2016 NBA Draft: Selection Order, Prospects to Watch and More
The 2016 NBA draft has a little something for everyone.
For every team, too. There are headline acts like Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram. Dragan Bender is the international player who could take the league by storm. Superstar potential resides in many unexpected names, from Jaylen Brown to Kris Dunn and beyond. High-upside guys such as Thon Maker and Deyonta Davis could help run the league in a few years.
It's easy to see why little has happened in the way of trades, and those teams on the outside looking in at the playoffs might do whatever it takes to get in on the fun.
Here's a look at an updated mock draft and the scoop on some of the most important players in the first round who could shuffle the board based on where they hear their names called.
2016 NBA Mock Draft
| 1. | Philadelphia 76ers | F Ben Simmons, LSU |
| 2. | Los Angeles Lakers | SF Brandon Ingram, Duke |
| 3. | Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn) | 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 New York) | C Jakob Poeltl, Utah |
| 8. | Sacramento Kings | PG Kris Dunn, Providence |
| 9. | Toronto Raptors (via Denver) | 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 Washington) | C Damian Jones, Vanderbilt |
| 14. | Chicago Bulls | SG Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey |
| 15. | Denver Nuggets (via Houston) | G Tyler Ulis, Kentucky |
| 16. | Boston Celtics (via Dallas) | SG Timothe Luwawu, France |
| 17. | Memphis Grizzlies | PG Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame |
| 18. | Detroit Pistons | SG Denzel Valentine, Michigan State |
| 19. | Denver Nuggets (via Portland) | G Caris LeVert, Michigan |
| 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 Miami) | G Malik Beasley, Florida State |
| 25. | Los Angeles Clippers | C Skal Labissiere, Kentucky |
| 26. | Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City) | F Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida |
| 27. | Toronto Raptors | F Taurean Prince, Baylor |
| 28. | Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland) | C Cheick Diallo, Kansas |
| 29. | San Antonio Spurs | PG Wade Baldwin IV, Vanderbilt |
| 30. | Golden State Warriors | C Zhou Qi, China |
Prospects to Watch
SF Jaylen Brown, California
Simmons and Ingram steal the spotlight from the aforementioned Brown, but the moldable clay for a potential superstar is certainly there with the California product.
Brown comes in at 6'7" and 223 pounds with an endless motor and can just about do it all. He's a physical slasher who can finish and a good defender; the only real knock is his conversion rate from deep after hitting just 29 percent of his shots from three-point range last year.
An ESPN.com scouting report added context to the risk-reward that he presents: "Brown is the most polarizing player at the top of the draft. He has the athleticism and body of a top-three pick. However, his play at Cal raised serious questions about whether he has the basketball skills to match his physical ones. His interviews also drew mixed responses."
At worst, Brown can act as a high-energy guy on the defensive end of the court and draw fouls as a rookie while gaining valuable pro coaching. But at 19 years old, the upside means Brown is quite worth the risk for the right franchise.
Think about a team like the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 5. Already equipped with a young roster ready to grow into a playoff contender, Minnesota could slot Brown into a rotational role next to Andrew Wiggins and have a wicked-athletic lineup with perhaps the most dangerous upside in the league.
And Brown coming off the board could create a mini-run at his position, with teams perhaps hoping his polarizing stock will have him fall down the board.
Prediction: Brown lands with the Timberwolves at No. 5.
SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky
In recent weeks, it has seemed like Kentucky's Jamal Murray was the only prospect in the draft capable of knocking Simmons or Ingram out of the top two.
It's doubtful anyone can with the way the lottery panned out, but it still says quite a lot about Murray. At 6'5" and 207 pounds, he can help an NBA team now after averaging 20 points last year with the Wildcats while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 41 percent from deep.
Those shooting numbers aren't a fluke either, as ESPN.com's Chad Ford helped to point out recently:
Murray has everything a team could want in a shooting guard, though he's versatile enough to man the point if asked. The biggest knock is that his size doesn't qualify him for either position; plus, he's not a quick-twitch athlete who will slash and finish with violence.
The New Orleans Pelicans won't mind those shortcomings; they need to take the scoring pressure off Anthony Davis, and Eric Gordon is heading to the market this summer.
In fact, Murray could start right away in New Orleans. His slide ends at No. 6 in this scenario, making for one of the more interesting situations, as more than a few teams would likely be on the phone with the Pelicans about the pick.
Prediction: Murray lands with the Pelicans at No. 6.
C Jakob Poeltl, Utah
Folks haven't heard much about Utah's Jakob Poeltl as of late thanks to the hype surrounding players at the position such as Maker.
It doesn't mean Poeltl has gone anywhere.
He has staying power thanks to a frame coming in at 7'1" and 239 pounds, Last year, he posted averages of 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game with 1.6 blocks for good measure.
An elite defender who cleans up on the glass, Poeltl can start for an NBA team right away, though his points via sheer effort in college will have to develop into points from a versatile post game over time.
A team such as the Denver Nuggets can afford to wait. With Nikola Jokic wanting to play more power forward, according to CBS 4 Denver (h/t Harrison Wind of BSNDenver.com), Poeltl could hop in a rotation with Jokic, who is still developing and learning to stay out of foul trouble.
Poeltl coming off the board has obvious ramifications because center-needy teams after the pick now have to lean on project players with major upside. It's not a terrible thing, but Denver in this scenario causes more than a few front offices to break into a nervous sweat.
Prediction: Poeltl lands with the Nuggets at No. 7.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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