2016 NBA Draft: Top Prospects and Pre-Lottery 1st-Round Order

Unlike other events of this kind, we know more about the prospects who will hear their names early in the 2016 NBA draft than the teams that will take them.

The lottery is set to take place on Tuesday, and it could lead to a lot of changes throughout the first round of the draft. Not only are the top three spots up for grabs based on where the pingpong balls end up, but trades on the books will shake things up at the top.

The Philadelphia 76ers have the highest odds for the No. 1 pick as the worst team in the NBA, but they could also take the Los Angeles Lakers’ pick if it ends up outside of the top three. Additionally, they can swap with the Kings if Sacramento’s pick ends up higher.

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets will end up with the highest of theirs and the New York Knicks’ pick, with the Toronto Raptors getting the other one. The Washington Wizards are also hoping for a top-three finish because it would allow them to keep their pick instead of sending it to the Phoenix Suns.

These deals prevent us from knowing the final order until the lottery is completed. On the other hand, we do know the top two and maybe three picks in some order based on the separation from these players compared to the rest of the class.

Here is the full first-round draft order with a breakdown of the players who will be invested in the outcome of the lottery.

Projected Top Picks

Ben Simmons, PF, LSU

When you are the projected top pick since the start of the college basketball season, it’s understandable for people to overreact to criticism.

It’s true Ben Simmons does not have a developed jump shot, and there are question marks about his effort on defense. These issues, coupled with the fact a lot of teams won’t know how to use him, could push …

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