NBA Draft: A look at each team's needs
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE
The NBA Draft figures to be a big occasion -- at least for the first two picks.
The Minnesota Timberwolves hold the No. 1 overall selection, and the Los Angeles Lakers pick second, and their choices are expected to Kentucky power forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke center Jahlil Okafor -- in some order.
A look at how the draft is likely to shake out for all 30 teams, according to The Sports Xchange's national network of NBA writers:
BOSTON CELTICS
--2015 draft picks: 16th, 28th, 33rd, 45th
--Draft needs: The Celtics, who might well be wheeling and dealing with four picks in the top 45, are looking for a rim protector as well as help at both forward spots. They have cap flexibility and all kinds of future picks, so Draft Night figures to be interesting. The team seems set at the guard spot so think 6-8 or taller. Possible targets could include 6-foot-9 Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker, 6-foot-11 Arkansas forward Bobby Portis, 6-foot-10 Kentucky forward Trey Lyles or taller.
BROOKLYN NETS
--2015 draft picks: 29th, 41st
--Draft needs: The Nets realistically can't be choosers with the 29th pick (their No. 15 pick was swapped with Atlanta as part of the Joe Johnson deal), so they basically have to be lucky to get someone to drop down, perhaps someone recovering from an injury that no one else wants to touch. They would probably like to take a big man with their pick, with Syracuse 6-foot-10 power forward Chris McCullough a possibility. McCullough was thought to be a possible lottery selection, but he tore his ACL and watched his draft stock plummet. The Nets also showed some interest in Oregon point guard Joseph Young, but he sprained an ankle at an Indiana Pacers workout and missed most of his appointments.
NEW YORK KNICKS
--2015 draft picks: 4th
--Draft needs: Knicks president Phil Jackson is committed to running his successful triangle offense. New York worked out D'Angelo Russell, the best playmaker/passer in the draft, who would be ideal in the triangle. However, the combo guard out of Ohio State might not be available at No. 4. If Russell is off the board, the Knicks can look to another guard, Emmanuel Mudiay, the draft's most unknown commodity having played in China last year. Mudiay also could fit in the triangle, and his explosiveness to the basket would give New York something it lacked the past few seasons from the backcourt.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
--2015 draft picks: 3rd, 37th, 47th, 58th, 60th
--Draft needs: General manager Sam Hinkie is notoriously secretive about his intentions, and the roster is of D-League quality, meaning the Sixers could go in any direction. Suffice it to say they will select the best player available at No. 3 overall -- and should, despite the recent setback C Joel Embiid sustained in his recovery from foot surgery. That could mean taking G D'Angelo Russell, G Emmanuel Mudiay, C Jahlil Okafor or even F Kristaps Porzingis.
TORONTO RAPTORS
--2015 draft pick: 20th
--Draft needs: Arizona swingman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a monster on defense but offensively limited, and Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant were headliners at the Raptors' first predraft workout. Georgia State shooting guard R.J. Hunter is another possibility. All figure to be taken about where the Raptors will pick. It is hard to assess who would be the better fit for a team that has needs but not one specific, glaring one. Toronto is known for drafting long-term future prospects, and having acquired a D-League team this offseason, it might do so again.
CHICAGO BULLS
--2015 draft picks: 22nd
--Draft needs: With only one selection in the draft, the Bulls likely will make a safe pick rather than target a high-risk, high-reward prospect. Virginia guard Justin Anderson could be a perfect fit. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound swingman offers positional flexibility and is reliable on defense -- perfect attributes to strengthen the Bulls' rotational depth. Arizona forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (6-7, 220) is a great fit for similar reasons. If the Bulls bypass a wing player, they could add a point guard to back up Derrick Rose. Two options at the point include Notre Dame's Jerian Grant and Utah's Delon Wright.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
--2015 draft picks: 24th, 53rd
--Draft needs: The Cavaliers' biggest day of the season used to be draft day, but no more. After winning the lottery three of the past four years, the Cavs enter this summer in the enviable position of not having to rely on the draft following the return of LeBron James and their march to the NBA Finals. In fact, whomever they take at No. 24 is no lock to make the rotation next season -- or even the team for that matter. While they could use an upgrade at backup point guard, that likely will come through free agency. For the second straight year, the Cavs could wind up packaging this pick in a July trade after sending Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves last summer for Kevin Love. Any trade this summer, however, won't come close to reaching that magnitude.
DETROIT PISTONS
--2015 draft picks: 8th, 38th
--Draft needs: The acquisition of power forward Ersan Ilyasova from the Milwaukee Bucks on June 11 increases the likelihood that the Pistons will draft a small forward with their lottery pick. Ilyasova gives coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy the stretch-4 that he coveted, allowing him to concentrate on the team's gaping hole at the other forward spot. Mario Hezonja, Justise Winslow, Sam Dekker and Stanley Johnson are the top candidates. The latter trio all came in for workouts, while Van Gundy made a postseason trip to Europe to see Hezonja up close. Sharpshooting guard Devin Booker and defensive-minded center Willie Cauley-Stein are long-shot possibilities. The Pistons also could trade down and pick up an additional assets while still snagging one of their forward targets.
INDIANA PACERS
--2015 draft picks: 11th, 43rd
--Draft needs: Look for the Pacers to draft a mobile big man and a point guard to complement veteran George Hill. Team president Larry Bird said the Pacers are looking to go with a smaller lineup, which would indicate a big man who can play in the middle and yet be more mobile than veteran center Roy Hibbert and able to guard pick-and-rolls. The other issue centers on the fact that Hill currently is the only point guard under contract. Bird said there is no plan to bring back point guard C.J. Watson, and there is a chance they also will not retain Donald Sloan. The Pacers appear to like Wisconsin big man Frank Kaminsky, Texas center Myles Turner and Murray State point guard Cameron Payne, a left-hander who fractured the ring finger on his right hand during a June 15 workout with the Denver Nuggets.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
--2015 draft picks: 17th, 46th
--Draft needs: Despite their surprising turnaround last season, the Bucks are still in rebuilding mode, so don't look for them to be picky when their name is called. Shooting and rebounding were two of the Bucks' biggest weaknesses last season, so look for general manager John Hammond to address those needs first. UCLA forward -- and Milwaukee native -- Kevon Looney impressed at a recent workout, and many think the 6-foot-9 forward will still be on the board when Milwaukee makes its first pick and would fit in with the length and athleticism already on the roster. He is young, though, and would be a bit of a project. The Bucks don't have a lot of open roster space, making them likely to use their second-round pick on a European draft-and-follow prospect.
ATLANTA HAWKS
--2015 draft picks: 15th, 50th, 59th
--Draft needs: With an uncertain free agency period ahead, versatility will be key with the Hawks' first-round pick. Forwards DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap are free agents. Their future is up in the air. Both very well may return, but a versatile small forward capable of stretching the floor and defending multiple positions certainly would provide insurance. The Hawks' executives insisted publicly that they will go the "best player available" route instead of drafting for need. Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker, Kentucky guard Devin Booker, Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant, Kentucky forward Trey Lyles, Kansas forward Kelly Oubre and Arkansas forward Bobby Portis are options.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
--2015 draft picks: 9th, 39th
--Draft needs: The conventional wisdom is that the Hornets will take a shooting guard, perhaps Kentucky's Devin Booker or Arizona's Stanley Johnson or Croatia's Mario Hezonja, depending on how the draft shakes down. It is likely that at least two of those three will be available at No. 9. However, general manager Rich Cho insists that he is keeping all his options open and will take the best player available. He also talked about the possibility of trading up or down. The Hornets could junk the shooting guard mentality quickly if Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein drops far enough. The Hornets selected power forwards with their first-round picks in each of the past two drafts, so that probably is the one position they would steer clear of.
MIAMI HEAT
--2015 draft picks: 10th, 40th
--Draft needs: With three impending or potential free agents on the perimeter, the Heat would be wise to build their depth in that area. Among the potential targets with the 10th pick are 6-foot-6 forward Stanley Johnson of Arizona, 6-6 shooting guard Devin Booker of Kentucky, 6-9 forward Sam Dekker of Wisconsin, 6-7 forward Kelly Oubre of Kansas and 6-6 forward Justin Anderson of Virginia. Options with the 40th pick could include 6-9 power forward Rakeem Christmas of Syracuse. However, don't rule out 6-5 wing Pat Connaughton of Notre Dame -- the Heat are in dire need of 3-point shooters. Miami finished 24th in the NBA in 3-point shooting, and the top 10 teams in that category made the playoffs.
ORLANDO MAGIC
--2015 draft picks: 5th, 51st
--Draft needs: The Magic would love to trade up and add either Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns or Duke's Jahlil Okafor -- who would fit the best -- but it is unlikely to happen, and both are likely to be gone before they pick at No. 5. They fawned over the all-around skills of one likely pick, power forward Kristaps Porzingis (7 feet, Sevilla). However, he will require time to mature physically, and this already is a very young team. If Porzingis is gone, they may turn to Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein, another center who could become an elite NBA defender, or they might go with small forward Justise Winslow from Duke.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
--2015 draft picks: 19th, 49th
--Draft needs: The Wizards can consider the "best player available" path, especially if forward Paul Pierce decides he will spend another season in Washington. The playoff series loss to the Atlanta Hawks confirmed the need for a stretch-4-type big man. Arkansas' Bobby Portis and UCLA's Kevon Looney are the likely candidates at No. 19. If the Wizards decide to replicate the Golden State Warriors' plan of using waves of wings and guards, Georgia State's R.J. Hunter, Virginia's Justin Anderson and Notre Dame's Jerian Grant make sense.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
--2015 draft picks: 21st, 52nd
--Draft needs: With just three key players -- shooting guard Monta Ellis, small forward Chandler Parsons and power forward Dirk Nowitzki -- signed for the 2015-16 season, the Mavericks will enter the summer in desperate need of point guards and centers. History says they will have a better chance finding the former than the latter late in the first round of the draft. A new little guy would land a favorable position, as he would have very small shoes to fill. He would be replacing banished point guard Rajon Rondo, whose in-season addition to the club turned out to be a complete disaster.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
--2015 draft picks: 18th, 32nd
--Draft needs: As James Harden wore down under the inordinate weight of being both the Rockets' leading scorer and primary facilitator, the need for a playmaking guard crystallized. Even if the Rockets re-sign Patrick Beverley, he might be better served coming off the bench, where his manic defense is a greater asset. While the Rockets sorely need a point guard (Jerian Grant?) capable of scoring and relieving pressure off Harden, their options at No. 18 might be so severely limited that selecting the best available player could be the lone, wisest option.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
--2015 draft picks: 25th
--Draft needs: Judging by the Grizzlies' predraft workouts, the team has not dialed in on one particular strategy. Part of that is Memphis' draft position; it is difficult to know what will be available at No. 25. The general consensus is that the Grizzlies' greatest need -- dependable 3-point shooting -- can't be addressed with this pick. The team seems to like the athletic Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a 6-foot-7 forward from Arizona, but most mock drafts don't have him lasting until No. 25. Utah point guard Delon Wright is a possibility, especially with Beno Udrih coming off ankle surgery and starter Mike Conley potentially gone as a free agent after next season. A big man is also in play. If center Marc Gasol re-signs with Memphis, even short-term, backup center Kosta Koufos certainly will go elsewhere in search of more playing time.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
--2015 draft pick: 56th
--Draft needs: As the Golden State Warriors celebrated their NBA championship with a locker room champagne shower, Warriors assistant Alvin Gentry -- the Pelicans' new head coach -- gazed at the Larry O'Brien trophy and then shouted into the camera: "Hey, A.D., we're going to be right back here!" In homage to All-Star power forward Anthony Davis' athleticism, rare ability to run the court and expanded shooting range, Gentry will build an up-tempo offense. However, because of the Omer Asik deal, in which the Pelicans surrendered a 2015 first-round pick, they don't draft until No. 56. The Pelicans need an athletic small forward with shooting range to help space the floor, but they would have to trade assets to move into the first round.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
--2015 draft picks: 26th, 55th
--Draft needs: When you have a roster as deep and accomplished as San Antonio's, the term "needs" hardly applies. Sure, the Spurs would like to get younger at several positions, particularly at the extremes of the height spectrum. But are the Spurs likely to find a future replacement for power forward Tim Duncan or point guard Tony Parker there with the 26th pick? Not likely. However, tapping the foreign market once again in search of the next Manu Ginobili is at least somewhat realistic and would add much-needed athleticism to the age-challenged roster.
DENVER NUGGETS
--2015 draft picks: 7th, 57th
--Draft needs: The Nuggets have several holes to fill. The only true center is Jusuf Nurkic, who is coming off an up-and-down rookie season and is recovering from left knee surgery. Denver needs to bolster its backcourt, too. Backup point guard Jameer Nelson is expected to opt out of his contract, and it is no given that starter Ty Lawson will be around at training camp; the Nuggets are shopping him as well as power forward Kenneth Faried, but so far there are no takers. The hiring of Michael Malone as coach just 10 days before the draft leaves wide open what direction the team will take in the draft and in free agency.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
--2015 draft picks: 1st, 31st, 36th
--Draft needs: Early steam had the Timberwolves favoring Duke center Jahlil Okafor, but the latest buzz has Minnesota focusing on Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who visited with team brass Friday and Saturday. President of basketball operations and head coach Flip Saunders is also intrigued by Ohio State combo guard D'Angelo Russell, but with Ricky Rubio entering the first year of a four-year, $55 million contract and with plenty of long-term uncertainty down low, it would be shocking if Towns weren't the first overall pick Thursday. With a pair of picks early in the second round, don't be surprised if Saunders tries to find a way back into the middle of the first round to select Duke guard Tyus Jones. Saunders has been enamored with Jones, a Minnesota native, since watching him play in high school.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
--2015 draft picks: 14th, 48th
--Draft needs: Picking at No. 14 in the first round is a blessing and a curse for the Thunder. While they can grab a lottery selection, the choice is too low find a game-changer. Even so, they could find a player who can help the franchise. Kentucky forward Trey Lyles, Georgia State guard R.J. Hunter, Kentucky guard Devin Booker and Murray State point guard Cameron Payne have been highlighted as possible targets. A long shot is Wisconsin forward Frank Kaminsky. They don't think the college player of the year will still be around at No. 14, but if he is, it could make for an interesting selection by a team in need of more low-post scoring.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
--2015 draft picks: 23rd
--Draft needs: Everything is fluid until the situation with Portland's free agents (forward LaMarcus Aldridge, shooting guard Wesley Matthews and center Robin Lopez in particular) is taken care of. If there is a position at which the Blazers know they can use help, it might be small forward, where only starter Nicolas Batum returns for sure. If Arizona's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson were still available at No. 23, he would be a likely target. If not, Virginia's Justin Anderson would fill the bill.
UTAH JAZZ
--2015 draft picks: 12th, 42nd, 54th
--Draft needs: While Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert are solid starters on the frontline for Utah, the team needs big-man depth. A stretch-4-type player would be ideal for coach Quin Snyder's spread-out system. The Jazz also are in need of more offensive threats from the perimeter. That seemingly puts them in a decent position with the No. 12 pick, as there will likely be multiple wings and power forwards available that late in the lottery. Don't rule out a draft-day trade, which general manager Dennis Lindsey said he would do if it can help the team get one step closer to ending a rebuilding project and beginning a new era of playoff appearances.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
--2015 draft pick: 30th
--Draft needs: While many analysts are focused on the Warriors' apparent need for a shooting guard off the bench, they forget the biggest reason the club won the 2015 championship: defense. With power forward David Lee reportedly having played his last game with the club, what the Warriors really need is another Draymond Green -- a polished collegian from a winning program who is big, versatile and smart. Another Draymond Green with the last pick of the first round? Well, sure. After all, the Warriors got the former Michigan State standout five picks later -- No. 35 overall -- in 2012.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
--2015 draft picks: None
--Draft needs: The Clippers would have to be very creative to get back into the draft, being that they already traded away their first-rounder to Boston to bring in coach Doc Rivers. That said, they could use a second-rounder or two to add depth to arguably the weakest bench crew among elite teams.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
--2015 draft picks: 2nd, 27th, 34th
--Draft needs: With guard Kobe Bryant and forward Julius Randle onboard, the Lakers don't have needs at two positions. The other three -- and their bench -- remain wide open. The Lakers reportedly are focused on one of the two standout big men in the draft -- Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke center Jahlil Okafor -- and with good reason. Both would complement Bryant well -- Towns in the pick-and-roll game on the offensive end, and Okafor as the defensive anchor in the middle. Too bad they can't have them both. No doubt, the Lakers will go shopping for a point guard at No. 27 or No. 34 ... or perhaps both.
PHOENIX SUNS
--2015 draft picks: 13th, 44th
--Draft needs: While their guards are still a work in progress, the Suns are in need of a power/stretch forward to replace the shooting threat lost when Channing Frye left last summer. Markieff Morris was ill-equipped to handle the position and is seen as a sixth man -- or less if the felony assault charge he faces with twin brother Marcus is proven in court. Texas' Myles Turner was brought in for an unannounced workout Wednesday, and he fits the mold of what the Suns are looking for. His defense mobility is questioned and he is inconsistent, but he is 19 and does two things the Suns love -- he blocks shots and shoots lights out. Phoenix's last two No. 13 overall picks -- Markieff Morris and Kendall Marshall -- weren't what the doctor ordered.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
--2015 draft picks: 6th
--Draft needs: The Kings would benefit from having a big man to complement center DeMarcus Cousins, who led the team in scoring, rebounding, and blocks last season while often facing double teams on defense. That person could be out there in 21-year-old Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein, a 7-foot, 242-pounder who can block shots and might ease Cousins' load just by his presence alone. History shows that coach George Karl prefers two point guards, and 19-year-old Emmanuel Mudiay might be a target if he remains available at No. 6.
