With the NBA Finals approaching, every franchise except Cleveland and Golden State is wholly focused on the NBA Draft.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, holding the top pick and with a nucleus of Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio and Shabazz Muhammad, should be one of the brightest young teams in the NBA next season and for years to come.For larger market teams such as the Lakers, 76ers and Knicks, they hope to turn around their clubs quickly by finding a promising young prospect.
There are some good prospects this year, this draft has strong depth, but not with the same star power as last year’s draft led by Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid.
While things can obviously change as we saw last year with Embiid’s injury, Karl-Anthony Towns is slated to be the top pick. Towns has the size, athleticism, skills and upside that a team like Minnesota craves and it is unlikely he will supplanted by Jahlil Okafor or D’Angelo Russell.
It sounds as though there will be a flurry of deals before and during draft night as teams look to shed salary for free agency this summer. The Bulls are being active in exploring deals focusing on Taj Gibson and/or Joakim Noah, and the Celtics, who are loaded with assets, will look to upgrade their talent.
In this latest Mock Draft we see some movement in the mid-late lottery and a few new names in round one.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves – Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky
Just a year ago, the Wolves were at an all-time low. They lost another NBA Lottery, missed out on getting the chance to add Andrew Wiggins. However, LeBron James’ return to Cleveland changed the fortunes of this struggling franchise by adding Anthony Bennett and Wiggins in the Kevin Love trade. Now they’re in the position to add Towns.
While some are suggesting Jahlil Okafor is worthy of the first pick, his lack of athleticism and style of play do not mesh with Wiggins and the club Flip Saunders envisions building with freakish athletes. Shabazz Muhammad and Zach LaVine will help Wiggins’ development.
Towns emerged from Kentucky’s nearly perfect season as the prospect to start with atop draft boards, but he has a ways to go to refine his game. Towns has shown the ability to play inside, but still lacks the polish for that to translate immediately to the NBA. He played limited minutes in the Wildcats’ platoon system, averaging 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
Towns has great footwork, nice court vision for a player his size and a decent touch that should become very essential to him stretching the court. As I said, Towns reminds some scouts of Chris Bosh with his offensive versatility. Due to his size and athleticism, his upside is higher than Okafor’s. Learning under Kevin Garnett next season could be the perfect situation for Towns. The future is bright in Minnesota.
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke 
Every player always wants to be the first pick, but when given a choice of playing for Minnesota or the Lakers, it’s a no-brainer. Okafor may be ecstatic on draft night to hear his name called and join Kobe Bryant. While rumors are swirling that Bryant might retire after next season— and make no mistake the end of the line is approaching for Bryant — the Lakers are hoping to strike it big in free agency. But if they add Okafor along with Julius Randle, last year’s first-round pick, the Lakers will need to find a rim protector who can play off of either offensively.
Scouts have raved about Okafor’s advanced post game and that he could be the next great prospect with a dominant back-to-the-basket game. Okafor has a great post presence and is very sound fundamentally, but if he can add some range to his repertoire, watch out. But for now, he is an atrocious free throw shooter, 51 percent, but a beast in the paint, averaging 17.3 points per game on 66.4 percent shooting in his lone season at Duke.
There are concerns about his conditioning and lack of explosion that will follow him during his pre-draft workouts. Another concern for Okafor and the Lakers’ front office is playing alongside an aging Bryant, who has been rough on young players in the past as he focuses on winning.
If Randle can return healthy, the Lakers’ future looks very bright with two very talented young bigs. Okafor is a bit reminiscent of Zach Randolph in his style of play but lacks his versatility offensively.
3. Philadelphia 76ers – D’Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State
There are several scouts and executives that believe Russell is the best prospect in this draft and will have the biggest impact as a rookie. I’m told Russell is higher than Emmanuel Mudiay on most boards, and this pick reflects the absolute brilliant freshman season he turned in for Ohio State, averaging 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5 assists per game.
Russell has been drawing comparisons to James Harden as a guard who can run the offense and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Russell needs to hit the weight room, but in time he might be the prospect with the highest ceiling in this draft.
The Sixers need help at both guard positions, and privately I am sure there was a sigh of relief for Philly being in a position to add Russell without passing up Towns or Okafor. Russell is the perfect fit for an already young, talented core that includes Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel. With Dario Saric part of the future front court it would be stunning to see the Sixers target any other positions besides guard.
4. New York Knicks – Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Guangdong (China) 
This pick will be heartbreaking for the Knicks, who I’m told truly love Russell but lack the assets necessary to move up and jump the Sixers for Russell. The Knicks were hoping to land one of the top three prospects, but landing Mudiay is still a coup. He spent what would have been his freshman year in China playing for Guangdong, where he missed much of the season with an ankle injury before returning in the finals and coming up short against Stephon Marbury and the Beijing Ducks.
Mudiay is interchangeable as the lead guard or shooting guard, much like Eric Bledsoe. At 6’5″, Mudiay is long and explosive, a combination that’s very difficult to find in many PG prospects. Another aspect of Mudiay’s game that scouts love is his tenacity on defense. At his best, Mudiay is a facilitator who’s deadly off the pick-and-roll when attacking the rim, reminding some of John Wall.
Initially committed to play for Larry Brown at SMU, Mudiay instead chose to head overseas in order to earn some money for his family. His case is one of the reasons why NBPA director Michele Roberts was to lower the age limit back to 18. Giving Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson a lead guard to build around is a great foundation piece for the future of the Knicks. Hearing Justice Winslow is a name to keep an eye on as well if the Knicks opt to trade down or pass on Mudiay.
5. Orlando Magic – Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
Scott Skiles is the new head coach of the Magic, and with GM Rob Hennigan trying to replicate the success he had under Sam Presti in Oklahoma City, it will be interesting to see what direction they go in. Already with Nikola Vucevic, Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris, Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon, the Magic are going to be targeting 3-point shooting and a rim protector.
Cauley-Stein has established himself as an elite post defender and rim protector. The comparisons to DeAndre Jordan are accurate, and in a draft this wide open, any lottery team looking for an impact big will be looking hard at Cauley-Stein. He might not be an ideal fit from a personality standpoint, but his talent and skill-set allow that to be looked past.
Cauley-Stein will never be a 20-point per game scorer, but he can start in the NBA early in his career. What stands out for Cauley-Stein was his 57.2 field goal percentage, a notch above Towns’ 56.6. But whereas Towns shot 81 percent from the line, Cauley-Stein shot just 61 percent. That’s another similarity to Jordan. With Skiles’ penchant for defense and Vucevic’s inability to protect the rim, this pick makes plenty of sense.
6. Sacramento Kings – Mario Hezonja, SF, Barcelona
An upgrade at PG is needed, but I think the Kings will look for veteran help in that area as they try to win now.
The Kings are in need of wing help, so I expect them to look heavily at Hezonja, who is a very skilled scorer with the versatility to play multiple positions offensively. While Winslow and Johnson could also be under consideration, Hezonja makes sense because of his versatility offensively.
A year ago, Nik Stauskas was the pick, and with Ben McLemore already blossoming the Kings will need more of longer wing like Hezonja. While Rudy Gay is signed long term, he is getting up there in age and could slide over to PF if the Kings want to play smaller.
Hezonja is a prospect who could stay overseas for additional season or two and than come over and begin his development. Like many European prospects, the biggest knock on Hezonja is that he can be soft and not a great defender, but he will have a chance to squash those doubts during his pre-draft workouts.
With Sacramento set to open up their new arena in 2016, the Kings are trying to change the culture of losing after their ninth straight lottery appearance. So a player like Hezonja could be a great value and make an impact whenever he arrives in the NBA.
For more on Hezonja, check out this fine column from colleague A.J. Mitnick.
7. Denver Nuggets – Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
The Nuggets have an interesting summer ahead, as they could entertain offers for Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried and shake things up from a team that has plateaued the last two seasons.
Fortunately for the Nuggets, they will be in a position to grab a prospect that falls into their laps whether Hezonja, Kristaps Porzingis, or Winslow. Winslow looked physically advanced for the college game, and combined with his offensive versatility, he should be a clear top-10 pick.
Where Winslow needs to prove himself is playing against bigger and longer defenders, after struggling against them at times. But he’s a great potential glue guy who can get blocks and steals on defense and hold his own on offense. Winslow also is not a knockdown shooter and could really flourish in the NBA if he improves in that category.
The Nuggets could target more of a scorer, but with all the pieces they currently have, a player like Winslow would be a great addition as more teams look for players with his skill-set. Winslow is the epitome of efficiency when it comes to shot selection. There were only three games all season in which he shot poorly from the field.
8. Detroit Pistons – Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Sevilla
After withdrawing from last year’s draft, Porzingis comes in even more polished and ready to contribute in the NBA as a rookie. Some scouts believe Porzingis could go in the top four but if he falls here, this should be a great get for the Pistons.
Reminiscent of Nikola Mirotic in having a diverse offensive repertoire, Porzingis will have some GMs salivating at the thought of a seven-footer that can have the offense run through him in the mid-range, post area or step out and knock it down from beyond the arc.
Porzingis sounds like the perfect complement to Andre Drummond in Detroit, especially with Greg Monroe possibly heading elsewhere this summer. Porzingis provides valuable insurance, or he could be brought along slowly if Monroe re-signs, which seems unlikely.
The Pistons are on the cusp of the Eastern Conference playoffs and adding a prospect like Porzingis may give Stan Van Gundy the bump his club needs to get over that hump. This pick will be available as well, as the Pistons look for instant upgrades on the court.
Mitnick profiled him as an “under the lottery” prospect a year ago.
9. Charlotte Hornets – Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
It’s hard not to look at Johnson and immediately gush over his potential.
As a freshman, Johnson was more physically developed than some seniors. Watching game film, you can immediately see Johnson’s scoring prowess. If there is one area of Johnson’s offensive game that needs improvement, it’s finishing around the rim.
He led a deep Arizona team in scoring at 13.8 points per game, and his 37 percent shooting from 3-point distance was okay. He will need to show in workouts that he is capable of knocking down the longer NBA three. After taking Aaron Gordon last year and investing several picks on frontcourt players, the Magic should focus on the perimeter.
The Hornets will be focusing on wing help, and Kelly Oubre will also be a name to keep an eye on.
10. Miami Heat – Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
Lyles came into his freshman season out of Indianapolis as arguably the most hyped prospect in this year’s class for Kentucky. While he had an up-and-down year, Lyles really took off around tourney time and showcased why his skill-set for a player with his size, 6’10”, makes him an intriguing choice.
Production-wise, this spot may seem high for him, but Lyles should be one of the fastest-rising prospects during workouts.
He averaged 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds for Kentucky, numbers that look better for Lyles and other UK players on a per-40 minute basis. That is what happens when you play on the most loaded team in the country.
With Miami looking to rebound and challenge in the Eastern Conference with a veteran group, Lyles could get plenty of regular season minutes while players like Chris Bosh rest on the bench. Learning and playing alongside Dwyane Wade, Bosh and Luol Deng would be a unique opportunity for any prospect.
CONTINUE READING: PICKS 11-20 | PICKS 21-30
Zach Randolph is not a free agent this summer – signed a two-year extension last summer.