It's never too early to start mock draft discussions, and while this year's NBA Draft is projected to be one of the weaker classes in recent years, there's no denying that there's talent in the pool that will likely help any struggling NBA team.
#1 Philadelphia 76'ers
As for Philadelphia, they've made tanking an art form in recent years, and can sorely use any help they can get to dig themselves out of the hole they're in. While the acquisition of Ish Smith this season has certainly been a bright spot, there's certainly a long way to go in the rebuilding process.
One glaring question that still needs answering is what the franchise intends to do with all the bigs they've stockpiled. If they do end up selecting Ben Simmons number one overall out of LSU, he will join fellow bigs Okafor, Noel, and Embiid (who has yet to see any playing time due to injury).
#2 Los Angeles Lakers
In terms of the Los Angeles Lakers, they too need all the help they can get as they'll be in full rebuild mode after Kobe Bryant finally hangs up the purple and gold at the end of this season. While the young core of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and D'Angelo Russell have certainly shown flashes of brilliance this season, they've also shown their collective immaturity and inability to execute consistent play.
Brandon Ingram(the Freshman out of Duke) would be a solid pickup for the franchise overall.
#3 Boston Celtics
As things currently stand, the Celtics have a solid core of young talent, and their abysmal record is something of a disservice to the personnel they have. With Isaiah Thomas running the point, and players like Jae Crowder, Jared Sullinger, Marcus Smart, Evan Turner, Avery Bradley, and Kelly Olynyk filling out the roster, a player like Dragan Benderout of the Euroleague could easily fit into the system that the Celtics already have in place and give them more size at the Center position.
#4 Phoenix Suns
In speaking of the Suns, they do have a lot of guards on their roster, and, with the two-pronged attack of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, it'll be interesting to see how Kris Dunn(the Junior out of Providence) would fit into the current offense under Jeff Hornacek should he make his home in the valley of the sun.
#5 Minnesota Timberwolves
As far as Minnesota is concerned, having 2 of the last number one overall picks on their roster (with Andrew Wiggins continuing to improve his game and Karl-Anthony Towns making a strong case for Rookie of the Year) and being projected to pick in the top five of this year's upcoming draft with the selection of Jaylen Brown out of Cal, the future of the franchise is certainly on the upswing as the young core is primed for the future (thanks in large part to the vision of late NBA coach Philip "Flip" Saunders who passed away in October of last year).
