The NBA Draft is nearly upon us. A chance for teams to build towards their futures and GM’s to gamble on prospects that will either get them long-term extensions or pink slips.
There is plenty of intrigue in this year’s draft. With some of the biggest franchises in the league (the Lakers, Celtics, Kni.. err nevermind) in the lottery, along with one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory, fans everywhere are interested in how the Draft will play out.
Let’s take a look at how the Draft may go down next month, with Belal Abdel and Mark Gunnels giving us a pick-by-pick mock draft.
With the 1st Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select:
1. Joel Embiid, Center (Kansas)
There are some people who are worried about Embiid’s back, but none of those people are NBA GM’s. Teams are salivating over the center who has been given a ceiling of Hakeem Olajuwon and a basement of Serge Ibaka. Lofty expectations are ahead for the big man. – Belal
With the 2nd Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select:
2. Jabari Parker, Forward (Duke)
While some may say why not take Andrew Wiggins here, Milwaukee desperately needs someone who can put the ball in the bucket. Parker is the most polished scorer in the draft and could do it right away. – Mark
With the 3rd Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select:
3. Andrew Wiggins, Forward (Kansas)
And all the tanking pays off for the Sixers. This is the guy Philly has wanted since gutting their roster last season, and thanks to the Bucks surprisingly taking Parker, they get their man. Wiggins is raw and with Michael Carter-Williams will struggle for shots, but Philly has another lottery pick to address that later this round. – Belal
With the 4th Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic select:
4. Dante Exum, Guard (Australia)
Exum has the potential to be the best player in this class. Being in Orlando would allow Oladipo to go back to his natural position at the 2 and give the Magic their back-court of the future. Exum also allows Orlando to finally move on from Jameer Nelson. – Mark
With the 5th Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select:
5. Noah Vonleh, Forward (Indiana)
First surprise of the mock draft goes to Utah. While Dough McDermott and Julius Randle may be the safer picks, there is too much potential (everyone’s favorite word around draft time) in Vonleh to pass up. Vonleh can play with his back to the basket or facing up, and has the potential to be an All-Star down the road. – Belal
With the 6th Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select:
6. Aaron Gordon, Forward (Arizona)
The Celtics could use some athleticism in their front-court and who better than the uber-athletic Aaron Gordon? He would definitely be on the receiving end of a lot of Rajon Rondo alley-oops. – Mark
With the 7th Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select:
7. Marcus Smart, Guard (Oklahoma State)
Laker fans collectively had a meltdown when their team slid to the 7th pick, but this breaks almost perfectly for the franchise. Smart is a tough, competitive guard who loves to win. Sound familiar? The Oklahoma St. guard is the perfect understudy to outgoing Laker legend Kobe Bryant and would likely be a top five pick in any other draft. The Laker rebuild starts off well, as long as they don’t trade this pick in another short-sighted move that is. – Belal
With the 8th Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select:
8. Julius Randle, Forward (Kentucky)
Randle is one of the safest picks here. He gives Sacramento a legit double-double threat and he’ll be able to pair up with DeMarcus Cousins in the Kings front-court of the future. – Mark
With the 9th Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets select:
9. Doug McDermott, Forward (Creighton)
McBuckets as he is affectionately called, is a perfect fit for the offensively challenged Hornets. The forward’s shooting and scoring ability will take pressure off of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bismack Biyombo, two players that struggle to create buckets. McDermott will also help stretch the floor and allow Al Jefferson to work inside. – Belal
With the 10th Pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select:
10. Nik Stauskas, Guard (Michigan)
Stauskas is probably the best pure shooter in this draft. With Michael Carter-Williams and Wiggins now in the fold, Philly will need someone like Stauskas who can stretch the floor. – Mark
FLIP THE PAGES TO SEE WHICH PLAYERS CLOSE OUT THE MOCK DRAFT LOTTERY PICKS…..
