FIRST ROUND



1. Minnesota Timberwolves – Karl-Anthony Towns (PF/C, Kentucky, Fr., 19, 7-0, 248): While Jahlil Okafor will certainly be attractive to Flip Saunders' style of play, the Timberwolves ranked as the worst defensive team in the NBA last year and could desperately use the rim protection ability of Towns. Additionally, Andrew Wiggins saw the biggest share of his offense in post-up situations last year, while Ricky Rubio is a complete non-shooter, which indicates that the floor spacing Towns could provide might be more valuable to the T'wolves than Okafor's back-to-the-basket game. Finally, Nikola Pekovic and Gorgui Dieng are far better fits alongside Towns than Okafor.

2. Los Angeles Lakers – Jahlil Okafor (C, Duke, Fr., 19, 6-11, 272): The Lakers have been searching for a real low-post presence since they traded Shaquille O'Neal to Miami more than a decade ago. Enter Okafor, the best back-to-the-basket scorer in the 2015 NBA draft. He won't do much to help what was the second-worst defense in the NBA last year, but he certainly fits into Byron Scott's old-school style of play. How will he mesh with an aging, yet ball-dominant Kobe?

3. Philadelphia 76ers – Kristaps Porzingis (PF, Sevilla/International, 19, 7-0, 220):The Sixers are reportedly extremely high on the Latvian power forward as a shot-blocking, 3-point shooting power forward to play in between their big man combo of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. This would be somewhat of a surprise pick, but 7-footers in the Porzingis mold are difficult to come by, and teams feel he has clear cut All-Star potential once his body fills out.

4. New York Knicks – D'Angelo Russell (PG/SG, Ohio State, Fr., 19, 6-5, 193): The Knicks would be doing backflips in their war room if the Sixers indeed decided to pass on Russell. Not only is he a tremendous talent, but he also fits the triangle offense to a 'T,' and his ball-handling, shooting and unselfishness would go a long way in starting to fix many of the issues on the Knicks roster.

5. Orlando Magic – Willie Cauley-Stein (C, Kentucky, Jr., 21, 7-1, 242): Orlando has a talented roster, but is still trying to find a way to operate in sync with a glaring lack of defense and rim protection in the frontcourt. Cauley-Stein is the most versatile defender in this draft class, and should have no problem playing alongside the likes of Nikola Vucevic, Channing Frye and Tobias Harris, giving new head coach Scott Skiles plenty of lineup flexibility. Pairing him with Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon would give the Magic one of the most athletic young rosters in the NBA. The Magic will also likely give a long look at the floor-spacing options in this draft, including Mario Hezonja, Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Kaminsky.

6. Sacramento Kings – Emmanuel Mudiay (PG, Guangdong/International, 19, 6-5, 200): The Kings would likely be thrilled to see a talent like Mudiay, considered a top-three pick for most of the season, at this stage in the draft. While Darren Collison has done an admiral job at the point, it's difficult to see him as a starter on a playoff team in the loaded Western Conference. Collison and Mudiay can play together regardless, and George Karl can finally start to instill his fast-paced, up-tempo offense with a big, strong athlete like Mudiay running the show. Defensively, the Kings could sorely use a long-armed athlete like Mudiay at the point of attack.

7. Denver Nuggets – Justise Winslow (SF, Duke, Fr., 19, 6-7, 222): The Nuggets traded starting shooting guard Arron Afflalo at the deadline, and went with Randy Foye at the spot after that, which clearly calls for an upgrade. Winlsow's toughness, unselfishness and track record as a winner should be attractive to a team that struggled with chemistry. He can also see minutes at small forward when the Nuggets inevitably decide to play small with Danilo Gallinari at the 4.

Story continues

8. Detroit Pistons – Mario Hezonja (SG/SF, Barcelona/International, 20, 6-8, 200): While many feel this pick will be traded eventually, Detroit is in desperate need of a starting-caliber small forward after being forced to play Caron Butler at that spot following the departures of Josh Smith and Kyle Singler. Hezonja is arguably the most talented wing player in this year's draft class.

Charlotte More

9. Charlotte Hornets – Devin Booker (SG, Kentucky, Fr., 18, 6-6, 206): Charlotte was one of the worst outside-shooting teams in the NBA last season, which could make Booker an attractive option at this spot in the draft. He plays a real position of need at shooting guard, which was occupied by the streaky shooting Gerald Henderson, who has a player option on his contract for next season.

Miami More

10. Miami Heat – Frank Kaminsky (PF, Wisconsin, Sr., 22, 7-1, 231): Miami could seemingly go in a lot of directions here, with a trade certainly being one potential option. The Heat desperately need athleticism on the wing to hopefully replace Dwyane Wade one day, but that is a tall order and not one of the strengths of this draft class unfortunately, especially later in the lottery. The youngest player Pat Riley has drafted since 2008 is 21-year-old Patrick Beverley (who was cut), indicating an affinity for older, more established players, and Kaminsky is one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft, which appears to be a clear-cut priority for the Heat.

Indiana More

11. Indiana Pacers – Cameron Payne (PG, Murray State, So., 20, 6-2, 183): Cam Payne has been slowly rising up NBA teams' draft boards for the past three months, and is now starting to get looks from teams in the mid-lottery. The Pacers already have George Hill under contract for another two seasons, but Rodney Stuckey and their two backup point guards are becoming free agents, and the team has always had multiple ball-handling options it can utilize.

Utah More

12. Utah Jazz – Stanley Johnson (SF, Arizona, Fr., 18, 6-7, 242): The Jazz have built one of the most talented young rosters in the NBA, with an exciting blend of length and athleticism. One thing they don't have is a physically gifted wing who can defend 2s, 3s and 4s, while also being capable of hitting outside shots. Stanley Johnson fits that mold well, and has the type of role-player potential that could be valuable in a league that has little depth at the swingman position.

Phoenix More

13. Phoenix Suns – Myles Turner (C, Texas, Fr., 19, 7-0, 239): The Suns sport a shallow frontcourt by Western Conference standards, and could well look to bolster their size and length inside at this pick. Turner brings a valuable combination of outside shooting and shot-blocking, both of which could be very helpful to this rebuilding squad.

Oklahoma City More

14. Oklahoma City Thunder – Kelly Oubre (SF, Kansas, Fr., 19, 6-7, 203): Oubre's stock has been volatile in recent weeks, as he's been getting mixed reviews in private workouts and background checks. Oklahoma City could well decide to swing for the fences and pick him here if he's still available. His size, length and potential as a perimeter shooting/multi-positional defender could be extremely attractive alongside their already existing roster pieces.

Atlanta More

15. Atlanta Hawks from Brooklyn Nets – Trey Lyles (PF, Kentucky, Fr., 19, 6-10, 241): Lyles is suffering from the glut of power forwards expected to be drafted in the lottery, as his stock is being held back somewhat by his lackluster production in college. He projects as a stretch-4, which is a valuable commodity in today's NBA, and is big enough to even see some minutes at the center position in smaller lineups. With all the uncertainty around Atlanta's frontcourt, Lyles could be a nice piece for them moving forward.

Boston More

16. Boston Celtics – Bobby Portis (PF, Arkansas, So., 20, 6-11, 246): The Celtics need a true rim protector, but that will be difficult to find at this stage of the draft. Instead, they may look to add some depth at power forward, where they've been starting 30-year-old Brandon Bass, who becomes a free agent this summer (as does his backup Jonas Jerebko).

Milwaukee More

17. Milwaukee Bucks – Kevon Looney (PF, UCLA, Fr., 19, 6-9, 222): The Bucks are shallow at the power forward spot, where they start Ersan Ilyasova, who is entering the last guaranteed year of his contract. Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo are both combo forwards, and potential free agent Jared Dudley (player option) sees minutes there as well. Looney is a power forward who projects to be able to space the floor, which is an absolute necessity with the non-shooting Michael Carter-Williams as the primary ball-handler. The Bucks value length and Looney has it in spades.

Houston More

18. Houston Rockets from New Orleans Pelicans – Sam Dekker (SF, Wisconsin, Jr., 21, 6-9, 219): The Rockets value positional size, defensive versatility and athleticism, which Dekker has plenty of at 6-9. With Kostas Papanikolaou (non-guaranteed) and Josh Smith both potentially becoming free agents this summer, the Rockets could look to bolster their depth at the forward positions.

Washington More

19. Washington Wizards – Jerian Grant (PG, Notre Dame, Sr., 22, 6-5, 198): The Wizards have a nice core in place with John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter, and could look to address the backup point guard spot, which has been a rotating door of players for some time now. Grant is a local player who the organization will have a strong comfort level with and is big enough to spend some time in the same backcourt as Wall, which could give the team nice roster flexibility.

Toronto More

20. Toronto Raptors – Tyus Jones (PG, Duke, Fr., 19, 6-2, 185): The Raptors have solid depth at the point guard position with Kyle Lowry and Greivis Vasquez in the fold, but won't hesitate to draft Jones if they feel he's the best player available at their pick. They would have taken Tyler Ennis last year if he wasn't drafted one pick before them, and will likely give Jones a serious look if he drops to them.

Dallas More

21. Dallas Mavericks – Rashad Vaughn (SG, UNLV, Fr., 18, 6-5, 199): At this stage in the draft, many teams simply elect to pick the highest upside player they can find in hopes of uncovering a diamond in the rough. Vaughn is the second-youngest player in this class, and entered the year considered a top-10 recruit before shot-selection and chemistry issues at UNLV torpedoed his stock. The Mavs could decide to roll the dice and see if they are getting a much better prospect than what you would normally expect at the end of the first round. There's a huge shortage of true wing players in both the NBA as a whole and this draft class in particular, so Vaughn could have some extra value because of that.

Chicago More

22. Chicago Bulls – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (SF, Arizona, So., 20, 6-7, 211): The Bulls have good depth throughout their roster, but might want to start thinking about adding more firepower on the wing as Mike Dunleavy Jr. (who turns 35 this summer) enters free agency, potentially along with 34-year-old Kirk Hinrich (player option). Anderson has the size, length and athleticism to guard shooting guards and small forwards and could bring multi-positional versatility and toughness to an already physical roster.

Portland More

23. Portland Trail Blazers – Justin Anderson (SF, Virginia, Jr., 21, 6-6, 231): The Trail Blazers suffered a serious setback when Wes Matthews went down with a season-ending injury, and could look to bolster their depth on the wing, where they have a number of potential free agents this summer and next.

Cleveland More

24. Cleveland Cavaliers – Montrezl Harrell (PF, Louisville, Jr., 21, 6-8, 253): With Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Kendrick Perkins and Shawn Marion entering free agency, the Cavs could well look to bolster their frontcourt depth. Harrell is a long, athletic and physical power forward who can finish around the basket, crash the offensive glass and play competitive defense, which makes him a perfect fit on this roster.

Memphis More

25. Memphis Grizzlies – Aleksandar Vezenkov (SF, Aris/International, 19, 6-8, 200) The Grizzlies are already lacking depth at the forward spots, and could lose Jeff Green to free agency, which will only increase their sense of urgency at this position. Ranking 29th in the league in 3-pointers made this past season, they will undoubtedly look at the best shooters available here. Vezenkov is a versatile and polished offensive player who led the Greek league in scoring at age 19 and, at the least, can make shots with the best of them.

San Antonio More

26. San Antonio Spurs – R.J. Hunter (SG, Georgia State, Jr., 21, 6-6, 185): All three of San Antonio's shooting guards (and five of their six wing players) become free agents this summer, which could definitely prompt the Spurs to look closely at their wing options in the draft. Hunter has excellent shooting mechanics, and good instincts as a passer, which could help him find a role in Gregg Popovich's offense.

Los Angeles More

27. Los Angeles Lakers from Houston Rockets – Delon Wright (PG, Utah, Sr., 23, 6-6, 181): With Jeremy Lin's contract expiring, the Lakers could certainly look at the point guard position either in the draft or free agency. Sporting the second-worst defense in the NBA, picking a big and long rebounder/defender like Delon Wright definitely makes some sense.

Boston More

28. Boston Celtics from Los Angeles Clippers – Chris McCullough (PF, Syracuse, Fr., 20, 6-9, 199): With their second pick in the first round, the Celtics could simply look to swing for the fences for the highest upside player they can draft. At 6-foot-9, with long arms and soft touch, McCullough is talented enough to get drafted much higher than this, and Boston can afford to be patient and develop him.

Brooklyn More

29. Brooklyn Nets from Atlanta Hawks – Christian Wood (PF, UNLV, So., 19, 6-11, 216): After being forced to swap first-round picks with Atlanta, the Nets will have to dig for gold at the end of the first round to try and bring some sorely needed talent onto their roster. One solution could be swinging for the fences for UNLV freshman power forward Christian Wood, who has the physical attributes and upside of a top-20 pick, but is a few years away from being able to contribute because of his frail frame and lack of experience. The most difficult thing to find in today's NBA is a power forward who can both shoot threes and block shots, and Wood shows nice potential in both those areas.

Golden State More

30. Golden State Warriors – Terry Rozier (PG, Louisville, So., 21, 6-2, 190) The Warriors have one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the NBA, so finding someone who can crack their lineup will be difficult this late, especially with the number of players who decided not to enter the draft. Rozier could be one interesting option, especially with the amount of shooting the team can surround him with, coupled with his ability to defend multiple positions.

SECOND ROUND

Minnesota More

31. Minnesota Timberwolves – Anthony Brown (SF, Stanford, Sr., 22, 6-9, 211)









Houston More

32. Houston Rockets from New York Knicks – Guillermo Hernangomez (C, Sevilla/International, 20, 6-11, 255)









Boston More

33. Boston Celtics from Philadelphia 76ers – Arturas Gudiatis (C, Zalgiris/International)









Los Angeles More

34. Los Angeles Lakers – Jordan Mickey (PF/C, LSU, So., 20, 6-8, 238)









Philadelphia More

35. Philadelphia 76ers from Orlando Magic – Jonathan Holmes (SF/PF, Texas, Sr., 22, 6-9, 242)









Minnesota More

36. Minnesota Timberwolves from Sacramento Kings – Nikola Milutinov (C, Partizan/International, 20, 7-0, 220)

Philadelphia More

37. Philadelphia 76ers from Denver Nuggets – Robert Upshaw (C, Washington, So., 21, 7-0, 258):









Detroit More

38. Detroit Pistons – Rakeem Christmas (PF/C, Syracuse, Sr., 23, 6-10, 243)









Charlotte More

39. Charlotte Hornets – Jarell Martin (SF/PF, LSU, So., 20, 6-9, 239):









Miami More

40. Miami Heat – Michael Qualls (SG, Arkansas, Jr., 21, 6-5, 201)









Brooklyn More

41. Brooklyn Nets – Timothe Luwawu (SG, Antibes/International, 20, 6-7, 205)









Utah More

42. Utah Jazz – Mouhammadou Jaiteh (C, Nanterre/International, 20, 6-11, 247)









Indiana More

43. Indiana Pacers – J.P. Tokoto (SG, North Carolina, Jr., 21, 6-6, 196)









Phoenix More

44. Phoenix Suns – Dakari Johnson (C, Kentucky, So., 19, 7-0, 265)









Boston More

45. Boston Celtics – George De Paula (PG, Pinheiros/International, 18, 6-6, 197)









Milwaukee More

46. Milwaukee Bucks – Cliff Alexander (PF/C, Kansas, Fr., 19, 6-9, 235)









Philadelphia More

47. Philadelphia 76ers from New Orleans Pelicans – Cedi Osman (SF, Anadolu Efes/International, 20, 6-8, 190)









Oklahoma City More

48. Oklahoma City Thunder – Marc Garcia (SG, Manresa/International, 19, 6-6, 180)









Washington More

49. Washington Wizards – Andrew Harrison (PG/SG, Kentucky, So., 20, 6-6, 213)









Atlanta More

50. Atlanta Hawks from Toronto Raptors – Richaun Holmes (PF, Bowling Green, Sr., 21, 6-10, 243)









Orlando More

51. Orlando Magic from Chicago Bulls – Andzejs Pasecniks (C, VEF Riga/International, 19, 7-1, 220)









Dallas More

52. Dallas Mavericks – Michael Frazier (SG, Florida, Jr., 21, 6-5, 199)









Cleveland More

53. Cleveland Cavaliers from Portland Trail Blazers – Olivier Hanlan (PG/SG, Boston College, Jr., 22, 6-4, 186)









Utah More

54. Utah Jazz from Cleveland Cavaliers – Norman Powell (SG, UCLA, Sr., 21, 6-4, 215)









San Antonio More

55. San Antonio Spurs – Joseph Young (SG, Oregon, Sr., 22, 6-2, 182)









New Orleans More

56. New Orleans Pelicans from Memphis Grizzlies – Nedim Buza (SF, Spars Sarajevo/International, 20, 6-8, 199)









Denver More

57. Denver Nuggets from Los Angeles Clippers – Daniel Diez (SF, San Sebastian/International, 22, 6-8, 216)

Philadelphia More

58. Philadelphia 76ers from Houston Rockets – Pat Connaughton (SG, Notre Dame, Sr., 22, 6-5, 215)









Atlanta More

59. Atlanta Hawks – Vince Hunter (PF, UTEP, Soph., 20, 6-8, 208)









Philadelphia More

60. Philadelphia 76ers from Golden State Warriors – Tyler Harvey (SG, Eastern Washington, Jr., 21, 6-4, 181)