2016 NBA Mock Draft: 2nd Edition

Here is my second edition of my 2016 NBA Mock Draft.

1. Philadelphia 76ers- Ben Simmons, Power Forward, LSU: With their hodge podge of big men and Simmons with star potential with his ball handling and passing, he’s an obvious choice even as some executives favor Ingram for his shooting. Simmons isn’t a good shooter.

2. Los Angeles Lakers- Brandon Ingram, Small Forward, Duke: The Lakers needed a little bit of luck, and got it here. Not only were they able to keep the selection (it was top-three protected) and end up with the No. 2 pick in a two-player draft, but they're also in line to grab a guy whose skills perfectly complement the other pieces they already have. LA is still a long way away from competing for titles, but Ingram and D'Angelo Russell are good pieces to build around.

3. Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn Nets)- Dragan Bender, Power Forward/Center, Croatia: There is no doubt this pick is likely to be traded. The Celtics missed out on the Simmons/Ingram bonanza but may have gotten lucky in their own way: After making the playoffs, Boston doesn't have any huge, glaring needs, nor are there the players in the No. 3 spot who would have addressed them. Instead they can take Bender, who at 19 years old is a long-term project, but also a potential future star.

4. Phoenix Suns- Jaylen Brown, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, California: It's easy to see the Suns considering several different directions here. Brown has the kind of elite athleticism that translates into a great open-court player, a good rebounder for a wing and the potential to be a high-level defender, all with good size for a small forward. That package came through even as he shared time with Ivan Rabb, a possible lottery pick before deciding to return to school, and Tyrone Wallace, who should get drafted. Brown was the Pacific 12 Conference Freshman of the Year.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves- Buddy Hield, Shooting Guard, Oklahoma: At the moment, Minnesota's only listed shooting guard is ZachLaVine, who played a significant amount of time at the point guard position as well. If Hield is still on the board, expect the Timberwolves to pounce at an opportunity to acquire a true pure scorer who can help stretch an offense that's headlined by forwards Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.

6. New Orleans Pelicans- Kris Dunn, Point Guard, Providence: The Pelicans can use a young point guard considering Jrue Holliday has been injury prone the last few seasons. Dunn would fit nice with the Pels and would be a fun pick and pop partner with Anthony Davis.

7. Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks)- Henry Ellenson, Power Forward, Marquette: A perimeter shooting threat, especially from a front court position, would help open up driving lanes for Emmanuel Mudiay. Ellenson has the chance to develop into that, while also contributing on the glass.

8. Sacramento Kings- Jamal Murray, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Kentucky: The Kings can use a guard that brings versatility, whether Rajon Rondo leaves or not. Murray would be a nice fit and perhaps a steal for the Kings.

9. Toronto Raptors (via Denver Nuggets)- Deyonta Davis, Power Forward, Michigan State: Davis could be a little bit redundant with Bismack Biyombo although with Biyombo having a player option for 2016-17, that could lead Toronto to pursue another high-level shot blocker in the draft. Davis has a ton of potential, but could be a few years away from contributing, and grooming him for the time being could be a good option for the Raptors.

10. Milwaukee Bucks- Jakob Poeltl, Forward/Center, Utah: It's the obvious fit, and the right one as well. Poeltl immediately will bring a defensive presence and offensive production to the low post in Milwaukee.

11. Orlando Magic- Skal Labissiere, Center, Kentucky: Despite a disappointing season at Kentucky, Labissiere’s combination of shot blocking, touch from the perimeter, and athleticism has him back in lottery, and potentially top-10, discussions. His skill sets could be a nice complement to Nikola Vucevic's inside scoring.

12. Utah Jazz- Domantas Sabonis, Power Forward/Center, Gonzaga: They’ve been desperate for a point guard, but they should have Dante Exum returning from injury. Sabonis is a multi talented player who could fit in around their big guys.

13. Phoenix Suns (via Washington Wizards)- Marquese Chriss, Power Forward, Washington: Chriss surprised even himself in coming so far so fast as a freshman, using advanced athleticism and a decent perimeter game to charge up draft boards. Teams like to see a prospect trending up, and that's Chriss in a big way. But he is not a good rebounder for a power forward and he fouled out in 15 of 34 games.

14. Chicago Bulls- Wade Baldwin, Point Guard, Vanderbilt: The Bulls have needed some young depth at the point guard spot for some time, and Baldwin’s defensive versatility and ability to shoot off the ball would give him the ability to play both guard positions for Chicago.

15. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets)- Taurean Prince, Small Forward, Baylor: Denver could use some forward depth and Prince could provide that. It also can open the door for a trade of either Wilson Chandler or Danilo Gallinari.

16. Boston Celtics (via Dallas Mavericks)- Denzel Valentine, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Michigan State: The important part of the Final Four team in 2014-15 had a nice climb up draft boards last season with more experience and a larger role for an elite program. Valentine earned that centerpiece spot as 22-year-old senior who is smart and versatile. He shot 44.4 percent behind the arc and also easily leading the team in assists, a testament to his ability to become a secondary ball handler in the pros as well as score.

17. Memphis Grizzlies- Demeatrius Jackson, Point Guard, Notre Dame: Memphis needs depth at point guard even if Mike Conley re-signs. Jackson has speed to play in the open court, leaping ability to play above the rim and a quick first step to create an opening. The physical advantages are especially important because he does have great size. He gives Notre Dame the chance to send a point guard into the first round for the second year in a row (after Jerian Grant went 19th last June).

18. Detroit Pistons- Brice Johnson, Power Forward, North Carolina: Johnson is very talented and he would fit nicely in Detroit. It gives the Pistons a body and he and Andre Drummond would be a force up front.

19. Denver Nuggets (via Portland Trail Blazers)- Furkan Korkmaz, Shooting Guard, Turkey: The 18-year-old Korkmaz didn’t get a lot of playing time for Anadolu Efes, which makes figuring out his draft stock difficult. That being said, somebody is likely to gamble on his youth, athleticism, and perimeter shooting.

20. Indiana Pacers- Tyler Ulis, Point Guard, Kentucky: They sure need a point guard. You don’t get great ones this far down in the draft, though the pros agree he’s the best pure point guard in the draft. But the 5-10 measurement is with shoes. With lifts? His height scares teams away, but it did with Isaiah Thomas, too.

21. Atlanta Hawks- Malachi Richardson, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Syracuse: In the short term the Hawks lack wing scoring, and in the long term they lack star power, and Richardson eventually could fill both needs. Yes, he's a long way from being a complete player, but as Richardson showed in Syracuse's run to the Final Four, few players have more long-term potential than he does. His 23-point performance against Virginia was one of the best games anyone played in the tournament.

22. Charlotte Hornets- Malik Beasley, Shooting Guard, Florida State: Improved perimeter shooting is a big part of Charlotte’s recent success, but with Nicolas Batum and Courtney Lee both upcoming free agents, they could look to replenish some of their perimeter depth with younger, cheaper options.

23. Boston Cetlics- Ante Zizic, Center, Croatia: A high-energy player with nice athleticism for a big, he runs the floor well and handles the contact of playing inside. His offensive game is still limited, though. Zizic is 19, making him an ideal draft-and-stash pick for the end of the first round. With his intensity and with time, he could become a contributor for an NBA team.

24. Philadelphia 76ers (from Miami Heat via Cleveland Cavaliers)- DeAndre Bembry, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, St. Joseph's: The Sixers could use a wing and Bemberry would be a nice fit considering he went to college in the Philadelphia area.

25. Los Angeles Clippers- Stephen Zimmerman, Center, UCLA: Size plus the ability to play in transition plus a nice touch from the perimeter plus the potential to defend both big-man spots. It's easy to see Zimmerman moving back up, after previously being in the lottery mix. The question is whether he will convince front offices he can play a physical style as well, at least on defense and go after contact rather than rely entirely on finesse. It didn't help that his freshman season was dotted by nagging injuries, illness and a coaching change.

26. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder)- Juan Hernangomez, Small Forward/Power Forward, Spain: The 76ers don't want a third rookie along with two possible redshirt rookies, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, so one of the picks in the 20s is almost surely ticketed for a trade or a player to remain overseas. (If they deal No. 1, everything changes.) Hernangomez has used a season of good production to greatly help his chances of making the first round. His experience -- 20 years old now, 21 for the start of training camp -- shows. He is a good athlete who runs the floor well, plays above the rim and can score in a variety of ways. His brother Willy was the No. 35 pick by the 76ers last year and traded the same night to the Knicks.

27. Toronto Raptors- Patrick McGaw, Shooting Guard, UNLV: Toronto could use some wing depth, especially if DeMar DeRozan leaves in free agency.

28. Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland Cavaliers)- Zhou Qi, Center, China: After drafting two forwards earlier in the draft, the 7-foot-2 Zhou, who shows promise as a shot blocking threat, could be an interesting high-reward gamble for Phoenix late in the first round.

29. San Antonio Spurs- Chieck Diallo, Power Forward, Kansas: With the uncertainty around Tim Duncan's future (we’ve been writing about this for a decade), more depth in the front court could be welcomed in San Antonio, and Diallo has the physical tools to be an interesting project. And doesn’t San Antonio always cause these projects to reach their potential? If they do, Diallo has a lot of it.

30. Golden State Warriors- Malcolm Brogdon, Shooting Guard, Virginia: With Harrison Barnes about to get very expensive, Brogdon’s combination of experience, defensive ability, and ability to navigate screens off the ball and shoot from the perimeter could help him contribute right away for the Warriors.