2015 NBA Mock Draft: 2nd Edition

Here is the second edition of my 2015 NBA Mock Draft.

1. Minnesota Timberwolves- Karl Anthony Towns, Forward/Center, Kentucky: Flip Saunders has coveted Jahlil Okafor's ability as a post-up big man, but some deeper scouting since the season ended seems to be leaning toward Karl-Anthony Towns as their next franchise center piece. Having Towns and Andrew Wiggins together for a decade should make the Wolves' rebuilding plan almost foolproof.

2. Los Angeles Lakers- Jahlil Okafor, Center, Duke: The Lakers may flirt with the idea of D'Angelo Russell as their next great guard or Kristaps Porzingis as the next Dirk Nowitzki, but Okafor is probably just too good to pass up on. His defensive issues can be ironed out with some solid coaching and putting him next to Julius Randle could be one of the best frontcourts of the future.

3. Philadelphia 76ers- D'Angelo Russell, Guard, Ohio State: D'Angelo Russell has been the perfect pick for the next step in the rebuilding process in Philadelphia for quite a while. Russell has the potential to be a dominating offensive guard like James Harden, and he fits perfectly with the style Sam Hinkie eventually wants to build. He'll also be a nice distraction to fans if Joel Embiid isn't able to go next season.

4. New York Knicks- Kristaps Porzingis, Forward, Lativa: Dropping to the four slot may not be as bad after all for this storied franchise. Emmanuel Mudiay is the most intriguing guard in the draft and the Knicks certainly need a big upgrade in the backcourt, but the buzz and potential swirling around Kristaps Porzingis may be too high for Phil Jackson to pass up on. They can still go grab a veteran big man now to bring Porzingis along slowly and look for an upgrade in the backcourt in free agency.

5. Orlando Magic- Mario Hesonja, Guard/Forward, Croatia: Orlando needs a wing to pair with Victor Oladipo since Tobias Harris is likely to leave in free-agency. Hezonja needs to prove he's a shooter in the NBA, but acclimate him to the high altitude and watch him run all over opposing defenses.

6. Sacramento Kings- Emmanuel Muiday, Guard, China: The tricky thing here for the Kings is figuring out if Emmanuel Mudiay can be a star point guard for them or if they need to grab someone like Willie Cauley-Stein to pair next to DeMarcus Cousins. Kings going with Mudiay here means they feel his shot is correctable and his athleticism is too special to pass up.

7. Denver Nuggets- Justice Winslow, Forward, Duke: Winslow would be a great fit for Denver, who can use some young legs on the wing if they trade Danillo Gallinari or Wilson Chandler. If Winslow falls to the Nuggets, I don't see them passing up on a promising young winger with a ton of upside.

8. Detroit Pistons- Stanley Johnson, Forward, Arizona: Stanley Johnson seemed to be a lock to go Top 5 before his freshman season at Arizona, but his offensive capabilities didn't quite shine through. If Stan Van Gundy believes Johnson can be a shooter at the NBA level, he'll be the guy here and fit in perfectly. He can play the defense Van Gundy craves and stretching the floor for Andre Drummond is the biggest key for the Pistons.

9. Charlotte Hornets- Willie Cauley-Stein, Center, Kentucky: The Hornets took a bit of a step-back defensively last season, mostly because they stayed about the same and the rest of the league got better. As Al Jefferson starts to slow down, Charlotte will probably need to cover up his mistakes within the team defense concept. Willie Cauley-Stein has a lot to iron out offensively, but defensively he can protect the rim and allow the perimeter defenders to be even more aggressive.

10. Miami Heat- Kelly Oubre Jr., Forward, Kansas: The Heat need a lot of depth, but mostly they need a wing with good defensive abilities, the capability of stretching the floor, and turn into a playmaker on hard closeouts. The Heat can't rely on Luol Deng much past next season, so they need to start grooming a replacement unless they can hit a big splash in free agency. Oubre is a great option here, even if he is just a Sixth Man.

11. Indiana Pacers- Frank Kaminsky, Center, Wisconsin: Indiana is looking for a new identity and Roy Hibbert doesn't seem to fit into their future plans. Insert Kaminsky: who would fit into what the Pacers want to do. It is hard to imagine him falling out of the lottery because his skill set is versatile and he's nimble enough to be a real offensive weapon as both a player inside and outside.

12. Utah Jazz- Devin Booker, Guard, Kentucky: Utah has their front court set so they should go with a wing player here. The Jazz can really use a wing to pair with Gordon Hayward and Booker would fit nicely with Hayward and what the Jazz want to build.

13. Phoenix Suns- Myles Turner, Center, Texas: Phoenix can use a post-up threat and Turner can give them that. He gives consistency at a solid rate and still provide some defensive capabilities, which would help the team defensively. If Turner is the selection, it would make Alex Len expandable.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder- Cameron Payne, Guard, Murray State: Not sure anybody's stock has risen more since the end of the college season than Cameron Payne's. His workouts have been stellar, the interviews are great, and he can really play. 

15. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets)- Sam Dekker, Forward, Wisconsin: If Dekker falls to the Hawks, he could be hard to pass on. With DeMarre Carroll's price tag jumping up this summer and Kyle Korver coming off that big ankle injury, having a little more depth on the wing with the ability to shoot from outside and attack off the dribble is big. Hawks can grab a veteran big man in free agency after they lock up Carroll and Paul Millsap, assuming the two free agent forwards are back.

16. Boston Celtics- Trey Lyles, Forward/Center, Kentucky: If Lyles falls to the Celtics, that's a big win for them. They could also go with Kevon Looney out of UCLA here, but Lyles fits more with Brad Stevens' offensive wishes. They'd also have to rely less on Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk, possibly using them in a trade or two to bring in some veteran help inside. Lyles can shoot from outside and he can play big inside.

17. Milwaukee Bucks- Kevon Looney, Forward, UCLA: Looney falling out of the lottery is perfect
for the Bucks, especially after their salary-shedding trade of Ersan Ilyasova. That frontcourt isn't as deep as it used to be, and Kevon Looney is a rangy power forward with a big wingspan and the capabilities of slotting in next to Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Montrezl Harrell could also be a great option here.

18. Houston Rockets (via New Orleans Pelicans)- Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame: Jerian Grant still needs to prove his 3-point shooting woes from last season aren't the norm for him, but as a big, change of pace point guard next to James Harden, he immediately adds great depth and options for the future of this rotation. You can play Grant with Patrick Beverley and Harden together, or hand over the starting PG position to him in a couple of years.

19. Washington Wizards- Montrezl Harrell, Forward/Center, Louisville: It's a tough call for inside depth between Montrezl Harrell and Bobby Portis, but Harrell is a little easier to play in the rotation
right away. Randy Wittman and company will love the tutelage he got under Rick Pitino, and Harrell running the floor with John Wall and Bradley Beal could be devastating. You now have a backup plan for when Nene isn't playable anymore.

20. Toronto Raptors- Bobby Portis, Forward, Arkansas: It's kind of hard to imagine Bobby Portis falling into the 20's, but this is a pretty deep draft with teams that have real needs to fill in before grabbing Portis. Amir Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough are both free agents, and at worst the Raptors want to find a way to keep Johnson and find an upgrade over Hansbrough. That's exactly what Portis provides immediately.

21. Dallas Mavericks- Tyus Jones, PG, Duke: It's safe to say Rajon Rondo will not be re-signing with the Mavericks this offseason, which means they're in the market for a point guard. Tyus Jones gives them good size at the position, a solid scorer, a good distributor, and someone who can likely be a
good defender at the NBA level. They don't have to trust him with the starting position right away, but it won't be long before he's worthy.

22. Chicago Bulls- Justin Anderson, Forward, Virginia: Chicago has plenty of big men, but they can use somebody on the wing to come off the bench or even start for them if Mike Dunleavy leaves in free agency. I don't see Jimmy Butler leaving Chicago and Anderson would be a nice pairing on the wing with Butler.

23. Portland Trail Blazers- R.J. Hunter, Guard, Georgia State: R.J. Hunter is another guy who is hard to see falling into the 20's in this draft, but that's just how deep it is. With Wesley Matthews' Achilles' tendon injury and Arron Afflalo's impending free agency (Matthews also a free agent), Hunter provides some good depth and insurance at this pick. We know he'll fit in with the perimeter-oriented offense of Terry Stotts.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers- Delon Wright, PG, Utah: Cleveland just lost in the finals, but the team should be better with Kyrie Irving back from injury and Kevin Love should re-sign with the team and he will be coming off an injury too. The Cavs can use an upgrade and young legs at the back-up point guard position and it would be an upgrade over Matthew Dellavedova, who played well for a few finals games filling in for the injured Irving.

25. Memphis Grizzlies- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Forward, Arizona: He's a bit of a project on offense because he needs to learn how to shoot from the outside, but he can do everything else that Dave Joerger requires of his wings. He can slide into the small forward rotation with Vince Carter on his way out in the next couple years and fit next to Jordan Adams and Courtney Lee pretty quickly. Memphis can then concentrate on re-signing Kosta Koufos (if possible) and looking for a veteran upgrade at backup point guard.

26. San Antonio Spurs- Rashad Vaughn, Guard, UNLV: The Spurs may have big plans of bringing in a top free agent big man, but if that ends up costing them someone like Danny Green, replacing him with Rashad Vaughn is a great contingency plan. He can shoot the lights out and even if Green stays, Vaughn is a great backup for a few years.

27. Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets)- Anthony Brown, Forward, Stanford: Anthony Brown is going to be 23 years old by the time his rookie season starts, but he can hit 3's? He has a great wingspan, and he could find his way into that wing rotation for the Lakers right away. Byron Scott may not have to teach an older rookie like this too much.

28. Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers)- Chris McCullough, Forward, Syracuse: The defensive potential of McCullough is high, as long as he fills out and proves his knee injury isn't a lingering issue. It might be safer to try to wait around for the second round on McCullough, but a lot of the big men left in this draft have plenty of questions. His ability and the added interior depth is a good "risk" by Danny Ainge here.

29.  Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta Hawks)- Cliff Alexander, Forward, Kansas: The Nets don't get the 15th pick because of the Hawks swapping, so they hae to swing for the fences in trying to grab a close-to-lottery talent at the backend of the first round. That could be Cliff Alexander, who was a very good prospect coming out of high school. Alexander will need a few years to figure out how to be a good post scorer in the NBA, but he's a project worth undertaking.

30. Golden State Warriors- Christian Wood, Forward, UNLV: The Warriors have been incredible in just about every facet of the game, but they could definitely use a rebounding big man off the bench. David Lee has just one year left on his contract and Marreese Speights can be a free agent this summer. Time to get some long-term depth in there.