ESPN Mock Drafts

[Eddie20]

thanks for the update E20 - TP

No problem. I think it's pretty interesting, in the comments section, on how certain players (Kaminsky, Dekker, Hunter, etc.)  exclude the C's from being a potential option, but include teams after us. Very telling.

[Denis998]

The more and more I read up on this draft, the more and more it looks like a crap shoot past the 8th pick. Frankly, no one has a clue on the potential draft board.

[Future Celtics Owner]

I just hope we are able to get Myles Turner for Avery Bradley+etc. Then Upshaw with 16 or do a trade down to get him.

[slamtheking]

I just hope we are able to get Myles Turner for Avery Bradley+etc. Then Upshaw with 16 or do a trade down to get him.

still banging the drum for Upshaw at 16?  why?  too much of a risk to use #16.  take him at 33 and get someone who's got their act together at 16.

[boscel33]

Can't say that I'm thrilled with Goodman's latest Mock; Turner and Harrell.

[slamtheking]

Can't say that I'm thrilled with Goodman's latest Mock; Turner and Harrell.

if we came out of this with turner and Harrell I wouldn't be upset.  wouldn't take Harrell at 28 but he'd be a decent pick up at 33 (provided we don't already have 2 other PFs already drafted in the first round as almost every sports prognosticator is predicting).

[Eddie20]

Jeff Goodman Mock Draft  06/11

Turner and Harrell would be a pretty amazing draft!

Here's out latest mock draft with my intel gathered from NBA executives and other sources:

1Karl-Anthony TownsMinnesota TimberwolvesCOLLEGE: KentuckyHT: 6-11WT: 250POS: C
Analysis: Flip Saunders will do what just about every decision-maker who owns the top pick does: send out multiple smoke screens in an attempt to see if any no-brainer trade offers come his way. However, this should ultimately come down to a choice between the two big men: Towns and Jahlil Okafor. Saunders likes both, but we're going with the fact that he'll wind up choosing Towns -- who has a higher upside and also is the superior defensive player.

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2Jahlil OkaforLos Angeles LakersCOLLEGE: DukeHT: 6-11WT: 275POS: C
Analysis: The Lakers need plenty, but Okafor should be the choice if Towns winds up going first overall. He's a rare breed: a true post player who can play well alongside Julius Randle in the frontcourt for years to come. He also possesses a high basketball IQ, and could help Kobe Bryant win games now.

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3D'Angelo RussellPhiladelphia 76ersCOLLEGE: Ohio StateHT: 6-5WT: 193POS: PG
Analysis: This is where the draft could truly get interesting -- largely due to the fact that the Tankmaster (aka Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie) is on the clock. It comes down to a choice between two point guards: Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay, as well as skilled 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis. Russell does well by the analytics, and he's also ready to come in and make an immediate impact, while the other two will take more time to adjust.

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4Emmanuel MudiayNew York KnicksCOLLEGE: ChinaHT: 6-5WT: 196POS: PG
Analysis: The Knicks can't go wrong with this pick, as team president Phil Jackson needs just about everything besides a forward who loves to shoot. Mudiay is the new-age point guard: He is big, strong and athletic but needs to work on his perimeter shot. There's some intrigue because he played a minimal amount of games in China this past season, but he also played on the summer circuit the previous year and showed tremendous upside.

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5Kristaps PorzingisOrlando MagicCOLLEGE: LatviaHT: 6-11WT: 220POS: PF
Analysis: This should be a no-brainer for GM Rob Hennigan and the Magic. Porzingis is a skilled 7-foot Latvian, and one high-ranking NBA executive told me he might have as much upside as anyone in the draft -- and that includes Towns. The Magic have enough guys who are perimeter shot-challenged. They need another scorer, and that's Porzingis.

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6Willie Cauley-SteinSacramento KingsCOLLEGE: KentuckyHT: 7-1WT: 242POS: C
Analysis:The Kings need a skilled forward who can stretch the defense, and vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac would have a difficult time passing on Porzingis if he's still on the board. However, he takes Cauley-Stein here, who can change the game on the defensive end much like DeAndre Jordan or Tyson Chandler. He and DeMarcus Cousins could mesh well together.

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7Mario HezonjaDenver NuggetsCOLLEGE: CroatiaHT: 6-7WT: 200POS: SF
Analysis: This will be a tough call between two wings -- Hezonja and Winslow -- for the Nuggets brass, but the difference is that Hezonja is the superior perimeter shooter. He's also taller, as Winslow measured at 6-4½ without shoes.

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8Justise WinslowDetroit PistonsCOLLEGE: DukeHT: 6-6WT: 222POS: SF
Analysis: Stan Van Gundy will celebrate if Winslow, the versatile wing who helped lead Duke to the national title, is still on the board. He needs a wing with size, and while Winslow didn't quite measure up, he can guard multiple positions and brings no shortage of toughness to the table.

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9Devin BookerCharlotte HornetsCOLLEGE: KentuckyHT: 6-6WT: 206POS: SG
Analysis: The Hornets were last in the NBA in 3-point shooting, and Booker is the best pure shooter on the board, arguably in the entire draft. Booker shot 41 percent from 3 as a freshman at Kentucky and would fill a major need for Charlotte.

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10Kelly OubreMiami HeatCOLLEGE: KansasHT: 6-7WT: 203POS: SF
Analysis: The Heat need young legs and Oubre has extremely high upside. He's an athletic small forward with size who wound up shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc last season at Kansas. Oubre can learn for a year under veteran Luol Deng, and then might be ready to go.

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11Cameron PayneIndiana PacersCOLLEGE: Murray StateHT: 6-2WT: 183POS: PG
Analysis: The Pacers' most glaring needs are at point guard and power forward. The Murray State floor leader has risen and Larry Bird would bank on the fact that he's an upgrade over George Hill. Indiana could also go with one of the skilled bigs on the board, specifically Trey Lyles or Myles Turner.

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12Stanley JohnsonUtah JazzCOLLEGE: ArizonaHT: 6-6WT: 242POS: SF
Analysis: The Jazz have Alec Burks, who has played well the past two seasons, but logged just 27 games due to a shoulder injury this past season. Johnson is a power wing who has a chance to be a terrific player in the league. He's big, strong and showed he can make shots, shooting 37 percent from 3 last season at Arizona.

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13Sam DekkerPhoenix SunsCOLLEGE: WisconsinHT: 6-9WT: 219POS: SF
Analysis: GM Ryan McDonough needs to upgrade on the wing from Marcus Morris, and loves to add high-character guys. Dekker gives him an athletic wing with size who could run with Eric Bledsoe.

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14Frank KaminskyOklahoma City ThunderCOLLEGE: WisconsinHT: 7-1WT: 231POS: C
Analysis: GM Sam Presti can afford to go with the best player on the board, and the skilled 7-footer, the national player of the year, is just that. He can play the 4 or the 5, and would be an ideal piece for OKC.

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15Trey LylesAtlanta HawksCOLLEGE: KentuckyHT: 6-10WT: 242POS: PF
Analysis: Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll are free agents this season, and Al Horford hits the market a year from now. Lyles is a super-skilled power forward who played out of position most of this past season at Kentucky. He can shoot from the perimeter, rebounds well and is also a terrific passer for a power forward.

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16Myles TurnerBoston CelticsCOLLEGE: TexasHT: 6-11WT: 239POS: PF
Analysis: There is some concern about the way he runs and whether there's a medical issue, so he might drop a bit. However, the Celtics need a rim protector, and the 6-11 Turner can do that and step out and make shots. He would be tough for team president Danny Ainge to pass up if he falls this far.

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17Jerian GrantMilwaukee BucksCOLLEGE: Notre DameHT: 6-4WT: 198POS: PG
Analysis: The Bucks have a nice pair of young bookend forwards in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker and a young point guard in Michael Carter-Williams. GM John Hammond can go in a variety of different directions and will likely just go with the best guy on the board. Grant is versatile, can play both backcourt spots and is already 22 years old.

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18Tyus JonesHouston RocketsCOLLEGE: DukeHT: 6-2WT: 185POS: PG
Analysis: Duke's unflappable, shot-making point guard is ideal for the Rockets in that he runs the team and gets guys quality looks. The Rockets had to live with aging Jason Terry after Patrick Beverley went down with an injury, and Jones is the perfect complement to James Harden and Dwight Howard.

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19Bobby PortisWashington WizardsCOLLEGE: ArkansasHT: 6-11WT: 246POS: PF
Analysis: The former Arkansas Razorback isn't a tremendous athlete, but he's got a nice combination of length and skill and enough athleticism to be a nice piece in the NBA.

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20Kevon LooneyToronto RaptorsCOLLEGE: UCLAHT: 6-9WT: 222POS: PF
Analysis: He's tough to figure because he's not skilled enough to play the 3 in the NBA yet, and not big enough to play the 4. But he's worth the roll of the dice because he rebounds at a high clip, and has shown spurts when he can make perimeter shots.

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21Rashad VaughnDallas MavericksCOLLEGE: UNLVHT: 6-5WT: 199POS: SG
Analysis: The Mavs need backcourt help, especially with Rajon Rondo gone and plenty of uncertainty whether Monta Ellis comes back. Vaughn is a prolific wing scorer who put up big numbers last season at UNLV and could help fill the void if Ellis leaves.

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22Delon WrightChicago BullsCOLLEGE: UtahHT: 6-6WT: 181POS: PG
Analysis: New coach Fred Hoiberg will need a backup point guard more than just about anything else (except for health) -- especially one who can defend. Wright has the size, can really guard and his jump shot will improve.

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23Rondae Hollis-JeffersonPortland Trail BlazersCOLLEGE: ArizonaHT: 6-7WT: 211POS: SF
Analysis: Portland needs to try to grab someone who can help up front, especially if LaMarcus Aldridge leaves in free agency. Hollis-Jefferson is nothing like Aldridge, but he's a big-time athlete and defender who needs to improve his ability to make shots.

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24Jarell MartinCleveland CavaliersCOLLEGE: LSUHT: 6-9WT: 239POS: PF
Analysis: There's plenty of uncertainty regarding Kevin Love's future, but the core of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson should stay intact -- along with Timofey Mozgov. Martin would give the Cavs a nice complement to Thompson in that he's a 6-9 forward who can make shots to 16-18 feet.
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25Justin AndersonMemphis GrizzliesCOLLEGE: VirginiaHT: 6-6WT: 231POS: SF
Analysis: The Grizzlies could use a more reliable wing than Courtney Lee, and Anderson is a wing who can guard and also proved he can make shots this past season. He shot 45 percent from 3 as a junior after shooting 30 percent from beyond the arc his first two seasons at Virginia.

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26R.J. HunterSan Antonio SpursCOLLEGE: Georgia StHT: 6-6WT: 185POS: SG
Analysis: The Spurs could lose Danny Green via free agency, and will need someone to fill that role as a shooter. Hunter struggled to shoot it from deep this past season, but the Georgia State star is a 2-guard who will make a living by making shots from beyond the arc.

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27Terry RozierLos Angeles LakersCOLLEGE: LouisvilleHT: 6-2WT: 190POS: PG
Analysis: He's a scoring point who is still learning how to consistently make quality decisions while running a team, but Rozier can get to the basket, brings toughness to the table and would give the Lakers another option at the point.

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28Montrezl HarrellBoston CelticsCOLLEGE: LouisvilleHT: 6-8WT: 253POS: PF
Analysis: I'm not sold he'll slip this low, but if he does, he'd be a great pick for the Celtics' second first-round pick. Harrell would give Boston much-needed athleticism up front. He's a guy who can rebound at a high level, but needs to work on his skill.

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29Chris McCulloughBrooklyn NetsCOLLEGE: SyracuseHT: 6-9WT: 199POS: PF
Analysis: The Nets might as well roll the dice here. McCullough didn't do much before going down with a season-ending injury midway through his freshman season at Syracuse, but he looks the part and could develop into a nice player down the road.

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30Jonathan HolmesGolden State WarriorsCOLLEGE: TexasHT: 6-9WT: 242POS: SF
Analysis: The Warriors don't need much, so GM Bob Myers can just go with whomever he thinks has a chance to stick on a deep and loaded team. Holmes is a guy who can be a stretch 4 and is worth the roll of the dice with the final pick of the round.

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