Chad Ford NBA Mock Draft 2017: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru's 3rd Mock

ESPN's NBA draft guru Chad Ford released his third 2017 mock draft Tuesday in an attempt to predict which of the top prospects will declare and where they will land in June. 

These predictions will likely change in the coming months, especially as the college season draws closer to March Madness and players decide whether to stay in school for another season:

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Boston Celtics (via Nets)	Markelle Fultz	G	Washington
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Lonzo Ball	G	UCLA
3	Phoenix Suns	Josh Jackson	F	Kansas
4	Philadelphia 76ers	Malik Monk	G	Kentucky
5	Orlando Magic	Dennis Smith	G	NC State
6	New Orleans Pelicans	Jonathan Isaac	F	Florida State
7	Sacramento Kings	Jayson Tatum	F	Duke
8	Minnesota Timberwolves	Lauri Markkanen	F	Arizona
9	Dallas Mavericks	Frank Ntilikina	G	France
10	Miami Heat	Harry Giles	F	Duke
11	New York Knicks	De'Aaron Fox	G	Kentucky
12	Denver Nuggets	Miles Bridges	F	Michigan State
13	Milwaukee Bucks	Justin Patton	C	Creighton
14	Detroit Pistons	Terrance Ferguson	G	Australia
15	Portland Trail Blazers	T.J. Leaf	F	UCLA
16	Charlotte Hornets	Robert Williams	F	Texas A&M
17	Chicago Bulls	Jarrett Allen	C	Texas
18	Indiana Pacers	Ivan Rabb	F	California
19	Atlanta Hawks	John Collins	F	Wake Forest
20	Oklahoma City Thunder	OG Anunoby	F	Indiana
21	Washington Wizards	Zach Collins	C	Gonzaga
22	Denver Nuggets (via Grizzlies)	Rodions Kurucs	F	Latvia
23	Utah Jazz	Isaiah Hartenstein	F	Germany
24	Toronto Raptors (via Clippers)	Tyler Lydon	F	Syracuse
25	Brooklyn Nets (via Celtics)	Andrew Jones	G	Andrew Jones
26	Toronto Raptors	Ike Anigbogu	C	UCLA
27	Portland Trail Blazers (via Cavs)	Donovan Mitchell	G	Louisville
28	Houston Rockets	Luke Kennard	G	Duke
29	San Antonio Spurs	Josh Hart	G	Villanova
30	Utah Jazz (via Warriors)	Kostja Mushidi	G	Belgium

Notable Picks

Markelle Fultz

Predicted Pick: No. 1 overall to Boston Celtics

Washington freshman guard Markelle Fultz has developed into a premier NBA talent in just 23 college games, as he's averaged 23.2 points, six rebounds and six assists per night.

While he hasn't been playing in the most competitive conference in the Pac-12, he has come up big when taking on ranked teams:

Opponent*	Points	Rebounds	Assists
No. 8 Gonzaga	25	10	1
No. 15 Oregon	22	2	4
No. 7 Arizona	16	9	6
No. 11 UCLA	25	6	5

He is a versatile player who can thrive in different in-game scenarios whether it's an offensive shootout or a defensive grinder. He could fall into the lap of the Boston Celtics thanks to the ineptitude of the Brooklyn Nets. 

The two teams agreed to swap 2017 first-round picks in the 2013 deal that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets. 

With the Nets projected to have the worst record, the Celtics could be rewarded with the top pick in the lottery. 

Boston has no need for a point guard, given the All-Star play of Isaiah Thomas, but Fultz could slot in at the 2 to provide support for Avery Bradley. 

Malik Monk

Predicted Pick: No. 5 overall to Philadelphia 76ers

There might not be a better big-game threat in the 2017 draft class than Kentucky freshman guard Malik Monk. 

Averaging 21.9 points per game, he has recorded 25 points or more in seven games, including a 47-point coming-out party against then-No. 7 North Carolina in December:

The 76ers could create one of the best young backcourts in the NBA by drafting Monk in 2017. 

Awaiting the NBA debut of the 2016 No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, the 76ers could put the LSU product at the point on a 76ers team that has plenty of young talent in the frontcourt with Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel. 

Bringing a sharpshooter like Monk into the lineup could expand the team's offense and make it a difficult unit to stop. 

Harry Giles

Predicted Pick: No. 10 overall to the Miami Heat

Another freshman in Duke forward Harry Giles might be one of the most questionable and unproven lottery picks of the year. 

After missing the first 11 games due to injury, Giles hasn't been able to secure regular playing time. In his 12 games this season, he's played fewer than 10 minutes in five of them. 

The irregular playing time has affected his production, as he's had only two games with double-digit scoring outputs while shooting 52.8 percent from the field. 

As the best talent in the country coming out of high school, Giles still comes with lofty expectations. Ford wrote that his "upside is as high as anyone's in the draft."

With plenty of basketball left to be played, Giles has a chance to further settle into the college game and build up his draft stock even more before June.