With the NBA Finals wrapping up Father's Day, the 2016 NBA draft takes place next week and is a chance for struggling teams to take a big step in the right direction. This year’s draft is hard to figure out as it can go a variety of directions after the first two picks.
Well, here goes.
Here’s the 2016 NBA mock draft.
1. Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons - The Philadelphia 76ers are the kings of stockpiling assets and it doesn’t get much better than Simmons. He’s not the greatest fit on this team right now, but he has the high ceiling and the potential to become a Philly star for the first time since Allen Iverson.
2. Los Angeles Lakers, Brandon Ingram - The Lakers have a lot of young talent in place already, and Brandon Ingram is a guy who can come out and shoot from the parking lot. Ingram has All-Star potential and fits nicely in this new shooting NBA.
3. Boston Celtics, Kris Dunn - The Celtics could use guard depth and get a very mature point guard in Kris Dunn, who can distribute and score when needed. This is also a nice PR move with Dunn being from Connecticut and going to Providence.
4. Phoenix Suns, Marquese Chriss - The Suns need a big who can contribute and help their guards, especially after letting Markieff Morris walk. Chriss has athleticism and tremendous upside to finally give Phoenix some hope.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves, Jamal Murray - The Timberwolves badly need outside shooting and that’s where Jamal Murray helps big time. The addition of Murray, who Coach Cal says should be the No. 1 pick, helps Minnesota take another giant step forward to being a playoff team.
6. New Orleans Pelicans, Buddy Hield - Buddy Hield is mature, has a sickening work ethic and simply gets buckets. The Pelicans would be drafting best player available here and adding a guy who can right away take pressure off of Anthony Davis.
7. Denver Nuggets, Dragan Bender - The Denver Nuggets seem to have a thing for non-US players, and Dragan Bender adds outside shooting, extreme upside and defensive ability. Bender fits the bill for where Denver is trying to go and taking the young, upside approach to a team already starting to gell.
8. Sacramento Kings, Jaylen Brown - Jaylen Brown needs to stay in California, as he has great potential and could end up being one of the better players in the draft if he puts everything together. Brown has a little Tyreke Evans to his game.
9. Toronto Raptors, Jakob Poeltl - Maybe a bit of a stretch, but Jakob Poeltl has polished defensive skills and an improved offensive game. Raptors need a big man with the possibility of Bismack Biyombo bolting.
10. Milwaukee Bucks, Deyonta Davis - The Bucks like athleticism and length, and Deyonta Davis fits the bill in both. Give Davis a few years to fill out his body and gain experience, and he’s likely one of the top bigs in the NBA.
11. Orlando Magic, Skal Labissiere - The Magic need depth at the center/forward position and could use another guy with the ability to stretch the floor. Skal Labissiere does both and is only going to get better after just one season at Kentucky.
12. Utah Jazz, Furkan Korkmaz - The Utah Jazz are big on player development and that’s what Furkan Korkmaz needs. One of the top shooters and scorers in this draft, Korkmaz is somebody who can become a special player with the right guys help modeling his game along the way.
13. Phoenix Suns, Wade Baldwin - The Suns need leadership and depth anyway they can get it. Wade Baldwin is a big guard who can play either the one or the two, and he’s a mature player who spent two years at Vanderbilt.
14. Chicago Bulls, Domantas Sabonis - Domantas Sabonis is easily one of the more underrated players in the draft and fills a position of need with Chicago possibly losing both Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah.
15. Denver Nuggets, Furkan Korkmaz - Another player from outside of the United States, the Nuggets take a flyer on Furkan Korkmaz. When you have as many assets and draft picks as the Nuggets do, you can afford to take a couple of risks and draft a guy or two who can stay overseas for a while and mature. Korkmaz is a solid pick for Denver who is building slowly but surely and has time to wait.
16. Boston Celtics, Henry Ellenson - Henry Ellenson is a hard nosed big who will fit in well with what the Celtics like to do, and he’s 6’10” who can stretch the floor a bit with his outside shooting.
17. Memphis Grizzlies, Timothe Luwawu - There’s growing concern that Mike Conley could leave Memphis this summer. Timothe Luwawu is a guard from France with great size, athleticism and outside shooting. He’d be a steal for the Grizzlies this late in the draft.
18. Detroit Pistons, Denzel Valentine - Denzel Valentine would fit in perfectly with the hard working, grind it out and tough Pistons who are moving in the right direction. Also a solid PR move by keeping Valentine in Michigan.
19. Denver Nuggets, Brice Johnson - After drafting many young guys, it’s time the Nuggets take an older guy who can play right away and add some leadership to the locker room. Johnson can rebound, defend and chip in offensively, adding a much needed boost off the bench for Denver.
20. Indiana Pacers, Demetrius Jackson - The Pacers want to play faster, and the addition of Demetrius Jackson would help push the pace. This move also makes sense with George Hill hitting free agency this season.
21. Atlanta Hawks, Cheick Diallo - Cheick Diallo is a versatile big who can play center or forward, and he adds toughness to an Atlanta club that looks soft at times. There’s also a decent chance Al Horford leaves this summer, so this pick fills a need as well.
22. Charlotte Hornets, Malachi Richardson - If Malachi Richardson falls this far in the draft, the Hornets would do backflips. Richardson has the potential to become a star and helps the Hornets across the board take that next step in the East.
23. Boston Celtics, Taurean Prince - Taurean Prince has a little Avery bradley to his game. Tough nosed defender, does a lot of little things right and can stretch the court with outside shooting. Prince helps Boston on the wings, an area where it struggled last season.
24. Philadelphia 76ers, Malik Beasley - The 76ers need help across the board, and Malik Beasley is one of the better guards in the league who adds explosiveness and a scoring punch.
25. Los Angeles Clippers, Patrick McCaw - The Clippers need help on the outside with Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson and Jamal Crawford all getting older by the second. McCaw is a confident player who can hit tough shots and plays good defense.
26. Philadelphia 76ers, DeAndre Bembry - The 76ers need all the help they can get, and DeAndre Bembry does a lot of things well with his athleticism and ball handling. Bembry improves shooting and he’ll become a key player for Philly.
27. Toronto Raptors, Tyler Ulis - The Raptors could use depth at the guard position and it doesn’t get much better than a true floor general in Tyler Ulis. Also, Kyle Lowry does have a player option at the end of the season, so this draft pick makes sense.
28. Phoenix Suns, Diamond Stone - The Suns strike gold after snagging Diamond Stone this late in the draft. Stone was a potential lottery pick until he didn’t fulfill expectations at Maryland. If Stone taps into his potential, he could be one of the better bigs in the league.
29. San Antonio Spurs, Damian Jones - Tim Duncan is near retirement and Matt Bonner is a free agent. The Spurs could use some frontcourt depth, and Damian Jones is a terrific athlete with a solid jump shot. Great value pick this late in the first round.
30. Golden State Warriors, Ben Bentil - Ben Bentil is a versatile forward who is committed defensively, and has a polished offensive game with three-point range. Bentil's game would blend in well with what the Warriors do and could be a key guy off the bench in due time.