2014 NBA Mock Draft: Presto in the Paint Staff

Mar 20, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns guard Elfrid Payton (2) smiles during practice before the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Picks 16-20

Their first of two picks in the first round, the Bulls could go a handful of different directions. They could be looking to make a big splash in free agency or trade, so Carlos Boozer could be on his way out. Drafting Michigan State’s Aderian Payne would give them a capable backup to Taj Gibson, who would could slide into the starting lineup. They could also look to sure up their backup point guard spot with Derrick Rose‘s injury issues over the past few seasons.

With their second pick in the first round, the Celtics have options. Getting another wing scorer might be their best course of action, but a lot depends on what they end up doing with the sixth pick. They have a hole at center, so a draft and stash guy like Jusuf Nurkic of Clint Caplea might be the way to go. If they get Embiid, they could look for someone to bolster their bench and add a nice scoring punch like NC. States T.J. Warren.

After taking a wing with their first selection, the Suns could go in a plethora of directions. They could potentially grab another big man and stash him overseas for a few years, or they could bring someone in who would make an immediate impact on the team. Selecting Ennis would allow them to bring him off the bench in a reserve role for a few years, and learn under Goran Dragic and Eric Bledose, if they re-sign him. They could also go with some more wing help, and upgrade there and give them even more versatility. Holding three selections is huge and gives the Suns so much flexibility with each selection.

Their second pick in this range, the Bulls could also go in a few different directions, all depending on what they do with 16. It was reported they don’t want to have two rookie scale players on their roster, so they could trade this selection. If they don’t, they can add more wing help for Jimmy Butler, Tony Snell and Mike Dunleavy, or if they didn’t already, they can grab a point guard. Selecting another big is also another option, but one that could take the back burner if they do pursue a trade for Kevin Love.

One of the more surprising teams last season, Toronto is going to primarily be looking for a player maker. Point guard Kyle Lowry is an unrestricted free agent, and there’s no guarantee he’ll want to re-sign across the border. So, they could definitely go with a point guard, or they could go with another play maker in Kyle Anderson and beef up their wing some. They have a few other holes, but the biggest one to fill could be the big one left at point guard.