NBA Mock Draft 2016: 1st-Round Projections and Prospects Shaking Up Stock Market

The 2016 NBA Draft pool is officially set, as teams can now focus on which players will actually be available when the selections begin on June 23.

The May 25 deadline to withdraw from the draft passed Wednesday, with players like Maryland’s Melo Trimble and Oregon’s Dillon Brooks announcing their intentions to return to school.

The only real remaining threats to players rising or falling down draft boards will be team workouts leading up to the draft. Some players have already started making noise and shook up draft lists, which is sure to continue for the next few weeks.

Here is a look at the projected first-round selections, which have not changed since the second version of this mock on May 24, along with players whose stocks have either improved or regressed in the last few weeks.

Robert Carter, Maryland

Entering the draft, Maryland forward Robert Carter was considered to be a fringe second-round prospect who was not guaranteed to even be selected. That is no longer the case.

Carter was excellent at the NBA Draft Combine, and he impressed Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman:

Strong first game from Robert Carter. Highly skilled, good lookin jumper. He’ll get drafted.

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 12, 2016

DraftExpress.com’s Jonathan Givony also praised Carter, saying the 22-year-old had 22 points and seven rebounds during the first day scrimmages:

Robert Carter may have helped himself as much as any other player to participate in Thursday’s 5-on-5 scrimmages. The 22-year-old big man showed his versatile offensive skill set, knocking down pick and pop jumpers out to 3-point range, putting the ball on the deck, scoring with jump hooks in the post and competing defensively and on the glass. 

In its latest mock draft, DraftExpress now has Carter going No. 44 to the Atlanta Hawks. 

Carter was solid on a loaded …

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