NBA Draft 2016: Date, Selection Order, Lottery Predictions and Top Prospects
The 2016 NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, is still over two months away, but the NBA's regular-season conclusion on Wednesday night provided just a bit more clarity regarding the order in which teams will pick when the annual spectacle rolls around.
And while the draft lottery still needs to take place on May 17 to determine how the first 14 picks will progress, odds for teams that missed out on the postseason became official in advance of next month's ping-pong ball spectacular.
But before breaking down which prospects could land where come draft night, here's a look at which teams will have the best chance to finish with the top pick.
| 1 | Philadelphia 76ers | 25.0% | 64.3% |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers (Top-3 Protected) | 19.9% | 55.8% |
| 3 | Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn Nets) | 15.6% | 46.9% |
| 4 | Phoenix Suns | 11.9% | 37.8% |
| 5 | Minnesota Timebrwolves | 8.8% | 29.1% |
| 6 | New Orleans Pelicans | 6.3% | 21.5% |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks) | 3.6% | 12.7% |
| 8 | Toronto Raptors (via Denver Nuggets) | 3.5% | 12.3% |
| 9 | Sacramento Kings | 1.7% | 6.1% |
| 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | 1.1% | 4.0% |
| 11 | Orlando Magic | 0.8% | 2.9% |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| 13 | Washington Wizards | 0.6% | 2.2% |
| 14 | Chicago Bulls | 0.5% | 1.8% |
| 15 | Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets) | ----- | ----- |
| 16 | Boston Celtics (via Dallas Mavericks) | ----- | ----- |
| 17 | Memphis Grizzlies | ----- | ----- |
| 18 | Denver Nuggets (via Portland Trail Blazers) | ----- | ----- |
| 19 | Detroit Pistons | ----- | ----- |
| 20 | Indiana Pacers | ----- | ----- |
| 21 | Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami Heat) | ----- | ----- |
| 22 | Boston Celtics | ----- | ----- |
| 23 | Atlanta Hawks | ----- | ----- |
| 24 | Charlotte Hornets | ----- | ----- |
| 25 | Los Angeles Clippers | ----- | ----- |
| 26 | Philadelphia 76ers (via OKC Thunder) | ----- | ----- |
| 27 | Toronto Raptors | ----- | ----- |
| 28 | Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland Cavaliers) | ----- | ----- |
| 29 | San Antonio Spurs | ----- | ----- |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | ----- | ----- |
2016 NBA Draft Basics
Date: Thursday, June 23
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Projected Lottery Picks
| 1 | Philadelphia 76ers | Brandon Ingram, F, Duke |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Ben Simmons, F, LSU |
| 3 | Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn Nets) | Buddy Hield, SG/SF, Oklahoma |
| 4 | Phoenix Suns | Dragan Bender, PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 5 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Kris Dunn, G, Providence |
| 6 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks) | Jaylen Brown, SF, California |
| 8 | Toronto Raptors (via Denver Nuggets) | Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah |
| 9 | Sacramento Kings | Demetrius Jackson, G, Notre Dame |
| 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | Henry Ellenson, PF, Marquette |
| 11 | Orlando Magic | Denzel Valentine, G/F, Michigan State |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Timothe Luwawu, G/F, Mega Leks |
| 13 | Washington Wizards | Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Kentucky |
| 14 | Chicago Bulls | Ivan Rabb, PF, California |
Top Prospects
Brandon Ingram, F, Duke
There's no telling what the Philadelphia 76ers will do now that Sam Hinkie is gone and Bryan Colangelo is in charge of the team's personnel decisions, but the way the roster is currently constructed begs for the team to target Duke forward Brandon Ingram should the team wind up with the top pick.
With big men Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid all in the fold, the Sixers desperately need a wing player who can score on and off the ball and operate as the team's primary scorer.
Enter Ingram, who averaged 17.3 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from three during his lone season at Duke.
"Ingram flashed a lot of potential as a one-on-one shot-creator, scoring 0.94 points per possession to [Kevin] Durant’s 0.88 in isolation situations," The Vertical's Mike Schmitz wrote. "Ingram’s shooting stroke sets up the drive, and he has very advanced footwork for his level of development."
The Sixers owned the NBA's worst offense during the 2015-16 season, according to NBA.com. Ingram could help alleviate several of the woes that plagued them thanks to his scoring capabilities in catch-and-shoot, post-up and dribble-drive sets.
Ben Simmons, F, LSU
Should the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a position to pick LSU forward Ben Simmons, they shouldn't think twice about it.
The Purple and Gold have done a nice job of drafting playmakers like D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle over the past few years, but they could certainly use a point forward of Simmons' ilk to help diversify their offerings.
The 19-year-old Australian averaged an outrageous 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists as a freshman, and his ability to carve up opposing defenses at 6'10'' could make him one of the league's most unique players upon arrival, according to DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony:
"Simmons' best traits in the half-court revolves around his tremendous ball-handling and passing ability, as he has outstanding court vision and a knack for finding open teammates with bullet passes. He's one of just five players (Luke Walton, Danny Ferry, Nick Thompson and Jerald Honeycutt) in our extensive NCAA database to average over 5 assists per-40 minutes while standing 6'9 or taller, and is the only one to do so as a freshman.
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Concerns regarding Simmons' jumper are real, though. According to Hoop-Math.com, Simmons shot 32.9 percent on two-point jump shots last season, and he attempted a grand total of three shots from beyond the arc.
Now, part of that has to do with his ability to drive to the cup seemingly at will—he made 75.2 percent of his shots at the rim, per Hoop-Math—but his reluctance to hoist jumpers when defenses went under screens was evident all season long.
However, a shaky jumper is no reason to shy away from Simmons at this point. His rare blend of skills is among the most unique the draft has seen in years, and he already has an ally donning purple and gold in Russell.
"We're real close friends," Russell said of Simmons, per Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding. "[When we talk] it's obvious: 'Oh, man, I hope you come here.'"
Kris Dunn, G, Providence
Providence point guard Kris Dunn looks the part of a modern NBA point guard at an imposing 6'4'' and 205 pounds, and his ability to bully players on both ends of the floor should send him skyrocketing up draft boards.
As a senior, Dunn averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 assists and 2.5 steals—making him the only player in the country last season who met those statistical benchmarks, according to Sports-Reference.com.
And while Dunn's mid-range jump shot is still a work in progress, he displayed a knack for slicing to the rim and finishing through contact to the tune of a 62.6 percent conversion rate at the rim, per Hoop-Math.
What's more encouraging: Dunn shot a personal-best 37.2 percent from three while jacking up a career-high 3.4 long-range attempts per game last season.
The electric floor general still needs to fine-tune several components of his wide-ranging arsenal, but the 22-year-old is without question one of the most complete players this year's draft has to offer.
