NBA Mock Draft 2015: Round 1 Predictions, Prospects Who May Drop Out of Lottery

Before you know it, the 2015 NBA draft will be here and we'll be settling in for the last bit of basketball until baseball takes over for the summer. The June 25 draft is just a few weeks away and soon enough you'll be inundated with mock drafts and experts breaking down prospects all over the TV.

But everyone loves a good mock draft, so let's have a look at how the first round could shake out. As a bonus, we'll break down a couple prospects who are floating around the lottery in some mocks but could drop out of the top 14 come draft day.

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

Cameron Payne

Our first player who could slide is Murray State point guard Cameron Payne. Payne is currently the 11th-ranked player on ESPN draft guru Chad Ford's big board, but that doesn't necessarily mean Payne will go that high.

To begin with, Payne is slightly undersized for an NBA point guard. At 6'2" and 183 pounds, Payne would surely get pushed around by some of the bigger guards (Russell Westbrook springs to mind) in the league. 

In addition, point guard has become one of the deepest positions in the league over the past few seasons. Most of the teams in the late lottery area where Payne would go already have an established point guard and may balk at using such a high pick on a potential backup.

However, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports and Serena Winters of Lakers Nation report, a few teams with high draft picks will be working out Payne in the coming days.

Also, Ian Begley of ESPN reports the New York Knicks are interested in Payne. It's unreasonable to think any of these teams would take Payne in the top 10, but the Lakers have a second first-rounder and, as Begley points out, the Knicks might trade down: "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."

But as Ford points out in a "Journey to the Draft" video, Payne isn't a very explosive athlete. It's hard to get by at this level without elite athleticism, and combined with the fact that Payne didn't play against high-level competition in college, a draft-day plunge isn't out of the question.

Frank Kaminsky

Another player with the potential to descend out of the lottery is Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky. We have him just out of the lottery at 17th overall to the Bucks.

At first glance, Kaminsky is the type of forward that can stick in today's NBA. He has the size (7'1") and shooting ability (41.6 percent from three his senior year) to be a stretch forward in a league that is valuing the three ball more and more.

However, as Ford explains on his big board, Kaminsky was the only player measured at the NBA combine whose wingspan was shorter than his height. What Ford described as "T-Rex status" could hinder Kaminsky defensively at the next level.

And much like Payne, Kaminsky doesn't have the elite athleticism you'd want out of an NBA forward. Can he be an above-average bench and rotation player for a contender? Absolutely, but lottery teams may want to get a potential starter out of their first pick.

Certainly both of these players could end up in the lottery; it only takes one team to like them enough to pick them. But based on how their games translate to the next level, you may see them going later in the first round.