POINT GUARDS / SHOOTING GUARDS / SMALL FORWARDS / POWER FORWARDS / CENTERS
 |
Power Forward / 6-10 / Louisiana State / Freshman
19.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg
The Sixers need scoring, but more than anything they need talent. And Simmons clearly is the most talented prospect available this year. Simmons gives the Sixers exactly what they've been missing, a superstar talent to put fans in the stands and hope for the future. |
 |
Small Forward / 6-9 / Duke / Freshman
17.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg
Newly hired head coach Luke Walton is clearly living a charmed life. The Lakers were facing potentially losing their pick (a 50/50 proposition) and instead land one of the highly coveted top two picks in this draft, giving them a potential franchise player in Ingram. Baby Durantula may take some time to adapt to the physicality of the league, but his upside is unmistakable. |
 |
3. Boston: Buddy Hield
Shooting Guard / 6-4 / Oklahoma / Senior
25.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg
There's a good chance the Celtics will look to trade out of this pick with a team targeting a player such as Dragan Bender or Kris Dunn. If they keep the pick, they have a tough decision on their hands. Hield makes the most sense as he's the most ready to contribute to a playoff team that doesn't consider itself in rebuilding mode. Bender or Jaylen Brown offer more upside but also come with greater risk. |
 |
4. Phoenix: Dragan Bender
Power Forward / 7-0 / Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) / 1997
2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg
The Suns are a team in need of talent and currently have no power forward on their roster after trading away Markieff Morris. While it's unlikely that Bender could assume a starting role next year, he could potentially become a starting four in the next couple seasons. It would seem to be beneficial to him, as is the case with other prospects, to go a few spots later in the draft and thus minimize the extreme expectations. |
 |
Point Guard / 6-5 / Kentucky / Freshman
20.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Murray would give a very talented Minnesota backcourt additional stability and shooting ability. He could spell Ricky Rubio in spot duty at the point and also gives clutch play and leadership. |
 |
6. New Orleans: Kris Dunn
Point Guard / 6-4 / Providence / Junior
16.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg
The Pelicans would likely jump for joy if they could shore up their backcourt with the draft's only elite PG prospect in Dunn at 6. There is speculation that he could go as high as 3. He refused to work out for Boston and Phoenix, two teams with PGs in place, but there's always the possibility that someone moves into the Top 5 picks to snag him. The shoulder injury has not been a problem for over a year, yet some speculate it could be red-flagged in a physical. |
 |
7. Denver: Jaylen Brown
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / California / Freshman
14.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg
The Nuggets landed a gem in last year's draft in Emmanuel Mudiay, who shot over 35 percent from three after the All-Star break. Denver is in an excellent position to grab another key piece. Brown would fill a need for them at the 2/3 position and be excellent value for them at No. 7 providing arguably as much pure upside as anyone after the Top 2. |
 |
Power Forward / 6-10 / Gonzaga / Sophomore
17.6 ppg, 11.8 rpg
The Kings are in need of a power forward and while there may be a few players that offer more upside for a team under pressure to produce (Sam Hinkie fleeced them out of a number of future picks), Sabonis makes perfect sense as a guy that can be an instant contributor. Being of Lithuanian descent also shouldn't hurt his cause with a Euro GM in Vlade Divac. |
 |
9. Toronto: Jakob Poeltl
Center / 7-1 / Utah / Sophomore
17.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg
Poeltl is well liked by many scouts for his ability to play both ends of the floor and would add depth to the Raptors' frontcourt. It is unclear whether Toronto will be willing to give Bismack Biyombo a contract extension as his value on the market is likely higher than his actual value after his amazing Eastern Conference Finals performance. An athletic standout such as Marquese Chriss is another option here, but Poeltl gives them depth behind Valanciunas. |
 |
10. Milwaukee: Marquese Chriss
Power Forward / 6-9 / Washington / Freshman
13.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Chriss is one of the biggest boom or bust picks of this year's draft. He is likely two years away from contributing anything meaningful. But his combination of length, athleticism and shooting touch has scouts drooling. The Bucks can afford to wait as their nucleus is still a few years away. |
 |
11. Orlando: Henry Ellenson
Power Forward / 6-10 / Marquette / Freshman
17.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg
If Orlando believes in Ellenson's potential, he would provide a solid complement to Aaron Gordon with his face-up skills. Ellenson is well liked by scouts for his ability to hit shots and potential, considering his size and skill level. He may struggle initially with the speed of the NBA game, particularly on the defensive end, but the hope is that he will continue to gain speed and athleticism as his body matures. |
 |
12. Utah: Furkan Korkmaz
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / Anadolu Efes (Turkey) / 1997
2.6 ppg, 0.9 rpg
Utah already has one star in Gordon Hayward on the wing, and another potential rising star in Rodney Hood. Dante Exum is still an unproven combo guard coming off an injury but has a lot of promise. With Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Trey Lyles, the team has a young and talented frontcourt. All of this means they are balanced and solid all around and can afford to take who they feel is the best player available. Korkmaz is a player that will need a few seasons but offers nice potential for the future. Utah has done well in the draft with Internationals in recent years, including nabbing Gobert, late in the first round. |
 |
13. Phoenix: Skal Labissiere
Power Forward / 6-11 / Kentucky / Freshman
6.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Like the Nuggets, Phoenix is sitting on multiple first-round picks and can afford to take an "upside" prospect like Skal. He will likely be a D-Leaguer for one or more years but shows a lot of potential with his shooting, length and agility. |
 |
14. Chicago: Cheick Diallo
Power Forward / 6-9 / Kansas / Freshman
3.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Diallo is probably a bit of a reach at 14 considering his lack of readiness. But he's among a handful of prospects that need time and shows a higher motor and upside than many. He really impressed scouts in Chicago at the NBA combine. He struggled to see the floor at Kansas after the NCAA's unfortunate decision to hold him out early in the season. With Joakim Noah probably leaving, looking for frontcourt help makes sense for the Bulls. |
 |
15. Denver: Dejounte Murray
Shooting Guard / 6-5 / Washington / Freshman
16.1 ppg, 4.4 apg
Murray is a long-term play and Denver is a team that has three Top 20 picks, plus a young nucleus and can afford to gamble on a young player like him. While he played PG at Washington, he is seen as a combo that could be a more natural fit at the 2 and could slide over to play alongside Mudiay. |
 |
16. Boston: Deyonta Davis
Power Forward / 6-10 / Michigan State / Freshman
7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg
Davis has the talent to go higher, but could be a player that falls with a lot of competition at the power forward position. He hasn't received the best reviews during the draft process, with disappointing feedback coming from his NBA combine interviews and conditioning in workouts. With multiple picks, the Celtics can afford to gamble on a frontcourt player with upside that needs time. |
 |
17. Memphis: Malik Beasley
Shooting Guard / 6-5 / Florida State / Freshman
15.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg
The word on Beasley is that he has a rod in his leg that could affect his stock some. He is viewed as having late lottery talent, according to some scouts, with excellent scoring and ballhandling skills. Memphis could use a shooting guard upgrade, and Booker has the talent to develop into their 2 of the future. |
 |
18. Detroit: Denzel Valentine
Small Forward / 6-6 / Michigan State / Senior
19.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg
The Pistons appear to be on the brink of returning to relevance after their first trip to the playoffs in a number of years. Therefore a ready-to-go player with leadership qualities such as Valentine makes sense. He's also a local kid who chose to stay close to home to play at Michigan State. If he ends up fulfilling his promise, re-signing him and convincing him to stay in Detroit should be easier than with some players. |
 |
19. Denver: Damian Jones
Center / 7-0 / Vanderbilt / Junior
13.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg
After going with wing players with their first two picks, the Nuggets take another upside pick with a center at 19 with Damian Jones. Jones shot the ball very well in a recent multi-team L.A. workout, and also performed much better in L.A. over the summer at the Nike Academy. May have struggled to shine at Vanderbilt due to personnel and system reasons. |
 |
Shooting Guard / 6-6 / Syracuse / Freshman
13.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg
The Pacers have Monta Ellis signed for three more seasons, and Richardson probably needs a couple years before he will be ready. There is a lot of speculation that Richardson has a Top 20 promise following the combine as he elected to keep his name in the draft and has not worked out for teams, training in Las Vegas at Impact Basketball. |
 |
21. Atlanta: Patrick McCaw
Shooting Guard / 6-6 / Nevada-Las Vegas / Sophomore
14.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg
The Hawks could use another shooting guard to battle with Tim Hardaway Jr. as Kyle Korver is already entering his 14th season at 35 years of age. McCaw has combo skills and tremendous speed, which would work very well with the blur Atlanta has at point guard in Dennis Schroeder, who appears to be edging out Jeff Teague as the team's PG of the future. |
 |
22. Charlotte: Brice Johnson
Power Forward / 6-9 / North Carolina / Senior
17.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg
Charlotte knows Brice as well as anyone with him playing four years in their backyard at Chapel Hill. Johnson is routinely being underrated and projects as one of the elite level frontcourt athletes available. Playing for MJ's alma mater could seal the deal if Johnson indeed falls this far. |
 |
23. Boston: Stephen Zimmerman
Center / 7-0 / Nevada-Las Vegas / Freshman
10.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg
Big Zimm is an intriguing prospect that gets lumped in with players like Deyonta Davis and could go higher than this. His upside would fit well with a team that seems to be adding solid pieces to its nucleus. |
 |
Small Forward / 6-7 / KK Mega Leks (Serbia) / 1995
14.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg
The Sixers have struggled to defend anyone the last few years and Luwawu is known as a kid with good defensive potential. The team could look to add a point guard here, although there are not many with legitimate first-round value. |
 |
Small Forward / 6-7 / Baylor / Senior
15.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg
The Clippers have a team loaded with talent and a small window of opportunity with Chris Paul's career approaching its twilight. Prince is one of the draft's more ready to contribute players, and could fill a role similar to the one Matt Barnes held before being shipped off to Memphis for Lance Stephenson. |
 |
Shooting Guard / 6-5 / Saint Joseph’s / Junior
17.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg
Philly has a logjam at center and a real need for wings, so taking another guard certainly wouldn't be going off script. Bembry is very comfortable with the ball in his hands and could help out at times, along with Simmons at facilitating. |
 |
27. Toronto: Thon Maker
Power Forward / 7-0 / Australia / 1997
–
Toronto likes length and athleticism. With international GM Masai Ujiri, Thon has both the African and Canadian connection. Maker could end up going higher, but his lack of experience and readiness might limit his draft ceiling. If Thon can add good weight and his legs hold up, he could end up being a steal at the end of the first round. |
 |
28. Phoenix: Ben Bentil
Power Forward / 6-8 / Providence / Sophomore
21.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg
As mentioned, the Suns' biggest need is at power forward and are projected to select a third straight 4-man to fill the void. While this selection is further down the draft board, Bentil is definitely the most ready of the three in Year One. Since chances are good they will address the starting role via free agency or trade, Bentil would also offer nice depth to the frontcourt. |
 |
29. San Antonio: Ante Zizic
Center / 6-11 / Cibona Zagreb (Croatia) / 1997
13.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg
The Spurs are known for taking Europeans and stashing them until the time is right. Zizic is a high-energy player that could develop into a Tiago Splitter-type for a team. He's also among the most NBA ready Euros in this year's draft despite being just 19. |
 |
Power Forward / 6-9 / New Mexico State / Sophomore
20.3 ppg, 11.6 apg
The champs will look for someone that can contribute right away as they have a window of opportunity with their nucleus in place. Siakam is just a sophomore but at 22 proved this year that he has some real polish to go with his motor. His high character and ability to defend gives him a good chance to find a spot in the first round and he would fit in well with Golden State. |
Key: (*) Standard salary for players selected with that pick in 2016-17.
from HoopsHype http://ift.tt/1sLZtnE
