NBA Mock Draft: Cooper Flagg revitalizes Wizards; Jazz score generational guard
15. Indiana Pacers - Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
The Indiana Pacers have gotten off to one of the most curious starts to the season. You'd imagine that after their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, this team would be in a good position to compete once again. However, the Pacers have been below average so far this year. While it's easy to pile on Tyrese Haliburton, this team has simply not looked the same as they did down the stretch.
Heading into the offseason, if the Pacers do continue to disappoint, you'd have to think that changes would be on the horizon. One area of need that the Pacers will almost definitely have to address will be in the frontcourt. That's where taking Khaman Maluach out of Duke could make sense.
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit) - Boogie Fland, G, Arkansas
As the Minnesota Timberwolves continue to build out backcourt depth around Anthony Edwards, I wouldn't be the least surprised if they decided to take another flier on a score-first guard out of Arkansas - even more so considering how much Father Time has closed in on Mike Conley Jr. this season. One potential target that could arise for the Wolves is Boogie Fland, a 6-foot-2 guard out of Arkansas.
Through the first few games of his freshman season (under the tutelage of John Calipari), Fland is already impressing with his offensive prowess - averaging 17 points and five assists per game on 40 percent shooting from 3-point range.
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami) - Hugo Gonzalez Pena, F, Spain
As the saying goes, the rich continue to get richer. That also certainly applies in the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder may have two first-round picks in this year's class (if Miami remains out of the lottery). For a team that is already excelling as arguably the class of the Western Conference, it would be considered borderline unfair for OKC to add two more highly-touted prospects to their foundation.
Nevertheless, with this second pick, a player like Hugo Gonzalez Pena could be on their radar. As he continues to develop in Spain, the word on Pena is that he carries plenty of potential. He hasn't shown much on tape to warrant a lottery selection, but that could quickly change depending on how this season goes for Real Madrid and based on how he performs in pre-draft workouts. The raw talent and athleticism are there for Pena, though.