NBA Draft 2017: Mock Draft Projections for 1st-Round Players Who Will Be Steals

The nature of the NBA draft can make it hard to quantify a steal. 

In the top half of the order or so, teams take gambles on younger players boasting plenty of upside and hope for the best. The latter half usually features prospects who have longer collegiate track records closer to ceilings who can come in and help right away.

One might consider Dejounte Murray one of last year's biggest steals. Taken by the San Antonio Spurs (go figure) at No. 29, Murray posted some notable minutes in the playoffs after flashing during the regular season and seems ready to take the role from Tony Parker sooner rather than later.

This year, a handful of guys seem like they could be serious steals. Team fit and other factors will influence whether they attain these labels, but, for now, the guys listed after this updated mock look like the biggest steals in the class.

2017 NBA Mock Draft

Team	Player
1. Celtics (via BKN)	Markelle Fultz, G, Washington
2. Lakers	Lonzo Ball, G, UCLA
3. 76ers	Josh Jackson, F, Kansas
4. Suns	Jayson Tatum, F, Duke
5. Kings (via PHI)	Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State
6. Magic	De'Aaron Fox, G, Kentucky
7. Timberwolves	Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga
8. Knicks	Frank Ntilikina, G, France
9. Mavericks	Dennis Smith Jr., G, NC State
10. Kings (via NO)	Malik Monk, G, Kentucky
11. Hornets	Harry Giles, F, Duke
12. Pistons	Lauri Markkanen, F, Arizona
13. Nuggets	Terrance Ferguson, G, Australia
14. Heat	Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina
15. Trail Blazers	Ivan Rabb, F, California
16. Bulls	John Collins, F, Wake Forest
17. Bucks	Tony Bradley, C, North Carolina
18. Pacers	Jarrett Allen, C, Texas
19. Hawks	Isaiah Hartenstein, F, Germany
20. Trail Blazers (via MEM)	OG Anunoby, F, Indiana
21. Thunder	TJ Leaf, F, UCLA
22. Nets (via WAS)	Dwayne Bacon, F, Florida State
23. Raptors (via LAC)	Moritz Wagner, F, Michigan
24. Jazz	Ike Anigbogu, C, UCLA
25. Magic (via TOR)	Jordan Bell, F, Oregon
26. Trail Blazers (via CLE)	Donovan Mitchell, G, Louisville
27. Nets (via BOS)	Sindarius Thornwell, G, South Carolina
28. Lakers (via HOU)	Jonathan Jeanne, C, France
29. Spurs	Caleb Swanigan, F, Purdue
30. Jazz (via GSW)	Luke Kennard, G, Duke

Potential Draft Steals

Harry Giles, F, Duke

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

It's not much of an exaggeration to say Duke's Harry Giles could wind up as the best prospect from this class.

That's gross hyperbole for most prospects, but not Giles, whose injury-riddled path to the draft has left him with little in the way of proven resume outside of superb, NBA-ready athleticism.

For those counting, Giles is 6'10 1/2" and 232 pounds and tops it off with a 7'3 1/4" wingspan. The problem is a pair of serious knee injuries he suffered before he even turned 18.

As a Western Conference executive told CBSSports.com's Reid Forgrave, it might all come down to fit:

"He's a bit of a mystery and such a challenging evaluation. A couple years ago he was one of the most impactful players out there at his age and in his class. If you feel like you have a pretty deep team and you're looking to take a flier on a kid who does have legitimate upside if he can put it all together and stay healthy, I do think he's easily a high first-round talent."

If Giles can land with the right team and stay healthy, his elite two-way upside could blossom and see him earning significant playing time sooner rather than later. 

The Charlotte Hornets take this roll of the dice on a potential steal in the mock above. Building around Kemba Walker is the top priority there, and it doesn't seem like it's an overly hot free-agent destination, so the front office will need to take some gambles if it wants to compete. 

Giles, at least on paper, has the potential to move the needle in that direction if he can stay on the court.

Lauri Markkanen, F, Arizona

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

It's easy for forwards to fall into the realm of steal territory in a draft class defined by backcourt players. 

Lauri Markkanen, though, has the talent to make many franchises who pass on him smack their heads in hindsight.

Markkanen is a sharpshooter who stands at a gigantic 7'0" and 230 pounds. He's not a traditional big man who will bang down low while protecting the rim and gobbling up boards on the glass—but it's not like those sorts of big men are the norm anymore.

Collegiate numbers sum this up well. In his lone season at Arizona, Markkanen averaged 15.6 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting from the floor and 42.3 percent from deep. But he only managed 7.2 boards and 0.5 blocks per game despite standing 7'0" tall.

NBA.com's Christopher Dempsey provided some context to his shooting numbers: "He made 47 percent of all of his jump shots, including 42 percent of his 3-point shots. But firing away from the 3-point line isn't all Markkanen was capable of doing. After the catch on pick-and-pop circumstances, Markkanen could put the ball on the ground and drive to the rim with either hand."

Whether Markkanen ultimately grabs the steal classification will come down to fit. Above, the Detroit Pistons peg him as a proper fit when rotating in for Tobias Harris, as his shooting will provide serious spacing for Andre Drummond underneath the basket.

Maybe the pick doesn't earn the highest grades right out of the gates, but Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy knows a thing or two about how to squeeze the most out of bigs who can shoot like he has in the past with Ryan Anderson and others.

Jarrett Allen, C, Texas

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Speaking of big men who fall under the radar in a class like this, guys who go the opposite way of Markkanen tend to fall into steal territory as well.

Perhaps the best example is Texas' Jarrett Allen. At all of 19 years old, Allen is a raw offensive prospect who uses his 6'10 1/2", 233.6-pound frame to defend the rim well and dominate the glass.

As a freshman, Allen soaked up 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game over an average of 32.1 minutes. A note from an ESPN.com scouting report back when he declared in March summed up the risk-reward here: "He needs to get stronger so that he can handle the physicality of the league, but a number of huge games at the end of the season combined with some promise as a jump shooter give him intriguing upside as a prospect."

In the right situation, Allen might become a late-blooming steal. NBA teams are impatient, but Allen certainly has the athleticism to chase around smaller players and defend inside. If he keeps working on his range, teams might have a problem keeping him off the court.

The Indiana Pacers seem like a solid fit for Allen in the mock above because the team figures to walk a tightrope between contending now and building for the future based on the unpredictable future of Paul George.

While the Pacers already have the budding Myles Turner, there's nothing wrong with some forward-looking developmental depth that gives the front office freedom to do as it sees fit when trying to either rebuild or go heavily into win-now mode.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.