Mike McGraw forecasts the NBA draft

This could be an interesting NBA draft, thanks to a couple of conflicting ideas.

For one thing, the NBA has become guard-dominated - see Warriors, Golden State - during the last five years or so, and this draft is strong at the top with big men.

Then there's the never-ending migration of early-entry freshmen with limited skills. Will teams finally tire of taking a project with a top-10 pick? Or will they remain convinced they can identify the future star from a lineup of eventual busts?

Remember, Minnesota managed to pick Jonny Flynn instead of Stephen Curry with the No. 6 pick in 2009. A year later, the Timberwolves chose Wesley Johnson at No. 4, instead of a list of superior players too long to mention.

Then there are the trade possibilities. Sacramento denied rumors it would consider trading DeMarcus Cousins to the Lakers. But maybe the Kings should rethink that situation.

Sacramento has failed to win even 30 games in five seasons with Cousins on board. Getting the No. 2 pick, Julius Randle and some sweeteners might be a chance to start over.

Will Minnesota get it right this time? Will the Bulls find another helpful player late in the first round? We'll know the answers in about five years, but here's a look at how Thursday's draft might play out.

1. Minnesota: Karl-Anthony Towns, 7-feet, Kentucky

This big man makes sense, if a Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio nucleus can become a playoff contender. Who's feeling confident?

2. L.A. Lakers: D'Angelo Russell, 6-5, Ohio State

Nothing against Jahlil Okafor, but the Lakers need some sort of Kobe apprentice more than a big man. Not that Russell is necessarily a guaranteed superstar, but he's got some nice tools.

3. Philadelphia: Emmanuel Mudiay, 6-5, Congo

After a year playing in China, Mudiay is another guard who brings some star potential. He lived in the Congo for about six years before moving to Dallas.

4. New York: Jahlil Okafor, 6-11, Duke

Chicago native with the massive hands has aspirations to be the next Tim Duncan.

5. Orlando: Kristaps Porzingis, 7-1, Latvia

Scouts are raving about this sharpshooting big man, but teams have failed before trying to find the next Nowitzki.

6. Sacramento: Justise Winslow, 6-6, Duke

Freshman showed a nice set of skills during the Final Four.

7. Denver: Willie Cauley-Stein, 7-0, Kentucky

Cavs C Timofey Mozgov gave a reminder of how valuable a mobile 7-footer can be, highly skilled or otherwise.

8. Detroit: Trey Lyles, 6-10, Kentucky

He could be a replacement for free agent Greg Monroe, who is unlikely to return.

9. Charlotte: Frank Kaminsky, 7-1, Wisconsin

There's definitely a place in the league for mobile, outside-shooting big men such as Kaminsky, a Benet Academy grad.

10. Miami: Mario Hezonja, 6-8, Croatia

Hezonja is coming off a nice performance in the Spanish League playoffs.

11. Indiana: Devin Booker, 6-6, Kentucky

Whichever team takes Booker will have fingers crossed that he can stretch his range to the NBA 3-point line.

12. Utah: Stanley Johnson, 6-6, Arizona

An improving outside shot makes this freshman an intriguing pick.

13. Phoenix: Myles Turner, 6-11, Texas

Wasn't very productive as a college freshman, but Turner could develop into a scorer.

14. Oklahoma City: Jerian Grant, 6-4, Notre Dame

Grant might be someone who can ration the passes to Durant and Westbrook.

15. Atlanta: Cameron Payne, 6-2, Murray State

Let the Elfrid Payton point-guard comparisons begin.

16. Boston: Sam Dekker, 6-9, Wisconsin

No one will mistake Dekker for Larry Bird, but the Celtics could be a good fit.

17. Milwaukee: R.J. Hunter, 6-6, Georgia State

The best NBA teams shoot the 3-pointer well, so don't be surprised if Hunter goes higher than expected.

18. Houston: Tyus Jones, 6-1, Duke

Jones has shown he can lead a team, hitting some big shots in the NCAA title game.

19. Washington: Kelly Oubre, 6-7, Kansas

Another option at SF while Otto Porter develops and Paul Pierce considers leaving town.

20. Toronto: Kevon Looney, 6-9, UCLA

As a freshman, this Milwaukee native was good at grabbing offensive rebounds.

21. Dallas: Bobby Portis, 6-11, Arkansas

Typical one-and-done, good size with developing skills.

22. Bulls: Delon Wright, 6-5, Utah

The idea is the Bulls could use a taller point guard to back up Derrick Rose.

23. Portland: Justin Anderson, 6-6, Virginia

The Blazers already traded Nic Batum to Charlotte and might lose Wesley Matthews in free agency.

24. Cleveland: Montrezl Harrell, 6-8, Louisville

Undersized, but would bring energy to the offensive boards.

25. Memphis: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, 6-7, Arizona

Strong small forward could fit into Grizzlies' defensive style.

26. San Antonio: Guillermo Hernangomez, 6-11, Spain

He could be ready to replace Tiago Splitter someday.

27. L.A. Lakers: Jarell Martin, 6-8, LSU

This draft seems to have an abundance of undersized power forwards.

28. Boston: Rashad Vaughn, 6-5, UNLV

Another freshman who needs to learn the game.

29. Brooklyn: Nikola Milutinov, 7-0, Serbia

A Euro-stash 7-footer is an ideal pick for a team looking to trim its luxury-tax bill.

30. Golden State: Cliff Alexander, 6-8, Kansas

Rookies are only guaranteed two-year contracts, so grabbing this Chicago native would be low-risk for the champs.

• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.