2017 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Intriguing Prospects Pre-NCAA Championship

There are exactly zero guaranteed lottery picks in Monday's national championship game. The last vestiges of the top 10 were sent packing during Kentucky's classic loss to North Carolina in the Elite Eight.

The Tar Heels, looking to redeem themselves from last season's heartbreak, carry one potential first rounder in Justin Jackson. Zach Collins' big performance against South Carolina only further served to give the Gonzaga big man some lottery buzz, but the Bulldogs aren't exactly known for producing one-and-done talent. 

Instead, the lottery should be filled with guys we saw bow out relatively early in March—and some who didn't even make the Big Dance at all. 

Here is a look at where things stand right before the draft process really starts kicking off.

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	Orlando Magic	Jayson Tatum	F	Duke
5	New York Knicks	Dennis Smith	G	NC State
6	Philadelphia 76ers	De'Aaron Fox	G	Kentucky
7	Sacramento Kings	Jonathan Isaac	F	Florida State
8	Minnesota Timberwolves	Lauri Markkanen	F	Arizona
9	Sacramento Kings (via Pelicans)	Malik Monk	G	Kentucky
10	Dallas Mavericks	Frank Ntilikina	G	France
11	Charlotte Hornets	Harry Giles	F	Duke
12	Detroit Pistons	Miles Bridges	F	Michigan State
13	Chicago Bulls	Ivan Rabb	F	California
14	Denver Nuggets	Terrance Ferguson	G	Australia
15	Portland Trail Blazers	TJ Leaf	F	UCLA
16	Miami Heat	Robert Williams	F	Texas A&M
17	Indiana Pacers	OG Anunoby	F	Indiana
18	Milwaukee Bucks	Isaiah Hartenstein	F	Germany
19	Atlanta Hawks	John Collins	F	Wake Forest
20	Denver Nuggets (via Grizzlies)	Justin Jackson	F	North Carolina
21	Oklahoma City Thunder	Zach Collins	C	Gonzaga
22	Toronto Raptors (via Clippers)	Rodions Kurucs	F	Latvia
23	Orlando Magic (via Raptors)	Luke Kennard	G	Duke
24	Utah Jazz	Tyler Lydon	F	Syracuse
25	Brooklyn Nets (via Wizards)	Donovan Mitchell	G	Louisville
26	Portland Trail Blazers (via Cavs)	Ike Anigbogu	C	UCLA
27	Brooklyn Nets (via Nets)	Caleb Swanigan	F	Purdue
28	Los Angeles Lakers (via Rockets)	Jordan Bell	F	Oregon
29	San Antonio Spurs	Josh Hart	G	Villanova
30	Utah Jazz (via Warriors)	Kostja Mushidi	G	Belgium

1. Boston Celtics: Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington

With apologies to LaVar Ball, his son should not go No. 1 overall under any circumstances. Having watched Fultz and Lonzo Ball play a significant amount, it's pretty clear the former is a better, higher-upside pick—the best player in this class.

The big and perhaps only knock on Fultz was that he was unable to lead Washington to the NCAA tournament. But all it took was five minutes of watching the Huskies play to realize how overmatched he was on a nightly basis. Washington was severely talent deficient and poorly coached, with Fultz often having to barrel his head into the teeth of bad spacing and make things happen.

Fultz is going to be an even better player in the pros than he was at Washington. He's a smooth athlete who does his best work in open space, which he'd see plenty of in Boston's offense. The Celtics have an obvious conflict with Isaiah Thomas needing the ball as a primary ball-handler, but they can't pass on Fultz here.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA

LaVar nonetheless gets his wish here, as the Lakers wind up keeping Lonzo in Los Angeles. There are some logistical problems here—namely the presence of D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson—but the Lakers are a star-chasing franchise. 

Ball is instantly the most marketable player on this roster, even if he does come with the fatherly baggage. The Lakers could probably flip Clarkson for a solid wing to help round out their roster, and Russell has always graded better to me as a combo guard than a primary ball handler.

Lonzo-to-LA is too good to not happen.

3. Phoenix Suns: Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas

This scenario is a best-case for the Suns, who are flush with guards and could use an athletic wing after trading away P.J. Tucker. Jackson has just about everything you'd want from a prospect except for an outside shot, which in today's game is enough to make him a bit of a risk.

Perhaps the most promising aspect of Jackson's freshman season was the way he improved as a shooter as the year went along. After making only nine threes in Kansas' first 18 games, Jackson knocked down 25 in his final 25 contests. He finished the year hitting a respectable 37.8 percent from deep.

While that percentage is unlikely to transfer after moving the line back a little for the NBA, it speaks to Jackson's ability to develop and willingness to work on his game. 

4. Orlando Magic: Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke

Otherwise known as the Tobias Harris replacement. Tatum is arguably a higher-upside version of Harris. They're both of a similar size (6'8") and at their most comfortable offensively doing work just inside the three-point line—that deadman's area that needs to be turned into threes before a player can really take the leap.

Orlando inexplicably traded Harris last year for a bag of beans. Drafting Tatum would be a chance to rectify that mistake, though it's one general manager Rob Hennigan never should have made in the first place.

5. New York Knicks: Dennis Smith, PG, NC State

The Knicks' plan for 2017-18 is a full-time commitment to the triangle. If that's really the case, Smith is a terrible fit. He's a modern pick-and-roll point guard who uses his quickness and athleticism to slash his way to the basket.

You know, kind of like that point guard the Knicks have now. With Derrick Rose's impending free agency (and continued knee problems), New York enters this offseason with a clear hole at the point guard spot. Smith and De'Aaron Fox are the two best options in this scenario, but neither are particularly strong fits for the triangle plan.

Luckily, the Knicks' track record of actually keeping their long-term plans means they'll probably take Smith or Fox in this spot and do the square-peg-in-a-round-hole thing and wonder why it doesn't work out.