2015 NBA Draft: Top Prospects and Pre-Lottery 1st-Round Order
The 2015 NBA draft lottery takes place at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and 14 teams await their fate as the pingpong balls determine the top of the draft order.
As four teams vie for an NBA championship, three non-playoff teams will begin doing their homework on the top college prospects as they are granted the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 picks in the draft.
According to USA Today, the Minnesota Timberwolves (25 percent), the New York Knicks (19.9 percent) and the Philadelphia 76ers (15.6 percent) own the highest probability to land the top pick in the draft.
Here's the full first-round order, including the probabilities of landing the No. 1 pick for the 14 teams in the mix.
| Draft No. | Team | Probability For Top Pick |
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 25% |
| 2 | New York Knicks | 19.9% |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | 15.6% |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | 11.9% |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | 8.8% |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | 6.3% |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | 4.3% |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | 2.8% |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | 1.7% |
| 10 | Miami Heat | 1.1% |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | 0.8% |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | 0.7% |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | 0.6% |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 0.5% |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks | |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | |
| 18 | Houston Rockets | |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers | |
| 28 | Boston Celtics | |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets | |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors |
Prospects to Watch
On Tuesday night, we find out which teams will pick first, second and third in the 2015 NBA draft. So why not look at which candidates are standing out to be those top three picks?
Karl-Anthony Towns, Center, Kentucky Wildcats
The 6'11" former Wildcat has emerged as the top big man in the 2015 draft class. Both the Timberwolves and the Knicks make a lot of sense as logical landing spots for Towns if either lands the No. 1 overall pick.
Karl-Anthony Towns did not participate in last week's NBA combine, and in this case, he bodes well in keeping his stock as high as it is.
In a roundtable of nine Sports Illustrated NBA writers, five pegged Towns as the better choice to be the top overall pick. Among the arguments made in favor of Towns are his ability to score so naturally as a freshman last year at Kentucky, his defense and overall comparisons to another former John Calipari player, Anthony Davis.
Jahlil Okafor, Center, Duke Blue Devils
Like Towns, Jahlil Okafor was the freshman standout on the 2015 NCAA championship Duke squad. He's considered a very advanced scorer at 19 years old with intriguing size at 6'11" and 270 pounds.
One of the knocks on Okafor is his size and athleticism—or lack thereof. Okafor has reportedly lost 12 pounds already, as he aims to shed some weight to improve his lateral quickness.
If Towns is the top pick, then Okafor is almost a lock to follow him right off the board at No. 2. Some believe he has a higher ceiling and a grander skill set than Towns has.
D'Angelo Russell, Guard, Ohio State Buckeyes
The non-center in the mix to be the top pick, D'Angelo Russell is a 6'5", 180-pound guard has elite physical characteristics to be the best player in the draft.
Just ask Russell yourself.
"D'Angelo Russell is the best player in the #NBADraft ...according to D'Angelo Russell. https://t.co/P51EZSKrRE
— BuzzFeed Sports (@BuzzFeedSports) May 17, 2015"
Russell should be a capable NBA scorer and can fill in at both guard spots. Largely, he's considered the top offensive player in the class.
Russell may wind up being a steal if the two centers Okafor and Towns come off the board at Nos. 1 and 2, but he is the best option if a more guard-needy team can snag one of the top lottery picks.
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