NBA Mock Draft 2015: Latest 1st-Round Projections for Marquee Prospects

The NBA playoffs have just begun, but it's no secret that the focus has long been on the June 25 draft for most teams that figure to be atop the draft order.

While the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers hope for good fortune from the ping-pong balls to help get them back to their lofty standards, other teams are sniffing a low lottery pick for the umpteenth time—looking at you, Philadelphia and Minnesota—in the hopes of bringing years of futility to an end. From those teams with their eye on the prized commodities to mid-round teams simply searching for those key prospects to get in their system, there's no lack for drama among the 60 picks.

But in all honesty, most of the draft boils down to what happens in the first round from start to finish. With that in mind, here's a glance at the latest first-round mock along with notable players who will come off the board at various spots.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky
2	New York Knicks	Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke
3	Philadelphia 76ers	Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Congo
4	Los Angeles Lakers	D'Angelo Russell, SG, Ohio State
5	Orlando Magic	Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
6	Sacramento Kings	Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
7	Denver Nuggets	Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
8	Detroit Pistons	Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
9	Charlotte Hornets	Mario Hezonja, SG, Croatia
10	Miami Heat	Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
11	Indiana Pacers	Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah
12	Utah Jazz	Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
13	Phoenix Suns	Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	Devon Booker, SG, Kentucky
15	Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn)	Myles Turner, PF, Texas
16	Boston Celtics	Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
17	Milwaukee Bucks	Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
18	Houston Rockets (via New Orleans)	Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
19	Washington Wizards	Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin
20	Toronto Raptors	Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
21	Chicago Bulls	Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
22	Dallas Mavericks	Damian Jones, C, Vanderbilt
23	Portland Trail Blazers	R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
24	Cleveland Cavaliers	Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
25	Memphis Grizzlies	Caris LeVert, SF, Michigan
26	San Antonio Spurs	Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas
27	Boston Celtics (via LA Clippers)	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
28	Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston)	Kris Dunn, PG, Providence
29	Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta)	Terrence Petteway, SG, Nebraska
30	Golden State Warriors	Jarell Martin, PF, LSU

Notable First-Round Picks

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: C Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky

Forget Jameis Winston vs. Marcus Mariota—the battle of two star-caliber centers in this 2015 class is the real battle for the No. 1 pick this draft season. Long known as the runner-up behind Duke's Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns has showcased a superior athletic ability with a more refined mid-range game that will be deadly with a few years of pro development.

Okafor is more ready to take over a franchise so to speak, but Towns has the higher ceiling. Like at Kentucky, he won't even need to be the guy off the bat with Andrew Wiggins emerging—but also like at Kentucky, he can be the guy when needed.

With a dominant defensive ability to go along with his immense potential, it's becoming more apparent that Towns is the popular pick, as NBC Sports' Kurt Helin noted:

There's no telling who will end up with the No. 1 overall pick, a development that is sure to shed some light on which of the big men will have his name called first. But if the Timberwolves' 25 percent chance pays off, it's hard to see them turning down the chance to pair Towns with this young budding roster and put him under Kevin Garnett's wing.

18. Houston Rockets: PG Tyus Jones, Duke

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Once Tyus Jones ripped apart Wisconsin's national title hopes and helped win Duke its fifth at the same time, one could assume it ended every bit of speculation whether the freshman would enter the draft. And that assumption turned out to be right.

Jones waited a bit longer than most but declared Wednesday for the draft. And as David Gardner of Sports Illustrated noted, it's the right time:

"

Tyus Jones has officially declared for the NBA draft. That's the right move for him — his stock will never be higher than it is right now.

— David Gardner (@byDavidGardner) April 15, 2015"

Yeah, no kidding. With Justise Winslow and Okafor marking just the start of Duke's offseason departures, Jones figures to be playing on a completely new team. While he could have shined in being the guy, the downgrade of talent around him would have shown. 

Jones hasn't been considered a top-priority pick considering noticeable weaknesses in his game, but as we saw with Shabazz Napier last year, dominating in big games can allow scouts to look past those deficiencies. He's far from a finished product both on the perimeter and defensively, but Jones has attributes—the will to win, comfort with the ball in dire moments—that you simply can't teach. 

The Rockets have some stability at the point but also playing time available to allow Jones to grow in the league and become accustomed to it.

27. Boston Celtics: SF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

An Arizona program that seems to churn out top NBA prospects has had few more impressive athletes of late than Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who is going to be a steal for whoever nabs him in the latter half of Round 1.

He's never established himself as a multitooled offensive player, but much of that has to do with the skill set he brought into Tucson and the supporting cast around him. Hollis-Jefferson was targeted to be the lockdown defender, and that's exactly what he did—as well as anyone in college basketball, I might add.

The Boston Celtics spectacularly walk into two first-round picks despite making the playoffs this season, and this second one fits right into what head coach Brad Stevens is doing. As he continues to find five-man lineups that work among a talent deficiency, players who are defensive dynamos and hard workers seem to work seamlessly into his system.

A few months—heck, weeks—ago, this move would have felt like another building block in a rebuilding process. But with the direction Stevens has his Celtics heading in, Hollis-Jefferson could turn into the shutdown perimeter defender for a playoff team.