1. Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn Nets)- Markelle Fultz, Point Guard, Washington: Plain and simple, Fultz is the best player available. He could be the one to help Boston get closer to dethroning LeBron and the Cavs. He has great length, range and crazy athleticism to play either guard spot, Fultz would fit next to Isaiah Thomas just fine in the backcourt.
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. Philadelphia 76ers (via Sacramento Kings)- Josh Jackson, Small Forward, Kansas: Jackson projects as a high-level contributor on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He'll make the Sixers more athletic, right from the jump.
4. Phoenix Suns- Jayson Tatum, Small Forward, Duke: Tatum should in time become a high-scoring wing at the NBA level. The 6-8 athlete averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds -- after missing the first eight games of the season with a foot injury -- and ultimately helped Duke win the 2017 ACC Tournament. Put him next to Devin Booker, and the Suns could have the pieces to be good again.
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- Malik Monk, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Kentucky: The Magic don't gave great shooting and Monk could provide it. The athletic combo guard made 39.7 percent of his 3-point attempts this season while averaging a team-high 19.8 points for a Kentucky team that won the SEC and made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Why he doesn't use his athleticism more to get into the lane consistently remains a mystery. But if Monk ever does that, he could develop into an All-Star.
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- Dennis Smith Jr, Point Guard, North Carolina State: The Knicks have a major need at point guard and Smith could easily fill that void. At 6-3, he has nice size for the position and is explosive with the ball. The NC State product averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds in his one season of college basketball. He could be enough to make Kristaps Porzingis comfortable with a future in New York.
9. Dallas Mavericks- 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 Mavs to gamble on a project player here.
10. Sacramento Kings- Lauri Markkanen, Power Forward, Arizona: The Kings should consider themselves lucky if the former Wildcat standout drops to No. 10. His size and shooting make him a great addition for any team, while his versatility should allow Sacramento to fit Markkanen alongside the team's existing group of young bigs featuring Willie Cauley-Stein.
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- Zach Collins, Center, Gonzaga: Collins is the first one-and-done player in Gonzaga history and could work well playing next to Andre Drummond. The 7-foot forward shot 47.6 percent from the 3-point line last season -- and finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks in the Zags' national semifinal win over South Carolina. Those numbers and that performance on such a big stage helped secure a place in the top 20 of this draft, guaranteed.
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. But the Nuggets don't necessarily need offense. If Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are the future, defense is the issue, and Anunoby can help quickly.
14. Miami Heat- Justin Patton, Center, Creighton: Chris Bosh is gone. Patton is the most Bosh-like player in this draft. 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.
15. Portland Trail Blazers- John Collins, Power Forward, Wake Forest: Collins is high-ceiling frontcourt player who fills an immediate 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- 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 20 because of Myles Turner comparisons alone.
17. Milwaukee Bucks- Justin Jackson, Small Forward, North Carolina: You don't hear these stories much anymore: A highly-regarded five-star recruit who underwhelms at first, stays in college for three seasons and develops into a lottery pick. Jackson is a reminder that college players can develop at different rates, and that shouldn't be considered a bad thing. A three-point shot that had been inconsistent for his first two seasons stabilized his junior year, and Jackson became the versatile and athletic go-to guy for a national championship team.
18. Indiana Pacers- 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.
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)- Harry Giles, Power Forward/Center, Duke: With several picks in a rather deep draft, the Blazers can afford to take a couple fliers on talented players who slid down draft boards for one reason or another, starting with Duke's Giles. In a best-case scenario, he'll provide the kind of rim-protection and pick-and-roll finishing that Jusuf Nurkic doesn't.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder- Luke Kennard, Shooting Guard, Duke: Oklahoma City shot a league-low 32.7 percent from 3-point range this season, which is obviously something Kennard could help improve. The 6-6 guard was among college basketball's biggest breakout stars this season while averaging 19.5 points and shooting 43.8 percent from 3-point range for Duke. Russell Westbrook's ability to draw defenders would lead to open looks for Kennard. And the numbers suggest open looks for Kennard tend to lead to easy points.
22. Brooklyn Nets (via Washington Wizards)- Ronions Kurucs, Shooting Guard, Barcelona: Kurucs has two years remaining on his deal with Barcelona, so the Nets might not see the benefit of his services for a while, but who cares? It's not like Brooklyn was planning on trying to make the playoffs any time soon, right?
23. Toronto Raptors- Alec Peters, Power Forward, Valparaiso: The future of this franchise seems very much in flux. Peters, one of college basketball's top shooters, is the type of player who can come in tomorrow and make an impact. No, he may not have NBA athleticism, but Peters and his remarkable 60.4 percent true shooting percentage in college works for any NBA team. A team that needs to win now like Toronto would be wise in taking a college senior like Peters.
24. Utah Jazz- 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.
25. Orlando Magic (via Toronto Raptors via Los Angeles Clippers)- 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.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (via Cleveland Cavaliers)- 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.
27. Brooklyn Nets (via Boston Celtics)- Bam Adebayo, Center, Kentucky: Adebayo is about the furthest thing from a modern center. He doesn't shoot threes, and he doesn't really look to make plays for others — not yet. The former Kentucky big man is an excellent offensive player in the post, though, and he could become one of the best rim protectors in this draft class. With his upside, Adebayo is a fine pick to back up Brook Lopez, if not replace him in the future.
28. Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets)- DJ Wilson, Power Forward, Michigan: A report this week indicated Los Angeles is very high on the Michigan forward. Sounds like a match made in purple-and-gold heaven.
29. San Antonio Spurs- Isaiah Hartenstein, Power Forward, Lithuania: Hartenstein, an Oregon native, was reportedly just OK at the Nike Hoop Summit and thus didn't do much to enhance his reputation with NBA scouts. Still, it's hard to imagine him not going somewhere in the first round. And San Antonio's history with international prospects suggests he would fit nicely in that organization.
30. Utah Jazz (via Golden State Warriors)- Jawun Evans, Point Guard, Oklahoma State: Evans is undersized at 5'11, but he's quick and creative, and he was a nightmare in the pick-and-roll at Oklahoma State. Those skills translate in the NBA. At worst, he'd be a fun spark off the bench. At best, his shooting improves—37% from three last year—and catches up with his ability to create off the dribble, and he becomes a real steal late in the first.
10. Sacramento Kings- Lauri Markkanen, Power Forward, Arizona: The Kings should consider themselves lucky if the former Wildcat standout drops to No. 10. His size and shooting make him a great addition for any team, while his versatility should allow Sacramento to fit Markkanen alongside the team's existing group of young bigs featuring Willie Cauley-Stein.
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- Zach Collins, Center, Gonzaga: Collins is the first one-and-done player in Gonzaga history and could work well playing next to Andre Drummond. The 7-foot forward shot 47.6 percent from the 3-point line last season -- and finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks in the Zags' national semifinal win over South Carolina. Those numbers and that performance on such a big stage helped secure a place in the top 20 of this draft, guaranteed.
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. But the Nuggets don't necessarily need offense. If Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are the future, defense is the issue, and Anunoby can help quickly.
14. Miami Heat- Justin Patton, Center, Creighton: Chris Bosh is gone. Patton is the most Bosh-like player in this draft. 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.
15. Portland Trail Blazers- John Collins, Power Forward, Wake Forest: Collins is high-ceiling frontcourt player who fills an immediate 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- 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 20 because of Myles Turner comparisons alone.
17. Milwaukee Bucks- Justin Jackson, Small Forward, North Carolina: You don't hear these stories much anymore: A highly-regarded five-star recruit who underwhelms at first, stays in college for three seasons and develops into a lottery pick. Jackson is a reminder that college players can develop at different rates, and that shouldn't be considered a bad thing. A three-point shot that had been inconsistent for his first two seasons stabilized his junior year, and Jackson became the versatile and athletic go-to guy for a national championship team.
18. Indiana Pacers- 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.
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)- Harry Giles, Power Forward/Center, Duke: With several picks in a rather deep draft, the Blazers can afford to take a couple fliers on talented players who slid down draft boards for one reason or another, starting with Duke's Giles. In a best-case scenario, he'll provide the kind of rim-protection and pick-and-roll finishing that Jusuf Nurkic doesn't.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder- Luke Kennard, Shooting Guard, Duke: Oklahoma City shot a league-low 32.7 percent from 3-point range this season, which is obviously something Kennard could help improve. The 6-6 guard was among college basketball's biggest breakout stars this season while averaging 19.5 points and shooting 43.8 percent from 3-point range for Duke. Russell Westbrook's ability to draw defenders would lead to open looks for Kennard. And the numbers suggest open looks for Kennard tend to lead to easy points.
22. Brooklyn Nets (via Washington Wizards)- Ronions Kurucs, Shooting Guard, Barcelona: Kurucs has two years remaining on his deal with Barcelona, so the Nets might not see the benefit of his services for a while, but who cares? It's not like Brooklyn was planning on trying to make the playoffs any time soon, right?
23. Toronto Raptors- Alec Peters, Power Forward, Valparaiso: The future of this franchise seems very much in flux. Peters, one of college basketball's top shooters, is the type of player who can come in tomorrow and make an impact. No, he may not have NBA athleticism, but Peters and his remarkable 60.4 percent true shooting percentage in college works for any NBA team. A team that needs to win now like Toronto would be wise in taking a college senior like Peters.
24. Utah Jazz- 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.
25. Orlando Magic (via Toronto Raptors via Los Angeles Clippers)- 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.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (via Cleveland Cavaliers)- 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.
27. Brooklyn Nets (via Boston Celtics)- Bam Adebayo, Center, Kentucky: Adebayo is about the furthest thing from a modern center. He doesn't shoot threes, and he doesn't really look to make plays for others — not yet. The former Kentucky big man is an excellent offensive player in the post, though, and he could become one of the best rim protectors in this draft class. With his upside, Adebayo is a fine pick to back up Brook Lopez, if not replace him in the future.
28. Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets)- DJ Wilson, Power Forward, Michigan: A report this week indicated Los Angeles is very high on the Michigan forward. Sounds like a match made in purple-and-gold heaven.
29. San Antonio Spurs- Isaiah Hartenstein, Power Forward, Lithuania: Hartenstein, an Oregon native, was reportedly just OK at the Nike Hoop Summit and thus didn't do much to enhance his reputation with NBA scouts. Still, it's hard to imagine him not going somewhere in the first round. And San Antonio's history with international prospects suggests he would fit nicely in that organization.
30. Utah Jazz (via Golden State Warriors)- Jawun Evans, Point Guard, Oklahoma State: Evans is undersized at 5'11, but he's quick and creative, and he was a nightmare in the pick-and-roll at Oklahoma State. Those skills translate in the NBA. At worst, he'd be a fun spark off the bench. At best, his shooting improves—37% from three last year—and catches up with his ability to create off the dribble, and he becomes a real steal late in the first.
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