| 1 |  |
DeAndre Ayton, PF, Arizona Phoenix taking Ayton is quite a no-brainer. Despite the NBA moving away from traditional big men, DeAndre is a huge force on offense and will provide Devin Booker with a reliable second option, allowing him to focus on his scoring prowess. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |  |
Doncic may be the consensus second overall selection, however, the rumbles that Sacramento may pass up on the Slovenian seem to be legitimate. Bagley provides Sacramento with a mobile forward who can spot some time at the five slot that keeps defenses honest with a decent jumper. |
| 3 |  |
Luka Doncic, SG, Real Madrid (Spain) Atlanta is in a situation where they have nowhere to go but up, might need to just go ahead and bottom out Philadelphia style. With Sacramento passing up on the EuroLeague MVP, the Hawks pounce, hoping Luka's passing and scoring prowess brings some relevancy to the franchise. |
| 4 |  |
In a rough spot, the Grizzlies don't seem intent on dealing Mike Conley nor Marc Gasol for assets and will look to make a 2019 playoff push. Porter Jr. missed nearly his entire freshman campaign, though, was once considered to be the unanimous top prospect of the draft. His relatively high floor combined with his cloud-reaching ceiling, Memphis has the perfect player for the now and future. |
| 5 |  |
Jackson Jr. is listed to be a 6'11" small forward, but in reality, the young man is tailor made for the modern NBA. Having the ability to switch and guard three positions effectively, while having the lateral quickness to switch onto guards, Jackson is an absolute no-brainer for a Dallas side looking to get back into the perennial playoff picture. |
| 6 |  |
Collin Sexton, PG, Alabama Orlando is in a bit of limbo, with a solid amount of potential and veteran play. Lacking an on-court leader, Sexton comes in and relishes the role as he did for Alabama, bringing tough nosed defense to a franchise looking to climb out of the abyss. |
| 7 |  |
Mohamed Bamba, C, Texas Chicago made a phenomenal selection last year with the seventh overall pick in Lauri Markkanen, and follow that up with a perfect fit next to him in the post as Bamba will clean up defensively, while allowing Lauri to be the focal point on offense. |
| 8 |  |
Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma Cleveland Cavaliers from Brooklyn via BOS Cleveland is going to be in a state of confusion come draft night, unless LeBron informs the front office of his decision. Do they go with a good fit with James, or do they go with someone to build around if James ends up leaving town yet again. Trae Young allows them to play it safe with a reliable handler/scorer to provide relief if James stays, while being an entertaining guard with potential if he leaves. |
| 9 |  |
Wendell Carter, Jr., PF, Duke |
| 10 |  |
Philadelphia Sixers from L.A. Lakers via PHX A team already loaded with versatility adds another one, as Mikal Bridges has the tools to be among the league's best 3 |
| 11 |  |
Robert Williams, PF, Texas A&M With Kemba Walker's impeding free agency, it will be interesting to see if Charlotte looks to get into the playoffs or shop the guard for a rebuild. In either case, Williams will be a nice fit as he'll provide a suitable replacement for Dwight Howard while meshing well with Walker, or be a potential building block from the post out. |
| 12 |  |
Kevin Knox, SF, Kentucky Los Angeles Clippers from Detroit So many ways the Logo and Lawrence Frank can shape the Clippers for the 2018-19 campaign, but for the sake of this mock, we will be keeping the picks. Knox provides Coach Doc Rivers with some added versatility at the wings and can be a solid option for the often injured, Danillo Gallinari. |
| 13 | |
Following Knox, Los Angeles goes for his team mate in Gilgeous-Alexander, a tall and lanky point guard at 6'6", further adding to the teams versatility and finally giving them a guard with size. |
| 14 |  |
Denver has a collection of good youth, and further adds to that with the selection of Miles Bridges, who can play either forward position, stretch the floor and has high defensive awareness. |
| 15 |  |
Washington swings for the fences here, with the athletic big man that would be a great fit alongside Wall's preference to push the ball and facilitate. Taking a chance on Robinson's attitude may end up paying major dividends for the nation's capital. |
| 16 | |
Troy Brown, Jr., PG, Oregon Phoenix Suns from Miami Troy Brown is listed to be a point-guard at 6'6", giving Booker a nice fit in the back-court that can help cover his defensive deficiencies. |
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| 17 |  |
Lonnie Walker, SG, Miami (FL) Walker has been getting a lot of love at the combine, and for the right reasons. He's a solid 6'4 and has the ability to get hot at anytime to hit shot, after shot, after shot. Does need to work on his shot selection and ball handling, but would be a great fit with Giannis feeding him. |
| 18 |  |
Anfernee Simons, SG, San Antonio goes for youth here, as Simons will be one year removed from the prestigious IMG Academy. An offensive repertoire well beyond his age, Simons would be a perfect fit next to Kawhi on the wings, assuming the Spurs and Leonard fix their issues. |
| 19 | |
Gary Trent, Jr., SG, Duke Atlanta Hawks from Minnesota Hawks select the third Blue Devil with Gary Trent Jr., who put up solid numbers despite being an afterthought on offense during his sole college campaign. |
| 20 |  |
Minnesota Timberwolves from Oklahoma City via UTA Minnesota needs someone off the bench to create their own shot, with Jamal Crawford likely parting ways, and they go for the Red Raider, who did a great job at finding good shots and getting the ball in the hoop. |
| 21 |  |
Hamidou Diallo, SG, Kentucky If there's a coach that can get Diallo to add to his athleticism, it's Quin Snyder, as the Jazz may get back-to-back steals (Mitchell in 2017.) A lot of untapped potential with Diallo. |
| 22 | |
Tyus Battle, SG, Syracuse Chicago Bulls from New Orleans Bamba provides the Bulls with shot blocking, and now, Battle will get them someone who can put the ball through the hoop at will. They do need Battle to pick and choose more often, however. |
| 23 |  |
Jaylen Hands, G, UCLA Hands has been on an absolute tear at the combine, and should have the Pacers attention to add to fellow UCLA alum, Darren Collison at the point-guard slot. To go with Collison, Indiana selected two Bruins last year (TJ Leaf |
| 24 |  |
Dzanan Musa, GF, Cedevita (Croatia) Portland takes a swing on a solid international prospect, hoping he's the small forward they need with Lillard, McCollum and Nurkic. |
| 25 |  |
Chimezie Metu, PF, USC Los Angeles Lakers from Cleveland Metu provides the Lakers with a defensive minded big man, that could finish alley oops courtesy of Lonzo Ball or Brandon Ingram. A solid weak side shot blocker, Metu also plays tough man defense while not being a total liability on offense. |
| 26 | |
Rodions Kurucs, SF, FC Barcelona Lassa (Spain) With plenty of youth on the roster, I'm not sure if Philadelphia keeps this pick. But if they do, expect another stash prospect, and Kurucs does just that. |
| 27 |  |
Brandon McCoy, C, UNLV Boston goes for big man depth as Stevens looks to mold McCoy into what the franchise needs to continue it's incline in the East. |
| 28 |  |
Golden State needs to be smart with their draft picks, and have done so at this point. Brown provides them with a wing option in case of injury with the ability to score, rebound and facilitate. |
| 29 |  |
Brooklyn Nets from Toronto Brooklyn looks to bring in some entertainment to the arena, as they take the Final Four's MOP. DiVincenzo was vital for the Wildcats, and Keith Atkinson will look to reign his skills in the next level. |
| 30 | |
Atlanta Hawks from Houston via LAC |
Comparisons of draft prospects to current NBA players is always an inexact science, but these projections are a combination of statistical profiles from when the NBA players were at a similar age and from stylistic similarities.
By: Christopher Reina - Jun 25, 2015
