NBA Draft 2016: Mock Draft and Teams That Could Make Surprising Selections

Now that the 2016 NBA draft order is officially set (barring trades), this star-studded class—and the possible destinations of its top prospects—is starting to come into focus.

Most expect LSU's Ben Simmons and Duke's Brandon Ingram to be the first two players off the board, but things could get wild and unpredictable beyond that. In other words, the first round may be home to surprising picks that few would have expected during the lead-up to the event.

With the draft quickly approaching, here is a full first-round mock draft, along with further analysis regarding some shocking selections that could be made in the opening round on June 23.

Position	Team	Selection
1	Philadelphia 76ers	Ben Simmons, F, LSU
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Brandon Ingram, F, Duke
3	Boston Celtics (from BKN)	Dragan Bender, F, Israel
4	Phoenix Suns	Jaylen Brown, G, California
5	Minnesota Timberwolves	Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky
6	New Orleans Pelicans	Kris Dunn, G, Providence
7	Denver Nuggets (from NY)	Buddy Hield, G, Oklahoma
8	Sacramento Kings	Henry Ellenson, F, Marquette
9	Toronto Raptors (from DEN via NY)	Domantas Sabonis, F, Gonzaga
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah
11	Orlando Magic	Skal Labissiere, F, Kentucky
12	Utah Jazz	Denzel Valentine, G, Michigan State
13	Phoenix Suns (from Washington)	Deyonta Davis, F, Michigan State
14	Chicago Bulls	Marquese Chriss, F, Washington
15	Denver Nuggets (from HOU)	Brice Johnson, F, North Carolina
16	Boston Celtics (from DAL)	Furkan Korkmaz, G, Turkey
17	Memphis Grizzlies	Tyler Ulis, G, Kentucky
18	Detroit Pistons	Malik Beasley, G, Florida State
19	Denver Nuggets (from POR)	Timothe Luwawu, G, France
20	Indiana Pacers	Cheick Diallo, C, Kansas
21	Atlanta Hawks	Taurean Prince, F, Baylor
22	Charlotte Hornets	Stephen Zimmerman, C, UNLV
23	Boston Celtics	DeAndre' Bembry, F, Saint Joseph's
24	Philadelphia 76ers (from MIA via CLE)	Demetrius Jackson, G, Notre Dame
25	Los Angeles Clippers	Damian Jones, F, Vanderbilt
26	Philadelphia 76ers (from OKC via DEN and CLE)	Ben Bentil, F, Providence
27	Toronto Raptors	Malachi Richardson, G, Syracuse
28	Phoenix Suns (from CLE via BOS)	Thon Maker, C, Australia
29	San Antonio Spurs	Isaia Cordinier, G, France
30	Golden State Warriors	Diamond Stone, C, Maryland

Boston Celtics: Dragan Bender

Much like New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis last year, Dragan Bender is perhaps the biggest wild card in the 2016 draft because of uncertainty regarding how he'll translate to the NBA.

With so many big-time college stars in the draft class, it is easy to overlook a player like Bender in favor of a safer pick, but the Croatia native could pay massive dividends if he fulfills his potential.

The 18-year-old big man plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, where he is averaging 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game across all competitions in less than 13 minutes per contest.

While his production has been limited, Bender believes that playing at a high level in Europe has helped him become more NBA-ready, according to Yaron Weitzman of SlamOnline.com: “Learning how to play with bigger physical players was tough. But it also really helped me prepare for being in the NBA."

Despite the 7-footer's progress, ESPN's Fran Fraschilla told 98.7 FM Arizona Sports' Doug and Wolf show (h/t Matt Layman of ArizonaSports.com) that Bender still requires additional seasoning:

"

Can he be a very good NBA player? The answer is yes. [Bender] is not as advanced as where Porzingis was a year ago, because, a: he's younger, and b: he didn't have the luxury of playing two years in the second-best league in the world in Spain. ... He's a unique talent, but in my mind at least one year away from being an effective NBA player.

"

One team picking near the top of the draft that can afford to wait on his development is the Boston Celtics at No. 3.

Boston is already a playoff team and has a chance to be among the Eastern Conference's top squads next season with or without Bender.

The Celtics have decent depth up front with Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller, Jonas Jerebko and Jared Sullinger, but they lack a true impact player.

Bender can be that player in time, and since Boston already has a strong backcourt, rolling the dice on the Croatian at No. 3 is a worthwhile gamble.

Milwaukee Bucks: Jakob Poeltl

Jakob Poeltl was among the best big men in college basketball last season and looks like a strong bet to come off the board within the first 10 selections of the 2016 NBA draft.

The 7-footer from Austria averaged 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game at Utah while shooting 64.6 percent from the field.

Poeltl has continued to turn heads during the predraft process, too, as he acquitted himself well in a workout with Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress:

The 20-year-old excels at both ends of the floor and believes he compares favorably to Chicago Bulls big man Pau Gasol in that regard, per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. 

"I can be a lot like [Gasol]," he said. "He's a guy who has good touch around the basket and is a very good passer. He can dribble the ball. He's even stepping out and shooting threes. I hope I can get there, too. He's a winner and won championships. I can do that, too."

Most teams in the league would covet a player with that type of skill set, but based on need, it is possible that Poeltl could fall to the fringes of the top 10.

If he is available with the No. 10 overall selection, the Milwaukee Bucks would be hard-pressed to pass him up.

The Bucks already have a ton of length down low with Greg Monroe and John Henson, as well as on the wing with Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

They seemingly have a much bigger need in the backcourt, but since Monroe can opt out of his contract after the 2016-17 season, it may be wise for Milwaukee to plan for life without him.

Poeltl may not be a huge contributor as a rookie, but if he can learn behind the likes of Monroe and Henson, he could be ready to make a major impact in 2017-18 and beyond.

Memphis Grizzlies: Tyler Ulis

Guard Tyler Ulis is coming off an excellent sophomore season at Kentucky, but there is no consensus regarding where he'll land in the NBA draft.

While some mock drafts don't have him coming off the board until the second round, others peg him as a borderline lottery pick.

He was perhaps the best player for one of the best teams in college basketball in 2015-16, averaging 17.3 points, seven assists and three rebounds per game as a standout performer on a stacked Wildcats squad.

Head coach John Calipari offered a glowing assessment of Ulis' intangibles after he declared for the draft, according to Sam Vecenie of CBSSports.com:

"

I've coached a lot of great leaders and great point guards in all my years of coaching. Tyler Ulis is the best floor general that I've ever coached. What I loved is he grew into that position. You couldn't speed him up and you couldn't slow him down unless he wanted to do one of those things. He coached the team this season as much as I did, and I'm proud to say that.

"

Ulis' teammates also felt strongly about the point guard and what he contributed to a winning cause, per Givony:

One team that could potentially use that type of leadership is the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 17.

Memphis is set at point guard if it manages to re-sign Mike Conley, but with his status up in the air, the Grizz may be wise to find a point guard of the future.

The Grizzlies don't have another legitimate option on the roster outside of Conley, and in a draft that is somewhat light on top point guards, Ulis is the best potential fit at that position at No. 17.

It can argued that the 17th pick is somewhat of a reach for the 5'10" star, but his toughness and leadership abilities would make him a great fit in Memphis if Conley is on the way out of town.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.