2016 NBA Draft: Latest Mock Draft and Top Rumors Surrounding 1st-Round Prospects
The 2015-16 NBA season ended with a bang.
LeBron James brought the Cleveland Cavaliers their first title last Sunday, solidifying himself as an all-time hometown hero. Even more satisfying for LBJ, the victory came over the Golden State Warriors, who would’ve cemented themselves as the greatest team in history with a title.
But now, that’s over. It’s time to focus on 2016-17.
With the NBA draft set to kick off Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, find all you need to know below.
Mock
| 1 | Ben Simmons (LSU) | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2 | Brandon Ingram (Duke) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 3 | Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) | Boston Celtics (via Nets) |
| 4 | Dragan Bender (International) | Phoenix Suns |
| 5 | Kris Dunn (Providence) | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 6 | Jamal Murray (Kentucky) | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 7 | Jaylen Brown (Cal) | Denver Nuggets (via Knicks) |
| 8 | Wade Baldwin IV (Vanderbilt) | Sacramento Kings |
| 9 | Henry Ellenson (Marquette) | Toronto Raptors (via Nuggets) |
| 10 | Skal Labissiere (Kentucky) | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 11 | Malachi Richardson (Syracuse) | Orlando Magic |
| 12 | Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame) | Atlanta Hawks |
| 13 | Timothe Luwawu (International) | Phoenix Suns (via Wizards) |
| 14 | Dejounte Murray (Washington) | Chicago Bulls |
| 15 | Deyonta Davis (Michigan State) | Denver Nuggets (via Rockets) |
| 16 | Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga) | Boston Celtics (via Mavericks) |
| 17 | Jakob Poeltl (Utah) | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 18 | DeAndre' Bembry (Saint Joseph's) | Detroit Pistons |
| 19 | Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV) | Denver Nuggets (via Trail Blazers) |
| 20 | Cheick Diallo (Kansas) | Indiana Pacers |
| 21 | Damian Jones (Vanderbilt) | Atlanta Hawks |
| 22 | Diamond Stone (Maryland) | Charlotte Hornets |
| 23 | Ivica Zubac (International) | Boston Celtics |
| 24 | Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall) | Philadelphia 76ers (via Heat) |
| 25 | Taurean Prince (Baylor) | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 26 | Malik Beasley (Florida State) | Philadelphia 76ers (via Thunder) |
| 27 | Zhou Qi (International) | Toronto Raptors |
| 28 | Juan Hernangomez (International) | Phoenix Suns (via Cavaliers) |
| 29 | Tyler Ulis (Kentucky) | San Antonio Spurs |
| 30 | Denzel Valentine (Michigan State) | Golden State Warriors |
Note: The mock does not reflect rumored trades.
Lottery rumors
Ben Simmons gets guarantee from the Sixers
The “process” has reportedly been completed.
According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Haynes, the Philadelphia 76ers told LSU product Ben Simmons on Tuesday he would be the No. 1 pick:
It was always possible that Duke's Brandon Ingram would go first. And even though former general manager (and process mastermind) Sam Hinkie stepped down in April, you never know what to expect from Philly.
Now, with Haynes’ report, Sixers fans can breathe easy.
Simmons all but confirmed that he’ll soon be playing alongside Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel—assuming Philly keeps both big men—with this Instagram picture captioned “Trust the process”:
Weeks earlier, the former LSU forward posted some workout shots on Facebook and captioned those “Loving the process”:
Coincidence? Perhaps. But the word “process” is widely associated with the Sixers, who have hoarded picks through trades and apparent tanking since Hinkie took over in 2013.
The Sixers have two additional picks in Round 1 (No. 24 and No. 26), so Simmons won’t be coming to Philadelphia alone on Thursday.
Celtics trying to make a move
Thanks to the Brooklyn Nets’ disastrous decision to acquire Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry for a treasure chest of assets in 2013, the 48-34 Boston Celtics will have the third pick on Thursday.
The team is essentially playing with house money. Boston finished fifth in the Eastern Conference last season and has a chance to add a lottery stud to a playoff roster.
According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, though, general manager Danny Ainge is trying to flip the pick for a proven veteran—to no avail:
While All-Star-caliber players are (understandably) not available, the Sixers are a dark horse in all of this. Per Stein’s sources, Philly has “been trying for some time to convince” Boston to swap its No. 3 pick for either Okafor or Noel.
Philadelphia’s frontcourt is like Penn Station at rush hour—painfully crowded. If Joel Embiid comes back healthy, the team would have three young interior players who need playing time to develop.
Simmons has downplayed his role as a big man, per Tom Moore of Calkins Media, but at 6’10”, it’s hard to rule anything out:
Brian Geltzeiler of HoopsCritic.com shared Stein’s view that the Celts are making a push for Noel:
If Boston stays put, Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, Providence's Kris Dunn and Croatian prospect Dragan Bender are all likely to be in play.
But as their time on the clock draws closer and closer, don’t be surprised if the Celtics flip the pick for a proven player ready to help contend in the Eastern Conference.
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