NBA Mock Draft 2016: 1st-Round Predictions and Top Fringe Prospects to Know

Big-name players such as LSU's Ben Simmons and Duke's Brandon Ingram are at the forefront entering the 2016 NBA draft on Thursday, but there is plenty of talent available throughout the class, which opens up the possibility of some major steals in the latter portion of the first round.

The NBA draft is often a crapshoot outside the top few selections since picks are based so much on potential rather than what the prospects have accomplished, and while that leads to plenty of busts, it could yield amazing value picks as well.

Prior to the highly anticipated 2016 NBA draft, here is a full first-round mock draft and a closer look at some late first-round prospects who may be in line of outperform their draft positions.

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)	Dejounte Murray, G, Washington
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

Top Fringe Prospects to Know

Dejounte Murray

Washington guard Dejounte Murray is among the 2016 draft class' most intriguing prospects, as his possible range of selection is quite wide.

While Murray could border on being a lottery pick because of his raw skill, he could just as easily come off the board in the latter portion of the opening round.

Murray put up solid numbers in his one and only season with the Huskies, averaging 16.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. The primary hole in his game, though, is a lack of efficiency on the offensive end. He shot just 41.8 percent from the field, which included a three-point percentage of just 28.8.

Although he must improve in that regard, he is a do-everything player who can play a number of positions, and he believes that will make him valuable at the next level, per the Denver Nuggets' official website:

"

I see myself coming in as a basketball player. I will do whatever the coach needs me to do. If he needs me to run point guard, if he feels like I have the potential, IQ, [sees that] I'm coachable to play that position. That's why I'm a point guard. I can play on the wing, I'm versatile. I'm a long defender. Basically whatever team I go to, I'll do whatever the coach wants me to do. The NBA is all about the role thing. If you're the starter, sixth man, whatever. You got a role to do. I'm just looking forward to whatever team takes a chance on me.

"

If Murray is still on the board at the No. 24 pick, the Philadelphia 76ers would be wise to take a chance on his varied skill set.

Philly desperately needs backcourt help, and Murray could conceivably fill a number of different roles for head coach Brett Brown.

With three first-round picks to their credit, the Sixers can afford to roll the dice a bit and gamble on an unfinished product with immense potential such as Murray.

He would likely have an opportunity to earn immediate playing time because of his versatility, and it may not take long for him to prove that he was somewhat underestimated entering the draft in comparison to some of his peers.

Thon Maker

The NBA's draft eligibility requirements have taken some mystery out of the evaluation process, but that isn't the case when it comes to 7'1" center Thon Maker.

After attending high school as a graduate student this past season, Maker is eligible for the draft, but question marks abound regarding his readiness and how his game will translate to the NBA level.

The Sudan native has a chance to be a dominant defensive force, and he believes he is developing an all-around game that could make him a complete weapon in the near future, per ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg:

"

I think I might be ahead defensively, because I take pride in getting stops. My offense, it's catching up pretty fast, but that's because I'm getting a lot of reps in. In these workouts, you are getting a chance to show both, so by me having a chance to show offense at the same time, it's helping me get better. I'm not worried about making mistakes in these workouts, so I'm definitely getting better.

"

Despite the fact that Maker is a bigger unknown than perhaps any prospect in the entire class, he is confident a team will invest a high first-round pick in him, per Jay King of MassLive.com:

His rawness could lead to a slide, however, which may work to the benefit of a team such as the Phoenix Suns with the No. 28 pick.

The Suns have three first-round picks, including two in the lottery, which gives them some creative license with the 28th selection.

Alex Len hasn't developed into the consistent force Phoenix expected him to be at center, so there is still a need up front.

The Suns have Tyson Chandler at center for now, and there would be few better players in the league for Maker to sit behind and learn from.

Chandler is one of the best defensive centers the NBA has to offer, and he is a former champion and a quality leader to boot. Maker isn't likely to make an instant impact, but if a team that is willing to be patient takes him, he has the pure talent needed to be a star down the line.

Diamond Stone 

Center Diamond Stone entered his freshman season at Maryland with huge expectations, and while he showed some flashes of brilliance, a somewhat uneven campaign leaves him on the fringes of the first round.

The 6'10" big man averaged 12.5 points per game for the Terrapins and shot an impressive 56.8 percent from the field, but he grabbed just 5.4 rebounds per contest, which raised some questions about his physicality and his ability to compete at the next level.

He may never be defensively inclined, but Stone believes he could become an even bigger all-around offensive threat as he continues to work on the entirety of the game.

In a predraft interview for the Nuggets' website (h/t Josh Stirn of 247Sports), Stone discussed expanding his shooting range after almost exclusively parking himself in the paint during his time at Maryland:

"

At Maryland, I wasn't really able to show all my skills so at these workouts [general managers] and coaches, they see me. We had guys like Rob Carter and Jake Layman; those were our three-point shooters [plus] Jared Nickens, Melo [Trimble], Rasheed [Sulaimon]. Rob was kind of our finesse guy, our pick and pop guy, so I accepted my role just being in the low post and just being down there and shooting from mid-range occasionally. That's why in these workouts I'm showing teams I can really shoot the ball and showing teams that that was my hidden talent.

"

Provided Stone continues to make strides as a shooter, he could be a great option for the Golden State Warriors at No. 30.

Big man Marreese Speights is set to hit free agency, and if he signs elsewhere, then the Dubs will have a need for a big who can shoot and provide offense off the bench.

In addition to that, Festus Ezeli will become a restricted free agent, and Andrew Bogut's future with the organization is uncertain because of his sizable contract (three years, $36 million).

Golden State would benefit greatly from some frontcourt depth, and even though Stone has a lot of developing left to do at both ends of the floor, his pure offensive ability would be a nice fit for the Warriors' uptempo system.

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