NBA Draft 2016: Latest 1st-Round Mock Draft with Regular Season Completed
Welcome to the most interesting time of the NBA calendar.
Kobe Bryant is gone. The playoffs will decide a champion. So too will the postseason define the future as Kevin Durant heads to free agency this summer, Dwight Howard might leave Houston and guys like Carmelo Anthony in New York and LeBron James somewhere (kidding, sort of) look to craft can't-beat teams to contend with Golden State.
Coinciding with the end of the regular season and playoff bracket is the race to the 2016 draft, which weighs just as heavily in the future hierarchy of the league as scouts from all teams brush up on their homework.
With an order based on the standings now that the regular season is over, here's an updated look at a mock draft based on team need, prospect stock and much more.
2016 NBA Mock Draft
| 1. | Philadelphia 76ers | F Ben Simmons, LSU |
| 2. | Los Angeles Lakers | SF Brandon Ingram, Duke |
| 3. | Boston Celtics (via BKN) | SF Jaylen Brown, California |
| 4. | Phoenix Suns | SG Buddy Hield, Oklahoma |
| 5. | Minnesota Timberwolves | PF Dragan Bender, Croatia |
| 6. | New Orleans Pelicans | SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky |
| 7. | Denver Nuggets (via NYK) | C Jakob Poeltl, Utah |
| 8. | Toronto Raptors (via DEN) | PF Henry Ellenson, Marquette |
| 9. | Sacramento Kings | PG Kris Dunn, Providence |
| 10. | Milwaukee Bucks | C Diamond Stone, Maryland |
| 11. | Orlando Magic | PF/C Deyonta Davis, Michigan State |
| 12. | Utah Jazz | PF Ivan Rabb, California |
| 13. | Phoenix Suns (via WAS) | C Thon Maker, Orangeville Prep |
| 14. | Chicago Bulls | SG Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey |
| 15. | Denver Nuggets (via HOU) | G Tyler Ulis, Kentucky |
| 16. | Boston Celtics (via DAL) | SG Timothe Luwawu, France |
| 17. | Memphis Grizzlies | G Caris LeVert, Michigan |
| 18. | Denver Nuggets (via POR) | PG Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame |
| 19. | Detroit Pistons | SG Denzel Valentine, Michigan State |
| 20. | Indiana Pacers | F Marquese Chriss, Washington |
| 21. | Philadelphia 76ers (via MIA) | SG Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia |
| 22. | Boston Celtics | PF Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga |
| 23. | Atlanta Hawks | C Damian Jones, Vanderbilt |
| 24. | Charlotte Hornets | PF Brice Johnson, North Carolina |
| 25. | Los Angeles Clippers | C Skal Labissiere, Kentucky |
| 26. | Philadelphia 76ers (via OKC) | F Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida |
| 27. | Toronto Raptors | F Paul Zipser, Germany |
| 28. | Phoenix Suns (via CLE) | F Taurean Prince, Baylor |
| 29. | San Antonio Spurs | PG Wade Baldwin IV, Vanderbilt |
| 30. | Golden State Warriors | C Stephen Zimmerman, UNLV |
Notable Picks After Regular Season
2. Los Angeles Lakers: SF Brandon Ingram, Duke
The Los Angeles Lakers couldn't have picked a better time to move on from Bryant.
Likely to land a top pick, the Lakers sit in a strong position to nab Duke's Brandon Ingram, one of the most sought-after recruits in years after his averages of 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman.
At 6'9" and 190 pounds, Ingram has the insane upside that has many dreaming up epic scenarios for the Lakers, such as one posted by Fox Sports' Greg Biggins:
In all seriousness, though, Ingram is the type of star prospect the Lakers desperately need on a team with young role players such as D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. That's not a slight on those two—but it's been rather quiet from both so far.
Adding Ingram gives the Lakers a nice young core that will develop together for a few years. Maybe such a core woos a big name such as Durant to town. But if not, teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves continue to show that young cores going without big-name free agents can flash major playoff upside in the future.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: PF Dragan Bender, Croatia
Speaking of the Timberwolves, the rich only get richer here if the team can nail down Dragan Bender in the top 10.
Minnesota already has an incredible young core in place that flashed down the stretch to close the season. Ricky Rubio isn't the surest thing to stick around for a long time, but the team has Zach LaVine off the bench, Andrew Wiggins playing multiple spots and Karl-Anthony Towns looking like a surefire stud underneath the basket.
Placing Bender next to Towns only puts things over the top. The Timberwolves have a nice role player in Gorgui Dieng next to KAT, but adding the 7'1", 216-pound Bender who can play three different spots and space the floor would only help KAT.
In fact, much of this should sound familiar to those who paid last year's draft any mind. An ESPN.com scouting writeup from November should help ring a few bells:
"With Kristaps Porzingis making the Lakers and Sixers second-guess passing on him in the draft and Nikola Mirotic moving into the starting lineup in Chicago, big Euros who can play multiple positions and stretch the floor are back in fashion. And some scouts believe that the athletic, versatile Bender could end up being better than Porzingis and Mirotic.
"
While it's hard to say Bender will turn out better than Kristaps Porzingis, it sure wouldn't hurt for the Timberwolves to take a stab and find out.
Worst case, the team gets yet another versatile young player who can grow with the core and perhaps develop the unit into a cohesive playoff contender.
13. Phoenix Suns (via WAS): C Thon Maker, Orangeville Prep
Thon Maker is the most notable name in the draft class right now.
He'll remain there, too. Maker has declared for the draft, and the Association has made a decision, declaring him eligible, according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford. In other words, it's important to include Maker in any and all discussions from here on out because players like him don't come around often.
Players like him as in a guy who stands at 7'1" but runs the court like a point guard and dominates the paint with his athleticism.
The globe seems split on whether Maker, well, makes it into the lottery. Some think upside puts him there, though others have cautioned against some of the problems he may face when the draft process begins.
Ford wrote about some of these: "However, it's also possible that he's physically and emotionally overwhelmed when matched up against the elite talent he'll be competing with in workouts. Most or all of them will have the kind of college experience that could make them readier and more polished."
It makes sense, then, that a team with multiple picks in the first round would take the risk on Maker. Look at the Phoenix Suns in this scenario after pairing Buddy Hield with Devin Booker—why not get an eventual Tyson Chandler replacement?
Maker won't be ready to contribute next season. Down in the desert, that's just fine while the team molds a young core that is bursting at the seams with talent. When he is ready, the Western Conference could have a major new problem on its hands.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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