Draft Big Board: Ben Simmons, five seniors and one new lottery pick 4:22 PM ET Chad Ford ESPN Senior Writer Email print comment
Buddy Hield and Ben Simmons are two of the top prizes in the 2016 NBA draft. USA TODAY Sports With the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, it's decision time for teams holding the rights to lottery picks -- and for teams that would like to acquire those rights.
2016 NBA draft Get ready for Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram and the 2016 draft with analysis from Chad Ford and other ESPN experts.
Big Board 4.0 | Mock Draft 3.0 Top 10 Cs | Top 10 PFs Top 10 SFs | Top 10 SGs Top 10 PGs | Top 100 rankings What's a chance at Ben Simmons worth? What about Brandon Ingram and Dragan Bender?
Our Big Board has the latest intel on just how NBA teams and scouts see the top NBA prospects -- from both the college ranks and overseas.
Previous rank: No. 1 LSU Freshman Forward
Simmons hasn't really moved the needle in either direction in recent weeks. All the strengths remain: the court vision, the rebounding, the basketball IQ, the scoring in the paint. The same goes for his major weakness, that rarely seen jump shot.
Regardless, his ceiling is very high and the floor is pretty high too. Among scouts, he's still the unanimous No. 1 pick.
Watch: Ben Simmons highlights Video
Previous rank: No. 2 Duke Freshman Forward
Ingram's hot shooting streak has come to an end. He's 6-for-18 in the past four games from 3-point range and just 19-for-47 from the field. That has halted the "Ingram for No. 1 pick" bandwagon that was just getting rolling.
He may ultimately have more upside than Simmons because of his deep shooting ability, but his inconsistency and lack of strength make him a riskier pick than Simmons.
Watch: Brandon Ingram highlights Video
Previous rank: No. 3 Croatia Age: 18 Forward/center
Bender suffered an ankle injury and missed several weeks of action before returning against Maccabi Haifa to score 12 points and grab five rebounds in 17 minutes on Feb. 6.
I went to Maccabi practice while Bender was injured and only got to see him in shooting drills. What I saw impressed me. But what impressed me more was the way his coach and general manager spoke about him as a person -- he's the real deal off the court.
It remains to be seen if he's the real deal on it. But given his size and skill set, he looks like the ideal stretch-4 in the NBA.
Previous rank: No. 4 Marquette Freshman Forward/center
Ellenson has put up some big numbers lately, including 32 points, 10 boards and 6 blocks against Butler, then 26 points and 16 rebounds against Providence. His ability to do it all at such a young age bodes well for his future.
While his 3-point shot continues to be a bit erratic, there's little question he has the tools to be a lethal stretch-4 with time. It may become a very tough choice for scouts between Ellenson and Bender.
Watch: Henry Ellenson highlights Video
Previous rank: No. 5 Providence Junior Guard
Dunn continues to look like the best point guard prospect in the class, though a recent hot streak from Kentucky's Jamal Murray has reignited the debate.
Dunn is big and quick, with terrific court vision and a 3-point shot that has been falling with more regularity. After a slow start, he's now shooting 37 percent from 3-point range.
Previous rank: No. 6 Cal Freshman Forward
Brown continues to improve his game as the season goes on, averaging 19 points per game over his past five.
His jump shot continues to be a bit shaky, but he's excelling right now by employing his athleticism and big body to get to the line. He has taken 10 or more free throws in four straight games for Cal.
Previous rank: No. 7 Utah Sophomore Center
Poeltl has scored 20 points or more in five of his past six games, including a 29-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist performance against Washington. Not much is sexy about his game, but fluid 7-footers with good hands who can run the floor and rebound will always have a place in the NBA.
Previous rank: No. 8 Kentucky Freshman Guard
Murray has been on fire, scoring 35 points against Florida and another 24 points against Georgia and shooting a crazy 14-for-20 from beyond the arc in those two games.
Scouts have been looking to see more point guard skills than he has shown, but his high basketball IQ and ability to score from anywhere on the floor should make him a lock for the top 10.
Watch: Jamal Murray highlights Video
Previous rank: No. 14 Oklahoma Senior Guard
Seniors aren't supposed to rocket into the lottery, but Hield continues to defy the odds. He has moved from the early second round at the start of the season all the way into the top 10.
He might not be done. He has shot a remarkable 50 percent from 3-point land this season while taking more than eight 3s a game. Many of those shots have been huge for the Sooners, with the game on the line.
He's the most fearless player in college basketball, and scouts seem to be getting comfortable overlooking his age and lack of size for position. Doing that has come back to bite NBA teams in past drafts, which is why it's hard for seniors to rise. But given the way Hield has played this season and his renowned work ethic, it's hard to bet against him.
Previous rank: No. 9 Turkey Age: 18 Forward
Korkmaz continues to impress with his shooting ability, hitting 41 percent on 3s in Euroleague play and an even more impressive 48 percent in the Turkish league.
Given his ideal size for his position, and the NBA's desire for 2-guards who can stroke the 3, he could play his way into the top 10.