NBA Mock Draft 2017: 1st-Round Projections and Stock Watch for Top Prospects

The NBA draft stock market saw its first major shakeup during March Madness.

Fitting, as the end of the bracket signals the beginning of the run to the draft. A strong class demands attention on its own, but this year should be more interesting than usual because the other offseason landmark—free agency—has the look of a yawn-worthy event.

There's nothing boring about a class led by Josh Jackson, Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, not to mention some of the names surging on the stock market after the Big Dance.

Below, let's look at an updated mock draft based on team need and the prospect stock market before zooming on some of the biggest stock gainers as of late.

2017 NBA Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player
1	Boston Celtics (via Nets)	Josh Jackson, F, Kansas
2	Phoenix Suns	Markelle Fultz, G, Washington
3	Los Angeles Lakers	Lonzo Ball, G, UCLA
4	Philadelphia 76ers	Malik Monk, G, Kentucky
5	Orlando Magic	De'Aaron Fox, G, Kentucky
6	New York Knicks	Jayson Tatum, F, Duke
7	Minnesota Timberwolves	Frank Ntilikina, G, France
8	Sacramento Kings	Lauri Markkanen, F, Arizona
9	Dallas Mavericks	Dennis Smith Jr., G, NC State
10	Sacramento Kings (via Pelicans)	Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State
11	Charlotte Hornets	Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga
12	Detroit Pistons	Miles Bridges, F, Michigan State
13	Denver Nuggets	Harry Giles, F, Duke
14	Miami Heat	Ivan Rabb, F, California
15	Chicago Bulls	Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina
16	Portland Trail Blazers	Terrance Ferguson, G, Australia
17	Indiana Pacers	Jarrett Allen, C, Texas
18	Milwaukee Bucks	Justin Patton, C, Creighton
19	Atlanta Hawks	Edrice "Bam" Adebayo, F, Kentucky
20	Portland Trail Blazers (via Grizzlies)	Isaiah Hartenstein, F, Germany
21	Oklahoma City Thunder	OG Anunoby, F, Indiana
22	Brooklyn Nets (via Wizards)	TJ Leaf, F, UCLA
23	Utah Jazz	Ike Anigbogu, C, UCLA
24	Toronto Raptors (via Clippers)	Dwayne Bacon, F, Florida State
25	Orlando Magic (via Raptors)	Moritz Wagner, F, Michigan
26	Portland Trail Blazers (via Cavaliers)	Andrew Jones, G, Texas
27	Brooklyn Nets (via Celtics)	Kostja Mushidi, G, Belgium
28	Los Angeles Lakers (via Rockets)	Tony Bradley, C, North Carolina
29	San Antonio Spurs	Jordan Bell, F, Oregon
30	Utah Jazz (via Warriors)	Luke Kennard, G, Duke

Notable Stock Risers 

De'Aaron Fox, G, Kentucky

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Malik Monk is the Kentucky player most know heading into the draft, yet it's runningmate De'Aaron Fox making the most headway in the stock department.

It's important to have a disclaimer that says stats aren't the most important thing in the world when evaluating a prospect. That out of the way, Fox grabbed the attention of the nation in the Sweet 16 against third-seeded UCLA, dropping 39 points in an 86-75 victory.

Fox absolutely deserves the attention for winning a head-to-head encounter with Ball on a national stage. The NBA continues to keep an eye on him, too, as captured by Scout.com's Evan Daniels:

Offensive outbursts from Fox aren't the norm, not for a guy who looks like a collegiate John Wall at 6'3" and 187 pounds. The same questions about whether he can knock down shots from range in the pros persist, though everything else about his raw game flaunts alluring upside.

The Orlando Magic take the risk in the mock above, though it should be clear by now Fox doesn't classify as much of a consolation prize. He's one of the best players in the class with perhaps the most upside of any, which is a pair of dice the Magic will look to roll in the hopes of getting out of one of the Association's most extensive rebuilds.

TJ Leaf, F, UCLA

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

In the same way Ball overshadows other guards in the class, he also shoves teammates like TJ Leaf behind him when it comes to draft stock. 

Not anymore.

Remember the Kentucky game? Leaf went off with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, a good example of what he's about. The freshman stands at 6'10" and 225 pounds with an ability to score from all over the court, hence his averaging 16.3 points per game during the regular season while shooting 61.7 percent from the floor and 46.6 percent from deep.

Leaf didn't need a ton of help with his stock. He's the perfect fit in today's NBA as a stretch 4, though as Sporting News' Sam Vecenie wrote in December, he has a strong inside game as well:

"

Inside, Leaf is also pretty solid post player, with the ability to hit shots in the mid-post (a la the Dirk Nowitzki-style jumper seen above) as well as use his polished footwork to get to the rim. Currently, Leaf ranks in the 98th percentile in efficiency on post-ups, scoring at a nearly 1.4 point-per-possession clip. 

"

The Brooklyn Nets are more than happy to get a versatile player like Leaf at No. 22 in the mock above. It's a major win considering how bad it hurts to likely see the top pick go to Boston. 

In Brooklyn, Leaf would have plenty of room to space the floor for Brook Lopez underneath the basket, not to mention complement the matchup nightmare known as Rondae Hollis-Jefferson quite well.

Jordan Bell, F, Oregon

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Oregon's Jordan Bell is a good example of recent play raising awareness enough to promote a player to first-round status.

After averaging 10.9 points in the regular season, the Pac-12's Defensive Player of the Year posted 13 or more three times in the Big Dance, playing a key role in the Ducks' run to the Final Four while banging down low with the likes of Michigan and Kansas, not to mention the one-point loss to North Carolina.

Again, stats aren't everything, but Bell posted 16 blocks over five tournament games. Ranking him as the third-best rim protector likely to declare for the draft, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman noted other small things NBA teams will love.

"Bell has a terrific nose and can tap into an extra gear of toughness when challenging inside. He also brings transition rim protection, an overlooked form of defense. Bell has made a habit of erasing opposing teams' fast breaks by sprinting the floor for chase-down blocks," Wasserman wrote.

It's a case of the rich get richer in the mock above. Bell's booming draft stock based on his defensive prowess puts him in range for the San Antonio Spurs. The roster already boasts LaMarcus Aldridge, David Lee, Pau Gasol and Dewayne Dedmon, but call it building for the future.

In the interim, Bell can work on his offensive game while learning from Aldridge and Gasol.

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