2016 NBA Draft: 1st-Round Order and Prospects Who Could Slide on Draft Day

A slide is inevitable for a few unlucky prospects in each NBA draft.

Most times, the board plays a major part in a slide, as a logjam at a certain position can push prospects down the board. So can a run on one position alone, which sends the others flying down the board. 

Usually, teams benefit the most from slides, which you'll see below when we outline the prospects who are most likely to take a dive next month.   

Before highlighting those unfortunate few, though, let's dive into an updated mock draft based on team need and the ever-updating prospect stock market. 

2016 NBA Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player
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	G Tyler Ullis, Kentucky
15.	Denver Nuggets (via Houston)	SG Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey
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 Cheick Diallo, Kansas
26.	Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City)	F Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida
27.	Toronto Raptors	F Taurean Prince, Baylor
28.	Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland)	C Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
29.	San Antonio Spurs	PG Wade Baldwin IV, Vanderbilt
30.	Golden State Warriors	C Zhou Qi, China

Prospects Who Could Slide on Draft Day

10. Milwaukee Bucks: C Thon Maker, Orangeville Prep

It's easy to see why high-profile prospect Thon Maker might take a nosedive on draft day. 

He's the guy who somehow found a loophole in the NBA draft process and didn't suit up for a college team last year; however, most people still view Maker as a lottery pick based on upside alone.

Why? Maker is just 19 years old but comes in at 7'1" and 216 pounds. He runs the court well for his size, though he'll need to put on some muscle mass to make it as a pro.

A recent ESPN.com scouting report provided an update on where Maker stands as a developmental piece:

"

He aced his interviews at the combine. He tested as the second-tallest player in the draft. He has added weight and strength. And in the drills I saw, he showed off a very solid 3-point jumper, great mobility for his position and a motor that goes nonstop. He's in great shape and played incredibly hard. He weight is up to 218 pounds and his body is starting to fill out. He could still add on another 20 pounds -- from the looks of things that won't be a problem.

"

His size and athleticism are alluring for NBA teams, to say the least. A team like the Milwaukee Bucks will have a serious debate on its hands at No. 10. Maker won't be ready right out of the gates, but pairing him down the road with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker could make for an incredible lineup in terms of athleticism and sheer upside.

In fact, Maker could fall much farther than No. 10 based on teams simply wanting to get a win-now prospect. He's so raw and so much of an unknown that he could even fall out of the first round altogether.

This scenario, though, cannot help but focus on the upside he has with a team that is just waiting to explode.

17. Memphis Grizzlies: PG Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame

Notre Dame's Demetrius Jackson is a fall candidate simply because of his position. The draft process has to work through point guards such as Kris Dunn and Tyler Ulis before getting to Jackson.

Not that Jackson isn't worth a lottery pick. A three-year contributor at Notre Dame, he comes in at 6'1" and 194 pounds and last year boasted do-it-all averages of 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

As AZCentral Sports pointed out, Jackson made a bit of history by going to the draft: 

Still, some teams might find fault with Jackson simply because he's already 21 years old and close to his ceiling. Typically, teams want a high-upside player to build around, since potential proven contributors are likely available in free agency.

It takes a team with the right situation to pluck a player like Jackson out of a slide. Said team in this scenario is the Memphis Grizzlies, who need to prepare for the potential loss of Mike Conley in free agency.

With Memphis looking to avoid trotting out Jordan Farmar or someone else as a starter should Conley leave, this is one of those rare scenarios where a fall works out for both sides.

24. Philadelphia 76ers: (via Miami) G Malik Beasley, Florida State

Mark Wallheiser/Associated Press

It's going to become tricky for a guard with a strength in just one area to come off the board in the later parts of the first round. 

Given the presence of well-rounded guards such as Denzel Valentine and Caris LeVert, Florida State's Malik Beasley could plummet down the board.

It's easy to see why teams would go with more experienced players over Beasley, 19, who comes in at just 6'5" and 190 pounds.

While he is an elite shooter who averaged 15.6 points per game while hitting 47 percent of his shots from the field and 39 percent from deep, the pro-ready traits stop there, in large part because of his frame. He needs to add healthy weight and strength, and his length means he could have a hard time defending opposing shooting guards.

Still, sooner or later such a shooter will come off the board in the opening round because shooting is such a hot commodity these days. The Philadelphia 76ers at No. 24 are already set underneath the basket with Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, so adding another rotational shooter alongside Nik Stauskas is a solid move.

Given his age and strong grasp on the most important part of today's game, the fall could work out for Beasley in such a low-pressure environment.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.