The Vertical's 2016 NBA mock draft

  1. Philadelphia

Brandon Ingram | SF | Duke

  1. L.A. Lakers

Ben Simmons | SF/PF | LSU

  1. Boston (from Brooklyn)

Dragan Bender | PF | Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israeli League

18 | 7-1 | 225

Insider info: Power forward has long been a position of need for the Celtics, and it was abundantly clear in the playoffs that Jared Sullinger is not a solution because of his struggles defensively. Enter Bender, whom many feel has a huge upside in today’s NBA because of his defensive versatility, perimeter shooting and outstanding feel for the game.

  1. Phoenix

Jaylen Brown | SF | California

  1. Minnesota

Kris Dunn | PG | Providence

  1. New Orleans

Jamal Murray | PG/SG | Kentucky

  1. Denver (from New York)

Buddy Hield | SG | Oklahoma

  1. Sacramento

Henry Ellenson | PF | Marquette

  1. Toronto (from Denver)

Skal Labissiere | PF/C | Kentucky

  1. Milwaukee

Jakob Poeltl | C | Utah

  1. Orlando

Deyonta Davis | PF/C | Michigan State

  1. Utah

Demetrius Jackson | PG | Notre Dame

  1. Phoenix (from Washington)

Marquese Chriss | PF | Washington

  1. Chicago

Timothe Luwawu | SG/SF | Mega Leks, Adriatic League

  1. Denver (from Houston)

Furkan Korkmaz | SG |Anadolu Efes, Turkish League

  1. Boston (from Dallas)

Denzel Valentine | SG | Michigan State

Senior | 22 | 6-6, 223

Insider info: With Evan Turner entering free agency, the Celtics could be in the hunt for a versatile, high IQ wing in his mold. Valentine offers a lot of the same playmaking Turner does, but is a far better shooter, which may be attractive for a team that struggled from the perimeter at times last year. With five draft picks from the last two years on their roster, and many more potentially on the way, the Celtics might like the idea of adding someone who was arguably the most productive player in college basketball last season.

  1. Memphis

Wade Baldwin | PG | Vanderbilt

  1. Detroit

Domantas Sabonis | PF/C | Gonzaga

  1. Denver (from Portland)

Taurean Prince | SF | Baylor

  1. Indiana

Tyler Ulis | PG | Kentucky

  1. Atlanta

Damian Jones | C | Vanderbilt

  1. Charlotte

Diamond Stone | C | Maryland

  1. Boston

Ante Zizic | C | Cibona Zagreb, Adriatic League

19 | 6-11, 240

Insider info: With their third first-round pick, the Celtics could be looking for a player they can stash in Europe for another year or two to continue to develop. Zizic has tremendous size to go along with excellent hands, nice toughness and a budding skill level that could easily get him selected 10 spots higher had he waited another year to raise his prospect profile.

  1. Philadelphia (from Miami)

Malik Beasley | SG | Florida State

  1. LA Clippers

Ivica Zubac | C | Cibona Zagreb, Adriatic League

  1. Philadelphia (from Oklahoma City)

Zhou Qi | C | Xinjiang, China

  1. Toronto

Juan Hernangomez | SF/PF | Estudiantes, ACB

  1. Phoenix (from Cleveland)

Petr Cornelie | PF | Le Mans, French League

  1. San Antonio

Brice Johnson | PF | North Carolina

  1. Golden State

DeAndre Bembry | SG |St. Joseph's

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