2016 NBA Mock Draft: 1st-Round Picks for Every Team and Players to Watch

With the first round of the NBA playoffs approaching its end, a few more teams have officially begun their respective offseasons. 

That means there are a few more teams that can set their focus on the NBA draft, which is on June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

The order of the draft has not been set yet, as the lottery will take place on May 17 to decipher the top portion of the board, but here is my latest mock draft followed by some lesser-known players to watch out for.

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Philadelphia 76ers	Brandon Ingram	SF	Duke
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Ben Simmons	F	LSU
3	Boston Celtics	Dragan Bender	PF	Israel
4	Phoenix Suns	Jaylen Brown	SF	California
5	Minnesota Timberwolves	Jamal Murray	SG	Kentucky
6	New Orleans Pelicans	Kris Dunn	PG	Providence
7	Denver Nuggets	Buddy Hield	SG	Oklahoma
8	Sacramento Kings	Denzel Valentine	SG	Michigan State
9	Toronto Raptors	Henry Ellenson	PF/C	Marquette
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Jakob Poeltl	C	Utah
11	Orlando Magic	Skal Labissiere	PF	Kentucky
12	Utah Jazz	Timothe Luwawu	SG	France
13	Phoenix Suns	Deyonta Davis	PF/C	Michigan State
14	Chicago Bulls	Demetrius Jackson	PG	Notre Dame
15	Denver Nuggets	Marquese Chriss	F	Washington
16	Boston Celtics	Furkan Korkmaz	SG	Turkey
17	Memphis Grizzlies	Taurean Prince	SF	Baylor
18	Detroit Pistons	Domantas Sabonis	PF/C	Gonzaga
19	Denver Nuggets	Tyler Ulis	PG	Kentucky
20	Indiana Pacers	Brice Johnson	PF	North Carolina
21	Atlanta Hawks	Damian Jones	PF/C	Vanderbilt
22	Charlotte Hornets	Diamond Stone	C	Maryland
23	Boston Celtics	Zhou Qi	C	China
24	Philadelphia 76ers	Wade Baldwin IV	SG	Vanderbilt
25	Los Angeles Clippers	Stephen Zimmerman	C	UNLV
26	Philadelphia 76ers	Melo Trimble	PG	Maryland
27	Toronto Raptors	Malik Beasley	SG	Florida State
28	Phoenix Suns	Cheick Diallo	C	Kansas
29	San Antonio Spurs	Petr Cornelie	PF	France
30	Golden State Warriors	DeAndre Bembry	SF	Saint Joseph's

Players to Watch

Dragan Bender, 7'1" PF/C, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)

International picks are always met with unease given the track record of some of these selections. On one hand, a prospect could become the next Dirk Nowitzki or, to a lesser extent, Kristaps Porzingis. On the other hand, he could be the next Darko Milicic. 

At 7'1", Dragan Bender brings the size of a dominating center with the movement of a much smaller player. His transition game is excellent in terms of his ability to run the floor.

He has solid court vision to find the open man and has the handles to create opportunities when covered. 

Bender has a decent shot, but it needs a good deal of work before fans start comparing him to a player like Porzingis.

Another thing he needs to work on is his strength, as his below-average rebounding game will only improve as his body fills out. After all, he is only 18 years old. 

At 16, he was already representing the Croatian under-18 national team as the youngest player in the European Championships:

That's solid experience to have at such a young age in preparation for playing in larger leagues. With more maturing left to do, he's a promising prospect for NBA teams in the lottery. 

Deyonta Davis, 6'10" PF/C, Michigan State

There are taller frontcourt prospects available in the draft, but not many carry as much promise as Michigan State's Deyonta Davis. 

In his lone season with the Spartans, Davis showed the foundation of a tenacious big man who could simply outwork opponents down low. 

With this strength, he can bully his way to the basket on offense while boxing out opponents and securing rebounds on defense. 

He also is an aerial threat when it comes to blocking, finishing third in the Big Ten with 64 on the season:

Fans who watched Davis play might have noticed that a majority of his points came from simply catching the ball near the basket and throwing it down in one swift motion. That won't fly in the NBA given the defensive capabilities and strength of opposing teams. 

Davis will have to put together some semblance of a low-post game in terms of putting the ball on the floor, backing down opponents and creating opportunities. 

In terms of athleticism and defensive play, Davis should be a great addition for teams looking for frontcourt help. 

Taurean Prince, 6'8" SF, Baylor

Taurean Prince is an NBA prospect who is a bit more developed at 21 years old and has shown a more polished game compared to the two prospects above. 

The 6'8" forward holds the promise of developing into a solid two-way player who would be invaluable to teams that are looking for a final piece to put them over the top in a playoff push.

Prince has even prompted Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders to state that he is one of the players in this draft class closest to being comparable to Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green:

He can score from anywhere on the floor, whether it be near the basket or from distance. Prince had a 37 percent career mark from three-point range at Baylor, which could translate into becoming a dangerous wing threat in the league. 

Pair that with some relentless defense—he seemed to be everywhere on select nights—and Prince should be a valuable asset who adds depth to an NBA roster. 

Stats courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.