2016 NBA Mock Draft: 7th Edition

Here is my seventh 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- Dragan Bender, Power Forward/Center, Croatia: For all the talk about the possibility of the 76ers making trades, the Celtics are probably the best candidate of all as a team pushing to get in position for a long playoff run now. Veterans are more appealing than prospects. If they stay, though, the need for shooting, especially behind the arc, puts Buddy Hield in the mix for the top three. But some teams think Bender has a chance to be great and one GM said he could see the Croatian becoming the best player in the draft in time. Bender is not another Kristaps Porzingis no matter how many people want to make the comparison -- Bender is a better distributor, Porzingis has better range -- but the offense is very intriguing.

4. Phoenix Suns- Marquese Chriss, Power Forward, Washington: Like Boston, Phoenix also has multiple first-round picks, and may consider a deal here for the right player, but if not, getting a power forward who can stretch the floor could be a priority. Chriss is still somewhat raw skill-wise, and he doesn’t quite understand the game yet, but he is a high-level athlete who can run the floor, block shots, and knock down jumpers. He could turn into a good starter down the road.

5. Minnesota Tinberwolves- Kris Dunn, Point Guard, Providence: With Tom Thibodeau in town, it's relatively easy to see why he would like a player like Kris Dunn. Dunn is about as good a defensive player as you'll find, plus is quite good offensively with great vision and athleticism. Yeah, he does overlap a bit with Ricky Rubio. But you need more than two guards in the rotation, and right now there's just not another trustworthy guy on the roster. Also, the Wolves could theoretically look to extract value for an excellent piece in Rubio.

6. New Orleans Pelicans- Jamal Murray, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Kentucky: The Pelicans’ backcourt is unsettled at the moment, with a dozen different players earning a starting nod at one point or another over the course of the season. Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holliday have all struggled with injuries and none is under contract past next season, which means New Orleans will look at all of the top guards available. Murray was one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball despite being a freshman.

7. Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks)- Buddy Hield, Shooting Guard, Oklahoma: One of the stars of the college game in 2015-16, Hield is a versatile and explosive threat who can score in transition or as a catch-and-shoot guy in half-court sets. He gets to the rim and creates on the perimeter, with the added benefit of four seasons in a major program and being 22 years old. In short, Hield will be one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft. And the Nuggets finished 26th in 3-point percentage.

8. Sacramento Kings- Domantas Sabonis, Power Forward/Center, Gonzaga: The Kings are in need of a power forward and while there may be a few players that offer more upside, for a team under pressure to produce (Sam Hinkie fleeced them out of a number of future picks), Sabonis makes perfect sense as a guy that can be an instant contributor. His emotional leadership is a big bonus. Vlade is said to love the kid, and happens to be friends with his dad (Arvydas).

9. Toronto Raptors (via Denver Nuggets)- Jakob Poeltl, Power Forward/Center, Utah: The Raptors will likely lose Bismack Biyombo to free agency this offseason, meaning Poeltl makes sense as a backup to start with for Jonas Valanciunas. They would probably like to take a stretch-four or potentially a wing in order to brace for if DeMar DeRozan leaves, but Poeltl is the best player remaining on the board and definitely fills a spot of need as the Raptors look to likely rebound next year back into the conference finals.

10. Milwaukee Bucks- Jaylen Brown, Small Forward, California: Milwaukee is sitting on a pretty good spot to grab whichever player drops. They could easily land a player here that ends up as good as whomever goes third. As a matter of fact, there are reports that Brown or Marquese Chriss could go at 3. And either player could possibly fall to 10 as well. Chriss may ultimately prove too big a long-term play but they would likely be ecstatic to land him.

11. Orlando Magic- Skal Labissiere, Power Forward/Center, Kentucky: Despite Labissiere's disappointing freshman season at Kentucky, his two skill sets – shot blocking and perimeter shooting – would be a nice fit next to Nikola Vucevic, even if he might be a bit risky.

12. Utah Jazz- Timothe Luwawu, Shooting Guard, France: Luwawu made his big move last year playing in his native France, then built on that in 2015-16 against tougher competition with a varied offensive game of scoring and passing. His size would be an asset in the backcourt, with enough athleticism that he won't be a liability on defense against smaller, quicker shooting guards. With little experience before this season other than the lesser French leagues, not even as part of the national teams at a junior level, he has had to ease concerns about the jump in competition.

13. Phoenix Suns (via Washington Wizards)- Furkan Korkmaz, Shooting Guard, Turkey: Korkmaz is a pretty highly skilled player that is also one of the youngest players in the draft. He's a good athlete that particularly can get up and throw down, but isn't the best in terms of creating offense for himself at this stage due to a rudimentary dribble. Still, he'd be big enough to pair with Devin Booker on the wing, and would really continue to combine with Bender to provide floor-spacing for their guards. This is a really interesting call here, as none of the players in this area of the draft fully fit the Suns.

14. Chicago Bulls- Deyonta Davis, Power Forward, Michigan State: Davis didn't work out for any teams outside the top 10, so there's a chance he goes 9 or 10. But if he slides some the Bulls could see value in his upside and take him here.

15. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets)- 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.

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. He could easily break into the lottery and maybe even the top 12. Valentine earned the centerpiece spot at Michigan State as a 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- Wade Baldwin IV, Point Guard, Vanderbilt: Mike Conley potentially bolting in free agency, the Grizzlies will probably be looking for a point guard at their pick. While we view him as a bit of a reach here, he would offer a solid upside player at a posiiton of need.

18. Detroit Pistons- Damian Jones, Center, Vanderbilt: Detroit needs offense in general and especially 3-point threats, but there is no obvious answer here in the land of backup big men. Jones turns 21 the week after the draft, is more developed than many others in the class and could play behind Andre Drummond. Jones has NBA size and athleticism, the makings of being able to play up in an up-tempo system or a power game and become a shot blocker. The offense needs work.

19. Denver Nuggets (via Portland Trail Blazers)- Ivica Zubac, Center, Croatia: Zubac is a 7-foot-1 big man that many believe could have terrific potential in the pick-and-roll offensively and as a traditional paint defender defensively. He may or may not come over immediately.

20. Indiana Pacers- Demeatrius Jackson, Point Guard, Notre Dame: Indiana could use a point guard and that would make George Hill expandable. 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).

21. Atlanta Hawks- Cheick Diallo, Center, Kansas: Cheick is one of the players that Atlanta is said to be very high on. He may take a while to see the floor, but as he showed at the NBA combine, his length and motor gives him a lot of intrigue. If Atlanta is convinced that Al Horford will leave in free agency, they could target a more ready player such as Damian Jones or Diamond Stone.

22. Charlotte Hornets- Malik Beasley, Shooting Guard, Florida State: Improved perimeter shooting is a big part of Charlotte’s recent success, but Nic Batum and Courtney Lee both upcoming free agents, they could look to replenish some of their perimeter depth with younger, cheaper options. Beasley shot 38.7% from three-point range as a freshman for Florida State.

23. Boston Celtics- Brice Johnson, Power Forward, North Carolina: Johnson is a guy who probably ends up in the early 20s and is a great value here. While he's a senior, he's one of the draft's premiere athletes. Boston has shown a solid ability to find talent later in the draft with players such as Jae Crowder in the second round. Johnson gets a late-lottery value, but his lack of strength and age have knocked him down a lot of team's boards.

24. Philadelphia 76ers (from Miami Heat via Cleveland Cavaliers)- Stephen Zimmerman, Center, UCLA: Zimmerman is well liked by the Sixers and would provide solid depth to the frontcourt, particularly in the event of an Okafor trade. Some feel he may end up in the 15-20 range however.

25. Los Angeles Clippers- DeAndre' Bembry, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Saint Joseph's: Bembry would be the kind of wing that would really help a team that's contending early in his career. He's tough, he's smart, he competes, and he plays well within an offensive scheme. He needs to do a lot still in terms of proving himself as a shooter, but Bembry could easily become an excellent fit in between J.J. Redick and Blake Griffin if the team decides to not make any moves this offseason in terms of its core.

26. Philadelphia 76ers (from Oklahoma City Thunder via Cleveland Cavaliers/Denver Nuggets)- Malachi Richardson, Shooting Guard, Syracuse: The Sixers could use more guard and wings and Richardson would be an interesting fit.

27. Toronto Raptors- Thon Maker, Power Forward/Center, Australia: Toronto likes length and athleticism and with International GM Masai Ujiri, Thon has both the African and Canadian connection. Maker could end up going higher, but his lack of experience and readiness might limit his draft ceiling. If Thon can add good weight and his legs hold up, he could end up being a steal at the end of the first round.

28. Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland Cavaliers via Boston Celtics)- Juan Hernangomez, Power Forward, Spain: This is Phoenix’s third pick in the first round, and I would expect them to take a player they can leave overseas for a bit longer. Hernangomez is a skilled power forward, with the ability to step away from the rim a bit, and he has played a good amount of minutes overseas already. He could be ready to come over in a year or two at the rate he is developing.

29. San Antonio Spurs- Ante Zizic, Center, Coratia: Zizic is just the type of mobile, shot blocking, pick and roll big man that many want in today’s NBA, and would provide more depth to San Antonio's front court.

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.