NBA Draft Preview: 3 things you need to know

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It's finally here.

A year after Andrew Wiggins became the No. 1 pick, after a college season, after months of accusations of tanking and unintentional ineptitude, after the draft lottery, after all the posturing and misinformation leaked to shuffle player values: the 2015 NBA Draft is upon us.

One of the most entertaining nights on the NBA calendar for franchise-altering picks, foundation-shaking deals, and gut-busting suits, Thursday will answer all of the pressing questions, a week before what could be a tumultuous free-agent season opens.

It's going to be chaotic. It's going to be a blast. And if you're a New York Knicks fan, there's a good chance it's going to be painful.

Here are three things you need to know ahead of the draft, which airs at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Who's picking where, and who's picking whom?

Thanks to some luck from the ping-pong balls on lottery night, the Los Angeles Lakers jumped two spots to No. 2, dropping the Knicks to No. 4 in the process. That's an enormous move in a draft considered to have four or five potential stars, and the fact the Knicks and Lakers are both picking so high illustrates this draft's importance to the future of several key NBA markets.

Outside of the above, there hasn't been a ton of meaningful movement in the draft order. The Atlanta Hawks swapped picks with the Brooklyn Nets - Joe Johnson never stops giving - and a handful of picks from No. 27 onward have been dealt, but for the most part, the salient picks are easy to keep track of. For now.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will add a third consecutive No. 1 pick to their roster, and all indications are that Karl-Anthony Towns has finally completed his months-long ascent to top-dog status. His potential two-way dominance helped him eclipse Jahlil Okafor, who's been penciled in as 2015's top pick since he was a high-school freshman.

After Towns, the draft lacks consensus, though there are some fairly evident tiers at play. Tap the player names below to check out their full scouting reports, or check out all top 35 prospect profiles here.

Tier 1 (potential superstars): Towns

Tier 2 (potential All-Stars with a chance for stardom): Okafor, Kristaps Porzingis, D'Angelo Russell

Tier 2B (slightly lesser potential All-Stars): Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow, Mario Hezonja, Willie Cauley-Stein

Tier 3 (potential starters): Stanley Johnson, Cameron Payne, Frank Kaminsky, Kelly Oubre, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Myles Turner, Trey Lyles

Tier 4 (potential rotation players): Devin Booker, Bobby Portis, Kevon Looney, Jerian Grant, Sam Dekker, R.J. Hunter, Tyus Jones, Justin Anderson, Delon Wright, Rashad Vaughn, Montrezl Harrell

There's a significant drop in talent after the final tier, which limits the overall quality of the draft. It's a good draft, but not a deep one - worse in overall quality than 2014, and worse than 2017 is expected to be, but probably better than 2016.

Let 'em sleep, you ain't tripping

There are roughly 24-27 potential rotation players here, a nice haul - but the precipitous drop-off leaves teams with a late first-rounder or second-rounder taking fliers on one-dimensional players, international draft-and-stash candidates, or flawed prospects with red flags.

As with any draft, there are going to be players selected late enough that it looks crazy in retrospect. There may not be a Jimmy Butler or a Draymond Green, but there are a few names to keep an eye on.

Here are five players projected to go later than we think they should:

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson: If he had a serviceable jump shot, he'd be a potential superstar. With incredible length, terrific athleticism, and a nose for the rim, RHJ should be able to guard as many as four positions and contribute inside the arc on offense. If the jumper develops, look out.

Kevon Looney: A top-five prospect earlier in the year, some concerns over a pre-existing hip injury have pushed Looney down into the late teens or 20s. A former high-school point guard, the spindly Looney has perimeter-player skills, power-forward size, and top-10 upside.

Robert Upshaw: Yes, he was dismissed from two college programs. Yes, a heart issue has been flagged (and cleared) on three different medical tests. But he also measured as the largest player in the draft, with an obscene 7-foot-5.5 wingspan and 9-foot-5 standing reach, and he averaged 4.5 blocks for Washington. Thank Hassan Whiteside's resurgence - once guaranteed money is off the table at No. 31, Upshaw's worth a flier.

Chris McCullough: His trek to the lottery was halted by a torn ACL in January, but he's managed to interview his way into the late first-round discussion. He could be worth the patience his recovery will require, as the power forward has a unique blend of floor-spacing and rim-protecting potential.

J.P. Tokoto: Similar to Hollis-Jefferson, Tokoto was a jumper short of a serious jump up draft boards. With an impressive wingspan, elite athleticism, and great lateral quickness, Tokoto should be able to guard three positions at the next level, and his jumper looked better in a small sample this season.

Get on Team Entropy

Things have already started getting wild, with Lance Stephenson, Nicolas Batum, and more dealt ahead of the draft. It's not officially the offseason until July 1, and teams are already taking the first and second steps of what could be turbulent summers.

Salary cap spikes in 2016 and 2017 have conspired to confuse what teams and players may look to do in 2015, while also increasing the relative value of rookie-scale contracts in the near future.

Fans should be ready for anything. With several high picks on the market - the Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and others are said to be active in talks - the Boston Celtics looking to package multiple picks, and the Philadelphia 76ers stocked with six selections, no pick after No. 1 can be considered certain to stay in its owner's hands.

Draft night usually brings plenty of surprises and loads of trades, from small and largely meaningless to league-changing. Some of those won't be official until after July 1, when rookies can be included in deals more freely, but Thursday should prove frenetic.

Embrace the chaos.