1st Round
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Nerlens Noel (6’11” PF/C, Kentucky)
It’s hard for me to imagine anyone but Noel being the pick at this point. While he doesn’t fill Cleveland’s greatest need, he’s easily the best prospect in this draft with the most upside. Noel projects to be one of the best defensive big men in the league a few years down the road. The only other somewhat realistic prospect that could be chosen here is Otto Porter, who would fill Cleveland’s biggest need.
2. Orlando Magic—Victor Oladipo (6’4” SG, Indiana)
This pick was made with the assumption that some form of the rumored Eric Bledsoe-to-Orlando deal goes through. Bledsoe and Oladipo are a potentially lethal pairing with their phenomenal athleticism and intensity. Finishing out the year, the Magic were working with one of the worst backcourts in the league. After draft night, they’d have one of the most hyped.
3. Washington Wizards: Anthony Bennett (6’7” PF, UNLV)
This pick will almost certainly come down between Anthony Bennett and Otto Porter. Both fill needs in Washington, but I’ll give the slightest of all edges to Bennett. John Wall recently said, “I feel like we need a four man that can pick and pop,” and that’s exactly how Bennett will be used in the NBA. Bennett’s athleticism and versatility could give him the edge here.
4. Charlotte Bobcats—Ben McLemore (6’5” SG, Kansas)
Rumors have been swirling that the Bobcats are really thinking about going with Alex Len here, but they have been notoriously tight-lipped since bringing Rich Cho in as GM. We believe that if McLemore is still on the board, he will be valued too highly to pass up, no matter how much help they need on the block.
5. Phoenix Suns: Otto Porter (6’9” SF, Georgetown)
The Suns are in complete rebuilding mode so they’ll probably take the BPA with this pick. In this case, is Otto Porter who is arguably the best wing prospect in this draft. Last year the Suns had guys like Jared Dudley, Channing Frye and Michael Beasley rotating in for minutes at SF. Porter would provide some stability for the future at the position.
6. New Orleans Pelicans—Trey Burke (6’1” PG, Michigan)
New Orleans is a tough team to figure out. Incumbent PG Greivis Vasquez played well last year but many believe Burke’s ceiling is too much to pass up on at this point in their rebuild. They could look at a guy like Len for a low post pair for Anthony Davis, but we are confident that they really like Burke with this pick.
7. Sacramento Kings: Cody Zeller (7’0” PF/C, Indiana)
There’s no telling what’s going to happen with DeMarcus Cousins. Last week three teams were reportedly interested in trading for him, but in the past few days reports have come out that Sacramento wants to do all they can to keep him. Even if they are set on him, Cody Zeller is still the best pick for Sacramento. According to Chad Ford, he showed a very good outside shot in a recent workout in Santa Monica so he’ll probably begin rising back up draft boards.
8. Detroit Pistons—CJ McCollum (6’3” PG/SG, Lehigh)
Brandon Knight hasn’t quite lived up to his hype coming out of Kentucky, and the Pistons have experimented with moving him back and forth between the PG and SG slots. His size allows the Pistons to perhaps be the best fit for a smallish combo like McCollum.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves: Shabazz Muhammad (6’6” SF, UCLA)
Reports are that Minnesota really wants to move up in the draft to snag either Ben McLemore or Victor Oladipo, but if they stay at nine they like Shabazz Muhammad. Muhammad definitely makes sense because the Timberwolves really need a player on the wing who can score. Minnesota would be a great fit for Shabazz who would come in and start immediately. Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love really complement his game nicely.
10. Portland Trail Blazers—Alex Len (7’1” C, Maryland)
The Blazers may be hesitant to pull the trigger on another injured big man, but he simply presents too much value with this pick for them to go another way. Recent lottery pick Meyers Leonard didn’t produce much throughout the season, so they could certainly look at Len as they continue to fill out their extremely weak bench.
11. Philadelphia 76ers: Steven Adams (7’0” C, Pittsburgh)
Adams could have used another year at Pitt, but he still has the potential to be the best big man out of this draft. After the horrible Andrew Bynum trade, Philadelphia is set to begin rebuilding around Jrue Holiday and Bynum likely won’t be returning. Philadelphia could be a good fit for a guy like Adams as they aren’t going to be built to win next year. He could really benefit from learning from a serviceable big in Spencer Hawes early in his career. Adams had a great combine which should aide in a lottery selection.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder—Michael Carter-Williams (6’6” PG, Syracuse)
The 2013 Playoffs really showcased how valuable Russell Westbrook is to the Thunder. He was such an iron man that they decided to add depth at other positions and trade longtime backup Eric Maynor to the Trail Blazers, which in the end came back to bite them. They’ll use this pick and take the huge PG out of Syracuse and groom him to be their backup for the future.
13. Dallas Mavericks: Gorgui Dieng (6’11” C, Louisville)
The Mavericks want to clear up cap space to make a big run at Chris Paul this summer. In order to do that they are shopping the thirteenth overall selection, so there’s a great chance this pick won’t be made by them. However if they do keep it they would probably look at a PG or C. Dieng is a great defensive big whose offensive game continues to improve.
14. Utah Jazz—Dennis Schroeder (6’2” PG, Germany)
Everybody has the Jazz going with one of the second tier PGs with this selection. A few places have even moved Miami’s Shane Larkin all the way up to this slot, but we believe Schroeder’s better size and high ceiling will give him the nod at this point. Look for pre-draft workouts to determine this pick one way or the other.
15. Milwaukee Bucks: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6’6” SG, Georgia)
Caldwell-Pope is one of the best scorers in the draft and Milwaukee would probably be ecstatic if he fell into their laps fifteenth overall. Monta Ellis is set to hit free agency so that will leave a hole at SG in Milwaukee. Some scouts suggest KCP could sneak into the top-10, but Milwaukee at 15 is probably the best fit for him.
16. Boston Celtics—Rudy Gobert (7’2” C, France)
The massive Frenchman’s stock is all over the place. He has the physical makeup to be a dominant defensive presence for a very long time and we can’t think of a better player than Kevin Garnett to take him under his wing and teach the youngster a few tricks before he rides off into the sunset.
17. Atlanta Hawks: Mason Plumlee (6’11” PF/C, Duke)
The Hawks roster is about to undergo some major changes this offseason, so with their two first round selections they’ll likely go BPA. Mason Plumlee has lottery-talent (for this draft) and would provide some depth in the frontcourt alongside Al Horford. Plumlee projects to be a solid role player in the NBA who does the dirty-work in the post.
18. Atlanta Hawks—Sergey Karasev (6’7” SF, Russia)
New coach Mike Budenholzer is going to take a page out of mentor Gregg Poppovich’s playbook and take a flyer on a talented European prospect with one of their back-to-back picks. Karasev is a very intriguing player with his ability to stretch the floor and score from anywhere. They’ll need a long term shooter with Kyle Korver turning 33 next season.
19. Cleveland Cavaliers: Reggie Bullock (6’7” SG/SF, UNC)
After passing on an SF earlier in the draft, Cleveland could be looking to take one. Bullock has great size and continues to improve as a shooter. He can play both SG and SF at the next level and could be a perfect scoring role player for the Cavaliers. Bullock excels at playing to his strengths.
20. Chicago Bulls—Jamaal Franklin (6’5” SG, San Diego St.)
Rumors are the Bulls are looking for guys with defensive potential. Franklin has that in spades with his size, length, and athleticism for an off guard. He showed fantastic growth while in college and has plenty of toughness to fit in with the mindset of coach Thibodeau.
21. Utah Jazz: Kelly Olynyk (7’0” PF/C, Gonzaga)
Another young big man is far from what Utah needs, but Olynyk is far too good to fall any further. Al Jefferson likely won’t return, so Olynyk could be a good future backup behind Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. Olynyk is arguably the best and most polished scoring big man in this draft.
22. Brooklyn Nets—Glen Rice Jr. (6’6” SF, D-League)
Off-the-court issues pushed Rice into leaving college and joining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Developmental league. After a rough start, he finally got his head in the game and started putting up great numbers. His team won the D-League Championship and he averaged 29 points and 11.5 rebounds for the series. Rice’s stock is certainly on the rise so don’t be surprised to see him this high in the near future.
23. Indiana Pacers: Tim Hardaway Jr. (6’6” SG, Michigan)
After rising all the way up to tenth in our latest mock draft, Hardaway falls back more to where he belongs in our fourth version. Indiana has a great young roster, but they need some upgrades in the backcourt. Lance Stephenson had his moments, but could be one his way out. If he stays, he is better suited to come off the bench. Hardaway Jr. could realistically start from day one in Indiana and be a great glue player on the wing next to rising star Paul George.
24. New York Knicks—Shane Larkin (5’11” PG, Miami)
Future HOFer Jason Kidd finally decided to hang up his sneakers and retire. They are going to need to find a long term replacement if they want to placate star Carmelo Anthony, and fast, because the Knicks are a very old team. Shane Larkin isn’t afraid of the spotlight and is the top of player who steps up in big time situations, which will help take some of the burden off Anthony’s shoulders.
25. Los Angeles Clippers: Tony Snell (6’7” SG/SF, New Mexico)
The Clippers could go in numerous directions here. They could look at a PG since Chris Paul is apparently unhappy, they could go with a big such as Withey after DeAndre Jordan’s terrible postseason, or they could simply go BPA. With this pick, Tony Snell is probably the best player available and would add great wing depth for the Clippers. Snell is an explosive player with a smooth jump shot.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves—Allen Crabbe (6’6” SG, California)
Crabbe’s stock has been steadily rising for the past couple of weeks so he may go even higher. The Wolves (who we have taking Shabazz Muhammad with their #9 selection) need a ton of help on the wings. Crabbe’s shooting ability and athleticism are a perfect fit between Ricky Rubio and Muhammad.
27. Denver Nuggets: Jeff Withey (7’0” C, Kansas)
JaVale McGee is serviceable, but center is still probably Denver’s biggest need so it’s hard to imagine them passing on a guy like Jeff Withey this late in the first round. Withey’s poor combine has dropped him from a possible top-20 selection to a late-first-to-early-second round guy, but Denver is a great fit for him.
28. San Antonio Spurs—Giannis Adetokunbo (6’9” SF, Greece)
Typical spurs pick, right? The young Greek burst into the basketball limelight out of obscurity in the Greek A2 league. The Spurs may use this pick to stash him overseas for another year or two and let him mature in a less demanding setting because he certainly has the physical makeup that team’s drool over.
29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Lucas Nogueira (7’0” C, Brazil)
After adding a PG earlier in this draft, Oklahoma City will probably look for a big man with their second first round pick. Kendrick Perkins was absolutely horrible in the post season so help is needed at center. Oklahoma City is already so loaded they have the luxury to take a guy like Nogueira, who possesses a lot of upside. He won’t be ready to contribute as a rookie, but he doesn’t need to be. Oklahoma City can take the process slow with him and hope he pans out.
30. Phoenix Suns—Tony Mitchell (6’9” PF, North Texas)
Tony Mitchell is a tough prospect to figure out. He had a very promising freshman year for North Texas, but he (and his team) completely fell apart this past year under a new coach. As a result, his stock plummeted out of the lottery. He certainly has the physical tools and athleticism that Phoenix seems to covet, but does he have the mental makeup to maximize his natural gifts? This pick will be a steal if he can figure it out.
2nd Round
31. Cleveland Cavaliers: Erick Green (6’3” PG/SG, Virginia Tech)
32. Oklahoma City Thunder—Dario Saric (6’10” SF, Croatia)
33. Cleveland Cavaliers: Trevor Mbakwe (6’8” PF/C, Minnesota)
34. Houston Rockets—CJ Leslie (6’9” SF/PF, NC State)
35. Philadelphia 76ers: Nate Wolters (6’5” PG, South Dakota State)
36. Sacramento Kings—Ray McCallum (6’2” PG, Detroit)
37. Detroit Pistons: Lorenzo Brown (6’3” PG, NC State)
38. Washington Wizards—Mike Muscala (6’11” C, Bucknell)
39. Portland Trail Blazers: Ricardo Ledo (6’6” SG, Providence)
40. Portland Trail Blazer—Myck Kabongo (6’3” PG, Texas)
41. Memphis Grizzlies: Alex Abrines (6’6” SG, Spain)
42. Philadelphia 76ers—Archie Goodwin (6’5” SG, Kentucky)
43. Milwaukee Bucks: Jackie Carmichael (6’9” PF, Illinois State)
44. Dallas Mavericks—Isaiah Canaan (6’0” PG, Murray State)
45. Portland Trail Blazers: Livio Jean-Charles (6’9” SF/PF, France)
46. Utah Jazz—DeShaun Thomas (6’7” SF, Ohio St)
47. Atlanta Hawks: Pierre Jackson (5’10” PG, Baylor)
48. Los Angeles Lakers—Mouhammadou Jaiteh (6’11” C, France)
49. Chicago Bulls: Marko Todorovic (6’11” PF/C, Montenegro)
50. Atlanta Hawks—BJ Young (6’3” PG/SG, Arkansas)
51. Orlando Magic: Erik Murphy (6’10” PF, Florida)
52. Minnesota Timberwolves—Solomon Hill (6’7” SF, Arizona)
53. Indiana Pacers: Brandon Davies (6’10” PF, BYU)
54. Washington Wizards—Christian Watford (6’8” SF, Indiana)
55. Memphis Grizzlies: Peyton Siva (6’1” PG, Louisville)
56. Detroit Pistons—Adonis Thomas (6’7” SF, Memphis)
57. Phoenix Suns: James Ennis (6’7” SG/SF, Long Beach State)
58. San Antonio Spurs—Arsalan Kazemi (6’8” PF, Oregon)
59. Minnesota Timberwolves: Bojan Dubljevic (6’10” PF/C, Montenegro)
60. Memphis Grizzlies—Grant Jerrett (6’10” PF, Arizona)
By: Brian Emory & Steven Weddington
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