2015 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Most Intriguing Prospects

The 2015 NBA draft is rapidly approaching and the clock is beginning to tick as the Minnesota Timberwolves are on the clock.

This year's crop of talent features an array of intriguing players from top to bottom. There are the presumptive top three picks in players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D'Angelo Russell, as well as traditional risers and fallers.

Some of the risers have been mocked from the very mysterious No. 4 selection all the way to the middle and late portion of the first round. Among those players are Cameron Payne, Willie Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker, Frank Kaminsky and Emmanuel Mudiay.

Here is a mock draft of the first round, which will take place on June 25. This mock excludes potential trades.

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

Payne Quickly Escalating As One of Draft’s Top Point Guards 

Murray State’s Cameron Payne has continually been mentioned as one of the draft’s top point guards. The prospect has long been climbing up draft boards and has now been connected to the New York Knicks, who hold the No. 4 overall pick.

Payne, once linked to the Oklahoma City Thunder at pick No. 14 by Chad Ford of ESPN, may not even be around by the time they’re on the clock.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN, the Knicks “will take a strong look” at Payne next week.

In drafting Payne, considered a player who should come off the board in the middle portion of the first round, the Knicks could theoretically move out of the fourth overall pick to land him:

"

League sources with knowledge of the team's thinking say the Knicks are doing more than their due diligence by working out Payne; they are “serious” about considering him in the draft, those sources say.

Payne is widely viewed as a player who will be taken in the middle-to-late first round. So the Knicks’ interest in Payne and, to a lesser degree, their interest in Willie Cauley-Stein, is a sign that they are at least considering trading down from No. 4.

"

The Knicks have a glaring need at point guard with Jose Calderon the presumptive starter coming off an egregious first year in New York. If the team were to stand pat at No. 4, Emmanuel Mudiay would likely be an option, particularly if point guard is the position they’re looking to upgrade.

There have been so many reports out of New York linking the Knicks to a multitude of players, it doesn’t sound as if they’re too convinced about Mudiay. If they prefer Payne or Cauley-Stein, they would be wise to trade out of the spot and take a prospect they’re more comfortable with and do so later in the first round.

Cauley-Stein Among Most Coveted Players

If the Knicks don’t make a move for Cauley-Stein, expect plenty of other teams to be ready to pounce.

The former Kentucky big man has been drawing plenty of interest from teams across the league, so much so that it would be unlikely he isn’t a top-10 selection.

In fact, in his latest news and notes column, Ford said it’s unlikely Cauley-Stein lasts past the No. 6 overall pick:

"

Cauley-Stein still remains a bit of an enigma as we head into the last few weeks before the draft. He's getting looks from teams as high as the New York Knicks at No. 4. And it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could still be on the board in the late lottery.

I wouldn't be shocked if the Knicks grab him at No. 4 or the Kings at No. 6. He fits a major need for both teams.

"

This, of course, is barring a major trade-up by other potentially interested teams like the Boston Celtics, who, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, have had their eyes on Cauley-Stein for quite some time now. The issue is whether the Celtics have enough ammunition to move from pick No. 16 down to No. 4 or 6.

Cauley-Stein makes sense for the Knicks, who also need to address their frontcourt and could use a defensive force in the middle. If he lasts to Sacramento, he’d team up with DeMarcus Cousins to create a very, very dangerous frontcourt tandem.

Mudiay a Big Unknown with Major Upside

While it appears as if the first three picks of the draft have been all but decided, the No. 4 pick and Mudiay remain a mystery.

Mudiay, who spent his first year out of high school playing abroad in China, is one of the most intriguing NBA prospects in the draft.

Mudiay will work out for the Knicks on Tuesday, according to Begley, then meet with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, which all pick before New York on June 25.

At 6'5", 200 pounds, Mudiay has immense size to be an NBA point guard. He’s build to drive to the rim and add a strong defensive presence for whatever backcourt he’s a part of next season. 

If the Knicks don’t make the move to nab Mudiay with the fourth pick, he probably won’t have to wait much longer to hear his name called.

Mudiay’s wait won’t last past the Kings at No. 6, according to Sean Deveny of Sporting News, who added the biggest question mark about the prospect is what kind of player he might turn out to be:

"

Of course, Mudiay probably will go higher [than No. 6]. He’s been among those mentioned as a potential No. 1 pick this year, though the guard-heavy Timberwolves are expected to go big with the top choice. After that, the Lakers, Sixers and Knicks picking second, third and fourth will be in the Mudiay mix. 

The issue is that no one can quite say what sort of player Mudiay might be in the NBA. In terms of his game, he draws comparisons to John Wall and Derrick Rose — the kind of defense-collapsing, hard-driving point guard that has risen to the fore in the modern NBA.

"

Mudiay makes sense from a position standpoint for the Knicks, but the team cannot risk taking a swing and missing on a player that does not pan out. That makes it less likely they roll the dice on Mudiay instead of going after Cauley-Stein or trading back for Payne.

Kaminsky Offers Unconventional Skill Set at Center

This season’s Player of the Year, Frank Kaminsky has all of the natural basketball ability to be an NBA-caliber center. The bigger issue is what team he’d best fit in with.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The former Wisconsin standout was the driving force in the Badgers’ trip to the NCAA championship, which included the first and only loss handed to Kentucky on the year. In addition to his size (7'1") and ability to score in the paint, he has excellent range from the three-point line and can be a force from all over the court. 

Teams looking for a true center may not be clamoring for Kaminsky, whose rare combination of size and shooting prowess makes for an unconventional big man and perhaps a better fit at the 4.

We mocked Kaminsky to the Phoenix Suns with the 13th overall pick. Phoenix already has Alex Len in place at center, so the team could utilize the two 7-footers on the court together since they have different skill sets.

Len, the more traditional big man, can guard down low and be a rebounder while Kaminsky provides offense with his mid-range and long-range game. When Len is not on the floor, Kaminsky can also fill in as a true 5.

Booker in the Running for Best Shooter in the Draft

In breaking down Kentucky players’ workouts, Ford labeled Booker as one of the draft’s top scorers and perhaps the best of the class: "Booker is competing for the title of best shooter in the draft. He's supremely confident that he should hold the title, as any good shooter should be. You don't want your sharpshooters to be wallflowers."

That has been evident in the former Kentucky shooting guard’s recent workouts, in which he drained 16 of his 25 three-point attempts from NBA range. 

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Booker has worked out for the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns, and will do the same for the Miami Heat, per Ford, who names all of those teams plus the Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz as teams that make sense as potential landing spots.

We pegged Booker as the No. 9 pick in the draft to Charlotte. The Hornets made the splash in free agency an offseason ago to sign Lance Stephenson, who plays the same position but whose numbers did not meet the expectations of the organization.

Stephenson is a player who has been floated out as a potential trading chip since January, when Tim Bontemps of the New York Post reported the Nets and Hornets had discussed a deal. Drafting Booker with the team’s first-round pick makes Stephenson that much more expendable, too.

Booker would be a fine addition to the Hornets backcourt alongside Kemba Walker and a frontcourt comprised off Al Jefferson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for a team that advanced to the playoffs just a year ago.