NBA Draft 2016: TV Schedule, Latest Mock Predictions and Top Sleeper Prospects

Talk about NBA draft sleepers always stands as one of the most heated topics ahead of the major event. 

The 2016 NBA draft might be the best recent example. Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram headline the show, with other major names such as Dragan Bender, Jamal Murray, Jaylen Brown and Buddy Hield not far behind.

And when one doesn't hear about the top prospects? It's about the teams, with franchises like the Boston Celtics perhaps ready to shake up the draft and teams without a pick like the New York Knicks a target to make a move.

And when not about the teams, it's about an impending free-agency class headlined by Kevin Durant.

Keep this in mind—this is what some teams want. Attention toward everything but underrated prospects means franchises can grab sleepers who have a shot at turning into something special. Here's a mock draft and a few guys the headlines haven't talked about often.

2016 NBA Draft

When: Thursday, June 23 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, New York

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

2016 NBA Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player
1.	Philadelphia 76ers	F Ben Simmons, LSU
2.	Los Angeles Lakers	SF Brandon Ingram, Duke
3.	Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn)	PF Dragan Bender, Croatia
4.	Phoenix Suns	SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky
5.	Minnesota Timberwolves	SF Jaylen Brown, California
6.	New Orleans Pelicans	SG Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
7.	Denver Nuggets (via New York)	F Marquese Chriss, Washington
8.	Sacramento Kings	PG Kris Dunn, Providence
9.	Toronto Raptors (via Denver)	C Jakob Poeltl, Utah
10.	Milwaukee Bucks	C Thon Maker, Orangeville Prep
11.	Orlando Magic	PF/C Deyonta Davis, Michigan State
12.	Utah Jazz	F Henry Ellenson, Marquette
13.	Phoenix Suns (via Washington)	C Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
14.	Chicago Bulls	G Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
15.	Denver Nuggets (via Houston)	SG Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey
16.	Boston Celtics (via Dallas)	SG Timothe Luwawu, France
17.	Memphis Grizzlies	PG Dejounte Murray, Washington
18.	Detroit Pistons	SG Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
19.	Denver Nuggets (via Portland)	G Caris LeVert, Michigan
20.	Indiana Pacers	PF Brice Johnson, North Carolina
21.	Atlanta Hawks	C Diamond Stone, Maryland
22.	Charlotte Hornets	PF Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
23.	Boston Celtics	F Paul Zipser, Germany
24.	Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami)	G Malik Beasley, Florida State
25.	Los Angeles Clippers	C Cheick Diallo, Kansas
26.	Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City)	F Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida
27.	Toronto Raptors	F Taurean Prince, Baylor
28.	Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland)	C Damian Jones, Vanderbilt
29.	San Antonio Spurs	PG Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame
30.	Golden State Warriors	C Zhou Qi, China

Top Sleeper Prospects

11. Orlando Magic: PF/C Deyonta Davis, Michigan State

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Michigan State's Deyonta Davis might be the perfect example of the above.

When it comes to big men, most of the attention goes to Bender and a unique story such as Thon Maker. 

The Orlando Magic won't mind if Davis continues to fly under the proverbial radar, though.

Davis comes in at 6'11" and 237 pounds. After averaging 7.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game on just 18.6 minutes per game, it's clear he needs to add some weight but already stands as one of the best enforcers in the draft.

Has anyone mentioned Davis shot 60 percent from the floor? Bender gets plenty of credit as a good shooter, but the former Michigan State star also has some range to his game.

Quietly, the positive reviews continue to roll in, such as one offered by Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune: 

Given Orlando has a budding young roster with Nikola Vucevic at center, the front office wouldn't mind grabbing one of the biggest sleepers in the class at No. 11 and getting some reinforcements for the future.

Hindsight could be quite 20-20 on this one, indeed.

17. Memphis Grizzlies: PG Dejounte Murray, Washington

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Dejounte Murray finds himself on the receiving end of some notable praise ahead of the draft.

Namely, ESPN.com's Chad Ford has him ranked ninth on his big board with an alluring quote at the top of the latest scouting report: "If Dejounte Murray played at North Carolina or Duke, he'd be a top-five pick."

Big praise, but Murray hasn't arrived as a household name or even someone who has left sleeper status just yet. More like such a late rise will incite skepticism, some wondering if he's this year's smokescreen extraordinaire.

Doubtful. Murray is a do-it-all point guard at 6'5" and 183 pounds who posted strong averages of 16.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists last year while shooting 42 percent from the floor. A quality two-way player who can run with almost anyone on the defensive end and slash and create for others, the biggest knock on Murray is his shot.

Still, a team such as the Memphis Grizzlies can afford to roll the dice on Murray and hope he takes his immense potential and amplifies it. With Mike Conley headed to free agency and no easy way to turn over an aging core, the Washington product would be one large step in the right direction.

28. Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland): C Damian Jones, Vanderbilt

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Again, most of the attention when it comes to centers goes to Maker and even Kentucky's Skal Labissiere, permitting a guy such as Damian Jones to fall way out of the spotlight.

Teams near the end of the first round have to love the fact Jones doesn't receive much publicity, though.

In fact, the most Jones has seen his name in the headlines as of late comes due to an unfortunate workout injury. According to Jonathan Givony of The Vertical, Jones needed surgery to repair a torn pec suffered while bench-pressing during a workout with Orlando, though he might be good to go for training camp.

The hiccup only further solidifies Jones' sleeper status. He's 7'1" and 244 pounds coming off a year in which he averaged 13.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Jones himself hasn't been shy about trumpeting his versatility, either, as captured by the Toronto Raptors:

Already a fierce rim protector with a solid jump shot, Jones seems to need some fine-tuning when it comes to offensive moves on the low block. He otherwise has it all after three years of significant minutes with Vanderbilt.

Look for Jones to land somewhere such as Phoenix. The Suns have to retool in the deep Western Conference and have three picks in the opening round. Landing a sleeper like Jones, who can take his time recovering and also learn from Tyson Chandler, seems like the perfect situation for all parties.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.