denver Nuggets (from Houston)	Furkan Korkmaz	Anadolu Efes
16	Boston Celtics (from Dallas)	Taurean Prince	Baylor
17	Memphis Grizzlies	Marquese Chriss	Washington
18	Detroit Pistons	Tyler Ulis	Kentucky
19	Denver Nuggets (from Portland)	Wade Baldwin IV	Vanderbilt
20	Indiana Pacers	Stephen Zimmerman	UNLV
21	Atlanta Hawks	Malik Beasley	Florida State
22	Charlotte Hornets	Skal Labissiere	Kentucky
23	Boston Celtics	DeAndre' Bembry	St. Joe's
24	Philadelphia 76ers (from Miami)	Cheick Diallo	Kansas
25	Los Angeles Clippers	Juan Hernangomez	Estudiantes
26	Philadelphia 76ers (from Oklahoma City)	Malachi Richardson	Syracuse
27	Toronto Raptors	Ben Bentil	Providence
28	Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland)	Dejounte Murray	Washington
29	San Antonio Spurs	Diamond Stone	Maryland
30	Golden State Warriors	A.J. Hammons	Purdue

Dragan Bender Is Still the Pick for Boston

It has been a foregone conclusion for months that some combination of Duke's Brandon Ingram and LSU's Ben Simmons will be the first two names called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in Brooklyn, New York.

The intrigue begins with the picks immediately following, as there are a number of players available who are hardly separable when it comes to what they could bring to an NBA team.

As tempting as dynamic guards Kris Dunn (Providence), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) and Jamal Murray (Kentucky) are, the Boston Celtics need to go with Maccabi Tel Aviv's Dragan Bender at No. 3.

He has similar skills to the New York Knicks' Kristaps Porzingis in terms of being agile and a threat to shoot from the perimeter. Bender is also an exceptional passer, as evidenced by his highlights below:

The Celtics and head coach Brad Stevens are also fond of Bender, per Bleacher Report's David Pick and CBS Sports Radio's Adam Kaufman:

He may be raw, but Bender offers a rare skill set that Boston does not have. And his ability to space the floor would open up a lot of space for Isaiah Thomas and the rest of the Celtics guards. Boston is already a perennial playoff team in the Eastern Conference, so it can develop Bender for a year or two before unleashing a supreme talent.

Jaylen Brown Gives Phoenix Its Missing Piece on the Wing

California's Jaylen Brown is another player who perfectly fits a need for a team picking in the top five.

The Phoenix Suns are loaded with guard talent with Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, Brandon Knight and Archie Goodwin. They also have a young center to build around in Alex Len. The Suns just need a big, athletic wing to complete their transition game.

Brown is fast and strong at 6'7" and 223 pounds. He can get out on the break and get to the rim to finish, draw fouls or dish to open shooters. Adding Brown would help solidify a young core that has the talent to make some noise in a few years.

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Jamal Murray Solidifies Minnesota's Young Core

The Minnesota Timberwolves already have back-to-back rookies of the year, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, on the wing and up front. They also possess a point guard in Ricky Rubio who has averaged 8.3 assists per game during his career. What they need is a guard who can create shots for himself on the perimeter.

Jamal Murray is that guy. He averaged 20 points per game for Kentucky last season while shooting 45 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.

With him in the fold, the team would have an elite slasher in Wiggins, a strong post player in Towns and a complete backcourt with Murray and Rubio.

This would allow guard Zach LaVine to be an explosive energy player off of the bench. The team could also insert LaVine in the starting lineup and play small ball with Towns at center.

All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.