LSU forward Ben Simmons has led our Top 100 since it was first released in July. Both Kevin Pelton and I have detailed why Simmons remains the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 in the June 2016 NBA draft.
His unique combination of size, strength, athleticism and basketball IQ has drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson and LeBron James. While Simmons' lack of a jump shot is somewhat concerning to scouts, nearly every team I spoke with sees him as a potential franchise-changing player.
As of today, every team I've spoken with has Simmons as the No. 1 pick, though some are beginning to include Duke's Brandon Ingram in the conversation. We still have a couple months of college basketball left, and that will be followed by the NBA draft combine and individual workouts, so there's plenty of time for things to change. Remember, Jahlil Okafor was the consensus No. 1 at this point a year ago.
Here's a look at how Simmons would fit on every potential lottery team, ranked in order from best to worst fit.
The NBA's most popular team has been heading in the wrong direction in the standings for years. And with Kobe Bryant heading toward retirement this summer, and the Lakers desperately need a star to build around.
The guy who reminds scouts of a young Magic and who has already expressed interest in playing for the Lakers seems like the exact player they need. The appeal goes well beyond the marketing department. Simmons would be a good fit next to D'Angelo Russell. Most teams would kill to have a big guard and a big forward who can handle the ball and pass.
Simmons wouldn't fit as well next to Julius Randle, but Randle could end up being an important trade chip if the Lakers get the LSU phenom.
Also, landing Simmons would mean the Lakers could wait another year or two to give up their protected pick to the 76ers, another win for L.A..
Odds of winning lottery (if the season ended today): 19.9 percent
Poor Anthony Davis. He's one of the five best players in the league, but so far, general manager Dell Demps & Co. haven't figured out how to surround him with a supporting cast that propels the team into contention.
Simmons would change all of that, quickly. His passing ability would open up Davis' offensive game. You know Alvin Gentry -- who helped craft the Steve Nash-centric offense in Phoenix and the Stephen Curry-centric offense in Oakland -- can build systems around high-IQ basketball players who know how to pass.
A Davis-Simmons combo on the front line would be one of the scariest in the NBA. Getting the ball out of the hands of Tyreke Evans is an added bonus. And Simmons' being at LSU makes him a bit of a local hero.
Odds of winning lottery: 11.9 percent
3. Boston Celtics (via Nets)
The Celtics fleeced the Nets into giving them unprotected, first-round draft picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018 and the ability to swap picks in 2017. If Simmons is the byproduct of sending a broken-down Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn for a short stay, it may turn out to be the deal of the decade.
Boston has a great collection of young talent, but the Celtics don't have a player you could build a franchise around. Simmons is just that, and he'd be a perfect fit in Brad Stevens' offense.
The Celtics have been searching for a true point guard for a while. With Simmons handling the ball, he should be able to take enormous pressure off Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley and supercharge an offense that can struggle to score at times. The Celtics, with Simmons, would be scary good next year; they could challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers as the best team in the East.
Odds of winning lottery: 15.6 percent
The Heat had the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Minnesota could create another one -- all of whom are under 22 years old -- by landing a third straight No. 1 pick and putting Simmons alongside Towns and Wiggins.
Simmons' playmaking would duplicate Ricky Rubio's game to a certain extent. But standing 6-10, 240 pounds and filling Minnesota's one big hole at the power forward position, he would be grabbed by the Wolves in a heartbeat. And the coaching staff would figure out how to complement Rubio with Simmons.
In fact, with Simmons on the court, Minnesota could probably get away with playing Zach LaVine at the point and utilize his size and athleticism.
Odds of winning lottery: 6.3 percent
On one hand, Simmons is a perfect fit for the 76ers. This is their fourth time in the lottery, and their three previous visits have failed to land them a superstar. Nerlens Noel and Okafor both have major talent. Embiid has superstar potential if he can ever get healthy. Dario Saric is a terrific prospect who, one day, will arrive from Europe.
But the goal remains to acquire a no-doubt superstar, and thanks largely to some bad bounces of ping-pong balls, the 76ers may have come up empty. Simmons could change that.
He immediately would be the most talented player on the team, and if he reaches his ceiling, he's the sort of player the 76ers can finally market around.
However, there's a downside: The Sixers are loaded with frontcourt players, and one of them, Saric, has a skill set similar to Simmons' (albeit without Simmons' athletic abilities).
The truth is a player such as Ingram might actually be the best fit given the team's current personnel, but his lack of strength lengthens his developmental curve. Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie needs a player who can impact the game right now -- and that's Simmons.
Odds of winning lottery: 25 percent + 2.8 percent from Kings
The Wizards are a surprise lottery team this season. They have a terrific backcourt combo of John Wall and Bradley Beal (when he's healthy) and a solid big man in the middle. Otto Porter Jr. is slowly rounding into form as the team's small forward, but the Wizards could use a major upgrade at the 4.
Simmons' rebounding and passing ability could easily launch the Wizards back into contention in the East, giving them another elite recruiting tool to lure Kevin Durant back home in 2016 or 2017.
Odds of winning lottery: 0.7 percent
The Rockets have star power, but they lack chemistry. A playmaker such as Simmons could dramatically change that.
Simmons is almost unselfish to a fault. For a team loaded with players who want to score, adding a player who is content to set them up would be a godsend.
I've been skeptical about the Rockets' title aspirations for a while. Adding Simmons to the mix would lessen that skepticism greatly. However, the Rockets are currently projected to be a playoff team, and even if they tumble in the second half of the season, the odds of landing Simmons will be small.
8. Phoenix Suns
The Suns are a mess. They should have begun a major rebuild several years ago, but after inexplicably winning 48 games in the 2013-14 season, they instead tried to become contenders, only to show serious regression.
The Suns traded away a Lakers pick likely to finish in the high lottery for Brandon Knight and have also suffered from not having valuable lottery picks of their own.
Landing Simmons would quickly change the outlook in Phoenix. He would be a perfect fit on a team that has two point guards who don't make a lot of plays for others and a disgruntled power forward. Plugging Simmons in to handle the ball and get open looks for Eric Bledsoe, Knight and Devin Booker would finally put them on the right path to be a serious contender in the West.
Odds of winning lottery: 8.8 percent
The Pacers already have one superstar in Paul George, but could certainly use another if they are going to make the push to be a true contender. Pair Simmons with George at forward and develop promising rookie center Myles Turner, and the Pacers would have one of the best young front lines in the NBA.
The team has really needed a great playmaker for years. George Hill is solid, but Simmons would be an upgrade. Simmons could help the Pacers become serious East contenders in his rookie season.
Alas, the Pacers are currently projected to be a playoff team, and even if they fall short, their chances of landing him will be minuscule.
The loss of LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency, along with the trade of Nicolas Batum, pushed the Blazers from playoff team to likely lottery team. While the Blazers have a high-octane backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, both players are really score-first guards.
Portland desperately could use an upgrade at both forward positions, and Simmons would be a terrific fit, especially at the 3, thanks to two bigs -- Meyers Leonard and Noah Vonleh -- who can stretch the floor. Adding Simmons could push the Blazers right back into the West playoffs.
Odds of winning lottery: 1.0 percent
11. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are hoping they hit the jackpot with Emmanuel Mudiay. Danilo Gallinari looks good after missing major time the past few seasons with injury, and Gary Harris is starting to look like a keeper as well.
But while Kenneth Faried shows a terrific motor, especially on the boards, he's undersized defensively and under-skilled offensively. Simmons would be a major upgrade for the Nuggets in the long term and would allow them to use Faried off the bench or as a trade chip to add more depth.
As much as the Nuggets have struggled the past few seasons, they aren't that far away from becoming a playoff team. Simmons would expedite the process.
Odds of winning lottery: 4.3 percent plus 0.9 percent from Knicks
12. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks already have two terrific young forwards -- Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker -- on their roster, but neither player is much of a power forward. With Michael Carter-Williams continuing to struggle, adding Simmons as a playmaker might be just what this Bucks team needs.
Having Jason Kidd as his mentor would be an added bonus. It's not a perfect fit, but the Bucks could make it work.
Odds of winning lottery: 1.7 percent
13. Detroit Pistons
Andre Drummond has turned into a monster at center, and point guard Reggie Jackson is proving his critics wrong after receiving a max deal last summer. But like so many other teams on this list, the Pistons could really use Simmons' combination of passing and athleticism in the frontcourt.
Simmons' inability to stretch the floor could be an issue playing next to Drummond, but his playmaking ability could also lead to a lot more easy buckets for Drummond.
Odds of winning the lottery: 0.5 percent
The Hornets have been in search of a superstar to build around for a while.
They have a number of nice young players led by Batum. Kemba Walker has been more than solid this season, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has elite defender potential when he's healthy and Jeremy Lamb and rookie Frank Kaminsky III have both shown promise.
While Simmons wouldn't address the Hornets' biggest needs, he has more talent than anyone on the roster. They'd make him fit.
Odds of winning lottery: 0.6 percent
15. Utah Jazz
The Jazz could certainly use the help. For all their talent, Simmons would be the most talented player on the roster -- but this team doesn't necessarily need him.
Forwards Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors are both talented, and the Jazz are still expecting Dante Exum to be their point guard of the future.
Simmons is a luxury I'm sure the Jazz would love to have. But his arrival would probably mean that Favors would be on the trade block.
16. Orlando Magic
The Magic have gone through the rebuilding process without landing a superstar, but they have a ton of talent at every position and a potentially elite playmaker in Elfrid Payton. What they really need is a big who can stretch the floor and protect the rim. Channing Frye is doing the first half of that, but he's not a long-term solution.
Don't get me wrong, the Magic would love to have Simmons. But as far as team needs go, this is probably the worst fit for Simmons.