By Kofie Yeboah, Sam Dyson, Jake Brodsky, Liam Beatus, Lamar Johnson and Alex Flum

With the NBA Draft happening today the TLB staff split ownership of all the NBA teams and created a mock draft. The following is a result of what transpired:

1. Kofie – Minnesota: Towns

Duh. Imagine this starting five. Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Pekovic and Towns. That might be the most exciting 10th place team in Western Conference history. We all know what Towns is capable of and, if that jump shot translates to the league, he will be a huge asset in Minnesota. He might not end up as the biggest star in this draft, but he seems like a safe enough pick for Minnesota not to mess this up. With this string of recent draft picks, the Timberwolves are slowly redeeming themselves from the Stephen Curry fiasco of 2009.

When the Timberwolves took Johnny Flynn over Steph Curry. pic.twitter.com/YS02kISSqo — Tylair (@itz_tylair) June 25, 2015

2. Lamar – Lakers: Okafor

Unless the Lakers can somehow pry Demarcus Cousins away from the Kings before the end of the night, I see them scooping up Okafor at number two. He is the most polished offensive big man in this draft class and should have the opportunity to be next in a long history of great Laker big men. His biggest area of improvement is on the defensive end, but I think some time with Kobe pushing him to his limits should help bring him along.

3. Jake – Sixers: Russell

The Sixers just lost Joel Embiid for another season and foreign prospect Dario Saric just announced that he will not be leaving his Turkish team next season. So the most likely move from the Sixers is to draft the big man out of Latvia, Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis, who is also about two years away from being ready to contribute at a high level, also fits the Sixers streak of taking players years to be ready. That being said, if the Sixers want to win they need to fill their gaping hole at point guard and that is why I’m taking D’Angelo Russell. He projects as a James Harden-esque player who can score or create with ease.

4. Liam – Knicks : Emmanuel Mudiay

Phil Jackson is on the clock and he needs a pick that will bring him wins immediately. Okafor and Russell are off the board, and Mudiay’s 6-foot-5-inch build and speed gives him a high ceiling. After playing 12 games overseas in China, Mudiay averaged 18 points, 6.25 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. The numbers may be inflated against lesser talent, but he rebounds well and would be the best player available for a team that desperately needs a point guard. The Knicks could trade back to take Winslow or Cauley-Stein, but, assuming Jackson does not see an offer he likes, Mudiay is the pick.

“The Knicks might have other ideas” – Jake Brodsky and Kofie Yeboah

Report: Knicks Considering 'Bucking Conventional Wisdom' to Draft Frank Kaminsky With #4 Pick http://t.co/q4InVCZonl pic.twitter.com/pMmq9hLsnM — SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) June 22, 2015

5. Alex – Magic: Kristaps Porzingis

Faced with the dilemma of choosing Porzingis or Justise Winslow, I decided not to stray away from the European talent. With his 7-foot-1-inch frame to a seemingly high ceiling, his solid defensive skillset and a pure jump shot,it was difficult to pass on the Latvian. He would fit right in alongside Nikola Vucevic in the front court and space the floor for guards Elfrid Payton and Victor Oladipo. Keep Tobias Harris in the picture and the Magic have a potential starting five set for the future.

Kristaps Porzingis' three people he'd like to have dinner with? "Rihanna, Beyonce, and Jay Z — like a double date." (via @SLAMonline) — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 25, 2015

6. Sam – Kings: Cauley-Stein

The Kings will be the team to watch tonight as it seems they’re finally entertaining the idea of trading away the incomparable Boogie Cousins. Whether Cousins is a King come Friday shouldn’t affect this pick; Willie Cauley-Stein can step in and replace Cousins or compliment him in the Sacramento frontcourt. For all Boogie’s strengths, he has yet to develop into a dominant defensive presence in the paint. Cauley-Stein is already there and, although I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing it, looks a lot like a young Tyson Chandler.

7. Sam – Nuggets: Justise Winslow

Denver is in the midst of an identity crisis. Combine that with a talent crisis and an only-recently solved coaching crisis, and you have a recipe for a 20-win or less season in a loaded Western Conference. Such crises are typically solved by hitting the reset button and building a new team around a young talent with superstar potential. The rebuilding process is underway with Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried on the trading block, and the best potential superstar in this range is the Croatian Mario Hezonja. However, Hezonja is known to have an attitude problem that could become a problem should the Nuggets get off to a bad start. Duke’s Justise Winslow cemented star status during the NCAA Tournament and showcases a bit of everything that Denver needs.

8. Alex – Pistons: Mario Hezonja

If his NBA career mirrors his ego, Hezonja is set to be a star. Much like Porzingis, Hezonja’s stock has soared in recent weeks. Hezonja is a great shooter but he can also drive and create opportunities for himself. Under contract with Barcelona for the next four years, we may not see him in the NBA as soon as we’d like, but it was hard to pass up on his talent. His arrival to the Pistons a couple years down the road could spark confidence amongst the team and improve their offense drastically.

9. Liam – Charlotte: Devin Booker

The Hornets traded away Gerald Henderson yesterday in a deal that sent him and Vonleh to Portland for Nicolas Batum. Now, the Hornets have a glaring hole at shooting guard, and Booker fits the bill. Booker is the only shooting guard with real potential at going in the top ten, and has earned it being the best shooter in this class. Booker is a solid defender and has great basketball IQ. Playing at Kentucky, his statistics are limited, but in Charlotte he will get a lot more touches. Devin Booker will open up the floor for Al Jefferson to post up in the paint, and for Kemba Walker to run the offense. Expect a lot of 3’s from Booker right away.

10. Jake – Miami: Myles Turner

Myles Turner is the pick here and the appeal is largely driven by his potential. Turner measured very well at the combine and last year at Texas he showed the ability to both stretch the floor on offense and protect the paint on defense. Players who can do both those things are extremely rare and highly valued in today’s NBA. He also gives Miami a third big who can stretch the floor next to Whiteside and drastically cut Birdman’s, Chris Andersen’s, minutes. Also, he is a better player than Kaminsky who is the other prospect I was considering.

11. Lamar – Indiana: Frank Kaminsky

I got a small glimpse into the draft night panic general managers face when they think their guy might not be there. I had Kaminsky potentially going here back in April, and with the Hornets trading away Noah Vonleh, I thought Liam might potentially take Big Frank with the ninth pick. Kaminsky fits into the Indiana offensive scheme well. David West opted out of his contract just yesterday, so there is a big hole to fill for his offensive production. Kaminsky has great footwork in the post and underrated ball-handling and playmaking. He still has some work to do in terms of post defense and rebounding, which is slightly concerning. However, he showed his desire to get better by improving each year he was at Wisconsin, and I think he takes that same work ethic to the NBA. I could see him stepping in and having a noticeable impact his rookie year.

12. Kofie – Utah: Trey Lyles.

The Jazz have one of the youngest starting fives in the league so this pick is by process of elimination. If you go with backcourt here then you abandon the Exum project. Trey Burke has been okay at point guard, even though the stats have shown marginal improvement.

Gordon Hayward has emerged into a great go-to player for this team and the Derrick Favors (age 23), Rudy Gobert (age 22) frontline doesn’t need replacing anytime soon. This gives the Jazz the freedom to sway towards best available instead of immediate need.

Trey Lyles get the nod over Stanley Johnson because I feel like the frontcourt bench. Trevor Booker is undersized at the position and, with the absence of Enes Kanter, no one on the roster can fill the void. Lyles is a power forward whose true talent suffered from the platoon system of Kentucky. Lyles spent a lot of time playing small forward withCauley-Stein and Towns. Lyles was able to showcase his perimeter abilities. Lyles will serve as a face up four and it won’t shock me if he improves his ball-handling and jump shot range. Whoa.

13. Kofie – Phoenix – Stanley Johnson

Johnson might actually become the steal of the draft if he drops this low. Johnson already has the physical tools of an NBA wing. He just has to put it all together. Now that the Suns are done with the three point guard project, it’s time for them to find a replacement for P.J Tucker who is 30 years old with no ceiling left.

Stanley Johnson will bring a defensive presence who will be working on his offensive game constantly. The sky’s the limit with this kid and, with the coaching of Jeff Hornacek, I trust that his shooting will increase over time. This may be the steal of the draft in a couple of years.

14. Lamar- Thunder – RJ Hunter

This is my reach pick. There are rumors that Thunder have promised to pick Cameron Payne here if he’s available, but I think they should look to the 2-guard position. Their current shooting guards are Dion Waiters, Anthony Morrow and Andre Roberson. Waiters has been inconsistent throughout his career, Morrow is best as a three-and-D player off the bench, and in 65 starts last season, Roberson managed to put up a whopping 3.4 ppg. That’s just not what a team with like the Thunder wants out of a starter. Hunter was a great scorer in college and from all accounts had an amazing work ethic. He improved each year at Georgia State and if he brings that same hunger to the League, he could be provide instant impact for a team that is chasing a title next year, in effort to convince Kevin Durant to stay in Oklahoma City, and be the long-term answer at the shooting guard position.

15. Jake – Atlanta: Kelly Oubre

Oubre is the perfect hawk. He stands at 6-foot-7-inches, in shoes, with a 7-foot-2-inch wingspan. He has an immense amount of talent and can step in for DeMarre Carroll when he leaves for New York in free agency (congrats Liam and Sam). Oubre fits the Hawks because he has the range to be, at worst, a competent three-point shooter, is long and athletic enough to play strong defense, just like Carroll, and can get out and run. But if everything goes right for Oubre and Coach Bud finds a way to maximize his potential, which I think will happen, he could turn into a player like Kawhi Leonard, another 15th pick. At worst, I see him developing into a player in the mold of Harrison Barnes who can defend and shoot decently.

16. Liam – Boston: Bobby Portis

Bobby Portis was an absolute force at power forward for the Arkansas Razorbacks who had a terrific season in the SEC. Portis averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds, both top five in the division. Portis can score both inside and out, and can play both power forward and center at 6-foot-5-inches and 245 lbs. The Celtics might not have this pick because of their aggressive mindset to trade for DeMarcus Cousins or trying to sign a potential free agent center like Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Kevin Love. The Celtics have been involved in a lot of rumors, but, at the end of the day, they are looking for improvements in the paint, and Portis is a huge step forward from Brandon Bass.

17. Alex – Milwaukee: Kevon Looney

The Milwaukee Bucks, led by head coach Jason Kidd, boast a plethora of up and coming talent. Last year’s second overall pick Jabari Parker, the “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and former rookie of the year Michael Carter-Williams headline the team’s starting lineup. I’m not exactly sold on MCW with the Bucks and I’m not so sure that the Bucks are either. In an attempt to land point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, I texted Liam and offered him John Henson, the Buck’s first round pick in next year’s draft and MCW for Mudiay. In un-Knick fashion, Liam declined. So, I spent the next slew of picks waiting to take Bobby Portis. Once Liam crushed my dreams again and took Portis, I settled for Kevon Looney who is actually an extremely solid option for the Bucks. Looney, a Milwaukee native, could help the Bucks space the floor. He has a nice jump-shot, is not a bad defender and is a solid rebounder for his height. He won’t contribute too much immediately, but Looney could prove to be a solid pick for the Bucks down the road.

18. Sam – Houston: Tyus Jones

Patrick Beverly is a free agent and will likely be severely overpaid by a team in desperate need of a point guard (*cough* Knicks *cough*). Houston runs the offense primarily through James Harden, but a secondary ball-handler is a huge need for Houston. Final Four MOP Tyus Jones is similar to Beverly in that he excels at ball-handling and defense, while retaining the ability to shoot from three – something Houston likes to do more than any other team in the league.

19. Sam – Washington: Sam Dekker

Paul Pierce is returning to the NBA, but most likely not with Washington. A reunion with Doc Rivers in Los Angeles or the fans of Boston seems likely, so his production will need to be replicated by a combination of Otto Porter and potentially Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker. Dekker has quelled many doubts regarding his shooting ability in pre-draft workouts and was consistently one of the better players in college basketball over the past two seasons. Dekker has the strength and size to play small-ball four, something Randy Wittman hopefully realized works very well over the course of Washington’s playoff run. Dekker could also be regarded as the best player available here. If the Wizards feel that way, they can draft him now and figure out where he fits later.

20. Alex – Toronto: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

This past season, the Raptors saw their season come to an end as the Washington Wizards drizzled their defense with a heap of threes on the perimeter. I mean, Drew Gooden was lighting them up —- that’s when you know things are bad. Plug in Hollis-Jefferson and you have one of, if not the best perimeter defender available in the draft. The pick also fills a need as the three spot for the Raptors is in flux at the moment.

21. Liam – Dallas: Jerian Grant

Rick Carlisle had a history of not getting along with his point guards. Rajon Rondo was never a clubhouse favorite. Putting the two together, from afar, seemed like a good idea because Rondo should have fulfilled the Mavericks needs. At the end of the day Rondo was unofficially benched in the playoffs and it was made clear by both parties that Rajon Rondo would not be returning to Dallas to play in a home uniform under Carlisle ever again. Aggressive owner Mark Cuban could trade up to get a point guard higher up on his board, but Jerian Grant makes a lot of sense at 21. Grant has all the leadership qualities, as shown in this NCAA Tournament at Notre Dame, that Rondo does not have. Grant is an unselfish point guard and would be surrounded by good talent. Grant is good at attacking the hoop and either finish at the rim or kick it out to a three-point shooter.

22. Jake – Chicago: Cameron Payne

Steal of the draft. Payne has the talent to be taken in the top 10 picks and should have been gone by the lottery at the latest. Now, when Derrick Rose gets hurt, I have Payne to back him up, and now Rose might not even get hurt because Payne can cut his workload letting him rest more, maximizing Rose’s playing ability during his time on the court. Payne can both create his own offense, or pass and create offense for his teammates. He is extremely long, with a 6-foot-7-inch wingspan which should help him defend the position well. I would just like to thank Liam and Sam for letting him fall to me.

23. Lamar- Portland: Justin Anderson

This was an easy pick after the Blazers traded away Nicolas Batum yesterday. Anderson is another player right in the “Three-and-D” mold that could step in and play the same role Batum had. Anderson likely won’t start right away, so look for Portland to grab another forward in free agency. This pick is also made with the hope that Portland can retain Lamarcus Aldridge. Reports are that they are prepared to lose him in free agency, which could lead them to drafting a power forward. However, at this point in the draft, no one is stepping right in and replacing LA, one of the best power forwards in the game, so why not grab a player that can potentially replace Batum’s impact. Anderson is a slight risk because his shooting touch only really blossomed last season, so NBA teams will have to hope it wasn’t an anomaly. The Blazers gained a lot of cap room in trading Batum, so they should have room to retain Aldridge or go after another power forward on the market. Anderson is the smart pick at

24. Kofie – Cleveland: Delon Wright

The Cavs are not going to win a championship playing Delly that many minutes. He is slow, can’t dribble with his left hand, has a hitch in high jump shot and can’t throw a lob to save his life.

Enter Delon Wright, a player who can do all of that stuff and more. He would provide excellent depth with the Cavs backcourt and add another ball handler so we might not have to watch IsoLeBron in the playoffs again. Delon Wright has more upside than Delly, more athleticism than Delly and could be more reliable this season than Delly. It doesn’t matter who LeBron has on his team to get through the joke that is the Eastern Conference. What matters is that he has people that can dribble and create for themselves. Wright can do that.

He also plays great defense.

25. Kofie – Memphis – Rashad Vaughn

Defense doesn’t win championships. Sorry, defense alone doesn’t win championships. The Memphis Grizzlies need offense and with R.J. Hunter gone, the shooting and perimeter offense isn’t going to be fixed with Rashad Vaughn. He shot 38% from the college three-point line last year. Vaughn has the ability to create his own shot and is excellent coming off of screens. He possesses tremendous upside and he is only 18 years old. 18…years…old

26. Lamar – Spurs: Pat Connaughton

Something about Connaughton to the Spurs intrigues me. This pick is least likely to happen, but, if I were GM of the Spurs, I’d take Pat. This would be a pretty large reach to snag him in the first round. However, he is also not likely to be available with for the Spurs in the second round. Connaughton is a super athletic shooter that can also defend four positions. That willingness to defend fits right into Pop’s philosophy. Connaughton also has a contract with the Baltimore Orioles as a pitching prospect, but he has been putting out the word that he is pursuing basketball as his primary option. He showed his value last year on a very good Notre Dame Team and was pushed at times to the power forward position, but still held his own. That coupled with his accuracy from threepoint land makes him an intriguing prospect for a Spurs team that could potentially lose Danny Green in free agency and Manu Ginobili to retirement. The Spurs system is great at utilizing a player’s best skills, so Connaughton would be a nice fit here.

27. Jake – Lakers: Joseph Young

I’m not going to lie, I had to scramble for this pick. I hoped Anderson would fall to me and I could get a solid “Three-and-D” guy with this pick but, after he was taken, that went out the window. It came down to Anthony Brown out of Stanford, who will probably be a solid NBA role player, or Joseph Young from Oregon. I decided I wanted to bring some flash to LA and, rather than take the safe guy, I took the electric, uber athletic, point guard who can play on or off the ball and scores with ease. The biggest knock on Young is that he is short, but I think that he will become a sparkplug off the bench and maybe win a Sixth Man of the Year Award during his NBA career.

28. Liam – Boston: Jarell Martin

At this point in the draft, Boston could take a wild card, or pick the best player available. I have them taking the best player available. Martin had a great season at LSU alongside Jordan Mickey. Martin is a good rebounder, averaging nine rebounds per contest in his sophomore season. Martin does not have ideal size, but at 6-foot-9-inches he can finish around the rim. He would join Portis on the depth chart at power forward.

29. Alex – Brooklyn: Montrezl Harrell

Harrell may be undersized and not the strongest shooter, but he is a terrific athlete and an incredible rebounder and I was ecstatic to see him fall all the way down here. With Thaddeus Young opting out of his contract, Harrell fills the void at power forward in the frontcourt. It’s safe to say the Nets are stuck in the weird NBA realm of mediocrity. Harrell could help change the team’s culture and lift them out of it.

30. Sam – Golden State: Tyler Harvey

It’s extremely difficult to find value at this point in the draft, however the champion Warriors could do just that by selecting college basketball’s top scorer from a year ago, making an already horrifying offense even more intimidating and hard to defend for other teams. The Dubs could, surprisingly, use more shooting in the backcourt, especially in the event Leandro Barbosa leaves. Harvey is a play-maker with the ball in his hands and proved his scoring capabilities at the college level.