We are just over a week away from the 2015 NBA Draft, and speculation from every angle is really starting to heat up. Agents are talking, players are cancelling workouts, and everyone is interested in everything. Draft season, got to love it.
We’ll do one more mock draft a day or so before the June 25 draft, but this is how things are starting to shape up.
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1. Minnesota Timberwolves – Karl Towns, PF/C, Kentucky
Despite Flip Saunders’ love for Jahlil Okafor, it appears as though reason has won out. If Karl Towns isn’t the first pick on June 25, I’ll be shocked. He’s the best player in this draft, and I don’t think it’s close.
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke
The closer we get to the draft, the less comfortable I feel about making a selection for the Lakers. Jahlil Okafor is the obvious pick here, but their love for D’Angelo Russell is real. It isn’t some agent-leaked, posturing, pre-draft nonsense. I may flip on this one sooner than later.
3. Philadelphia 76ers – D’Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State
I had Emmanuel Mudiay slotted here in my last mock draft, but the top-2 point guards in this draft class are trending in different directions. Mudiay is starting slide, and Russell could be rising as high as 2nd overall. So, while I still think the 76ers could select Mudiay, this is a ‘best player available’ organization if I ever saw one, and Russell is the highest value asset left on the board. It should be noted that Russell cancelled his workout and interview with Philadelphia, but recently rescheduled it, so we’ll see if that has any impact on what the 76ers do here.
4. New York Knicks – Justise Winslow, SG/SF, Duke
This is where the draft gets interesting. The arguments for Mudiay or Russell (if available) are obvious. The Knicks need a point guard, and those are the top two point guards in this draft class. We can almost guarantee one of them will be available when the Knicks pick 4th. Yet, they seem less than enamored with Mudiay. It’s starting to feel like the Knicks have something cooking in free agency in regards to their gaping hole at point guard, and if that is the case, Justise Winslow or Willie Cauley-Stein make a lot of sense here. I’m giving Winslow this slot, for now.
5. Orlando Magic – Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
The Magic hired a new head coach since my last mock draft, but I refuse to remove Kristaps Porzingis from this position. You could argue that Scott Skiles will target Willie Cauley-Stein for his defensive prowess, but the Magic drafted with a defensive mindset in their last three first-round selections: Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton, and Victor Oladipo. Cauley-Stein wouldn’t surprise me here, but I’m giving them the dynamic Latvian for now.
6. Sacramento Kings – Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
The Kings won’t let Cauley-Stein slide past 6th, provided he is still on the board when the Kings make their selection. If Cauley-Stein isn’t available, there is a high likelihood that the Kings trade this pick altogether. A potential Ty Lawson and/or Kenneth Faried trade starts to make a lot more sense if their No. 1 target in Cauley-Stein is unavailable.
7. Denver Nuggets –Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Guangdong, China
The Nuggets should be ecstatic if Mudiay slides all the way down to seven, and the closer we get to the draft, the more likely that scenario is starting to look. Mudiay would give Denver an immediate replacement for the seemingly inevitable Ty Lawson trade.
8. Detroit Pistons – Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
I’ve had Winslow slotted here in the past, but it just doesn’t look like there is any chance of him sliding all the way down to the 8th pick. Stanley Johnson fills a similar need, and Stan Van Gundy strikes me as a coach who could get the most out of Johnson. It’s a great match.
9. Charlotte Hornets –Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia
Charlotte has drafted, or acquired some solid-to-great defensive wings in recent history, and Hezonja would give them a versatile, skilled, offensive minded wing player to give their roster a little bit of balance. Hezonja’s ability to play multiple positions could result in some creative lineups in Charlotte.
10. Miami Heat – Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
The Heat have a lot more question marks heading into the offseason than we previously thought. They could go in any number of directions depending on how successfully they are at resigning their own assets, but Booker is one of the better shooters in this draft class, and would give the Heat a solid, and somewhat safe prospect going forward.
11. Indiana Pacers – Frank Kaminsky, PF, Wisconsin
I had Kaminsky going to Indiana in my first mock, and I’m keeping it that way for now. His ability to play with both Roy Hibbert and David West could create some dynamic offensive lineups for a team that desperately needs a scoring punch.
12. Utah Jazz – Myles Turner, C, Texas
The Jazz have an embarrassment of young-talent riches, which makes them a tough team to prognosticate for. They could draft anyone, or trade out altogether, but Turner gives the Jazz another young big with unlimited defensive potential. What sets Turner apart from Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors is his ability to spread the floor with his three-point shooting. Turner in Utah would create the most dynamic young group of frontcourt players in the NBA.
13. Phoenix Suns – Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
I’m tempted to place the rising Cameron Payne here, but a point guard is probably the last thing they need provided they hold on to Brandon Knight. The Suns are a team in flux right now, but Oubre is a solid prospect that could fit into any system on any team. It’s a safe selection, and some good insurance if the Morris twins’ legal trouble impacts their status for next season.
14. Oklahoma City Thunder – Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
Despite Payne’s meteoric rise up everyone’s draft board, I still think the Thunder luck out and land the player they’ve had targeted for months. It will be interesting see what the Thunder do if Payne is off the board. Sam Dekker, Tyus Jones, or Jerian Grant feel like realistic selections.
15. Atlanta Hawks – Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
I am keeping Dekker here for the time being, but it does feel like Atlanta could be targeting one of the many solid bigs left on the board. Trey Lyles or Bobby Portis could claim this spot by June 25.
16. Boston Celtics – Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
The Celtics would love for Myles Turner to drop here, but they may have to settle for Bobby Portis or Montrezl Harrell. It is no secret that the Celtics desperately need defense and rebounding inside, and while Harrell might make more sense for those particular needs, Portis is the best overall big man left on the board, and the Celtics would be silly to let him slide past 16.
17. Milwaukee Bucks – Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
Jerian Grant is a versatile, long, passing point guard who should be able to contribute from day one. He the sort of hybrid, multi-skilled basketball player the Bucks have been drafting in recent years, and should complement Michael Carter-Williams.
18. Houston Rockets – Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
The fit here is obvious. The Rockets need some insurance for the oft-injured, offensively challenged Patrick Beverley, and Tyus Jones is a fantastic point guard prospect to groom for the future.
19. Washington Wizards – Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
If Lyles is still on the board (and that is no guarantee), he makes a lot of sense for the Washington Wizards. Nene’s health is always a question mark, and Lyles has enough versatility to his game that you could pair him up with virtually any other big on the Wizards’ roster and it would work.
20. Toronto Raptors – R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
I really like Hunter’s ability to put the ball in the bucket, and if Lou Williams is on the way out, R.J. is a decent potential replacement for bench offense.
21. Dallas Mavericks – Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
The Mavericks need serious help at point guard, but with Grant and Jones likely off the board here, they will have to look elsewhere. Looney makes a lot of sense for the Mavericks, who have a solid but aging frontcourt.
22. Chicago Bulls – Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
I had Anderson slotted here in my last mock draft, and his stock has risen considerably. I would expect the Celtics to target him as high as 16, but the Bulls really like him, and if he’s available, he’s going to Chicago.
23. Portland Trail Blazers – Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
Portland would probably prefer one of Looney, Lyles, or Portis, but Harrell is a very good player to snag at 23, and fills an immediate need for a Blazers team that is going to need a lot of help in the frontcourt.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers – Delon Wright, PG, Utah
I really like how Delon Wright would fit in with the Cavaliers ‘win now’ approach, and at 6’6”, he has the size to play either point guard or shooting guard.
25. Memphis Grizzlies – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
RHJ would give the Grizzlies a perfect Jeff Green replacement if he were to opt out of his player option for next season. Hollis-Jefferson is the best player on the board here, and his potential as a defender makes him a perfect prospect for Memphis.
26. San Antonio Spurs – Jarell Martin, PF, LSU
Martin is another one of those players that is seeing his stock rise considerably during the pre-draft process. He may not be on the board when the Spurs pick, but if he is, I’d expect the Spurs to take him and have everyone raving about how they won the draft the next morning.
27. Los Angeles Lakers – Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV
Rashad Vaughn is also impressing in his pre-draft workouts, and he’s another player I’ve been tempted to move towards the middle of the draft. It wouldn’t surprise me if a team in the late teens selects him, but he’d bring some noticeable scoring ability to the Lakers’ bench.
28. Boston Celtics – Robert Upshaw, C, Washington
Upshaw’s stock has been very up and down since draft speculation really started heating up. Getting kicked off the Washington Huskies in the middle of the season has naturally thrown his draft status into question. He’s looking more and more like a second round pick as the draft approaches, but the Celtics are actively looking for size and rim protection, and Upshaw has some serious potential. If they select Portis or Harrell at 16, their plans may change, but Upshaw is the kind of gamble Danny Ainge isn’t afraid of taking.
29. Brooklyn Nets – Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville
Rozier is a fairly safe selection for the Nets, which is why placing him here makes a lot of sense. They could, and probably should, try to trade Deron Williams. If they do, Rozier is a worthy guard prospect to have on the roster.
30. Golden State Warriors – Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse
I’m keeping McCullough here, because why not? The fit still makes sense, and he’s the best prospect available at the end of the first round. If he can get healthy, and continue on his current development trajectory, this could look like an amazing pick for the Warriors in a few years.
