NBA Draft 2015: Round 1 Mock Draft Examining Teams Facing Toughest Decisions

Possessing a prominent first-round pick carries a double-edged sword for NBA squads.

Adding a top prospect to the fold is awesome, but lottery teams can't afford to whiff on their selections. Even a successful player or two outside of the superstar stratosphere isn't enough to change a franchise's fortunes, but a complete blunder makes them all too likely to fall into the same predicament next year.

Several organizations with lottery picks will face excruciating dilemmas June 25. Do they target team needs or the best player available? Who's the best player available anyway? Should they plan for immediate improvements or shoot for the stars?  

Two weeks before the draft, these teams have a lot to ponder. Maybe this latest mock draft will help:

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	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	Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia
10	Miami Heat	Myles Turner, PF, Texas
11	Indiana Pacers	Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
12	Utah Jazz	Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
13	Phoenix Suns	Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
15	Atlanta Hawks (from Nets)	Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
16	Boston Celtics	Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
17	Milwaukee Bucks	Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
18	Houston Rockets (from Pelicans)	Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
19	Washington Wizards	Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
20	Toronto Raptors	Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV
21	Dallas Mavericks	R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
22	Chicago Bulls	Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
23	Portland Trail Blazers	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
24	Cleveland Cavaliers	Jarell Martin, PF, LSU
25	Memphis Grizzlies	Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
26	San Antonio Spurs	Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville
27	Los Angeles Lakers (from Rockets)	Robert Upshaw, C, Washington
28	Boston Celtics (from Clippers)	Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
29	Brooklyn Nets (from Hawks)	Delon Wright, PG, Utah
30	Golden State Warriors	Christian Wood, PF, UNLV

4. New York Knicks

The lottery gods punished the New York Knicks by pushing them down to No. 4, shunning them from coveted big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor. Unless the Philadelphia 76ers surprise everyone and don't take D'Angelo Russell, the Knicks have a few different paths to pursue.

Since this is New York, rumors have run rampant on how team president Phil Jackson will proceed. He could pawn it off for a veteran, trade down or perhaps both.

The club is reportedly intrigued by prospects projected to go far below its spot. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News said the Knicks are "enamored" with Kentucky forward Trey Lyles, who went No. 15 in ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman's latest mock draft. 

Teammate Willie Cauley-Stein also remains a candidate often linked to the Big Apple, but ESPN.com's Ian Begley reported the team's heavier interest in Murray State's Cameron Payne:

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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.

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For a normal franchise, the decision is actually an easy one. Take Emmanuel Mudiay, an athletic point guard who spent the year honing his craft in China. Although he lacks perimeter shooting, he's an explosive scorer and distributor with the highest ceiling of New York's likely options.

6. Sacramento Kings

Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Since the universe revolves around the dysfunctional Knicks, they'll absorb all of the attention despite other teams facing a similar conundrum behind them. At pick No. 6, the Sacramento Kings won't see a no-brainer choice on the board.

For the Orlando Magic—a hodgepodge of young talent lacking in shooting—Kristaps Porzingis makes all the sense in the world. If they're down on the lanky Latvian big man, they could instead jump for Croatian sharpshooter Mario Hezonja.

Mudiay would compound Orlando's spacing problems alongside Elfrid Payton and Victor Oladipo, so Sacramento could steal him if New York passes. Assuming the Knicks come to their senses, the Kings will decide between Cauley-Stein, Justise Winslow and the international star Orlando doesn't take.

Winslow, another option for New York and possibly even Orlando, would present the best player available. Duke's two-way forward seized the spotlight from Okafor during the NCAA tournament, and Sacramento needs help all around the court.

Although Cauley-Stein's impact restricts to the defensive side, the big-time perimeter presence would complement scoring behemoth DeMarcus Cousins perfectly. According to ESPN's Ryen Russillo, Cousins supports that sentiment:

Do the Kings make their star happy and fit a team need, or do they instead select an all-around contributor better equipped to strive in today's NBA? Neither is a bad choice, but Cauley-Stein gives them a deadly frontcourt.

10. Miami Heat

Unlike the nine teams picking ahead of them, the Miami Heat can smell contention. If they retain Goran Dragic while keeping their veterans healthy and Hassan Whiteside consistent, the No. 10 pick could participate in meaningful playoff basketball.

With contention close, Miami may eye NBA-ready prospects able to simply fill a role. Then again, the organization also needs youth with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Luol Deng all north of 30. 

As team president Pat Riley told the Palm Beach Post's Jason Lieser, a wing player is ideal, but not a necessity if a better alternative presents itself.

“I’m not saying the perimeter is what needs to be filled,” Riley said. “We’re going to take the best player that’s available unless there’s somebody there who we really like at a specific position.”

If Hezonja or Arizona's Stanley Johnson falls to him, great. Otherwise, no need to reach for Kansas' Kelly Oubre or Sam Dekker, who enhanced his stock during Wisconsin's tournament run. The polarizing Whiteside remains far from a safe bet, and Bosh received a serious health scare in February with blood clots on his lung.

Myles Turner meets all these factors in the middle. Although the 19-year-old isn't a perimeter player, the big man can shoot, offering a stretch power forward off the bench. While Frank Kaminsky would deliver a more immediate impact, Turner brandishes the much higher ceiling with a mid-range jumper that makes him playable from the start.