This article is part of our NBA Draft series.
While we still have lots of quality basketball left this postseason, it's the time of the year when it's hard not getting enthralled by the thrill of something new, especially if your team is no longer lacing them up on a nightly basis. That something new, in basketball parlance, is the allure of the NBA Draft, and with the lottery Tuesday, a lot more became clearer heading toward June 25th.
As soon as the lottery balls fell where they did, whispers about trades emerged, with teams like the Knicks and Kings rumored to be willing to part with their pick if the right, or (considering the history of these franchises) wrong, trade offer comes along. Prognosticating a draft is fraught with peril and littered with land mines that it would be foolish to attempt to include trades in my picks.
So, below you'll find my very early thoughts on the first 14 selections in the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft.
1. 
Minnesota Timberwolves
Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky, 19 years old
It's been over 10 years since the team with the worst record has ended up with the first-overall selection, but lady luck smiled on the Timberwolves franchise for once, and barring a trade, this selection will leave the Wolves with the first-overall selection from the last three drafts on their roster. They have a mess at power forward, but the point guard slot is sorted out with Ricky Rubio's extension last season, so it stands to reason the Wolves would go with one of the premier big men to pair with Gorgui Dieng. Towns is firming as the number one option due to his versatile game, both offensively and defensively. In just 21 minutes per game at Kentucky, Towns averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 0.5 steals, and 2.2 blocks. With Kevin Garnett in town as a mentor, Towns would likely get significant minutes along Dieng as a great set of building blocks for the future and would likely get enough run to be worth rostering in a standard league for the majority of the season.
2. 
Los Angeles Lakers
Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke, 19 years old
When your other options at center are Robert Sacre and perhaps Jordan Hill (assuming the Lakers pick up his $9 million team option this offseason), your need in the paint is glaring. Not to mention that Okafor has been thought of as one of the top two, if not the best, prospect in the nation. The Lakers would be crazy to let the big man go. Unearthing Jordan Clarkson in 2014-15 allowed them to focus more on their big men, and Okafor, who averaged 17.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 30 minutes per game at Duke in his only season there, would be a superb option to go alongside last year's seventh-overall selection Julius Randle. Opportunity and competition are two of the biggest factors when considering the fantasy value of rookies, and with the way things stand, if Okafor ends up in Los Angeles, he should have ample opportunity to be an impactful fantasy rookie.
3. 
Philadelphia 76ers
D'Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State, 19 years old
Much like the Timberwolves and Lakers, the Sixers have a glaring whole that needs filled on their roster. General manager Sam Hinkie traded away Michael Carter-Williams at the trade deadline, and the team still needs to find their point guard of the future. When your existing options at the point are Tony Wroten and Isaiah Canaan, it's clear an upgrade is needed. Loaded up front with Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, Russell is the Sixers' best option out of the draft, although Emmanuel Mudiay will likely be considered. I'd take Russell, as Mudiay's shooting is suspect, and Russell hit 41 percent of his three-pointers at Ohio State last season, which is exactly what the Sixers need. Averaging 19.3 points, 2.7 three-pointers, 5.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.6 steals in 34 minutes in his only season with the Buckeyes, Russell could be the latest player to inherit the fantasy gold position that is the Sixers' point guard slot.
4. 
New York Knicks
Emmanuel Mudiay (Moo-dee-ay), PG, Guangdong, 19 years old
The Knicks arguably have more holes to fill than any other team in the league, with only Carmelo Anthony locked into one of their starting spots for next season. They would love to get their hands on Okafor or Towns, but those two will be long gone by the fourth-overall pick, and the rumors of the Knicks' pick being aggressively shopped have been loud. It feels like a mistake waiting to happen if the Knicks do indeed shop this pick, given that they don't own their first-round pick next season. Mudiay decided to play professionally in China, instead of the usual NCAA route, and he kept his draft stock high with his performance there. A big point guard at 6-5, Mudiay is quick and strong, and in only 12 games in China, averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. Where Mudiay needs to improve is with his jump shoot. The way the lottery panned out, we could easily have all four of the top draft picks fall into sizeable roles, and that could give them good fantasy value as rookies.
5. 
Orlando Magic
Justise Winslow, SF, Duke, 19 years old
Here is where things get interesting. It feels like the top four players are a tier unto themselves, but once we get past that, it's a lot more wide open. The Magic had two first-round picks last season, and they chose Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton. With Tobias Harris' future up in the air with his upcoming restricted free agency, the small forward position could become a hole for the Magic need to fill. A backcourt of Payton and Victor Oladipo, along with a frontcourt of Gordon and Nikola Vucevic is young and teeming with potential, and given the organization's proclivity for close-out players with solid defensive nous, Winslow would make sense. But, also like Gordon last season, Winslow doesn't strike me as someone who we should be all-over for fantasy purposes. Winslow averaged 12.6 points, 1.2 three-pointers, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 29 minutes in his freshman season at Duke while shooting an impressive 49 percent from the field. The pick seems to make sense, but the fantasy upside is nowhere near as high as the other guys we've covered so far.
6. 
Sacramento Kings
Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia, 19 years old
Porzingis withdrew his name from last year's draft very late in the process even though he was predicted to go in the lottery last year as well. There have been rumors that the Latvian big man could sneak his way into the top three, but in my version of reality, he'll be available for the Kings to plug their gaping hole at the power forward spot. While it's never wise to generalize on a player's game based on where he hails from, Porzingis exhibits traditional European big men skills. He's an above average shooter from the perimeter but somewhat underwhelming on the defensive end. The Kings don't currently have anyone on their roster to pair with DeMarcus Cousins in the frontcourt, but with Porzingis' ability to hit the deep ball, he could help stretch teams out as the Kings have Cousins work the inside. Porzingis hit 1.1 three-pointers in Eurocup competition, converting his shots at a 46-percent clip to average 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in just 21 minutes. The NBA is another story, and he may find his lack of strength an issue, especially at first. Porzingis should adjust and likely have a very good NBA career, but his initial impact may be muted.
7. 
Denver Nuggets
Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia, 20 years old
The Nuggets were in disarray last season. They fired Brian Shaw mid-season and are looking for a fresh start, and from what's been reported, no one on the roster is safe. Given that they're picking at seven, it's likely they hold onto the likes of Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried and look to strengthen their wings. Danilo Gallinari looked like the Rooster of old down the stretch, but with no clear cut shooting guard of the future on the roster, despite Gary Harris being drafted last season, Hezonja should be in play. Hezonja played with Barcelona last season but didn't make a huge impact, averaging 5.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in less than 20 minutes per game over 53 contests. He's a three-point shooter who's not afraid to launch it. Over half of his shots last season were from three-point range, and he hit 39 percent of his three-pointers. With Randy Foye and Will Barton only having one more year on their deals, Harris and Hezonja could get decent run next season, but Hezonja's fantasy impact will likely be minimal no matter where he ends up.
8. 
Detroit Pistons
Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona, 18 years old
Playing Caron Butler as the starting small forward is not a long-term solution for the Pistons, so the athletic Johnson makes the most sense here. Johnson is a strong, chiseled 6-6 small forward. Combining him with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on the wing could give Detroit a nice defensive pairing for years to come. Not really known as a shooter, Johnson was quite efficient at Arizona, hitting 45 percent of his field goals and 37 percent of his three-pointers, knocking in 1.1 per game. He averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 28 minutes with the Wildcats and has an NBA-ready body, so strength and conditioning shouldn't be an issue. Regardless of what happens with Greg Monroe and Reggie Jackson in free agency, small forward is the main position of need for the Pistons going into the offseason, and Johnson would seem to fit that need. If Jackson and Monroe do come back, Johnson will likely take a back seat offensively, but he could become a plus-defender as a rookie, something that is not easy to do. That makes his fantasy value likely to be minimal at best as a rookie, but if his defense earns him minutes, anything could happen.
9. 
Charlotte Hornets
Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin, 21 years old
This was a hard one. The fact that the Hornets confused everyone when they drafted Noah Vonleh last season, just one year after drafting Cody Zeller in the lottery to play the same position. Willie Cauley-Stein could be under consideration here, but with Al Jefferson likely around for at least one more season and plus-defensive juggernaut Bismack Biyombo still on the team, it didn't feel right. With Lance Stephenson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist manning the wing, shooting is obviously a dire need. P.J. Hairston impressed at times last season, but Dekker could be a more reliable option after shooting 48 percent from three in the NCAA tournament and helping to lead Wisconsin to the title game. He only hit 33 percent from deep during the season, so his tournament mark is a little misleading, but regardless, Dekker's outside game is more polished than Stephenson's and Kidd-Gilchrist's. Dekker is a decent rebounder, pulling down 5.6 boards to go with his 13.9 points, but defense is not his strong suit. It's unlikely Dekker would become a starter to begin the season, so his fantasy value will likely be limited to deep leagues and dynasty formats at the start of his career.
10. 
Miami Heat
Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky, 21 years old
Yes, Hassan Whiteside was the new Shaq last season, and yes, everyone loves a reclamation project, but the truth is that Whiteside's role and future in the NBA is far from set in concrete. We saw a few examples, including one ridiculous cheap shot on Kelly Olynyk, of why Whiteside has been in and out of the league, his maturity. So, with Cauley-Stein available, the Heat would be crazy to let him pass by, given their dearth of big men. Allowing Chris Bosh to play his natural power forward position, next to Whiteside and Cauley-Stein (who needs a nickname, as WCS doesn't roll of the tongue, or keyboard in this case) would allow this team to get back into the playoffs. Cauley-Stein is the first non-freshman/intentional player to come off my board here, having played three seasons at Kentucky. The defensive big man averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks last season and could be the next Kentucky big man in the league who is a game changer on the defensive end, after Anthony Davis and Nerlens Noel preceeded him. If Cauley-Stein can get 20 minutes per game as a rookie, he could be a fantasy factor, chipping in with steals and blocks, stats which are often hard to come by after a fantasy draft.
11. 
Indiana Pacers
Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, Wisconsin, 22 years old
Kaminsky was far and away the best player in college basketball last season, leading the NCAA with a PER of 35.5 and sweeping the National Player of the Year awards in his senior season for Wisconsin. With Roy Hibbert's future clouded and David West transitioning into the twilight of his career, Kaminsky would fit a need for the Pacers and also provide a team without great shooters, a legitimate offensive option. Kaminsky hit 55 percent of his shots last season, including 42 percent from downtown, making 1.1 three-pointers per game to help him average 18.8 points per game. He also pulled down 8.2 rebounds and blocked 1.5 shots in 34 minutes. Kaminsky feels like a solid dynasty investment, whose best seasons are a few years down the track, as he'd likely sit behind Hibbert and West for most of the season if he ends up in Indiana. With word coming out of Pacers Land that Hibbert may be benched as they move to a new offense, Kaminsky could even buck my above prediction and use his extra college experience to more seamlessly transition to the NBA than a lot of the younger players that will be drafted before him.
12. 
Utah Jazz
Myles Turner, C, Texas, 19 years old
With Enes Kanter out of town, Utah is now a little thin in the frontcourt. Trevor Booker was the primary backup to Derrick Favors and fantasy sensation Rudy Gobert, so Turner, the freshman from Texas, would make sense here. Averaging a crazy 2.6 blocks in just 22 minutes last season, Turner proved he's a defensive presence who would allow the Jazz to keep the defensive pressure turned up even when Gobert sits. One thing that stands out about Turner is the fact that he hit 84 percent of his free throws last season, a great number for a seven-footer. Not just a shot blocker, Turner can also hit jumpers and knock down the occasional three-pointer. He has immense potential to grow, but his fantasy value should be limited by a likely small role in his rookie season, but if he gets on the court, those blocks could be great.
13. 
Phoenix Suns
Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky, 19 years old
It's possible the Suns' front office is fed up with the Morris twins, with rumors circulating during the season that they were both on the trade block, and this was before the assault charges were laid. Lyles isn't a defensive juggernaut, but he does display a nice offensive game and has been compared to Carlos Boozer for his ability to hit jumpers and score under the rim. Lyles averaged 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 23 minutes. He hit just 14 percent of his three-pointers, so he's unlikely to help stretch the floor beyond the arc, and the he'd have to leapfrog several players to get decent run as a rookie.
14. 
Oklahoma City Thunder
Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky, 18 years old
If there's one thing the Thunder need from the shooting guard position, it's offense. After years of having Thabo Sefolosha and recently Andre Roberson manning the two, Booker would bring some offensive punch to the position. The Thunder already have Dion Waiters and Anthony Morrow, but with a new coach, the Scott Brooks mentality of having a zero at the starting two is a thing of the past, so Waiters and Morrow should be utilized more, but it's possible their brand of basketball doesn't fit new coach Billy Donovan's schemes. D.J. Augustin is suited to be the ball-dominant guard of the second unit, allowing Booker to play off him and knock down three-pointers, which he did at a 41 percent clip last season. There's not much else to Booker's game at this point but his shooting, but a sharp-shooter can have fantasy value, especially in a streaming sense.
