2017 NBA Mock Draft: Fifth Edition

Here is the fourth edition of my 2017 NBA Mock Draft.

1. Philadelphia 76ers (via Boston Celtics)- Markelle Fultz, Point Guard, Washington: It’s time to start chasing some results in Philly. By adding Fultz, the Sixers have a core built for serious contention in the future. Washington’s absence from the NCAA tournament will raise some concerns, but not enough for the 76ers to pass on his upside. With Fultz and Ben Simmons both set to start, the race for the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year award is already interesting.

2. Los Angeles Lakers- Lonzo Ball, Point Guard, UCLA: Did anyone notice Lakers president Magic Johnson didn't look too upset about not getting the No. 1 pick? That's because, I think, he now knows the pressure is off. He doesn't have to pick between Ball and Fultz. Now he can just take Ball once Fultz is off the board. And the Lakers are suddenly interesting again, if nothing else.

3. Boston Celtics (via Philadelphia 76ers)- Jayson Tatum, Small Forward, Duke: Expect more trade discussions to take place involving this selection, but if the Celtics keep their pick, expect them to draft a wing. This could be Josh Jackson (who may have greater value in a deal), but the better fit for Boston would be Tatum, thanks to his potential to space the floor, play some power forward and become a go-to scorer down the line. Jackson’s well-publicized decision not to work out for the Celtics is worth noting.

4. Phoenix Suns- Josh Jackson, Small Forward, Kansas: Jackson is too good on both ends to pass up if he slides to four. In that case, here's to betting that Phoenix stays committed to Eric Bledsoe and grabs a two-way swingman to complement Booker's offense with a new-age Iguodala who can play every game at 120 MPH. Jackson's jumper will be a work in progress, but if he finds a team that doesn't need him to carry the offense, he could be a lot of fun. 

5. Sacramento Kings (via Philadelphia 76ers)- De'Aaron Fox, Point Guard, Kentucky: The Kings are desperately in need of a young point guard with a high ceiling, and Fox is exactly that. At 6-4, he has nice size for the position and is super-fast with the ball. He was sensational in Kentucky's Sweet 16 win over UCLA while finishing with 39 points. Fox and Buddy Hield would be a nice back court.

6. Orlando Magic- Dennis Smith Jr, Point Guard, North Carolina State: The Magic haven't had a coherent identity in several years, so I'm worried about sending Smith here. If you asked, "What's the NBA version of NC State?" I'm pretty sure the answer is Orlando. Likewise, there are choices to make elsewhere on the roster that'll go a long way toward determining exactly what the Magic want from this draft. Elfrid Payton probably isn't the answer, though, and while the team transitions to new management under John Hammond and Jeff Weltman, it would make sense to grab the player with the best chance at stardom. At 6, that's Smith.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves- Jonathan Issacs, Small Forward, Florida State: The Timberwolves could take Isaac, play him with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, and now we're talking about something with big potential. Minnesota would then have a core of Isaac, Towns, Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio. Those are some nice pieces that could soon have the Timberwolves advancing in the Western Conference Playoffs.

8. New York Knicks- Frank Ntilikina, Point Guard, France: French Frank is the biggest wild card in the top 10. He played limited minutes for his team in France and scored a meager 5 points per game. It'll likely take a few years before he's ready to produce consistently in the NBA. On the other hand, he's 6’5” with long arms and quick feet, and at the very least he projects as a terrific perimeter defender. It's worth it for the Knicks to gamble on a project player here.

9. Dallas Mavericks- Malik Monk, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Kentucky: Monk might give Dallas the most value and flexibility of any remaining prospect. The Mavericks would incorporate Kentucky’s marksman beautifully into their spread sets and weak-side pick-and-roll options. He’d flourish in Rick Carlisle’s system and empower the likes of Harrison Barnes and Seth Curry.

10. Sacramento Kings (via New Orleans Pelicans)- Zach Collins, Center, Gonzaga: The reason Zach Collins continues to rise up the boards is potential. He only played one year at Gonzaga, which is a small sample size, but his 65 percent shooting from the field, including 47 percent from deep, gives you a glimpse at his potential. Collins is the prototypical “new NBA big man” and he fits the mold almost to a T, as he runs the floor incredibly well for his size, creates spacing. He will need to add strength and play more basketball, but the potential is there.

11. Charlotte Hornets- Donovan Mitchell, Shooting Guard, Louisville: This is probably a little high for the Louisville guard, but the Hornets could use a dynamic scorer to take some of the burden. At the back end of the lottery, teams can't be worried about reaching; they just need to take the player they think works best for them.

12. Detroit Pistons- Lauri Markkanen, Power Forward, Arizona: Markkanen is a modern-day stretch-4 who shot 42.3 percent from 3-point range this season. This would be a steal here for the Pistons, who can use some more shooting. There is talk of Markkanen going in the top ten and possibly the top five.

13. Denver Nuggets- OJ Anubody, Small Forward, Indiana: Anunoby is a freak athlete who will likely spend the better part of the next decade harassing people on defense. He could've been a first round pick last year, too. He hurt his knee at Indiana this year so his stock is a little bit mysterious, and his offense is still a question mark. 

14. Miami Heat- Miami Heat- Luke Kennard, Shooting Guard, Duke: Next to Markkanen and Monk, Luke Kennard is one of the three best shooters in the draft. Miami is a team that could use the help stretching the floor on offense. Likewise, the Heat have pieces on the perimeter (Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow) and inside (Hassan Whiteside) to help hide Kennard's weaknesses on defense. Kennard could be a very solid role player for a good team, and depending on what happens later this summer, the Heat may be closer to that category than we realize. 

15. Portland Trail Blazers- John Collins, Power Forward, Wake Forest: Collins is high-ceiling frontcourt player who fills somewhat of a need. Collins was one of the most efficient scorers in college basketball last season; if he can develop more range on his shot, he'll be a steal at this point in the draft. His development under head coach Danny Manning from his freshman to his sophomore season was impressive.

16. Chicago Bulls- TJ Leaf, Power Forward, UCLA: Leaf averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 46.6 percent from 3-point range this season. He was overshadowed by his teammates at UCLA but still a statistical monster. He's a perfect stretch-4 for the modern-day NBA.

17. Milwaukee Bucks- Harry Giles, Power Forward, Duke: Giles is another player coming off an injury who could turn into a steal with the right health and the right team. Milwaukee needs a point guard, but the answer won't be available at 17, and they probably won't find much value on the wing, either. That leaves any number of big men to choose from, and Milwaukee has a history of gambling on draft night. Yes, GM John Hammond isn't there anymore, and GM Jon Horst has been on the job for less than a week, but let's say they keep tradition alive and swing big.

18. Indiana Pacers- Ike Anigbogu, Center, UCLA: Assuming Paul George winds up elsewhere in, give or take, the next 365 days, the Pacers need to start positioning themselves for the future. Anigbogu is one of the youngest, toolsiest big men in the class and gives Indiana an intriguing project. He’s a player who could eventually take some defensive pressure off of Myles Turner.

19. Atlanta Hawks- Justin Patton, Center, Creighton: There's been plenty of attention paid to this as a point guard-heavy draft. But it's also one of the deepest drafts for talented young big men that we've seen in a long time. Although he needs to put on some muscle so he can hang with NBA bigs, Patton is a superb athlete for a 7-footer, and showed impressive offensive versatility at Creighton as well. He may take some time to fill his potential, but the potential is certainly there.

20. Portland Trail Blazers (via Memphis Grizzlies)- Terrance Ferguson, Shooting Guard, Australia: Ferguson, an Oklahoma native, was inconsistent while playing in Australia this season. But that shouldn't affect his standing with NBA scouts too much. He only shot 31.3 percent from 3-point range in 30 games. Not good. But that's not an accurate reflection of how well the former Arizona signee can actually shoot from beyond the arc.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder- DJ Wilson, Power Forward, Michigan: The Thunder are one of several teams in the 20s rumored to be high on Wilson. His shooting range, size and defensive versatility hold obvious appeal as the Thunder continue to search for the right pieces to support Russell Westbrook.

22. Brooklyn Nets (via Washington Wizards)- Jarrett Allen, Center, Texas: Allen spent most of the year overshadowed by bigger freshmen stars on better teams, but Allen quietly got much better as the year unfolded at Texas. He's still raw, and he may be a year or two from playing meaningful minutes, but he will get drafted top 30 because of Myles Turner comparisons alone. This would be a steal for Brooklyn.

23. Toronto Raptors- Bam Adebayo, Power Forward/Center, Kentucky: Adebayo’s mobility allows him to extend his defensive range all the way out to the perimeter, which could be a major plus for the Raptors. He’s a high-energy player and brings the sort of blue-collar mentality Toronto has favored in past draftees.

24. Utah Jazz- Justin Jackson, Small Forward, North Carolina: It’s hard to hate on Jackson too much after what he did in his junior year at UNC. He finally blossomed as a three-point shooter (105 makes at 37 percent) and shut down Malik Monk on defense in the Elite Eight. He’s also by far the oldest potential lottery pick this year and isn’t that athletic or that great of a shooter. I like him more if he can defend shooting guards rather than small forwards.

25. Orlando Magic (via Toronto Raptors via Los Angeles Clippers)- Jordan Bell, Power Forward, Oregon: Bell is one of the best defensive prospects in the draft, and probably the best pick-and-roll defender of any big man on the board. What he lacks in size at forward (6'8"), he makes up for with wingspan (7'0") and excellent foot speed. 

26. Portland Trail Blazers (via Cleveland Cavaliers)- Semi Ojeleye, Small Forward, SMU: Ojeleye started his college career at Duke, where he was just a bit player. But the 6-7 forward was tremendous at SMU this season. He averaged 19.0 points and 6.9 rebounds while leading the Mustangs to American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

27. Los Angeles Lakers (via Brooklyn Nets via Boston Celtics)- Isaiah Hartenstein, Power Forward, Lithuania: Hartenstein is the best draft-and-stash candidate available in the late first round. He played for Lithuanian league champion Zalgiris Kaunas this past season, so he had a small role on an experienced roster. Even so, he flashed substantial two-way potential during his 11 minutes per game. The Lakers will hope the 7-footer continues to develop his aggressive interior defense and perimeter scoring. Hartenstein has the physicality and ballhandling skills to produce in the paint and also play away from the basket.

28. Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets)- Tyler Lydon, Small Forward, Syracuse: Lydon shot 40.0 percent from 3-point range in two seasons at Syracuse and averaged 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds as a sophomore. He'll be a stretch-4 in the NBA and should be capable of cracking a rotation as a rookie thanks to that reliable jumper.

29. San Antonio Spurs- Ivan Rabb, Power Forward/Center, California: The Spurs have largely worked out mobile bigs in this draft range, which makes sense given their aging roster and a glaring long-term need for rim protection. Rabb is a strong rebounder and a player once considered a potential lottery pick. He makes sense here as an investment for San Antonio, where he can focus on a smaller role and refine his offensive skills.

30. Utah Jazz (via Golden State Warriors)- Kyle Kuzma, Small Forward, Utah: Although the most skilled forwards like Collins, Leaf and Lydon are off the board, the Jazz still have a couple of options. Polished players like Ivan Rabb or Kule Kuzma will likely be available at No. 30. Give Kuzma the edge because he has more perimeter potential. At 6-9.5 in shoes with a 7-0.25 wingspan, Kuzma has the size of a power forward with a lot of wing-like skills. He’s comfortable putting the ball on the deck, shooting from 3-range and connecting with open teammates. And when he gets the rock near the hoop, he has great hands and footwork to finish.