NBA Draft 2015: Updated Mock Draft After Latest Prospect Workouts
We're now less than two weeks away from the NBA draft, and players are starting to emerge as hot names to watch as June 25 draws nearer.
Last weekend, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reported that Jarell Martin has a first-round promise and will shut down the rest of his workouts. According to Keith Pompey of Philly.com, D'Angelo Russell canceled his workout with the 76ers because he was sick. It is yet to be determined if Russell will reschedule.
Then, a somewhat unknown player made his case as a top-five pick. Kristaps Porzingis, a 19-year-old Latvian 7-footer, blew scouts away at a workout and immediately shot up draft boards. According to Tim Cato of SB Nation, Marc Stein of ESPN said Porzingis was in play at No. 2 or 3.
As impressive as Porzingis was, it's hard to fully gauge a player's talent when he's essentially playing against air. But either way, Porzingis appears to have a high ceiling and could end up being a steal if he falls to the second half of the top 10.
After the latest crop of workouts, let's update our mock draft and see how these workouts could affect teams' big boards.
| 1. Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony-Towns, F/C, Kentucky |
| 2. Los Angeles Lakers | D'Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State |
| 3. Philadelphia 76ers | Emmanuel Mudiay, G, DR of the Congo |
| 4. New York Knicks | Jahlil Okafor, F/C, Duke |
| 5. Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow, G/F, Duke |
| 6. Sacramento Kings | Kristaps Porzingis, F/C, Latvia |
| 7. Denver Nuggets | Willie Cauley-Stein, F/C, Kentucky |
| 8. Detroit Pistons | Myles Turner, F/C, Texas |
| 9. Charlotte Hornets | Mario Hezonja, F, Croatia |
| 10. Miami Heat | Devin Booker, G, Kentucky |
| 11. Indiana Pacers | Trey Lyles, F, Kentucky |
| 12. Utah Jazz | Stanley Johnson, F, Arizona |
| 13. Phoenix Suns | Bobby Portis, F, Arkansas |
| 14. Oklahoma City Thunder | Kelly Oubre, F, Kansas |
| 15. Atlanta Hawks | R.J. Hunter, G, Georgia State |
| 16. Boston Celtics | Jarell Martin, F, LSU |
| 17. Milwaukee Bucks | Jerian Grant, G, Notre Dame |
| 18. Houston Rockets | Tyus Jones, G, Duke |
| 19. Washington Wizards | Sam Dekker, F, Wisconsin |
| 20. Toronto Raptors | Frank Kaminsky, F/C, Wisconsin |
| 21. Dallas Mavericks | Cameron Payne, G, Murray State |
| 22. Chicago Bulls | Rashad Vaughn, G, UNLV |
| 23. Portland Trail-Blazers | Montrezl Harrell, F, Louisville |
| 24. Cleveland Cavaliers | Delon Wright, G, Utah |
| 25. Memphis Grizzlies | Kevon Looney, F, UCLA |
| 26. San Antonio Spurs | Chris McCullough, F, Syracuse |
| 27. Los Angeles Lakers | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, F, Arizona |
| 28. Boston Celtics | Justin Anderson, F, Virginia |
| 29. Brooklyn Nets | Terry Rozier, G, Louisville |
| 30. Golden State Warriors | Rakeem Christmas, F/C, Syracuse |
The biggest change comes in the top two. We now have the Los Angeles Lakers going with Russell at second overall, choosing a potential franchise point guard over a big man. The Philadelphia 76ers go with Emmanuel Mudiay at No. 3 because of their need for a point guard as well.
That leaves the New York Knicks falling over themselves to hand in their selection of Jahlil Okafor at No. 4. We have the Sacramento Kings as the team that ends up rolling the dice on Porzingis, as he could form a potent inside-out forward combo with Boogie Cousins.
Some other highlights include the Boston Celtics taking Martin after missing out on Bobby Portis and Frank Kaminsky sliding to the Toronto Raptors at 20th overall.
Lastly, we have the San Antonio Spurs rolling the dice with Chris McCullough, the Syracuse forward who tore his ACL 16 games into his freshman season. That could turn out to be another stroke of genius by one of the league's best franchises.
McCullough is considered a lottery talent, but his injury history and his lack of a body of work are concerning. So, who better than the Spurs to take McCullough and let him heal? He can learn from Tim Duncan and then step in after Duncan hangs it up.
It's a low-risk, high-reward proposition for the Spurs, who could end up with a talented young player with minimal investment. If it isn't the Spurs, expect a team to take McCullough somewhere in the late first round to try to strike oil down the road.
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