NBA Mock Draft 2015: Round 1 Projections, Prospects' Post-Lottery Landing Spots

The 2015 NBA draft order is now set following the lottery Tuesday night. The outlook for the opening round should now begin to become more clear with teams inside the top 14 knowing for sure where they are slated to pick.

This year's class is still more about the depth than the top-end talent. While every team involved in the process would have loved to land the first overall pick, there's enough talent available to get an impact player with the No. 14 selection and beyond.

So let's check out an updated mock draft of the first round, with the Los Angeles Lakers moving up to No. 2 and the New York Knicks sliding down to No. 4.

1st-Round Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke
3	Philadelphia 76ers	D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State
4	New York Knicks	Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Congo
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	Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
10	Miami Heat	Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia
11	Indiana Pacers	Frank Kaminsky, PF, Wisconsin
12	Utah Jazz	Myles Turner, PF, Texas
13	Phoenix Suns	Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
15	Atlanta Hawks (via Nets)	Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
16	Boston Celtics	Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
17	Milwaukee Bucks	Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
18	Houston Rockets (via Pelicans)	Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
19	Washington Wizards	Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
20	Toronto Raptors	R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
21	Dallas Mavericks	Christian Wood, PF, UNLV
22	Chicago Bulls	Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
23	Portland Trail Blazers	Justin Anderson, SG, Virginia
24	Cleveland Cavaliers	Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
25	Memphis Grizzlies	Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville
26	San Antonio Spurs	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
27	Los Angeles Lakers (via Rockets)	Jarell Martin, PF, LSU
28	Boston Celtics (via Clippers)	Delon Wright, PG, Utah
29	Brooklyn Nets (via Hawks)	Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas
30	Golden State Warriors	Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky

The outlook for the top of the draft didn't drastically change because of the lottery. Since there wasn't a massive shake-up in the top three, the top two post players are still slated to come off the board first, followed by the top two guards.

Things should begin to stabilize in the weeks leading up to the draft. If the Minnesota Timberwolves tip their hand as to what direction they plan to go, then at least the first four picks should fall into place. But they may keep other teams guessing until draft night on June 25.

For now, let's check out the top three selections following the lottery placement.

Post-Lottery Top Picks

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

Towns is the most intriguing prospect in the class. He's not quite as polished as fellow top-pick contender Jahlil Okafor, but he's got all the tools to become a superstar in the NBA. It all starts with a terrific combination of size, strength and athleticism.

Minnesota would be getting a player who's capable of making an instant impact alongside its budding core. Most likely, he'll be a defensive force and secondary offensive weapon at the outset. As he develops his low-post game, he'll take that leap to a franchise cornerstone.

Of course, there's always at least some risk associated with banking on potential. The T-Wolves could opt for Okafor, who sports a lower ceiling but higher floor, if they wanted to play it safe. Jay Williams of ESPN doesn't think that's going to happen:

Minnesota can afford to wait a few seasons for Towns to reach his peak. Adding him to a group that already features Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio and Shabazz Muhammad, among others, would paint an extremely positive picture for the future.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

The Lakers remain caught in the middle. They would love to contend for another championship before the Kobe Bryant era ends, but this past season shows the roster needs a lot of work. Winning the second pick in the lottery is a major boost to the process.

Okafor is a fundamentally strong post player. He already possesses a wide variety of moves to create clean looks on the block and is a good distributor when it comes to finding open shooters on the perimeter. He's a player who fits the billing of NBA-ready.

He can pair with Julius Randle to give the Lakers a promising frontcourt duo. They aren't overly flashy but they are two players capable of filling their role really well. Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports thinks it's an ideal match:

"

Lakers are going to get a terrific, terrific building block in Jahlil Okafor, most likely. Perfect for them.

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) May 20, 2015"

If the Wolves decide to take Okafor, Los Angeles would gladly scoop up Towns instead. Either way, the Lakers are getting an interior presence with a long NBA career. The Duke product would help more if the team is still hoping for an immediate turnaround, though.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

The 76ers have embraced a full rebuild. It takes a lot of patience from the front office to go through the effort of completely retooling a roster. But the long-term results can be worth the wait once everything comes together. Russell would be another major step in the right direction.

Philadelphia is hoping Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel can be its frontcourt duo for a long time to come. The perimeter still needs some work, though. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA TV notes the Ohio State standout is confident he'll shine at the next level:

Russell is a combo guard. Although he's got the go-to scoring ability to play the 2, a little more ball-handling consistency would allow him to play point guard in the NBA. He's the type of dynamic player a team will really want to have the ball as much as possible if he can cut down on the turnovers.

While the top two picks could flip before draft day, this one seems far more certain. Unless the front office becomes completely enamored with Emmanuel Mudiay, Russell will be the pick. And he can help push the rebuild one giant step closer to completion.