Markelle Fultz Declares for 2017 NBA Draft

Washington Huskies star point guard Markelle Fultz officially declared for the NBA draft Friday, a move long assumed inevitable for a player many consider the likely top overall pick.

The Washington basketball Twitter page shared his statement:

Fultz, a freshman, averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game for the 9-22 Huskies.

Most draft experts have Fultz atop their boards. Chad Ford of ESPN.com gave Fultz the slightest edge over UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball on his latest big board:

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In a survey of a number of top NBA execs and scouts, Fultz still polled slightly ahead of Ball as the No. 1 pick. What's keeping him ahead? He's a more complete player and scorer than Ball and lacks any major holes in his game.

This doesn't mean he'll be the No. 1 pick, though several teams that could potentially land the No. 1 pick like the Celtics, Sixers and Wolves seem to be leaning toward Fultz right now.

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In his latest mock draft, B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projected Fultz to land with the Boston Celtics at No. 1: "Fultz, who's 6'4" and has the shooting stroke to play off the ball, should work just fine alongside Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics could unload on teams with backcourt scoring and playmaking firepower."

While Fultz's draft slot could ultimately be determined by how the draft lottery unfolds, it's hard to imagine many teams will pass on his scoring and passing ability coupled with his solid size and sneaky athleticism. He is a smooth, fluid athlete and changes his speed well to slip past defenders, reminiscent of James Harden. If Fultz continues to improve his perimeter shot, that comparison will become even more apt.

In other words, he's the prototypical modern point guard.

Whether another team falls in love with Ball or not, Fultz is a lock to be a top-two pick barring an unforeseen development between now and the draft. There was never any doubt Fultz would enter the NBA draft after one season at Washington, and he'll be the early front-runner to earn Rookie of the Year honors next season.