NBA Draft 2017: 1st-Round Mock Draft, Landing Spots for Coveted Prospects

The 2017 NBA draft appears top-heavy in terms of quality players, which means teams selecting near the top will have an opportunity to make sizable gains by landing potential difference-makers.

There isn't much separating the likes of Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum, so their order to selection will depend largely on the needs of the top teams in the draft and how the lottery plays out.

Based on current lottery odds, here is a full, first-round mock draft, along with further analysis regarding the prospects likely to hear their names called in the first few picks.

Pick No.	Team	Selection
1	Boston Celtics (from Brooklyn)	Josh Jackson, SG/SF, Kansas
2	Phoenix Suns	Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington
3	Los Angeles Lakers	Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA
4	Philadelphia 76ers	De'Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky
5	Orlando Magic	Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke
6	Minnesota Timberwolves	Malik Monk, SG/PG, Kentucky
7	New York Knicks	Jonathan Isaac, SF/PF, Florida State
8	Sacramento Kings	Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona
9	Dallas Mavericks	Dennis Smith, PG, NC State
10	Sacramento Kings (from New Orleans)	Frank Ntilikina, PG, France
11	Charlotte Hornets	Jarrett Allen, C, Texas
12	Detroit Pistons	T.J. Leaf, PF, UCLA
13	Denver Nuggets	John Collins, PF/C, Wake Forest
14	Miami Heat	Zach Collins, PF/C, Gonzaga
15	Portland Trail Blazers	Justin Patton, C, Creighton
16	Chicago Bulls	Ivan Rabb, PF/C, California
17	Milwaukee Bucks	Luke Kennard, SG, Duke
18	Indiana Pacers	Justin Jackson, SF, North Carolina
19	Atlanta Hawks	OG Anunoby, SF, Indiana
20	Portland Trail Blazers (from Memphis via Denver)	Terrance Ferguson, SG, USA
21	Oklahoma City Thunder	Harry Giles, PF/C, Duke
22	Brooklyn Nets (from Washington)	Donovan Mitchell, SG, Louisville
23	Toronto Raptors	Rodions Kurucs, SF, Latvia
24	Utah Jazz	Dwayne Bacon, SG/SF, Florida State
25	Orlando Magic (from Toronto via Los Angeles Clippers)	Tyler Lydon, PF, Syracuse
26	Portland Trail Blazers (from Cleveland)	Anzejs Pasecniks, C, Latvia
27	Brooklyn Nets (from Boston)	Caleb Swanigan, PF/C, Purdue
28	Los Angeles Lakers (from Houston)	Bam Adebayo, PF/C, Kentucky
29	San Antonio Spurs	Jordan Bell, PF/C, Oregon
30	Utah Jazz (from Golden State)	Ike Anigbogu, C, UCLA

Josh Jackson

The Boston Celtics hold the best chance to land the No. 1 overall pick in the draft thanks to a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, which means they will add an elite talent to a team that earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season.

While many mock drafts project Fultz and Ball to be the top two selections, Kansas' Josh Jackson appears to be the best fit for the Celtics.

Boston already has a guard in Isaiah Thomas who commands the ball on nearly every possession, which may not mesh well with a like-minded player such as Fultz or Ball.

The Celtics do have a need when it comes to a player who can get open off the ball and score from the wing, however, which is precisely the skill set Jackson brings to the table.

In his only season with the Jayhawks, Jackson averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

He also shot an impressive 51.3 percent from the field and even showed solid range by knocking down 37.8 percent of his three-point attempts.

Additionally, Kansas head coach Bill Self gave Jackson a ringing endorsement after he declared for the draft, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): "We are all very happy for Josh and his family and are very proud of having coached one of the most talented kids that has ever come through here. We've had a lot really good ones here, but Josh is as prepared for the next level as anyone that we have ever had."

The Celtics are built to win now, so an ideal circumstance in the draft will be landing a player who can help them become championship contenders as early as 2017-18.

Adding Jackson alongside Thomas and Al Horford is a move that could help Boston reach the next level.

It would also place less offensive emphasis on Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley, allowing them to focus primarily on locking down the opposition defensively, which is where they shine.

Markelle Fultz

Fultz somewhat flew under the radar on the national college basketball scene this past season due to Washington's struggles as a team, but that is no longer the case headed toward the draft.

He is unanimously considered among the top prospects available, and it would be a major upset if he doesn't come off the board in the top two picks.

Like the Celtics, the Phoenix Suns have a greater need on the wing, but if Jackson goes No. 1 overall, it will be nearly impossible for Phoenix to pass on Fultz.

Fultz dominated in 2016-17 to the tune of 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest.

He also shot 47.6 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from downtown, making him the most lethal offensive weapon in the draft.

With such an impressive array of skills at his disposal, Fultz already has lofty goals for his first NBA campaign, per ESPN.com: "No. 1 is big for me because I've been dreaming about it all my life. I want to come in and kill it. I want to be rookie of the year ... honestly, me? I want to be MVP next year."

Phoenix has a backcourt logjam already with Devin Booker, Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, but drafting Fultz would allow it to get younger and cheaper.

Booker is a keeper, but either Bledsoe or Knight could be traded for frontcourt help or draft picks in order to make room for Fultz.

Phoenix has laid the groundwork for success moving forward, especially if the likes of Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender pan out at power forward.

Fultz appears to be a can't-miss prospect, though, and selecting him would be another step toward returning to playoff contention for the Suns.

Lonzo Ball

Ball was the talk of the Los Angeles basketball scene this past season, and if things break correctly in the draft, that may continue to be the case for many years to come.

The former UCLA standout has often expressed his desire to play for the Lakers, and as things stand, the lottery odds point toward the Lakers landing the No. 3 overall pick.

Ball put on a show as a freshman with the Bruins, averaging 14.6 points, 7.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

He shot a remarkable 55.1 percent from the field and converted 41.2 percent of his shots from downtown as arguably college basketball's best pure shooter.

There has been plenty of debate regarding who should come off the board first between Ball and Fultz, but Ball believes he is a better all-around player, according to ESPN 710 LA (h/t ABC News): "Markelle's a great player, but I feel I'm better than him. I think I can lead a team better than him. Obviously, he's a great scorer—he's a great player, so I'm not taking that away from him."

Ball has been compared to two-time NBA MVP and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. While that may be lofty, he boasts a similar game and has immense potential.

The Lakers have needs at multiple positions, so they are in a spot in which they can select the best player available.

Ball would join a backcourt that already includes D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson. Ball is a better playmaker than both, so he would fill a major void for L.A.