Editor's note: The NBA draft lottery, which will decide the order of selection, takes place on May 17.

1. Philadelphia

Brandon Ingram | SF | Duke

Freshman | 18 | 6-9, 196

Insider info: Philadelphia will look long and hard here at Ingram and Ben Simmons to determine who the best long-term prospect in this draft class might be. Ingram is clearly the better fit in terms of what the team needs on the wing. He’s also a better fit alongside last year’s No. 3 pick Jahlil Okafor, who desperately needs shooters around him, and Dario Saric, who is somewhat of a European version of Simmons. The red flags surrounding Simmons' lack of competitiveness and the fact that he is more than a year older than Ingram have led many to believe that Ingram has surpassed Simmons in terms of overall upside.







2. L.A. Lakers

Ben Simmons | SF/PF | LSU

Freshman | 19 | 6-10, 239

Insider info: In a draft many consider to have a significant dropoff after the No. 2 pick, the Lakers will be happy to "settle" for whomever the Sixers decide not to draft. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers fit the non-shooting Simmons alongside the ball-dominant backcourt of D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, but there really isn't much of a choice here. New head coach Luke Walton could try and mold Simmons into a bigger and more athletic version of Draymond Green, which could help quite a bit alongside as many shooters as possible.







3. Boston (from Brooklyn)

Dragan Bender | PF | Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israeli League

18 | 7-1 | 225

Insider info: Power forward has long been a position of need for the Celtics, and it was abundantly clear in the playoffs that Jared Sullinger is not a solution because of his struggles defensively. Enter Bender, whom many feel has a huge upside in today’s NBA because of his defensive versatility, perimeter shooting and outstanding feel for the game.







4. Phoenix

Jaylen Brown | SF | California

Freshman | 19 | 6-7, 222

Insider info: The Suns have a major hole on the wing, and Brown is an excellent candidate to fill it. He possesses the necessary size, strength and length to play small forward alongside the very promising Devin Booker. The two complement each other nicely in many ways.







5. Minnesota

Kris Dunn | PG | Providence

Junior | 22 | 6-4, 205

Insider info: Dunn could get picked a few slots higher, but he likely will have no qualms about landing with a team like Minnesota, which has an abundance of young talent. Dunn is the best point guard in the draft, and at 22 he should be polished enough to join the outstanding young core the Timberwolves have built with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.







6. New Orleans

Jamal Murray | PG/SG | Kentucky

Freshman | 19 | 6-5, 201

Insider info: The Pelicans’ backcourt is unsettled at the moment, with a dozen different players earning a starting nod at one point or another over the course of the season. Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday have all struggled with injuries and none is under contract past next season, which means New Orleans will look at all of the top guards available. Murray was one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball despite being a freshman.







7. Denver (from New York)

Buddy Hield | SG | Oklahoma

Senior | 22 | 6-4, 214

Insider info: The Nuggets have built a very promising core and will likely be attracted to the strong perimeter shooting and overall scoring of Hield. The senior should be set to contribute immediately, which helps on a roster that is already among the youngest in the NBA. His deficiencies defensively could be mitigated by playing alongside a tall and physically gifted point guard in Emmanuel Mudiay, and Hield seems to complement him offensively.







8. Sacramento

Henry Ellenson | PF | Marquette

Freshman | 19 | 6-10, 231

Insider info: Sacramento has a glaring hole at power forward and will likely focus on the highly skilled Ellenson, who can score from anywhere on the floor. While he won’t solve all of the team’s issues, Ellenson would be a nice start for the Kings.







9. Toronto (from Denver)

Skal Labissiere | PF/C | Kentucky

Freshman | 20 | 7-0 | 216

Insider info: The Raptors look fairly set at almost every position except power forward and will likely consider Labissiere, who offers some of the shooting range and rim-protection they currently lack. Once he bulks up, he can also spend some minutes at center, which could be handy with backup Bismack Biyombo likely in line for a significant raise on the free-agent market.







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