2017 NBA Mock Draft: Third Edition

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

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)- Jayson Tatum, Small Forward, Duke: The Sixers will flirt with any number of players, not to mention trade offers from all corners. But here's to betting that Bryan Colangelo will go with Tatum in the end. Tatum has the highest floor of anyone outside Fultz, and his skilled game could be a decent fit next to Ben Simmons. I'm not sure this would be the smartest play, but Philly is ready to start winning as soon as possible. Tatum can help that cause more than anyone else at three.

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- Malik Monk, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Kentucky: Monk will struggle on defense, and it'll probably take him another year or two before he adds enough weight to finish at the rim and score consistently in the NBA. But even with those qualifiers, he's probably one of the most underrated players in this draft. This would be a win for New York. Everyone was falling in love with De'Aaron Fox a month ago, and now Dennis Smith is getting that love, but Monk's ceiling is just as impressive. He's got unlimited range on his jumper like Jamal Murray, but he's a more explosive athlete, with better instincts as a scorer.

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 (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. 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- 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.

15. Portland Trail Blazers- 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.

16. Chicago Bulls- 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.

17. Milwaukee Bucks- 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.

18. Indiana Pacers- Harry Giles, Power Forward, Duke: Giles was the top recruit of his class, but injuries and limited play held him back in his lone season at Duke. Giles only averaged 11.5 minutes per game thanks to three knee surgies, along with only 3.9 PPG and 3.8 RPG during his lone season at Duke. The future of Paul George is always a question and if he eventually departs, the Pacers will be in full rebuild mode and Giles is a nice piece for that.

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)- Ike Anigbogu, Center, UCLA: The Blazers could use of a couple of their first rounders to take players who are years away and need developing. Anigbogu is perhaps the most unproven prospect that has first round potential. His stock’s been on the rise for a few weeks now, and I get a feeling some time will jump on him earlier then he should be taken. He only played 13 MPG as he battled injuries at UCLA, but he’s 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, and his potential is enticing. Anigbogu would have to develop behind Jusuf Nurkic and whatever bigs the Blazers decide to move forward with from that jumbled mess of players.

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- Anzejs Pasecniks, Center, Latvia: The Raptors have a ton of questions to answer this summer—beginning with Lowry and Serge Ibaka in free agency, and continuing with Jonas Valanciunas's future. As things get crowded and expensive, a potential draft-and-stash option may be more attractive in this spot. Pasecniks is mobile with good touch on his jumper and he'd be a decent investment in the future, particularly if Valanciunas isn't sticking around long-term.

24. Utah Jazz- 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.

25. Orlando Magic (via Toronto Raptors via Los Angeles Clippers)- 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.

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)- 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.

28. Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets)- Jordan Bell, Power Forward, Oregon: Bell has all the physical tools and energy to play in the NBA, even though he’s a bit undersized. He runs the floor nicely and has a great knack for the game. He’s a little undersized for his position at this level, but with his energy and ability to grab rebounds he could be a nice bench player for the Lakers. Every NBA team needs an energy guy with a high motor, and if Bell is that guy and for the Lakers it would be worth the gamble at No. 28.

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. Golden State Warriors- Derrick White, Shooting Guard, Colorado: White has a complete skill set for a guard. He can score, facilitate, and hold his own defensively. Just ask Arizona: White hung 31 points, six rebounds, and five assists on the Wildcats in the Pac-12 tournament.