NBA Draft 2016: Predictions For All 30 Picks Of The First Round

buddy hield — Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield headlines a number of players who could go in the top 10 of the 2016 NBA Draft Thursday night in Brooklyn, New York. Getty Images

The Philadelphia 76ers are set to pick LSU forward Ben Simmons with the No. 1 overall selection of the 2016 NBA Draft, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers taking Duke swingman Brandon Ingram, Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Simmons and Ingram, coming off impressive freshman seasons, have long been labeled the two best prospects in this year’s class. But there’s a host of big men, combo guards and stretch forwards that could make all the difference for struggling teams.

The Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Phoenix Suns each own three first-round picks this year, making up nearly a third of the 30 total selections. There should be plenty of trade chatter for each club, particularly for the Celtics, who may consider dealing the No. 3 pick for an experienced young player.

Should the Celtics keep their top pick, they are expected to choose between Providence combo guard Kris Dunn, Oklahoma sharpshooter Buddy Hield, and “one-and-done” Kentucky guard Jamal Murray.

Those three, along with Croatian 7-foot-1 forward Dragan Bender, 18-year-old Washington power forward Marquese Chriss and raw California small forward Jaylen Brown, make up the second tier of prospects that could go anywhere from No. 3 to as low as No. 8 overall.

Draft experts have pegged the final six picks of the lottery, ending with the Chicago Bulls at No. 14 overall, to include some mix of lanky Kentucky project big man Skal Labissiere, Gonzaga sophomore power forward Domantas Sabonis, Florida State freshman guard Malik Beasley, Michigan State freshman center Deytona Davis and Utah 7-foot sophomore Jakob Poetl to round out the most coveted spots in the draft.

Due to the draft’s volatile nature and the expected revolving door of trades for picks, prognostications often seem pointless. However, if viewed strictly from a talent and potential standpoint, there is a rough idea where players should end up.

Here’s a full first-round NBA mock draft hours before the event begins.

2016 Mock NBA Draft

1. Philadelphia 76ers - Ben Simmons, PF, LSU

2. Los Angeles Laker - Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke

3. Boston Celtics (from Brooklyn) - Kris Dunn, PG, Providence

4. Phoenix Suns - Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma

5. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jamal Murray, SG, Kentucky

6. New Orleans Pelicans - Dragan Bender, PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv

7. Denver Nuggets - Domantas Sabonis, PF, Gonzaga

8. Sacramento Kings - Marquese Chriss, PF, Washington

9. Toronto Raptors (from New York) - Jaylen Brown, SF, California

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Deytona Davis, PF/C, Michigan State