Mock Drafts
NBA AM: Too Early For A Mock Draft?
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Never Too Early For A Mock Draft
While the 2015-16 NBA season is still in preseason mode, there are some teams that are still focused primarily on rebuilding. The projected 2015-16 NBA Draft Class isn’t nearly as star-studded as the last two drafts, however, there is some serious talent at the top, so here is a look at the top 30.
For the purpose of this exercise (and how our draft tool works), the 30 picks are assigned alphabetically, without regards to pick trades or standings.
2015-16 Pre-Season Mock Draft
| Pk | Team | Player |
|---|---|---|
| $1 |  | Skal Labissiere PF/C 19 years old; 7'0"; 216 lbs. Kentucky, Freshman |
| $2 |  | Ben Simmons SF/PF 19 years old; 6'10"; 239 lbs. LSU, Freshman |
| $3 |  | Jaylen Brown SG/SF 18 years old; 6'7"; 222 lbs. California, Freshman |
| $4 |  | Dragan Bender PF 17 years old; 7'1"; 216 lbs. Maccabi Tel Aviv, International |
| $5 |  | Malik Newman PG/SG 18 years old; 6'4"; 179 lbs. Mississippi St., Freshman |
| $6 |  | Diamond Stone PF/C 18 years old; 6'10"; 250 lbs. Maryland, Freshman |
| $7 |  | Brandon Ingram SF 18 years old; 6'9"; 196 lbs. Duke, Freshman |
| $8 |  | Jamal Murray PG/SG 18 years old; 6'5"; 201 lbs. Kentucky, Freshman |
| $9 |  | Kris Dunn PG 21 years old; 6'4"; 205 lbs. Providence, Junior |
| $10 |  | Zhou Qi C 19 years old; 7'2"; 209 lbs. Xinjiang, International |
| $11 |  | Damian Jones PF/C 20 years old; 6'10"; 248 lbs. Vanderbilt, Junior |
| $12 |  | Caris LeVert PG/SG 21 years old; 6'7"; 200 lbs. Michigan, Senior |
| $13 |  | Henry Ellenson PF 18 years old; 6'10"; 231 lbs. Marquette, Freshman |
| $14 |  | Jakob Poeltl C 19 years old; 7'0"; 235 lbs. Utah, Sophomore |
| $15 |  | Ivan Rabb PF 18 years old; 6'10"; 215 lbs. California, Freshman |
| Pk | Team | Player |
|---|---|---|
| $16 |  | Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk SG 18 years old; 6'8"; 191 lbs. Kansas, Sophomore |
| $17 |  | Cheick Diallo PF/C 19 years old; 6'9"; 220 lbs. Kansas, Freshman |
| $18 |  | Isaiah Briscoe PG/SG 19 years old; 6'3"; 218 lbs. Kentucky, Freshman |
| $19 |  | Justin Jackson SF 20 years old; 6'7"; 168 lbs. North Carolina, Sophomore |
| $20 |  | Kennedy Meeks C 20 years old; 6'9"; 279 lbs. North Carolina, Junior |
| $21 |  | Furkan Korkmaz SG 18 years old; 6'7"; 185 lbs. Anadolu Efes, International |
| $22 |  | Demetrius Jackson PG 21 years old; 6'1"; 194 lbs. Notre Dame, Junior |
| $23 |  | Thomas Bryant PF/C 18 years old; 6'9"; 225 lbs. Indiana, Freshman |
| $24 |  | Taurean Prince SF 21 years old; 6'7"; 215 lbs. Baylor, Senior |
| $25 |  | Nigel Hayes PF 20 years old; 6'8"; 235 lbs. Wisconsin, Junior |
| $26 |  | Troy Williams SF 20 years old; 6'6"; 195 lbs. Indiana, Junior |
| $27 |  | Stephen Zimmerman C 19 years old; 7'0"; 235 lbs. UNLV, Freshman |
| $28 |  | Domantas Sabonis PF 19 years old; 6'10"; 231 lbs. Gonzaga, Sophomore |
| $29 |  | Malik Pope SF 19 years old; 6'10"; 205 lbs. San Diego State, Sophomore |
| $30 |  | Melo Trimble PG 20 years old; 6'3"; 190 lbs. Maryland, Sophomore |
Make sure to click on a player’s name to view his Draft Express profile.
Who’s Got Pick Debt?
Draft picks in the NBA have become currency, and with all elaborate trades, protections and conditions on picks have become all the rage. With the NBA allowing teams to put multiple conditions on the same pick, there are now scenarios in which the same pick could be traded in multiple situations, creating a maze of details surrounding most of the picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft.
Here are some of the notables:
The Boston Celtics are loaded in 2016 – they have their own pick, Brooklyn’s pick, Dallas’ pick if it falls between 8 and 30, and the Timberwolves’ pick if it falls between 13 and 30.
The Chicago Bulls have their own pick plus the Sacramento Kings’ pick if it falls between 11 and 30.
The Denver Nuggets owe a pick to Toronto, but hold the rights to swap picks with the Knicks. They have the rights to Houston’s pick if it falls between 15 and 30, the Grizzlies’ pick if it falls between 6 and 14 and Portland’s pick if it falls between 15 and 30.
The Philadelphia 76ers have rights to their own pick or can swap with Sacramento if that pick falls between 1 and 10. They are involved in complicated combinations with Miami’s pick if it falls between 11 and 30, Oklahoma City’s pick if it falls between 16 and 30 or can swap one for Golden State’s pick. The 76ers also have the rights to the Lakers’ pick if it falls between 4 and 30.
The Brooklyn Nets do not have a pick in 2016. The rest of the league has some level of protection on their picks.
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