2015 NBA Draft Live Blog

Now that the 2015 NBA draft is here, there promises to be a lot of activity from teams around the Association. Some expect this particular draft to include more trades than in the past. And outside of Karl-Anthony Towns, who is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves, there is a ton of uncertainty surrounding the draft.

Keep it on this page as Sportsnaut provides you with rapid updates as the 2015 NBA draft kicks off.

Note: We will update this live blog as trades occur and some of the best players remaining in the draft are picked.

11:53 p.m. ET (Finalized Cavaliers-Wolves Trade)

If you were following along below, you already know that Minnesota sent the 31st and 36th picks to Cleveland for the rights to No. 24 overall pick Tyus Jones. With the first of its two second-round picks acquired in the deal, Cleveland picked up Turkish forward Cedi Osman, who won’t be coming over to join the Cavaliers this year. In reality, this trade enables the defending conference champs to clear up cap room. Though, Cleveland did pick up an underrated forward in Rakeem Christmas with the 36th pick. The former Syracuse standout averaged 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last season. He’s pro ready, and should find a way into Cleveland’s rotation as a rookie next year.

11:47 p.m. ET (Trade Alert)

Brooklyn Nets forward Mason Plumlee sent out a not-so-cryptic tweet late Thursday night as Round 2 of the NBA draft was taking place:

https://twitter.com/masonplumlee/status/614275236725395456

Within in minutes, it was reported that Plumlee has been traded to the Portland Trail Blazers with 41st pick Pat Connaughton for guard Steve Blake and 23rd overall pick Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Not too sure what the Nets were doing here. Hollis-Jefferson boasts the most-limited offensive game of any prospect picked in the first round. Moving him for a forward in Plumlee who averaged 8.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in his second season after being selected in the first-round of the 2013 draft makes no sense.

11:13 p.m. ET (Rest of the First Round)

No. 30 Overall, Golden State Warriors: Kevon Looney

The last player left in the green room, Looney dropped outside of the top 10 due to concerns over a hip injury. Talent-wise, he was nothing less than a lottery pick. The 6-foot-10 power forward averaged 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds as a freshman for UCLA last season. He’s still extremely raw, but the defending champs have the ability to wait on him. An absolute steal here.

No. 29 Overall, Brooklyn Nets: Chris McCullough

It’s somewhat surprising that Brooklyn would pass up on Looney here, but that’s more to do with the UCLA product’s hip issue. McCullough averaged 9.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for Syracuse last season. At 6-foot-10, he will help beef up the team’s frontcourt.

No. 28 Overall, Boston Celtics:  R.J. Hunter

Some believe that this Georgia State product is the best shooter in the entire draft. By adding Terry Rozier in the draft earlier, Boston made it clear that they are looking for backcourt help. Hunter played against less-than-stellar competition in college, but he has ridiculous range from the outside. He’s also great at coming off screens and popping out for the open shot.

No. 27 Overall, Los Angeles Lakers: Larry Nance Jr.

A high-upside pick right here. Nance Jr. saw his stock rise rapidly as the draft approached. This is rather interesting considering he was a likely lottery pick prior to tearing his ACL as a junior with Wyoming. It’s not too often that you can add a 6-foot-8 forward with the inside-out game that this kid possesses.

11:00 p.m. ET (Updated Picks)

No. 26 Overall, San Antonio Spurs: Nikola Milutinov

Such a spurs pick. A 7-foot center from Serbia, Milutinov likely won’t be joining the Spurs this season. He’s the true definition of a draft-and-stash talent.

No. 25 Overall, Memphis Grizzlies: Jarell Martin

Raw power. That’s the best explanation for Martin. The 6-foot-10 power forward averaged a near double-double (16.9 points and 9.2 rebounds) per game for LSU last season. He’s going to need to acquire a couple low-post moves, because that imposing frame won’t be so imposing in the NBA. However, Zach Randolph is there to teach Martin the ropes.

10:37 p.m. ET (Notes and Observations)

* With all the grief that Phil Jackson and the Knicks have received, their acquisition of former Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant was huge. If nothing else, New York added a tremendous amount of talent for a player in Tim Hardaway Jr., who doesn’t boast much upside. Grant could conceivably start as a rookie.

* For the second consecutive year, Flip Saunders and the Wolves have aced the draft. After picking up Karl-Anthony Towns with the first overall pick, Minnesota was able to nab a potential point guard of the future in Tyus Jones in a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for two second-round picks. Some might even argue that Jones is a better all-around player than Ricky Rubio.

* Keep an eye on veterans being dealt over the next several picks. David Lee’s name might be called from the podium here soon.

10:27 p.m. ET (Updated Pick, Trade)

No. 24 Overall, Cleveland Cavaliers: Tyus Jones (Traded to Minnesota) 

Minnesota yielded the 31st and 36th picks to the Cavaliers for the rights to select Jones with this pick. What a solid move by Flip Saunders. While Jones doesn’t stand out in any one way, but he sure knows how to run an offense. While Minnesota does have Ricky Rubio, Jones is unquestionably the better shooter here. Solid move by Minnesota. As it relates to the Cavaliers, they are looking to add more depth without having to give up a guaranteed contract.

10:23 p.m. ET (Updated Picks)

No. 23 Overall, Portland Blazers:  Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

Here’s a project player in every sense of the word. It’s hard to believe a player that barely even attempts a shot outside of the paint actually got drafted in the first round, but that happened here. Though, the Arizona product is already among one of the most seasoned defenders in the draft. For what it is worth, there is talk about Portland flipping this pick.

No. 22 Overall, Chicago Bulls: Bobby Portis

This Arkansas product may prove to be one of the biggest steals of the entire draft. The 6-foot-11, 242-pound power forward averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field. A solid interior defender with tremendous rebounding skills, Portis could be a stud if he’s able to find a consistent jumper.

10:06 p.m. ET (Updated Picks)

No. 21 Overall, Dallas Mavericks: Justin Anderson

One of the underrated wing players we covered earlier this week, Anderson will add depth and immediate production for the Mavericks. The 6-foot-6 guard shot a whopping 45 percent from three-point range for Virginia last season. With Monta Ellis gone, this was a value pick at a position of need.

No. 20 Overall, Toronto Raptors: Delon Wright

Here’s another solid pick. Wright might not do one thing great, but he’s a tremendous all-around player. A slasher more than anything, this Utah product needs to find a more consistent outside shot. Once that happens, watch out.

9:51 p.m. ET (Trade) 

The Washington Wizards will select Jerian Grant with the 19th pick. However, the team is trading the Notre Dame product to the New York Knicks in a deal for guard Tim Hardaway Jr.

Is sure looks like New York got the best end of this deal. It’s possible that Grant can run the Knicks offense out of the gate. He has more assists than any major conference college player over the past four seasons, and is coming off a 2014 campaign that saw him put up nearly seven assists per game. He also shot 48 percent from the field. Hardaway Jr. put up 11.5 points while shooting less than 40 percent from the field last year.

9:46 p.m. ET (Updated Picks)

No. 19 Overall, Washington Wizards: Jerian Grant

Pick moved to the New York Knicks (see above)

No. 18 Overall, Houston Rockets: Sam Dekker

The second Wisconsin product drafted inside to the top 20, Dekker slipped a bit further than some anticipated. The 6-foot-6 forward shot 53 percent from the field as a junior last year. He’s going to be more of a stretch-4 in the Rockets system. Not a bad pick.

 

9:42 p.m. ET (Updated Picks)

No. 17 Overall, Milwaukee Bucks: Rashad Vaughn

Now this is a great pick. One of the most underrated players in the entire draft, this UNLV product gives the Bucks an outside shooting threat to go with Michael Carter-Williams in the backcourt. Vaughn averaged 17.8 points while shooting an impressive 38 percent from three-point range last year. He could potentially be a Day 1 starter.

No. 16 Overall, Boston Celtics: Terry Rozier

This is one of the biggest surprises of the entire first round. Sure Boston needs talent all over the court, but the team literally just picked Marcus Smart in the top 10 of the 2014 NBA draft less than a year ago. A pure point guard with no real outside shooting ability, Rozier does bring a high level of play on defense. He can also run the offense without an issue. I just wonder what Boston is going to do with Smart moving forward.

9:24 p.m. ET (Hawks select Kelly Oubre No. 15 Overall)

Note: traded to the Washington Wizards for 19th pick and two future second-round picks.

Oubre is an uber-talented wing player from Kansas. The 6-foot-7 guard/forward averaged 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds as a freshman for the Jayhawks last year. He’s pretty much going to be called on to be a long-term replacement for Paul Pierce, who is likely moving on from Washington as a free agent. Oubre shot 36 percent from three-point range last year.

9:18 p.m. ET (Thunder select Cameron Payne No. 14 Overall)

Probably picking at the highest we will see for some time, the Thunder added an extremely talented small-school talent in Payne. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 20.2 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 38 percent from three-point range last season. Pretty much a point guard moving forward, Payne’s initial task will be to back up Russell Westbrook, though the two could play in tandem in the backcourt at some point soon.

9:13 p.m. ET (Trade Update)

Now this is a bit odd. The Toronto Raptors have sent Greivis Vasquez to the Milwaukee Bucks for a second-round pick in this year’s draft and a future first-round pick, which is originally from the Los Angeles Clippers. Vasquez, 28, is due $6.6 million this upcoming season. He averaged 9.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from three-point range last year.

9:06 p.m. ET (Suns select Devin Booker No. 13 Overall)

Some have compared Booker’s range and quick-shooting ability to Klay Thompson. Now that’s some mighty high praise. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 10.0 points and shot 41 percent from three-point range as a freshman for Kentucky last season. Depending on what the Suns do with Eric Bledsoe, it sure looks like Booker was brought in to team up with guard Brandon Knight. Not a bad backcourt tandem right there. He’s the FOURTH Kentucky player to be drafted in the lottery this year, which is obviously a league record.

9:03 p.m. ET (We Have a Trade) 

Details forthcoming.

9:01 p.m. ET (Jazz select Trey Lyles No. 12 Overall)

Some have called Lyles a young Carlos Boozer, which would probably be a good thing for the Jazz. The 6-foot-10 power forward may have averaged just 8.7 points and 23 minutes per game as a freshman for Kentucky last season, but he boasts a tremendous amount of upside. The Jazz view Lyles as a stretch-4 option, but his range needs to improve in order for that to happen. Probably a pick for two years down the road more than anything.

8:52 p.m. ET (Pacers select Myles Turner No. 11 Overall)

A potential replacement for David West who opted out of his deal, Turner might have been a tad of a reach here. He is the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year and did average 10.1 points per game. Pretty much a project at this point, it’s hard to believe Turner will make much of an impact early on. He does have a solid intermediate jumper and can step out to the perimeter to make a shot or two. Defensively, Turner’s game is said to be pro-ready.

8:44 p.m. ET (Heat select Justise Winslow No. 10 Overall)

Potentially the best pick in the entire top-10, Winslow is that wing player teams have coveted over the past few seasons. A combination of Harrison Barnes (coming out of college) sweet three-point shot and Andrew Wiggins slashing ability, Winslow’s athleticism will also help him make an immediate impact. Winslow also boasts the ability to guard three positions, which will be huge for Pat Riley and company. Leave it to NBA’s bottom feeders to allow Riley to pull off this coup.

8:40 p.m. ET (Hornets select Frank Kaminsky No. 9 Overall)

And the reigning National Player of the Year goes off the board at No. 9 overall. This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering previous reports indicated teams would have to trade up in front of Charlotte to get “Frank the Tank.” A lackluster defender, Kaminsky will be a tremendous asset on the offensive end of the court. Rarely do you see a 7-foot big man step out and hit the perimeter jumper with ease. While Charlotte needed a guard here, it’s hard to question this decision. Though, there are reports the team may be looking to flip Kaminsky.

8:33 p.m. ET (Pistons select Stanley Johnson No. 8 Overall)

Here’s another solid pick. Johnson recorded averaged 13.8 points and nearly seven rebounds per game as a freshman for Arizona last season. The 6-foot-6 forward is considered a solid wing defender, which will definitely come in handy in the Eastern Conference. While he didn’t attempt too many from beyond the arc last season, Johnson also showed some nice touch from the perimeter. Johnson will team up with Andre Drummond and the newly acquired Ersan Ilyasova in the team’s frontcourt. Value and need here.

8:23 p.m. ET (Nuggets select Emmanuel Mudiay No. 7 Overall)

Mudiay is an absolute steal for Denver with the seventh pick. A former Southern Methodist recruit, Mudiay opted to play professionally in China last season rather than stay home and play college ball. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard is one of the most-gifted players in the entire draft. His ability to both drive to the rim and step out to hit the three reminds many of a more athletic James Harden. That’s mighty high praise. Great pick for Denver here.

8:17 p.m. ET (Kings select Wilie Cauley-Stein No. 6 Overall)

It’s known that DeMarcus Cousins wanted the Kings to select fellow Kentucky product Wilie Cauley-Stein here, and that’s exactly what they did. Whether that tells us something about the internal thought process in Sacramento is a different story. The 7-foot Cauley-Stein is a plug-and-play rookie who will give the Kings a tremendous defensive presence in the low post. He averaged 2.2 blocks per game during his three-year career at Kentucky. He’s the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

8:09 p.m. ET (Magic select Mario Hezonja No. 5 Overall)

The second international player to go in the top five, this 6-foot-8 wing player was last seen overseas as a member of Barcelona of the Spanish League. Blessed with a solid outside shot, he will now team up with Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton to form a great outside shooting threat. Solid value at a position of need here.

8:01 p.m. ET (Knicks select Kristaps Porzingis No. 4 Overall) 

In the first major surprise of the draft, the New York Knicks have reached for Latvian prospect Kristaps Porzingis. The 7-foot forward, who played professionally in Spain last year, is an unknown outside of scouting circles. Though, it must be noted that some experts around the league have indicated Porzingis is the most-talented player in the draft. Despite his size, the young man has the range to step out there and hit the three. He’s probably ready to make an instant impact.

7:52 p.m. ET (Sixers select Jahlil Okafor No. 3 overall)

We already knew that Sam Hinkie doesn’t draft for need. That became readily apparent by the team selecting Jahlil Okafor with the third pick in the draft. Considered by some the best player of the draft class, the Duke product will now join Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid as three towering figures on the team’s frontcourt. It must also be noted that the Sixers don’t have any plans to trade Okafor. It goes without saying that this is a rather interesting move, especially with Philadelphia in need of a point guard. He averaged 18 points and nine rebounds as a freshman with the Blue Devils last season.

7:45 p.m. ET (Lakers select D’Angelo Russell No. 2 overall)

Depending on who you listen to, this is a big surprise. Bypassing on former Duke big man Jahlil Okafor, the Los Angeles Lakers have selected former Ohio State standout D’Angelo Russell with the second pick in the draft. A 6-foot-5 combo guard, Russell has the most upside of any backcourt player in the draft. He will likely pair up with Kobe Bryant next season before taking over as the face of the franchise. Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in his only season at Ohio State. He’s only the third college basketball player in history to average 19-5-5 as a freshman, joining Kenny Anderson and Danny Ainge.

7:38 p.m. ET (Timberwolves Select Karl-Anthony Towns No. 1 Overall)

And we are off. As expected, the Minnesota Timberwolves have selected former Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns No. 1 overall. Towns averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Wildcats last season. The 6-foot-11 power forward/center will now team up with Andrew Wiggins to form a great young duo for Flip Saunders and company.

7:25 p.m. ET

As we wait for the draft to start, and Towns to presumably end up in Minnesota, here’s an interest tidbit of information. The Miami Heat have reportedly attempted to move up from 10 to nab point guard Emmanuel Mudiay:

It’s more of a free-agent aspect, but this could be an indication that Pat Riley and company are prepared to lose Goran Dragic to free agency. The team is reportedly willing to offer him $80 million over five seasons.

7:09 p.m. ET

“Frank the Tank” is drawing widespread interest in the top 10. According to Yahoo Sports NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Frank Kaminsky will not last past the Charlotte Hornets at nine.

This means that any team looking to add the reigning National Player of the Year must leap over Charlotte at nine. Remember, the Knicks are reportedly interested in him in the top five.

7:00 p.m. ET

Well, that’s just a little bit awkward.

6:54 p.m. ET

As has been the case in previous years, the New York Knicks have been among the most confusing teams to follow leading up to the draft. Yahoo’s Marc Spears gives us a little more insight regarding the team’s thought process at No. 4 overall:

The team is also said to be considering trade-down options as well as Emmanuel Mudiay, who played professionally in China last year.

6:09 p.m. ET

Here are the players from the 2015 NBA draft class on hand at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn:

6:06 p.m. ET

The biggest drama surrounding the draft has to be what is going on with the Sacramento Kings. From George Karl pushing the team to trade DeMarcus Cousins to the Lakers showing a ton of interest, there is a whole heck of a lot happening on this front. Interestingly, a recent report suggests that the Kings are considering parting ways with Karl. That fits nicely in with indications that owner Vivek Ranadive’s relationship with Karl is “strained.”

6:03 p.m. ET

While Towns to the Wolves seems to be a near guarantee at this point, there is much more uncertainty surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 2 overall. One report earlier on Thursday indicated that the Lakers were leaning in D’Angelo Russell’s direction over Jahlil Okafor.

Photo: USA Today Sports