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Philadelphia 76ers - Ben Simmons F LSU - The Sixers desperately need a playmaker on their roster and Simmons fits the mold in a changing NBA landscape. There are questions about Simmons regarding his inability to lead LSU to the tournament and his lack of a shooting touch, but the talent is too good to pass up. Simmons may not live up to the LeBron level hype that's being heaped upon him, but he is a very talented player who is a deserving number one pick.
Los Angeles Lakers - Brandon Ingram F Duke - The Lakers should be very happy to get a player of Ingram caliber right here. I'm still very high in D’Angelo Russell despite his struggles on and off the court last year, and he should form a decent post-Kobe nucleus moving forward. Ingram does everything you want your star player to do. He may never become a lights out scorer, but he should develop into a nice 2 way wing a la Paul George.
Boston Celtics - Jamal Murray G Kentucky - The Celtics are in an interesting spot. They have a lot of really solid players, but other than Isaiah Thomas no true star. Murray is a very solid player who can potentially play both guard positions. He’s not the best fit for the Celtics, but would take scoring pressure off Thomas and be a major upgrade offensively over Avery Bradley Ideally the Celtics would hope either Simmons or Ingram fall, trade from this spot for a player or a lower pick. I can also see Danny Ainge toying with idea of drafting either Kris Dunn or Buddy Hield, but there is a logjam in the roster of 1s and 2s.
Phoenix Suns - Marquese Chriss PF Washington- Phoenix has some talented young players on this roster but a blue chip star. Chriss has the potential to be that player. Chriss is pretty raw right now, but is extremely athletic and a very enticing prospect. Chriss runs the floor very well, can block shots and showed some shooting ability at Washington. Phoenix is pretty set in it’s backcourt, so Chriss is the most logical pick It's hard to see Phoenix going for a guard or reaching for a wing like Jaylen Brown at this point.
Minnesota Timberwolves - Kris Dunn PG Providence - The Wolves currently are the most talented young team in the NBA. With Karl Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and 2 guard Zach Lavine, they are just a few pieces away from making the playoffs in the west. While Ricky Rubio is a solid playmaker, Dunn is the best PG in the draft and you could argue the best player. Dunn is hyper-competitive on both ends of the court, has great size and athleticism and can make plays for others. Dunn would fit well with the Wolves athletic style, but he doesn't add the shooting that the Wolves would like. He may eventually develop into a better shooter than Rubio, but is already much stronger as a scorer.
New Orleans Pelicans - Jaylen Brown SF Cal - Brown has arguably the most upside in the draft. He is an excellent athlete and has an NBA ready body. While he struggled at times at Cal, he would be a good fit with the Pelicans. Ideally he would improve his shooting in the NBA and become a 2 way player which is exactly what the Pelicans need on their roster. In this case, Brown fills a need and is one of the best players available.
Denver Nuggets - Buddy Hield SG Oklahoma - Denver has been looking for a star since they traded away Carmelo Anthony. While they've had some entertaining teams they are in desperate need of a leader and a 20 point scorer. Hield is both the best leader in this draft class and best pure scorer. Hield may also be the best shooter. Drafting Hield would give Denver an exciting young backcourt with Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay and Hield complement each other well, and this is an all around great fit.
Sacramento Kings - Denzel Valentine G/F Michigan St. - Even though this is definitely too early to draft Valentine, he is a talented player. The Kings are unpredictable, but I would imagine they would be targeting a guard for this roster. With Dunn, Murray and Hield off the board, I could easily see them going after Valentine or Wade Baldwin IV. Valentine has great vision as a playmaker, is a triple double machine, can shoot and is a great fit in the new “positionless” NBA. He will probably not be a star in the NBA, but he can contribute right away in the league given the right situation. Sacramento may also look for a stretch 4 type player such as Dragan Bender or Henry Ellenson, but they really need a guard.
Toronto Raptors - Dragan Bender PF - A lot of people are very high on Dragan Bender. I am personally not one of these people. I see the talent but Bender will not become a star any time soon. Like Kristaps Porzingis the potential is through the roof Bender moves very well for a 7 footer and is already a good 3 point shooter. He is very raw however and doesn't seem like he will ever develop into an elite defender. Bender will probably not last this far, but if he does, the Raptors should take a chance on him. Toronto doesn’t necessarily need to rush Bender and he would have time to develop into a stretch 4, which is a need for the Raptors.
Milwaukee Bucks - Henry Ellenson F/C Marquette - The Bucks have a ton of potential and there is a lot to like about this roster. They do however lack a bigman who can shoot. I personally see Ellenson a true stretch 4 with an improving 3 pt shot. He is not a great shooter at this time, but his shot is very smooth. Ellenson also has a crafty post game. He is a little bit similar to Kevin Love but is not nearly the rebounder. In a weaker draft for bigmen, Ellenson is a steal at number 10 for his talent.
Orlando Magic - Timothe Luwawu SF/G - Orlando has a pretty good young team, but needs more quality wing play. Beyond Simmons, Ingram and Brown, this is a very weak class for wings. Luwawu is the best option for the Magic at this point. He's a little more advanced than many foreign players and is solid all around. He can likely contribute as a “3 and D” player right away for Orlando. Another option for the Magic here would be Denzel Valentine if he is still available.
Atlanta Hawks - Wade Baldwin IV G Vanderbilt - The Hawks just traded Jeff Teague to get this pick and I'm keeping it the same player that I had the Jazz taking Even with an up and coming PG in Dennis Schroeder, the Hawks need more help in their backcourt.Baldwin is very athletic, is excellent in transition and is a pretty solid jump shooter. He would give the Hawks an aggressive guard who could play both the 1 and the 2 position.
Phoenix Suns - Jakob Poetl C Utah - After adding the high upside Chriss with their first pick, the Suns should take Poetl here to add a more steady, reliable option in their frontcourt. Poetl isn't a “sexy” pick, he won't help them well tickets, but as a player he is very solid all around. He is a classic center with some decent post moves. Poetl isn't the rim protector that most teams covet, but he is a solid defender and rebounder. I personally like Alex Len as a prospect, but the Suns haven't really given him a chance to get the playing time he needs. Unless the Suns really like like Len, or if a wing or guard they like drops, I can definitely see Poetll for this pick.
Chicago Bulls -Demitrius Jackson PG Notre Dame - After the trade of former MVP Derrick Rose to the Knicks, the Bulls need a PG to take over. Jackson is athletic and aggressive and would help ease the transition into the post Rose era. He's not a perfect prospect and needs to improve his shooting, but he is the best guard left on the board. I could also see the Bulls going after Skal Labissiere, but the need at PG is much more urgent.
Denver Nuggets - Domantas Sabonis PF/C Gonzaga - Denver has some good post players already with Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic, but Sabonis might be more talented than both of them. Sabonis is the best offensive post player in this draft and has a solid pick and pop game. His athleticism and below average defense are the only reasons he's not in the lottery. I could see Denver trading away this pick however.
Boston Celtics - Skal Labissiere C/PF Kentucky - Boston fans will either love or hate this pick. He could easily be the next Fab Melo but at times he can look like Karl Anthony Towns or Anthony Davis. Skal did not play up to the hype in his lone season at Kentucky, but he showed flashes of brilliance. At the very least he will be a role player with a solid shooting touch and shotblocking ability. For Boston at 16, this is a gamble worth taking
Memphis Grizzlies - DeJounte Murray G Washington - Murray will add a spark to the Memphis offense that they haven't seen in years. I have questions whether he is a PG or a SG but he is a good to off the bench for the Grizzlies.
Detroit Pistons - Deyonta Davis PF Michigan State - Many mocks have the Pistons taking Michigan State's Valentine, but Davis is definitely in play here. While he didn't get a lot of playing time as a freshman, Davis showed enough that he's gotten some buzz as a lottery pick. Like many of the bigmen in this class, Davis is very good in transition and can dazzle the crowd with his alley oop dunks and putbacks. He'll need some time and the Pistons would probably prefer a forward who can shoot a little more, but he can develop behind Tobias Harris and Andre Drummond.
Denver Nuggets - Furkan Korkmaz G/F - I've never spent so much time thinking about what the Denver Nuggets are going to do. This guy has a great name and has all the Fran Frischilla’s of the world buzzing. That is all.
Indiana Pacers - Malachi Richardson G Syracuse - Malachi Richardson is a baller. He wasn't great all season, but Richardson showed in the tournament why he should be in the NBA. Indiana could use someone to take pressure off I Paul George, with the late season surge of Myles Turner,trading for Jeff Teague and drafting Richardson, suddenly the Pacers are exciting again.
Atlanta Hawks - Thon Maker F/C - Thon Maker is one of the strangest prospects ever. He's rail thin, plays like a shooting guard, could be anywhere from 19 to 45 years old, and yet is so intriguing of a player he will likely be drafted in the first round. I think it's a horrible idea for Maker to skip college, I could really use an extra year to improve his game. Maker mostly screams bust, but his skill set is enough to take a look at him at 21. I would be very surprised if the Hawks keep this pick.
Charlotte Hornets - Malik Beasley G Florida State. - The Hornets are in pretty good shape right now. Kemba Wallet really blossomed last season, and Jeremy Lin had his best year since Linsanity. Malik Beasley played very well for FSU last season. He needs to work on becoming a better defender and playmaker, but he is already a pretty good scorer. Give Beasley a few years and he could be a solid rotation player.
Boston Celtics - Ante Zizic PF/C - real draft and stash hours are upon us.
Philadelphia 76ers - Juan Hernangomez F- smash
Los Angeles Clippers - Ivica Zubac C -dat
Philadelphia 76ers - Tyler Ulis- the chain is broken but Ulis is the best player remaining. While he is very small, Ulis can really play. The 76ers should give him a shot here and he could potentially end up as a starter someday.
Toronto Raptors - Gueschon Labusele F - like. Man, what a time to be alive. This is the best foreign name drafted since Giannis Antetokoumpo.
Phoenix Suns - Isaia Cordinier G- Anyone who tells you that they know what's happening here is lying.
San Antonio Spurs - Ben Bentil PF/SF Providence - I love Ben Bentil’s game. He can play big or small on offense, he can slash and shoot. Nearly a perfect player for the Spurs to develop.
Golden State Warriors - Chieck Diallo F/C Kansas - After his Finals performance, the Warriors are looking to move on from Steph Curry. Who better than Diallo to fill in for the fallen MVP? Obviously this is a joke, but Diallo is an intriguing player for the Warriors to have sit on the end of their bench.
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