Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid are the clear top-three candidates to be selected first overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and the early mock drafts following the Cleveland Cavaliers' surprising lottery win on Tuesday lean toward Wiggins being the top pick.
2014 NBA mock draft: Most experts expect Cavaliers to take Andrew Wiggins with 1st pick
A roundup of mock drafts indicates that most experts project the Cleveland Cavaliers to use their surprising first-round pick on Andrew Wiggins.
Andy Lyons
Out of 11 mock drafts from basketball writers across the internet, six believe the Cavaliers and recently-hired general manager David Griffin will select Wiggins as the first overall pick. Three writers believe Cleveland will go with Embiid, the center who played alongside Wiggins at Kansas, while two believe Duke Blue Devils forward Jabari Parker is going to be the top choice.
Draft Express: Jonathan Givony at Draft Express says Cleveland could theoretically pick any one of Wiggins, Parker or Embiid, and the selection will come down to which one is seen as the most talented player down the road.
ESPN Insider ($): Chad Ford’s sources believe that indicate Wiggins is currently leading the pack, though Parker is a safe choice and Embiid is also in the discussion.
Fear the Sword: Conrad Kaczmarek from Cavaliers blog Fear the Sword also expects that Wiggins is the move.
His ceiling is ridiculous. His athleticism is breathtaking. He should fit pretty perfectly with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. Let's make this happen, David Griffin.
NBA Draft Insider: Kris Habbas likewise expects the Cavs to go with WIggins.
CBS Sports: Gary Parrish and Matt Moore think Wiggins is the top choice, but Zach Harper has Cleveland picking Embiid. Harper thinks their confident medical staff that took on Andrew Bynum and his balky knees will see Embiid's back injury as a challenge he -- and they -- can overcome.
SB Nation: Our Ricky O'Donnell also thinks it's hard to pass up taking a malleable, talented big man like Embiid. And because Anderson Varejao is aging and Spencer Hawes is a free agent, the need could be there in Cleveland.
Yahoo! Sports: An NBA scout tells Marc J. Spears that Jabari Parker is the most immediate-impact player.
NBA.com: Again, Parker is the low-risk top pick, says Scott Howard-Cooper.
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