2016 NBA Draft Needs For All 30 Teams
With the 2016 NBA Draft fast approaching, here is a look at how each NBA team can fill a need in this year’s draft.
Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram appear to be the only sure-fire, slam dunk picks in the 2016 NBA Draft, as NBA.com‘s consensus mock draft proves. They have been at the top of mock drafts for their entire college season and throughout the draft process.
The Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock and get to decide if they’d rather draft Simmons or Ingram. Following them will be the Los Angeles Lakers, who have a no-lose situation by selecting whoever the 76ers do not. After the first two picks the draft could become a roller coaster with wild turns, thanks to teams trading up or down to get players they want.
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In fact, it’s possible that there are four trades within the top five picks of the draft this year. Is it likely? Probably not, so don’t bet your life savings on it. There is a greater level of uncertainty about what teams will do in this year’s draft than can be remembered in previous drafts.
That is, in part, because the teams selecting in the top five don’t necessarily have a need that they can fill by drafting a young prospect. Instead, trading their pick away for a veteran player would add more to their team than a promising rookie.
Take the Boston Celtics, for instance, who have the No. 3 pick. They already have a solid backcourt with Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart, so drafting a guard such as Kris Dunn or Buddy Hield may not be in their best interest. If they don’t select Dragan Bender, or another forward, they could trade the pick to gain veteran pieces.
A lot can be learned leading up to draft night on June 23. Medical reports could provide red flags for teams, or hiccups in a player’s draft stock. Pre-draft workouts could lead to a prospect getting injured, which could hurt his draft stock.
Draft night, itself, could provide twists and turns through the use of social media, as everyone saw during the NFL Draft when Laremy Tunsil’s social media accounts were hacked, according to Deadspin. It seems as if Tunsil had a unique situation and that can’t be expected of happening again, but it’s evidence that anything can happen on draft night.
The draft could take an eventful turn that causes a player’s stock to slide, or it could lead to a surprise selection for a player getting drafted earlier than most expected. It’s not the only way to address a team’s need, with the NBA’s free agency period following the draft a week later.
With the NBA’s rising salary cap, players in free agency can be expected to get paid this summer. Bismack Biyombo is expected to receive offers of around $17 million, according to Sporting News‘ Sean Deveney. While Biyombo has played well, he wouldn’t be offered this much if it were two years prior with a lower salary cap.
The 2016 NBA Draft provides teams with an opportunity to draft and develop a young player into their rotation at a cheaper price than going after a free agent this summer. Teams will likely use both the draft and free agency to improve their teams, but the draft could be the best way to do so.
Mock drafts from Draft Express and CBS Sports will be used in an effort to gauge what a player’s draft stock is. Rosters will be taken into account when evaluating what a team’s need may be. How many picks a team has, or assets to trade up or down in the draft will also be used in evaluation of each team’s draft needs.
Here are the draft needs for each NBA team.
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