NBA Draft Order 2016: Post-Lottery Selection List and Mock Draft Projections

It isn’t the same as an actual title, but the Philadelphia 76ers won the 2016 draft championship Tuesday night when the pingpong balls bounced their way in the 2016 NBA draft lottery.   

They landed the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft on June 23 and will now have their choice of the top prospects in the country, including LSU’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram.

With the lottery in the books, the order for the entire first round of the NBA draft is below. The order of the picks outside of the lottery comes from DraftExpress' most recent mock.

Pick	Team
1	Philadelphia 76ers
2	Los Angeles Lakers
3	Boston Celtics
4	Phoenix Suns
5	Minnesota Timberwolves
6	New Orleans Pelicans
7	Denver Nuggets (via New York)
8	Sacramento Kings
9	Toronto Raptors (via Denver)
10	Milwaukee Bucks
11	Orlando Magic
12	Utah Jazz
13	Phoenix Suns (via Washington)
14	Chicago Bulls
15	Denver Nuggets (from Houston)
16	Boston Celtics (from Dallas)
17	Memphis Grizzlies
18	Detroit Pistons
19	Denver Nuggets (from Portland)
20	Indiana Pacers
21	Atlanta Hawks
22	Charlotte Hornets
23	Boston Celtics
24	Philadelphia 76ers (from Miami)
25	Los Angeles Clippers
26	Philadelphia 76ers (from Oklahoma City)
27	Toronto Raptors
28	Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland)
29	San Antonio Spurs
30	Golden State Warriors

Here's a look at a mock for the lottery picks:

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Philadelphia 76ers	Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Ben Simmons, F, LSU
3	Boston Celtics	Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky
4	Phoenix Suns	Jaylen Brown, SF, California
5	Minnesota Timberwolves	Kris Dunn, PG, Providence
6	New Orleans Pelicans	Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma
7	Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks)	Dragan Bender, PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
8	Sacramento Kings	Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Kentucky
9	Toronto Raptors (via Denver Nuggets)	Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Denzel Valentine, SG, Michigan State
11	Orlando Magic	Marquese Chriss, PF, Washington
12	Utah Jazz	Henry Ellenson, PF, Marquette
13	Phoenix Suns (via Washington Wizards)	Deyonta Davis, PF/C, Michigan State
14	Chicago Bulls	Wade Baldwin IV, PG, Vanderbilt

Simmons and Ingram are widely assumed to be the top two selections, but there are plenty of talented playmakers available in this year’s draft class. With that in mind, here are a couple of notable prospects who could help make sure their new teams avoid the lottery in 2017.

Notable Prospects Outside the Top Two

Kris Dunn, PG, Providence

There are few prospects in this draft as experienced as Providence point guard Kris Dunn after he spent four years at the collegiate level.

There may be some concern that he is already 22 years old and may have a shorter prime than the younger options if he takes some time to accommodate to the NBA game, but he has more than enough talent for teams to overlook that on draft day.

Dunn averaged 16.4 points per game for the Friars in 2015-16 and proved he can shoot from the outside when he connected on 37.2 percent of his three-pointers. He also gets involved in other aspects of the game beyond scoring and posted 7.5 assists per night in 2014-15 and 6.2 in 2015-16.

His ability to penetrate the lane helped him finish at the rim, but he tallied those assist totals because he constantly looked for teammates when defenders collapsed. He also contributed on the boards as a 6’4” guard and grabbed 5.3 rebounds per game in his final season at Providence.

Defensively, his lateral movement allowed him to stay in front of ball-handlers, and his lightning-quick hands helped him post 2.5 steals per game this season. He utilizes his athleticism when he grabs those steals and bursts into transition to set up easy baskets for himself and his teammates.

DraftExpress' Derek Bodner painted an enticing picture for NBA general managers when describing Dunn’s overall makeup:

"

It takes little more than a few seconds of watching Dunn play before you realize why he has a bright future in the NBA. Dunn has an exceptional physical profile for a point guard in today's NBA, standing 6'4” in shoes, with a terrific frame, a long 6'9” wingspan, and elite quickness and leaping ability that place him in rarefied air by even NBA standards.

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ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla echoed similar sentiments (via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe): “He’s likely the best point guard in this draft. He’s got NBA size [6'4", 205 lbs] , strength, ability to pass the ball. [He’s] older, mature.”

The projection here is Dunn will end up with the blossoming Minnesota Timberwolves. There is arguably more young talent in Minnesota than anywhere in the league, and Dunn would help set up Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine for years to come. 

New Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau molded Derrick Rose into a league MVP from the point guard position during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls. Landing Dunn in the draft would give him the chance to do something like that again with Dunn at his new position. 

Jamal Murray, PG/SG, Kentucky

The 73-win Golden State Warriors have dominated the NBA landscape the past two seasons in a testament to how important shooting is in the professional ranks. Teams looking for that type of touch from the outside should search no further than Kentucky’s Jamal Murray.

His prowess from deep immediately stands out from his one season with the Wildcats. Murray drilled 3.1 threes per game and shot 40.8 percent from beyond the arc, and that prolific shooting helped him score 20 points a night and top the 30-point plateau in three different contests.

DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony explained just how dangerous Murray is from three-point range as he turns his sights toward the NBA level:

"

His stroke is compact and repeatable, getting good elevation to create separation from the defense, to go along with an unlimited confidence in his ability to make shots from anywhere on the floor. 

Murray was magnificent as a spot-up shooter for Kentucky, but was particularly impressive coming off screens, as no player in college basketball even came close to delivering the accuracy he did (42/75, 56%) running off picks this season. He does an incredible job of moving off the ball with exquisite timing, and then catching, setting his feet and getting his shot off in one quick and smooth motion, with tremendous balance and body control. 

"

At his best, Murray forces defenders to charge his perimeter shot, which opens up driving lanes for himself and cutting lanes for his teammates. Opponents cannot afford to stray too far off him for fear he will make them pay whenever they double down low. That in turn gives the big men on the floor more room to operate.

Murray is also solid at the free-throw line (78.3 percent at Kentucky), which makes him reliable with the ball in his hands at the end of close games.

Like Dunn, he mixes it up on the glass from the perimeter as a 6’4” guard. Murray posted 5.2 boards a night for the Wildcats, and his tendency to venture into the paint for rebounds is a testament to his versatility.

He is also capable of playing either guard position if needed and can handle the ball and provide depth at the point guard spot. While Murray would be better suited as a shooting guard in the NBA because of his three-point ability, that versatility makes him more enticing as a potential lottery pick.

The Boston Celtics selected Murray in the above mock draft, which would be a much-needed boost to their outside shooting. They were an abysmal 28th in the league in three-point percentage this season and still managed to make the playoffs. 

Having a shooter like Murray would allow them to improve a glaring weakness and make a run at another postseason appearance in the Eastern Conference.