National Basketball Association

Roundtable: Rolling through first round of 2015 NBA Draft

Published Jun. 19, 2015 11:30 a.m. ET

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Our staff of NBA correspondents -- Michael Pina, Andrew Lynch, Fred Katz, Jordan White, John Wilmes and D.J. Foster -- previews the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft.

Everyone could use Karl-Anthony Towns. He's a floor-spacing 7-footer who protects the rim, moves well in space and projects to dominate the paint for a decade. The Minnesota Timberwolves are lucky enough to grab him, allowing president Flip Saunders to flip (pun intended) current starting center Nikola Pekovic in a trade. — Michael Pina

This won't be the pick, of course. It's going to be Jahlil Okafor; if not Okafor, it'll probably be D'Angelo Russell. But if you have the No. 2 pick, you should take the best player. In today's NBA, there's a really good chance that's Winslow. To quote Steve Kerr, via Grantland's Zach Lowe: " [Y]ou look at the way the game is played now, and it's all about versatility and two-way players. Can you score a basket and then go guard three positions?"

That's Winslow. He made 46 of 110 3-point attempts last year (41.8 percent), and he's one of the top two wing defenders in the draft. He has the size, court vision and feel for the game to be anything his team needs -- and at an elite level, shifting from possession to possession. He fills a big need for the Lakers, too, at small forward, where he'd slot in nicely alongside Kobe Bryant. — Andrew Lynch

Since the Lakers didn't take Jahlil Okafor in this exercise, the 76ers have no choice but take the best player available. Does Okafor, a center with a traditional -- if slightly antiquated -- low-post skill-set fit in Philadelphia's frontcourt? Probably not, with Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid already there. Neither of those giants is a guaranteed success story, and GM Sam Hinkie will have a ton of fun selling one to the highest bidder. — Pina

I think Emmanuel Mudiay might be in for the better career than Russell, but the Ohio State product appears to be the best fit in New York. A shooter who can find more success off the ball than the athletic, dribble-heavy Mudiay would be more comfortable within the Knicks' schemes. Mudiay is at his best while working off ball-screens, and he's not going to find that in New York. That leaves Russell as the best remaining available answer for the Knicks at No. 4. — Fred Katz

Just about everyone loves Porzingis for his size, speed, leaping and shooting. He does it all, and at 7-feet, he could join Nikola Vucevic to create quite the formidable frontcourt in Orlando. Drafting Porzingis would give the Magic some insurance for free-agent-to-be Tobias Harris, as well, though Harris is restricted. — Katz

He's fast, speedy, flashy, athletic. He's basically what Vivek Ranadive has been dreaming about. If Emmanuel Mudiay is around at No. 6, how could the Kings, who have been looking for an All-Star-level point guard for years, pass? Mudiay has a lot of John Wall in him. If he can fix his jump shot (which is totally possible; how many 19-year-old point guards come into the league as dead-on shooters, anyway?), he can turn into a dominant floor general. — Katz

The Nuggets are in transition, their aspirations of contending replaced by the reality of a rebuild. Hezonja gives them much-needed shooting and athleticism on the wings, and the potential for a bona-fide superstar, which the Nuggets have lacked since Carmelo Anthony left. — Jordan White

If Cauley-Stein is available, the Pistons will take him. Small forward Stanley Johnson more immediately addresses their needs, but Detroit may also need a replacement for free agent Greg Monroe in the front court. The bottom line is no smart GM can pass up this much talent at No. 8. — John Wilmes

Though the Hornets already have Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Stanley Johnson is too enticing to pass here. He could be a terrific wing 3-and-D player for a team in desperate need of both. He also shows promise as a player who can attack the paint with the ball, which is an added bonus. — White

Consider this a bet that the Heat will bring back Goran Dragic as a hedge against regression from Hassan Whiteside. We all know Frank the Tank: 7-footer, shoots the 3-pointer, spaces the floor. That's the kind of player with whom Dragic thrives, and Kaminsky can provide some nice offense when Chris Bosh needs a rest. As he develops, though, Miami has the opportunity to experiment with lineups where Bosh plays center and Kaminsky is at the four. You'd need a big small forward who can slide up to defend power forwards, but Bosh's own 3-point ability combined with Kaminsky's would create unparalleled offensive geometry for the Heat. — Lynch

Turner has all of the attributes to fill in for Roy Hibbert as a rim protector, giving Indiana flexibility with the often beleaguered center. And Turner's range as a shooter is the stuff that makes scouts drool. There might not be a more tantalizing combination of skills than 7-foot rim protection and 3-point shooting. If the Pacers can develop Turner's shot and defensive acumen, they stand at the vanguard of a new type of elite player. — Lynch

Booker was one of the most reliable shooters from deep for Kentucky, and the Jazz are in need of floor-stretchers. In a draft deep, and with what they already have -- big men -- this is as good as it gets for Utah. — Wilmes

The Suns can always use more athleticism, especially on the perimeter. Oubre, at his worst, projects to be a plus defender who can run the floor with Eric Bledsoe. At his best, he could be a two-way star, and if you're getting that this late on the lottery, you're drafting right. — White

The Thunder need a backup point guard. DJ Augustin is fine, but the Thunder need better than fine. Payne could be that player. He's got size, great instinct for both passing and scoring, and could play alongside Russell Westbrook in a two point guard lineup. Basically, he could be what Reggie Jackson never was. — White

It's incredible to consider the Dekker we saw in the NCAA tournament within the 3-point-generating machine that is the Hawks' offense. Unfortunately, Dekker's not that good of a shooter over a much larger sample size. But he can (and will) improve, and his hot shooting in March overshadowed his versatility and defensive ability, both highly valued skills in Atlanta. Ideally, the Hawks will bring DeMarre Carroll back, and Dekker can learn from one of the best. Either way, he'd be a nice fit. — Lynch

The 16th overall pick doesn't typically yield the type of franchise-altering talent the Celtics badly want, but Kentucky's Trey Lyles is a solid 19-year-old with high upside. He spent his lone collegiate season out of position and was still tremendous on both ends. That type of versatility is exactly what head coach Brad Stevens wants. — Pina

After trading Ersan Ilyasova to the Detroit Pistons for the non-guaranteed contracts of Caron Butler and Shawne Williams, acquiring frontcourt depth in the draft will be at a premium for the Bucks. Looney is a Milwaukee native who rebounds hard and has the ability to space the floor with his jumper, which is exactly what Ilyasova provided when he was at his best. This is a natural fit. — D.J. Foster

The Rockets need a secondary ball-handler. Badly. James Harden knows it. Daryl Morey knows it. Kevin McHale knows it. They'll try and find one in free agency, but snagging a potential sleeper in the draft is the cheaper route. R.J. Hunter was a high-volume shooter at Georgia State and may be one of the best 3-point shooters in this draft class. Houston doesn't need a star, just someone who can attack a shifting defense as it's trying to stop Harden and Dwight Howard. — Pina

The WIzards gave nearly 3,500 combined minutes to Paul Pierce and Rasual Butler last season, so adding a player who can step in right away makes sense. Anderson is a hard-nosed wing who can cover multiple positions with his strength and length, and perhaps more importantly, he shot 45.2 percent from deep last season. He could be the best 3-and-D role player in this draft class. — Foster

There's a good chance Amir Johnson is done in Toronto. Not only could Portis be a replacement, he would be a huge upgrade. The SEC Player of the Year is a tremendous rebounder with a motor that doesn't stop. He also has range to the 3-point arc, deft vision and quite a bit of potential left to unlock. — White

After a few years of basically employing a point guard platoon, it's hard to imagine the Mavs will address any other position with this pick. Notre Dame's close proximity to pro offenses and Grant's playmaking prowess in the pick and roll should make the transition an easy one. We've seen multiple young point guards have success right away as of late, and that's what the Mavs need with Dirk Nowitzki running out of time. — Foster

Hollis-Jefferson is speculated to go a few spots earlier, so the Bulls will be lucky if he falls to them. There's no particular area of need that we know of in Chicago, because their future is so murky -- will Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah and/or Taj Gibson be on the roster? -- but we can be sure of one thing: Talent never hurts. — Wilmes

One of the toughest skill combinations to find is a big man who can stretch the floor and protect the rim, but Wood has flashed the ability to do both. He clearly needs to get stronger and refine his shooting touch, but that's right in the wheelhouse of every developmental staff. With LaMarcus Aldridge's future in Portland uncertain, the Blazers would be wise to roll the dice with a high upside pick and hope it pans out. — Foster

The Cavaliers showed us in the Finals how thin their depth is at point guard. After Kyrie Irving was lost, a miracle fell into their lap with the surprisingly solid -- yet sporadic and inefficient -- play of Matthew Dellavedova. Dellavedova is likely to get paid elsewhere for his recent feats, and Irving will continue to need help behind him as he struggles through a career plagued by injuries. — Wilmes

Perhaps the most energetic, physical big man in this draft, Harrell could be the man to fill in for Kostas Koufos, who's likely to leave in free agency. Memphis can't afford to pay both Marc Gasol and Koufos the kind of money each can find on the open market, and the Grizzles will put their chips in Marc's basket. Enter Harrell, who could be the future of their frontcourt reserve play. — Wilmes

Tony Parker is getting old. Cory Joseph is a restricted free agent. Patty Mills is awesome, but clearly not a starting point guard. The Spurs need depth at the sport's most important position, and a potential heir to Parker's throne should the four-time champion continue to decline. Delon Wright is 6-6 and plays with an imagination Spurs fans are used to seeing in Manu Ginobili. He could be a fantastic fit beside Kawhi Leonard in the post-Big 3 era. — Pina

A pick largely predicated on what the Lakers do at No. 2 -- a big man with big upside and some questions in his past. If the Lakers go with Okafor, they'll likely look for a point guard at 27. A wing or guard at No. 2, however, opens the door for a talented center such as Upshaw, whose measurements were head and shoulders above the competition at the Chicago draft combine. As for his uneven history, it's worth noting that Upshaw's found a mentor in Bill Walton, who still calls Southern California home. — Lynch

The Celtics need a shot-blocking rim protector. Jordan Mickey is only 6-8, but he jumps out of the gym and averaged an incredible 3.6 blocks per game as a sophomore last season. He isn't big enough to serve as the defensive anchor Boston wants, but Mickey could be a versatile replacement for Brandon Bass, who figures to move on as a free agent this summer. — Pina

You know Rozier understands man-to-man defense coming out of a Rick Pitino system, and his athleticism allows him far more freedom on that side of the ball. His shooting is still a work in progress, but at 6-2 with a 6-8 wingspan, he has great size for a point guard. Shooting can be taught. If he actually starts converting on his jumper consistently, he could turn into a player far more useful than your average 29th pick, which a team depleted of assets -- like the Nets are -- could use. — Katz

Given their salary situation and already deep rotation, it seems pretty likely that the Warriors will look to "draft and stash" and fill out the end of the bench with a more trustworthy veteran. The Warriors are pretty much locked in with a young player at every position except for center, and if you're going to gamble on an international player and hope for late development, you might as well go big. — Foster

All positions and measurements are from DraftExpress.com.