The NBA’s Draft Lottery took place Tuesday night, with the Philadelphia 76ers awarded the first-overall pick in June’s draft. The Toronto Raptors could have drafted as high as second overall, but ultimately drew the ninth-overall pick. With a glut of frontcourt talents expected to be on the board by then, along with a handful of intriguing guards, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri, who represented Toronto at the lottery, will have no shortage of options.
The biggest surprise on lottery night was that there weren’t any surprises—literally every team stayed in the same spot as when they entered the lottery—chances are you won’t be able to say the same about draft night itself. Now that we know who is picking where, here’s a look at Sportsnet’s post-lottery mock draft:
| Pick | Team | Player |
| 1 |  |
Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke |
| The debate begins (or, more accurately, continues). Since the second half of the NCAA season, Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram have been the front runners for the top pick. Both are deserving and carry the most potential of anyone in the draft. Ingram gets the edge here, if only because he’s a gifted, high-volume shooter entering a league where that skill set has more value every day. At 6’9″ and growing, his long frame, deep range, and natural scoring ability draws comparisons to Kevin Durant (though he’s nowhere near the prospect Durant was coming out of college), and he comfortably averaged 23 points during Duke’s three NCAA Tournament games.
The Sixers may have axed ‘Process’ architect Sam Hinkie, but they’re still in it for the long haul and have the time to see if Ingram can reach his ceiling as a legitimate No. 1 scoring option. But with a crowded front court Philadelphia is in need of a foundational perimeter threat, meaning Ingram would be a focal point on offence from Day One. |
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| 2 |  |
Ben Simmons, F, LSU |
| Picking No. 2 for the second year in a row, their decision won’t be as difficult compared to last year when the Lakers chose D’Angelo Russell over Jahlil Okafor and Kristaps Porzingis. This one is a no-brainer. Simmons is atop many teams’ big boards and projects to be a two-way terror in the NBA. His biggest weakness is by far his shooting and despite flashes of brilliance (like a 43/14/7/5/3 game, 22 double-doubles, or his 11 games with at least 14 rebounds) his lone season at LSU left more questions than answers in terms of what kind of player he’ll become. But at 6’9″ and 240 lb. with lightning speed, the 19-year-old is a generational athlete with a great feel for the game. The notion of him running in the open court alongside D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle in new coach Luke Walton’s high-tempo offence makes the Lakers’ future suddenly not so miserable. | ||
| 3 |  |
Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky |
| Boston, already a playoff-calibre team, would’ve absolutely loved to have moved up to the top two, where a talent like Ingram/Simmons could keep them consistently near the top of the East. But, no. Their need for consistent outside scoring was painfully obvious during their first-round playoff loss, and Murray would certainly address the problem in a major way. The 6’4” Kitchener, ON native broke all sorts of freshman scoring records in his lone season at Kentucky and has a one-of-a-kind game that should blossom at the next level. We don’t know if he’ll develop as a game managing guard or if he’s best suited as more of a pure scorer, but in Boston he’ll get the opportunity to try his hand at both.
Buddy Hield is another option here, and top-ranked big man Dragan Bender would fill an even bigger need. But Boston has a ton of cap room this summer and will be able to find a quality big man in free agency this summer, or even with their 16th overall pick, where promising front court prospects should still be available. |
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| 4 |  |
Dragan Bender, F, Israel |
| The 7’1 18-year old from Croatia spent the last season playing for Macabbi Tel Aviv and his impressive shooting touch for his size has drawn comparisons to Porzingis. The Suns could use help on the wing, leading many to project Jaylen Brown as the pick here, but Bender’s considerably higher potential gives him the edge. He’s been hyped for quite some time now, but unlike contemporaries like Skal Labissiere or Thon Maker, Bender’s stock has only risen over the years. | ||
| 5 |  |
Kris Dunn, PG, Providence |
| Zach LaVine remains a big part of Minnesota’s future, but last season proved it shouldn’t be at point guard. And while Murray is the sentimental favourite here (solidifying the ‘Wolves as Canada’s 2nd favourite team), Dunn is the best all-around guard in the draft and will immediately give Minnesota a bona fide backup to Ricky Rubio, while also providing them their starting point guard of the future. | ||
| 6 |  |
Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma |
| Hield, 2nd in the NCAA in scoring at 25 ppg last season, has the opportunity to be everything the Pelicans’ hoped Eric Gordon could be for them: An elite shooting threat and reliable scorer who’ll make defences pay when they send an extra defender—or two— toward Anthony Davis. | ||
| 7 |  |
Jaylen Brown, SF, Cal |
| After quietly assembling one of the league’s most intriguing rosters the Nuggets are already deep with young, athletic talent. Will Barton was a breakout star in Denver, while point guard Emmanuel Mudiay and centre Nikola Jokic look like two starters you can absolutely build around. Brown, an uber-athlete who can fill the lane, would be a natural fit here and offer a complimentary piece off the bench for Danilo Gallinari. | ||
| 8 |  |
Denzel Valentine, SG, Michigan State |
| The Kings and owner Vivek Randieve actually made a really sound decision in hiring Dave Joeger as their new head coach, which suddenly brings the likelihood of Sacramento absolutely fumbling this pick under question. But it’s still the safest bet, and Valentine, who would address a major need at shooting guard, fits the bill as a classic Kings reach pick. There are some front court players available who could compliment DeMarcus Cousins well, but after picking a power forward early last year going for another would be to admit a mistake, something this Kings regime is hardly known for. | ||
| 9 |  |
Marquese Chriss, PF, Washington |
| One of the biggest winners coming out of the combine last week, Chriss would address a glaring area of need for a team that started Luis Scola at power forward for the majority of the season. Chriss may not be an immediate answer and could even see time with the 905 in the D-League, but he has star potential as a starter and is a relatively low-risk pick. At 6’10. 230-lbs, the 18 year-old (he’ll be 19 by the time the season starts) is an elite athlete with good size for the position and range that extends to the three-point line.
There will be plenty of frontcourt options here—get ready hear names like Labissiere, Deyonta Davis, Henry Ellenson, and Jakob Poetl often— and while some are more NBA-ready, none quite match the ceiling or, more importantly, fit of Chriss. |
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| 10 |  |
Jakob Poetl, C, Utah |
| Poetl’s draft stock took a bit of a hit when he was badly outplayed by Gonzaga’s Domanatas Sabonis in the NCAA tournament, but the 7’1 big man from Austria would be a welcome addition on a Bucks team looking for size down low. Poetl has a ton of moves down low and could be a low-post scoring threat Milwaukee hasn’t seen in years. | ||
| 11 |  |
Taurean Prince, SF, Baylor |
| Prince may not have the star potential of some of the names to follow, but he’s one of the surest bets to become a consistent contributor. An ideal role player in the mould of say, DeMarre Carroll (and it’s not just the hair), Prince fills a need on the wing for a Magic team that traded away Tobias Harris last season and could be an important, if unspectacular, piece for their club moving forward. | ||
| 12 |  |
Demetrious Jackson, PG, Notre Dame |
| Jackson was dominant at times during his last season at Notre Dame and is the best point guard left. Trey Burke probably isn’t the answer, and the Jazz still don’t know what Dante Exum will be. Toss in the fact that Utah played Shelvin Mack major minutes at the position last season, and the Jazz’ll take the help anywhere they can get it. | ||
| 13 | |
Domanatas Sabonis, PF, Gonzaga |
| You’ve got to love the bloodline (yes, this is Arvydas’ son) and Sabonis’ late-season surge factored with his decision to not attend the combine make him one of the more intriguing picks in the draft. Sabonis isn’t overly flashy, but is extremely active down low and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective— key on a Phoenix team with three players who command the majority of touches in Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, and Devin Booker. | ||
| 14 |  |
Skal Labissiere, PF, Kentucky |
| The winds of change are imminent in Chicago following a wholly disappointing 2015-16 campaign. With trade rumours surrounding star players, and key players expected to leave for free agency, it’s hard to draft for need on this Bulls team. So why not roll the dice with a high risk/high reward prospect like Labissiere, who was the no.1 ranked prospect coming out of high school yet struggled to find his footing during his lone college season. | ||