The NBA combine and NBA lottery are coming up in the next couple of weeks, which will provide a little bit of clarity to teams at the top of the draft, allowing them to really start focusing their efforts. That kickstarts the final five weeks of the pre-draft process, which is a whirlwind of activity, interviews, and team workouts.
The news that Ben Simmons will not attend the combine is a little bit disappointing, but standard operating procedure for presumptive top picks in the coming draft. Still, the combine is crucial for teams to get a chance to meet players, and can provide teams with crucial information they can use to start zeroing in on prospects.
First Round
*note: Team needs are taken into account
There's still nothing approaching a league-wide consensus on who will go first, as both Simmons and Brandon Ingram have supporters in their corners. This ranking likely won't change until there's new information, though, which won't come until after May 17th's lottery, and continue when Simmons and Ingram start having workouts with the top teams.
Ingram's perimeter shooting, and not needing to dominate the ball to be effective, make him an easier fit than Simmons, and he would slide into a position, and skill set, of need for the Lakers.
Boston could go in a lot of different ways with this pick, which is part of the brilliance in having these high draft picks, while still building a competitive team. Murray's off-the-ball scoring would be a nice fit with Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas, and Boston's guard rotation, even if it would be a little bit crowded.
Phoenix is in need of talent across the board, and Bender's potential to develop into a three-point shooting and versatile defender would be a nice building block.
Murray might be a better fit for Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Hield's ability to pull up from anywhere on the court would mesh well with any combination of Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine, and Andrew Wiggins, while also opening the floor for Karl-Anthony Towns. Henry Ellenson could be a possibility as well, and would fit into more of a position of need.
Ellenson's potential as a perimeter power forward would make him an interesting fit with Anthony Davis, especially if he can develop as a defender over time.
Jaylen Brown's lack of offensive polish could cause him to drop a bit, but he's an elite athlete with two-way potential, and would give Denver's frontcourt a different look to it.
Dunn could go as high as third in this draft depending on how the lottery shakes out, but with Phoenix, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Denver all being relatively solid at the point guard position could cause him to drop. If so, Sacramento would stand to benefit greatly.
Mark this one down as a value pick, something which makes sense for the Raptors to pursue given the fact that they're not expected to be in the lottery much in the near future.
Luwawu has the chance to develop into a versatile defender, who can also shoot from the perimeter and make good reads with the ball in his hands, just the kind of player who would fit on the Bucks unique roster.
Chriss has his shortcomings – defensive rebounding chief among them – but he's the kind of quick twitch athlete who could develop down the line and become a nice fit with Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon.
Utah has invested a lot in point guards over the years, but they also have little uncertainty at that position. Baldwin gives them another point guard prospect with a high upside, but also one who can defend multiple positions and shoot off the catch, which gives him a chance to play alongside Dante Exum.
Sabonis' potential to dominate on the glass and score inside would give the Suns some much-needed front court youth alongside Alex Len.
Jackson would provide the Bulls with some much-needed youth at the point guard spot, and has the kind of pick and roll game that could develop down the line.
If Denver gets shooting guard Buddy Hield earlier in the draft, they now get a versatile forward who can give them some much-needed front court depth and positional versatility.
Valentine is another shooting guard, which doesn't jive with the earlier selection of Jamal Murray. If the draft actually players out this year, I doubt Boston would take both. But Valentine would be such a nice fit for a Boston squad that could use his shooting and playmaking.
Korkmaz is an upside pick, but one that could work out if the sweet shooting 18-year-old can fill in the gaps in his game.
Highly regarded as a prospect, Labissiere was disappointing in his only season at Kentucky, but his potential as a pick-and-pop threat could work well with Andre Drummond down the line.
Davis' potential to control the game defensively would be a great value pick for Denver this late in the draft.
For a team that had as much success as Indiana did this season, their front court situation, outside of Myles Turner, is fairly fluid. Johnson's offensive game, centered around scoring around the basket, would fit in well with Turner.
Cordinier's young and raw, but Atlanta could be just the place to help grow this incredibly athletic shooting guard. Patience would be needed, but the upside is there with Cordinier.
Zizic was great as a 19-year-old in the Adriatic League, with his rebounding an energy level making him one of the most productive teenagers in the Adriatic Leauge in recent memory. If he could continue to develop his midrange jump shot, it would be interesting to watch Zizic and Nikola Jokic grow together.
Stone's all-around game isn't there yet, but Brad Stevens has shown himself capable of getting the most out of big men with defensive limitations, and Stone's ability to score inside would add an interesting dynamic to Boston's offense.
The Sixers are in need of some talent at the point guard position, and Ulis has the kind of floor game, smarts, and leadership to provide some stability to a very young Philadelphia squad.
Beasley's perimeter shooting and upside would be a nice addition to a Los Angeles Clippers team short on the assets necessary to add complementary pieces to their core trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan.
Bembry's shooting is a big question mark, but his defense, rebounding, passing, and driving ability make him a potential two-way wing, which the Sixers could use in a big way.
Toronto has some frontcourt depth, but Cornelie's shooting would be a nice fit with Jonas Valanciunas and Bismack Biyombo.
Zhou Qi fits in well for Phoenix as a value pick this late in the draft, and also adds some additional shot blocking and youth to Toronto's front court.
Jones' disappointing junior season could cause him to drop a bit, but he has the kind of upside and defensive potential that a team like San Antonio could mold into a future contributor.
With Golden State unlikely to have high draft picks for the foreseeable future, they should swing for talent, and despite LeVert's struggles to stay healthy over the years, he has far more talent than your typical 30th pick in the draft.
