2015 NBA Draft: Latest Order and Mock Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects
For as much time as everyone invests in scouting and talking about the top players in the draft—regardless of sport—the first couple of picks almost never hold any drama.
In the NHL draft this year, Connor McDavid is going to go with the first pick, and Jack Eichel with the second. No questions asked. That's just how it is going to happen. Nice and easy, albeit a little bit boring.
The NBA is no different, with the top two picks being all but decided before the draft has even kicked off.
Karl-Anthony Towns is going to be a superstar and could be one of the most entertaining players selected in the draft this year, but he is going to the Minnesota Timberwolves with the first pick. No doubt there. Jahlil Okafor has a chance to slide out of the No. 2 spot, but at worst, he slips to third.
But while Towns and Okafor might as well start searching for apartments in Minneapolis and Los Angeles, respectively, there are a wealth of players who have a much wider range of teams they could go to and will be anxiously waiting to hear their name called to see where they end up.
Here are a few players who could could rise or fall to a number of different teams in Thursday's draft.
| Pick | Team | Player |
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C, Kentucky |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | D’Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State |
| 4 | New York Knicks | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow, SF, Duke |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Mario Hezonja, SG, Croatia |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Frank Kaminsky, F/C, Wisconsin |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Myles Turner, C, Texas |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (via BKN) | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | Kelly Oubre Jr., SF, Kansas |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 18 | Houston Rockets | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Justin Anderson, SG, Virginia |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Delon Wright, PG, Utah |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Jarell Martin, PF, LSU |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (via HOU) | Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville |
| 28 | Boston Celtics | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via ATL) | Rakeem Christmas, PF/C, Syracuse |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse |
Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
While the biggest storyline surrounding the former Kentucky center might be which name to put on the graphic when he is inevitably selected Thursday night—Willie Cauley-Stein is how everybody knows him, but that pesky Trill he added is a dark horse to make an appearance—perhaps no superstar will shape the draft more than Cauley-Stein.
A defensive beast and a freak athlete who has a higher ceiling on the offensive end than most appreciate, Cauley-Stein fits the mold most teams are looking for in the modern-day center. He doesn't have to score like Shaquille O'Neal as long as there is a strong defensive base to work with:
With projections for Cauley-Stein ranging from the top five to the very end of the lottery, there is no predicting what kind of situation he ends up in. He could be anything from a franchise player to the final piece that makes a team into a contender depending on where his final destination is.
If he does manage to slide out of the top 10 while continuing to develop on the offensive end of the floor, Cauley-Stein could be the steal of the draft. He has an incredibly high ceiling and, at worst, will turn into a defensive monster and one of the few players his size capable of handling the switches the Golden State Warriors made so popular this season.
The way things are trending, it looks like Cauley-Stein is going to slide out of the top 10, albeit not too far. With the No. 11 pick, the Indiana Pacers are a good fit for the young center who could take some time to develop behind Roy Hibbert or possibly start depending on what goes on in free agency.
Prediction: Willie Cauley-Stein to the Indiana Pacers at No. 11
Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, Wisconsin
Even as the player of the year in college basketball last year, Frank Kaminsky didn't carry a lot of hype heading into Thursday night's draft.
That was until rumors started going around that the New York Knicks—who are also one of the likeliest teams to trade away their top pick—were considering taking Kaminsky with the fourth pick, per Sean Deveney of Sporting News.
While this would be ridiculous and hilarious all at the same time, it needs to happen for one reason and one reason only: Imagine these dance moves in the New York club scene and try not to smile:
Despite the amazing fit between these two, chances are Kaminsky won't be heading to the Knicks unless they trade down, which opens the door for a number of teams near the end of the lottery.
Helping to carry Wisconsin to the national title game this past season, Kaminsky won nearly every award available in college basketball and showed a versatility on the offensive end that makes him a highly sought-after commodity in the draft:
The Utah Jazz at No. 12 would be a great fit for Kaminsky, who would complement their defensive-powered big man duo with his NBA-ready offense and ability to stretch the floor.
Prediction: Frank Kaminsky to the Utah Jazz at No. 12
Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
Scouts aren't questioning much about the ability of Cameron Payne heading into the draft.
The only real question is how much his school impacts where he goes in the draft. While at Murray State, Payne was one of the more dominant players in college basketball, averaging 20.2 points and six assists per game but did so against less than stellar competition:
Games against Austin Peay and Tennessee State don't exactly compare to facing teams like Duke or Kentucky, which is why certain teams will be a little gun-shy when it comes to selecting Payne.
With a top-10 talent and one of the best offensive games among point guards in the draft, Payne could go anywhere in the lottery but looks like he might see a slide on draft night that drops him to No. 14, where the Oklahoma City Thunder will be waiting with arms open.
It might feel like a bit of a waste to let a player as talented as Payne sit on the bench for large portions of the game, but despite having Russell Westbrook already, the Thunder look like a great fit for the point guard.
He would provide enough of a change from Westbrook while bringing a big scoring flare of his own to make one of the best offenses in the league even tougher to stop.
Prediction: Cameron Payne to the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 14
