NBA Mock Draft 2016: Latest Projections for Marquee 1st-Round Prospects
Ben Simmons leads the 2016 NBA draft class, one of the most notable from a name-recognition standpoint in a long time.
Even with the big names, the draft itself continues to have a hard time outshining the NBA playoffs right now. It makes sense considering the seemingly unstoppable Cleveland Cavaliers, a unanimous MVP and Kevin Durant leading the shocking Oklahoma City Thunder to a series lead against the San Antonio Spurs.
Soon, though, Simmons and Co. will occupy the stage alone. With the combine on the way and subsequent team workouts and interviews in the pipelines, much will change about the complexion of the draft in the coming weeks.
Before the outlook gets too shuffled, let's take a look at an updated mock and highlight some of the marquee names.
2016 NBA Mock Draft
| 1. | Philadelphia 76ers | F Ben Simmons, LSU |
| 2. | Los Angeles Lakers | SF Brandon Ingram, Duke |
| 3. | Boston Celtics (via BKN) | PF Dragan Bender, Croatia |
| 4. | Phoenix Suns | SG Buddy Hield, Oklahoma |
| 5. | Minnesota Timberwolves | SF Jaylen Brown, California |
| 6. | New Orleans Pelicans | SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky |
| 7. | Denver Nuggets (via NYK) | C Jakob Poeltl, Utah |
| 8. | Sacramento Kings | PG Kris Dunn, Providence |
| 9. | Toronto Raptors | PF Henry Ellenson, Marquette |
| 10. | Milwaukee Bucks | C Thon Maker, Orangeville Prep |
| 11. | Orlando Magic | PF/C Deyonta Davis, Michigan State |
| 12. | Utah Jazz | F Marquese Chriss, Washington |
| 13. | Phoenix Suns (via WAS) | C Damian Jones, Vanderbilt |
| 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. | Detroit Pistons | SG Denzel Valentine, Michigan State |
| 19. | Denver Nuggets (via POR) | PG Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame |
| 20. | Indiana Pacers | PF Brice Johnson, North Carolina |
| 21. | Atlanta Hawks | C Diamond Stone, Maryland |
| 22. | Charlotte Hornets | PF Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga |
| 23. | Boston Celtics | F Paul Zipser, Germany |
| 24. | Philadelphia 76ers (via MIA) | SG Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia |
| 25. | Los Angeles Clippers | C Skal Labissiere, Kentucky |
| 26. | Philadelphia 76ers (via OKC) | F Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida |
| 27. | Toronto Raptors | F Taurean Prince, Baylor |
| 28. | Phoenix Suns (via CLE) | C Cheick Diallo, Kansas |
| 29. | San Antonio Spurs | PG Wade Baldwin IV, Vanderbilt |
| 30. | Golden State Warriors | C Stephen Zimmerman, UNLV |
4. Phoenix Suns: SG Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Other than Simmons and Brandon Ingram, it's hard to go wrong with Oklahoma's Buddy Hield as the face of the draft.
Hield didn't seem like a household name before the NCAA tournament, which is a shame because he posted averages of 25.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. His name exploded in the Big Dance, though, where he posted 26, 17 and 37 points over the course of Oklahoma's first three games.
At 6'4" and 214 pounds with an endless motor and a well-rounded set of skills on the offensive end of the court, the biggest knock on Hield seems to be his age after his four years with the Sooners.
Defense is a bit of an issue as well with Hield, but as an ESPN.com scouting write-up mentioned, the class itself could push him quite high: "In this draft, with so few potential superstars available, could he sneak into the top five? After Simmons and Ingram (and perhaps Dragan Bender and Jamal Murray) there are a lot of questions marks. We've moved him up to No. 5 on our latest top 100."
It could take a team with multiple picks to grab Hield so early, which is why the Phoenix Suns seem like such a great fit.
Folks will clamor over the fact the Suns already added Devin Booker last year, but the reality is the Suns want to play Booker some at small forward, something Hield can also do. The Oklahoma product is the perfect on-court complement to Booker's shoot-happy ways, and the Suns have more picks in the first round to address needs underneath the basket in a deep class.
6. New Orleans Pelicans: SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky
Jamal Murray got a mention in the above section by ESPN.com because he's one of the top players in the draft.
It matters little that Murray played for Kentucky, too.
Players like Murray just don't come around often. At 6'4" and 207 pounds, he's a combo guard who can play either spot and excels when he has the ball in his hands. An elite passer with great floor vision, he doesn't have any problems creating his own shot or finishing at the rim.
The size might be the biggest issue with Murray, but it's a small one.
Perhaps most importantly, Murray showed consistent improvement over the course of his freshman season, as Kentucky coach John Calipari made sure to point out in an interview with Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal.
"Jamal is one of the greatest kids," Calipari said. "The improvement he showed over the course of the season may be unmatched by anyone I've ever coached. He grew into a true winner and one of the most efficient scorers."
In this scenario, Murray makes it to No. 6 with the New Orleans Pelicans, which classifies as a perfect fit. Anthony Davis needs some more help from his backcourt, and Murray is a great place to start.
It makes sense from a logistics standpoint, too. The future of Eric Gordon is in question, and Jrue Holiday has his own trip to free agency on the horizon. Adding Murray to a rotation now and letting him blossom before likely taking over full-time makes plenty of sense.
8. Sacramento Kings: PG Kris Dunn, Providence
Kris Dunn out of Providence is a lot like Hield given his four-year stint with the Friars.
Dunn saved his best for last, averaging 16.4 points and 6.2 assists before putting on a show in the tournament, posting 16 and 29 points—the latter coming in a loss to top-seeded North Carolina.
It seems the globe woke up to Dunn, though, and his momentum hasn't stopped shooting upward since, which makes sense considering he looks like an NBA-ready point at 6'4" and 220 pounds with an elite ability to get to the rim and get others involved, not to mention the all-important ability to play either guard spot.
A little confidence doesn't hurt, either, as Dunn displayed in an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio:
He's probably not wrong, either. And a team like the Sacramento Kings has to be salivating at the idea of Dunn dropping to No. 8 because it seems apparent Rajon Rondo will leave this summer.
Dunn is one of the few guys in the class who can come in and start right away. Pair him with DeMarcus Cousins, and both benefit, as do the Kings, who cannot afford to falter in this stage of the rebuild while trying to keep the game's best center content.
While not the only key piece of the plan in Sacramento, Dunn would shore up a critical spot for a long time and grow with the team. The Kings just have to hope Dunn's stock doesn't rise any higher, which is a strong possibility entering the meat of the draft process.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
