NBA Draft 2020: Updated first-round mock draft following lottery drawing

Philadelphia is in store for an offseason of change following its quick postseason exit after a 4-0 shellacking against the Boston Celtics. Elton Brand has decisions to make: Brett Brown saw his coaching tenure come to a disappointing close, the front office established by the Colangelo administration may not be safe any longer, and the personnel surrounding Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons is very much on the chopping block.

Bottom line, the 76ers must look for perimeter shotmaking to spread the floor for their two stars. Mannion doesn’t offer the most upside as a shooter with this pick — he may just be a good shooter and not a great one like he was perceived to be in high school — but there’s reason to believe that his off-ball instincts (cutting, positioning, relocation) and touch would make him a useful player in Philadelphia. Whether it’s Mannion or not, expect Brand to opt for a shooter or backcourt playmaker here.

Philadelphia fits: Desmond Bane, Grant Riller, Cassius Winston

Aleksej Pokuševski is, without a doubt, the most unique player in the 2020 NBA Draft class. He plays the game like a kid playing 2K MyCareer, trying the un-triable and thinking the unthinkable, throwing iridescent passes through imaginary windows and drilling jumpers that a coach would only ask his best shooters to attempt.

He is a basketball phenomenon in every sense of the word, volatile yet dazzling all the same. He needs significant seasoning; landing in a patient, professional organization with an established culture, clear vision, and clairvoyant physio staff is imperative to his development at the next level. Poku won’t play much right away — his knack for flare may be more prohibitive than his thin frame — but his upside is off the charts.

Players his height with his mobility and his mindset and amalgamation of skill simply don’t come along often, even if maximizing him is tricky. Miami is a picturesque destination for Poku — an actualized, fully-developed duo of Poku and Bam Adebayo alongside shooters and rangy wings would be special — and they’re in position to take risks.

Miami fits: Aleksej Pokuševski, Cole Anthony, R.J. Hampton

The Nets are in contention mode, meaning that a rookie is unlikely to contribute to a team where Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are demanding so many touches, with Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen, and Deandre Jordan filling in the gaps. Brooklyn can be patient and go for an upside play in R.J. Hampton, whether the purpose is to bring him along slowly or to flip him in a trade for another star.

He was rough in his brief stint in the NBL and needs to develop as a shooter, decision-maker, and defender, but his blazing speed at 6’6 makes him an intriguing guard prospect, one the Nets can take on with plenty of upside and very little downside.

Brooklyn fits: Josh Green, Desmond Bane, R.J. Hampton