2015 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Prospects Who Will Sneak into 1st Round

For those noble teams that don't tank, and the ones that always seem to find a way to win, a first-round NBA draft pick is more of a luxury than a necessity. Selections made outside the lottery are very low in risk for teams that often have rosters already set.

These teams can afford to have a little fun.

Before you go crazy in the comment boards about how ridiculous some of these mock draft picks are, keep in mind that last year Josh Huestis, Jordan Adams, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Clint Capela were all first-round picks. Do you think those were all locks before the draft? Lesser-knowns Livio Jean-Charles and Nemanja Nedovic went in the first in 2013, too.

The point is, good teams rarely do things by the book in the NBA draft. Whether it's a draft-and-stash candidate, or they simply saw something we didn't, you have to account for some trickery in the bottom half of the draft.

Here is our 2015 mock with added emphasis on the non-lottery selections.

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

Sneaky First-Round Picks

Moussa Diagne, C, Senegal

What sort of Christmas gift do you get for the kid who already has everything? In the case of the Cleveland Cavaliers, you hand them a 6'11" athletic hustle player who just wants to defend and rebound.

Moussa Diagne has officially entered the NBA draft and could be a draft-and-stash candidate at the ripe age of 21. This past year, he has played in the Spanish ACB league, averaging 4.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and one block.

He fits with the Cavaliers because he is extremely athletic and loves to finish above the rim. He has an extremely unpolished offensive game, but he does the little things properly and has a high basketball IQ that will allow him to earn minutes strictly on defense and hustle plays. Diagne could wreak absolute havoc alongside Tristan Thompson on that front line at some point.

Very few people likely have any idea who Diagne is, but NBA teams were very intrigued with his performance at the Adidas camp in Italy last year, as you'll notice in the video above.

Diagne is the prime candidate to elicit a loud, "WHO?!?" from fans in the first round. However, don't sleep on the big man from Senegal.

Jarell Martin, PF, LSU Tigers

The LSU sophomore had a great year for the Tigers, earning All-SEC honors with averages of 16.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He may have surprised some by declaring early, but Jarell Martin is a very intriguing talent.

But, according to ESPN, even former LSU great Shaquille O'Neal doesn't think Martin is ready.

The most encouraging thing about Martin is his diverse offensive game packaged with his 6'10" frame. His defensive impact will have to come from a substantial amount of hustle and intangibles, given his 6'7.5" wingspan, but his offensive repertoire will earn him minutes early on, regardless.

His ability to run in transition and stretch the floor in the half court will be a big asset in this analytics-driven league. The Boston Celtics already have similar bigs who can stretch the floor, but Martin's athleticism dwarfs that of Tyler Zeller, Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger.

Martin's shining moment came in a February battle with the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats, where he went up against their menacing front line of future lottery picks to put up 21 points and 11 boards on 8-of-11 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein had their hands full for maybe the first time all year.

This is a guy who is raw but can certainly sneak into the first round, given his offensive upside.

Brandon Ashley, PF, Arizona Wildcats

The 6'8" junior out of Arizona arrived on campus as a 5-star recruit from the Bay Area, and this mock has him going back home. He projects as a second-rounder, but after the magic the Golden State Warriors pulled with fellow big program guys like Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes, Ashley is a good fit.

Ashley could immediately step in and do many of the same things David Lee does. Ashley sports a pure jumper and strong defensive instincts. He also is no stranger to the big stage, with three Sweet 16 appearances under his belt to go along with his 2015 Pac-12 tournament MOP award.

Ashley may be looked at as a bit of a tweener at the next level due to his slim physique. According to Derek Bodner of DraftExpress.com, while he is a natural power forward, he does show the ability to be able to become more of the hybrid forward that he will need to be in the NBA.

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In order to spend more time operating on the perimeter, Ashley will need to put in considerable work in his ball handling and ability to create off the dribble. With Ashley being the threat that he is in the pick and pop game, combined with his relative quickness, Ashley has the potential to beat his man off the dribble. He does flash this ability from time to time, as when he is able to attack the basket in a straight drive these attributes of his show their potential.

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This would be a sentimental luxury pick for the Warriors, a team in perfect position to select someone they can bring along slowly. You don't win 67 games with glaring holes on the roster, though they could have one, should Green bolt in free agency.

It is still a reach for Ashley to go in the first round, but we have surely seen stranger things happen.