NBA mock draft: Pre-workout period, not much movement
The calendar is about to turn to June which means the NBA draft is just around the corner.
High-level prospects haven't necessarily begun their individual workouts, and there's still plenty of time for jockeying and for teams to weigh their decisions until after the NBA Finals.
With that said, LSU's Ben Simmons is still holding strong at the top spot.
First Round
Early indications suggest that the Sixers have a pretty strong preference towards Simmons with the No. 1 pick. There's still plenty of time until the draft, so something could happen to change that.
If Simmons does go No. 1 to the Sixers, the Lakers still have a great option here. This decision is likely to be an easy one for Los Angeles.
The third pick is where the things really interesting, and where trade rumors will persist right up until the draft. With how close the Celtics are, they may look to do something else here, but Bender's defensive versatility could fit in nicely with them down the line.
The Phoenix Suns have depth on the perimeter, and could use some athletes to help rebuild their front court. Brown is raw, but he's only scratching the surface of his immense natural talent.
The Wolves were 25th in the league in three-point percentage, and 29th in three-point attempts, a situation that has to change when building around Karl-Anthony Towns. Murray could kickstart that process.
On paper, the Pelicans have some depth at the guard positions, but there could be a lot of turnover in that department in the near future. With Dunn potentially falling because Boston, Phoenix, and Minnesota have depth at the point guard spot, Dunn might be too talented to pass up here.
The Nuggets have some emerging talent at the shooting guard spot, including Will Barton and Gary Harris, but Hield could provide Denver with a spark off the bench, and a much-needed consistent shooter to open up driving lanes for Emmanuel Mudiay.
If one of the top-ranked guards don't fall to the Kings, they could look for a big man who could open up the lane for DeMarcus Cousins. Ellenson has the chance to develop into a good shooter at the power forward spot, which could be a good fit.
With Bismack Biyombo playing his way into a big contract this offseason, getting another shot blocking threat could add needed depth to Toronto's front line, and his potential as a three-point shooter could make him a good fit with Jonas Valanciunas.
Poeltl's versatility, on both ends of the court, would be tough to pass up at this portion of the draft, especially for a team with so much depth on the wings, and who may not be 100% committed to Greg Monroe.
Despite Labissiere's disappointing freshman season at Kentucky, his two skill sets – shot blocking and perimeter shooting – would be a nice fit next to Nikola Vucevic, even if he might be a bit risky.
Baldwin's size, defensive potential, and ability to shoot off the ball gives him some versatility that could fit in well with Utah's backcourt, and give them options if Dante Exum struggles returning from injury.
The addition of Jaylen Brown and Davis would reinvent Phoenix's front court with a pair of athletes, who have plenty of room to grow into their considerable upside.
Point guard depth is an obvious area of need here, but Luwawu's shooting, secondary playmaking, and athleticism would be tough to pass up.
With Denver helping their shooting problems earlier in the draft, they have the freedom to go best player available. Sabonis' rebounding, inside scoring, and potential development of his jump shot would be a good fit.
While Boston has good depth on the perimeter, they are still somewhat lacking in perimeter shooting, and could always use more playmaking. Valentine provides both.
Even if Mike Conley returns in free agency, Memphis could use point guard depth, especially one like Jackson who can score off the pick and roll.
Prince’s ability to play both forward spots, and shoot from the perimeter, would give Stan Van Gundy another contributor to his emerging Pistons squad.
The 18-year-old Korkmaz didn’t get a whole lot of playing time for Anadolu Efes, which makes figuring out his draft stock difficult. That being said, somebody is likely to gamble on his youth, athleticism, and perimeter shooting.
For as successful as Indiana was this season, they could use a talent infusion on their depleted front line. Johnson’s athleticism and offensive skill level should fit in well.
Bembry’s been rising up draft boards of late, and his all-around game, minus the ever-crucial jump shot, could fit in well with Atlanta, especially if Kent Bazemore leaves in free agency. While success hasn’t been there for Bembry from the perimeter, some hopeful he can add it to his game over time.
Improved perimeter shooting is a big part of Charlotte’s recent success, but with Nicolas Batum and Courtney Lee both upcoming free agents, they could look to replenish some of their perimeter depth with younger, cheaper options.
Zizc’s strengths – pick and dive offensive play, defensive mobility, altering shots around the rim – fit into exactly what Boston is lacking among their collection of big men. With three first round picks, the Celtics might be willing to take a gamble on a potential draft-and-stash candidate.
With the Sixers hopefully finding their centerpiece, they’re likely to start looking to fill out their roster. Ulis, despite his size, would give Philadelphia steady point guard play, even if his size might limit that to a back up role.
If the Clippers are going to add another big man to their lineup, he should be able to stretch the floor. That’s where the 6-foot-11-inch Cornelie shines.
McCaw has developed into an interesting prospect over the past few years, and his combination of size, athleticism, improving outside shot, and play making would fill an area of need for the Sixers on the perimeter.
Another big man in a crowded Toronto front court, but this one a likely draft-and-stash candidate. Hernangomez had a strong year in the tough ACB of Spain, especially impressive considering his age, and has shown improvement in his perimeter skills.
After taking two forwards earlier in the draft, the 7-foot-2 Zhou, who shows promise as a shot blocking threat, could be an interesting high-reward gamble for Phoenix late in the first round.
With the uncertainty around Tim Duncan’s future (I feel like we’ve been writing about this for a decade), more depth in the front court could be welcomed in San Antonio, and Diallo has the physical tools to be an interesting project. And doesn’t San Antonio always cause these projects to reach their potential? If they do, Diallo has a lot of it.
With Harrison Barnes about to get very expensive, Brogdon’s combination of experience, defensive ability, and ability to navigate screens off the ball and shoot from the perimeter could help him contribute right away for the Warriors.