Breaking Down the Reality for NBA Teams Already Eyeing 2015 Draft
At some point, coaches and general managers have to realize when the playoffs are out of reach. That's when the NBA draft, as well as the development of each franchise's young players, must become a priority.
There are eight tanking teams right now without a realistic shot at advancing to the postseason. It's not due to bad luck—these lineups are each severely undermanned or simply too young to compete.
This upcoming draft could ultimately be a source of game-changing talent. And that's something every one of the following bottom-of-the-barrel organizations needs.
We only considered teams all-in for June's draft if they had winning percentages below 40 percent as of March 11.
New York Knicks
1 of 8
Projected draft pick: 1
Games back from playoffs: 16.5
It's been nearly 30 years since the New York Knicks had a top-five pick, which is crazy when you think about all the losing seasons they've endured in that span.
Now would be a pretty good time for them to hit the lottery, or at least come somewhat close.
With no first-round pick in 2016—and Carmelo Anthony, Jose Calderon and Tim Hardaway Jr. the only notable names under contract next season—the Knicks desperately need to land a major asset in this year's draft.
The good news for president Phil Jackson: There is serious talent at the top of the projected 2015 field. And though specific team needs aren't that important, each top prospect could actually fill one.
Duke freshman center Jahlil Okafor would give the Knicks another go-to scoring option alongside Anthony. Kentucky freshman big man Karl-Anthony Towns would be a perfect fit for the triangle given his passing and shooting ability—not to mention the rim protection he offers down low.
According to ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley, "The Knicks have had either a front-office member or scout at approximately 20 of the past 30 Kentucky practices and games."
Jackson could also look to land the franchise's lead guard of the future in Ohio State freshman D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay, who just finished playing in China.
You can really make a strong argument for any of these four players.
Jackson could even use the pick as trade bait to try to acquire an established NBA stud. As Begley points out, "This option might be more palatable than wasting another season or two of Anthony's prime waiting for a 19-year-old prospect to develop into a star."
Regardless of what they do with it, the Knicks' 2015 draft pick is invaluable toward the team's rebuilding efforts. They can't afford to mess it up.
Philadelphia 76ers
2 of 8
Projected draft pick: 2
Games back from playoffs: 14.5
The Philadelphia 76ers were all-in for the 2015 NBA draft back in 2013, when they chose to commit the next few years to rebuilding with prospects.
Given the uncertainty surrounding each player in the current lineup, it's still all about stockpiling assets for general manager Sam Hinkie, regardless of what shape or form they come in.
Just like he did when he selected center Joel Embiid after already taking big man Nerlens Noel the year before, Hinkie is likely to prioritize talent and worry about fit later.
And with Embiid's durability a real concern, Noel's offensive game fairly limited and Dario Saric currently overseas, it wouldn't be a complete shock to see Hinkie select another big man in Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns—assuming he believed he was taking the best available prospect.
But Hinkie could just as easily value guards D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay as much as Okafor and Towns.
They each offer franchise cornerstone potential, which, if met, would happen to fill a backcourt need and complement the pieces already in place.
When Hinkie traded Michael Carter-Williams, he knew he'd have the chance to find a new floor general in this year's draft. Just like it was for them the past two seasons, this upcoming June is crucial for the Sixers.
Minnesota Timberwolves
3 of 8
Projected draft pick: 3
Games back from playoffs: 20.5
As a franchise that isn't known for its ability to attract high-profile free agents, it's even more important for the Minnesota Timberwolves to come away with a quality NBA draft pick.
The Wolves have a couple of keepers in Ricky Rubio and Andrew Wiggins, but there is room for an upgrade everywhere else. As promising as Nikola Pekovic has looked at times, his ceiling doesn't quite reach the height of Jahlil Okafor's or Karl-Anthony Towns' potential.
Towns would actually seem like the better fit, given his shooting and defensive potential—neither of which is offered by Pekovic up front.
D'Angelo Russell would also work at the 2 between Rubio and Wiggins.
With a top-three pick, the Wolves would have the chance to land a potential future All-Star while filling a hole in the lineup. They ultimately picked a good year to compete for the worst record in the league.
Los Angeles Lakers
4 of 8
Projected draft pick: 4
Games back from playoffs: 18.5
Nobody should be quicker to push in their chips than the Los Angeles Lakers, who lose their pick to the Philadelphia 76ers if it lands outside the top five. As of March 11, only three teams have worse records than the Lakers. The odds of keeping the selection would be in their favor if the lottery was tomorrow.
And each of the consensus top-four prospects—Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay—should ultimately interest the Lakers, a team that doesn't have much of a foundation to build on.
Kobe Bryant's future impact is uncertain, and Julius Randle's rookie season lasted just 14 minutes. Nick Young is the only other noteworthy name with a guaranteed contract for next season.
General manager Mitch Kupchak talked to NBA.com's Joey Ramirez in February regarding his thoughts on L.A.'s potential pick:
"I’m going out to see games this weekend, but we have a feel of who we think will be top five. … It’s a big difference if you have No. 1 or No. 5. You really have to find out: Are we going to have a pick in the top five — and we’re not going to know that until the lottery. And then No. 2, you have to know what pick you have. If you have No. 1 pick, that may change how you approach free agency. If you draft a big, then maybe now you say you need a guard in the offseason. … Right now, we have a feel of who are going to be the top five guys.
"
Though the Lakers will be relying mostly on free agency to fill out the roster, finding a cornerstone in the draft—one who'd be playing on a rookie contract the next few years—would go a long way toward the team's speedy rebuilding goals and journey back to relevancy.
Orlando Magic
5 of 8
Projected draft pick: 5
Games back from playoffs: 8.5
The Orlando Magic are just too young to compete at the moment. It's not about the wins for Orlando in 2015—it's about developing its prospects and hopefully adding another one in the draft.
Now is the time to let rookies Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon make their mistakes through trial and error. It's also the time to continue building up Victor Oladipo's and Nikola Vucevic's touches as go-to options in the offense.
There are a number of 2015 prospects who'd ultimately fit nicely into Orlando's lineup. Karl-Anthony Towns would seem ideal, given his potential to stretch the floor as a shooter and protect the rim as a defender—two things Vucevic struggles to do.
Latvia's Kristaps Porzingis is another high-upside prospect who offers a similar skill set to Towns.
Arizona freshman wing Stanley Johnson and Croatia's Mario Hezonja also seem like reasonable targets, assuming the Magic lose forward Tobias Harris in free agency.
Regardless, while it takes the Magic time to mature, they might as well continue stockpiling assets. And they'll be able to acquire a potentially valuable one in June with a top-five pick.
Sacramento Kings
6 of 8
Projected draft pick: 6
Games back from playoffs: 13.5
With the Sacramento Kings 13.5 games out of the playoffs, it's time to think about the draft—especially with their pick going to the Chicago Bulls if it lands outside the top 10.
As of March 11, Sacramento's record points to the projected No. 6 overall pick. And the Kings will certainly have the chance to get solid value at that position, whether it's with Kristaps Porzingis, who could slide next to DeMarcus Cousins up front, or wings such as Stanley Johnson and Duke freshman Justise Winslow, small forwards who each offer a competitive edge and promising two-way potential.
Having invested big money in Cousins and Rudy Gay, Sacramento could really use another player capable of contributing on a rookie contract. But the priority should be finding another cornerstone to build with over the next five to 10 years.
Despite owning a lottery pick in every draft since 2007, the Kings don't really have many young prospects outside of Ben McLemore and Nik Stauskas, both of whom have already been involved in trade rumors.
The Kings have ultimately made some pretty poor draft-day decisions since taking Cousins in 2010. They wound up with Jimmer Fredette in 2011 after passing on Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard. The next year, they took Thomas Robinson over Damian Lillard. In 2013, they left Michael Carter-Williams and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the board for McLemore.
Like most lottery teams, the Kings can't afford to miss in this year's draft. For Sacramento, landing a keeper could go a long way toward eventually taking that next step as a franchise.
Denver Nuggets
7 of 8
Projected draft pick: 7
Games back from playoffs: 12.5
The Denver Nuggets might not have been all-in for the draft to start the season, but they should be now with a record far below .500. And after trading Arron Afflalo, JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov, and then firing head coach Brian Shaw, a fresh start is in order.
The Nuggets could ultimately use upgrades at both wing positions, and there should be a handful of solid potential reinforcements to choose from, whether it's Mario Hezonja, Justise Winslow, Stanley Johnson or Kansas' Kelly Oubre.
But with Kenneth Faried having shorted the bar that was set for him last summer, and Jusuf Nurkic still overly raw, the Nuggets must really just focus on reeling in the best available prospect.
Quite frankly, if Denver lands outside the top four, I wouldn't mind seeing general manager Tim Connelly look to move up inside it. The Nuggets need a game-changer.
Detroit Pistons
8 of 8
Projected draft pick: 8
Games back from playoffs: 5.5
Though technically still in the race for the No. 8 spot in the east, the Detroit Pistons aren't going anywhere.
Adding talent this offseason must be the new priority, with the possibility the team could lose Reggie Jackson and/or Greg Monroe to free agency.
The Pistons might ultimately be better off letting one or both of them walk and replacing them through the draft.
Either way, Detroit's wing position is about as weak as it gets. And there will be a handful of solid 2-guards or small forwards (Mario Hezonja, Stanley Johnson, Kelly Oubre, Justise Winslow, Kentucky freshman Devin Booker) to choose from, regardless of where Detroit lands in the lottery.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
