2020 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Obi Toppin and Other Top Lottery Prospects

Winning the NBA draft lottery often means winning the right to select a specific player. Last year, for example, the entire basketball world knew that the New Orleans Pelicans would select Duke's Zion Williamson the moment they won the lottery.

This year, however, there is no surefire top prospect or even a definitive early pick order.

"NBA team draft boards are all over the place right now," The Athletic's Sam Vecenie wrote in late April. "I've talked to plenty of teams outside of the top seven that are happy they don't have to sort through that group and tie their hopes to making the right decision on one of those guys."

While teams may have reached some semblance of clarity over the past month, there doesn't appear to be a consensus at the top. How the early first round unfolds will hinge on which teams are picking and their individual views. With this in mind, let's examine how things might go. A spin of Tankathon's Lottery Simulator determined the pick order.

2020 NBA Mock Draft

1. Golden State Warriors: Onyeka Okongwu, PF, USC

2. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF, Dayton

3. New York Knicks: LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks

4. Charlotte Hornets: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia

5. Chicago Bulls: James Wiseman, C, Memphis

6. Atlanta Hawks: Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina

7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm

8. Washington Wizards: Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn

9. Detroit Pistons: Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv

10. Phoenix Suns: RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers

11. Sacramento Kings: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky

12. San Antonio Spurs: Nico Mannion, PG, Arizona

13. New Orleans Pelicans: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State

14. Portland Trail Blazers: Saddiq Bey, SF, Villanova

15. Orlando Magic: Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis

16. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Brooklyn): Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington

17. Boston Celtics (from Memphis): Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State

18. Dallas Mavericks: Theo Maledon, PG, ASVEL

19. Milwaukee Bucks (from Indiana): Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington

20. Brooklyn Nets (from Philadelphia: Josh Green, SG, Arizona

21. Denver Nuggets (from Houston: Vernon Carey Jr., PF/C, Duke

22. Philadelphia 76rs (from OKC): Jalen Smith, PF, Maryland

23. Miami Heat: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos

24. Utah Jazz: Leandro Bolmaro, SF, FC Barcelona

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Denver): Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt

26. Boston Celtics: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama

27. New York Knicks (from LAC): Xavier Tillman, PF, Michigan State

28. Toronto Raptors: Grant Riller, PG, Charleston

29. Los Angeles Lakers: Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech

30. Boston Celtics (from Milwaukee): Tre Jones, PG, Duke

Breaking Down the Top 5

This draft order puts us in an interesting situation because it leaves arguably the two most well-known prospects outside of the top two. NBL standout LaMelo Ball is the big personality of this draft class, while Georgia's Anthony Edwards is gaining steam as a popular No. 1 overall pick.

"Lot of teams that I've spoken with, they don't have LaMelo No. 1," Chad Ford said on his NBA Big Board podcast (h/t HoopsHype). "Edwards is the guy that is often the other guy that you hear at No. 1. His range was exactly the same as LaMelo's. I heard him as high as one. Never heard him lower than five."

However, the Golden State Warriors appear to have a candidate they prefer over players like Edwards, Ball and Memphis center James Wiseman.

"Believe it or not, the Warriors are actually higher on Southern Cal's [Onyeka] Okongwu than James Wiseman," Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote. "If they end up taking a big man in the top five, it'll almost definitely be the 6'9" Okongwu. His game is well-suited for the Warriors' style. Unlike Wiseman, Okongwu can shuttle between multiple positions with ease."

Adding a big man to the core of Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins makes a lot of sense. So while it would be a bit surprising, Okongu could well be the pick at No. 1.

An even bigger surprise could come at No. 2, where the Cleveland Cavaliers landed in the lottery simulation. Adding Ball would bring some much-needed star power, but Dayton's Obi Toppin would be the far safer pick.

"In most drafts, teams would be looking for a potential star at the top of the draft, and while he might not have a ceiling as sky-high as some names on the board, Obi Toppin is as close to a sure thing as there is in this draft," Eric Fawcett of Sporting News wrote.

The Cavaliers have some intriguing young pieces in Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr., but all are still developing and remain relative unknowns. Toppin could come in, have an early impact and be a reliable starter for the next decade. He would also provide the Cavs with a successor for Kevin Love at forward for if and when they decide to cut ties.

With the New York Knicks landing the No. 3 pick, Ball comes off the board next. New York needs a standout point guard to complement RJ Barrett, and Ball is the one to get.

"The Post has learned unequivocally LaMelo Ball is currently the top-rated point guard on the Knicks' board," Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote.

Edwards goes to the Charlotte Hornets as the best player available at No. 4, which leaves the Chicago Bulls to sift through the remaining prospects. In this mock, they take the upside and potential of the 7'1" Wiseman, though it's worth noting he is far from a safe pick.

Wiseman only appeared in three college games, so the Bulls will have to trust that he can develop at the next level.