2017 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions and Prospects Who Can Help Contenders

The 2017 NBA draft is drawing increasingly closer. For teams that didn't have a legitimate shot at winning a championship this season, the annual selection event will be the highlight of the offseason. For those teams, the draft represents an opportunity to lay the foundation of a turnaround.

For legitimate contenders, the draft is often of less importance. Rookies usually take time to develop, and playoff-caliber teams usually chase talent in free agency in order to capitalize on their championship window. Playoff teams generally aren't in a position to draft premier prospects anyway.

However, this doesn't mean contending teams can't and don't find help in the draft. They do, and some contenders are going to find help in this year's draft.

We'll examine draft prospects who have the potential to help out contenders early in their careers. We'll be examining prospects who are NBA ready and prospects who realistically could end up with contenders. We'll also mock the first round of the draft based on factors like player potential and team needs.

2017 NBA Mock Draft

1. Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn): Markelle Fultz, G, Washington

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

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Josh Jackson, F, Kansas

4. Phoenix Suns: Jayson Tatum, F, Duke

5. Sacramento Kings (via Philadelphia): Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State

6. Orlando Magic: De'Aaron Fox, G, Kentucky

7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Malik Monk, G, Kentucky

8. New York Knicks: Harry Giles, F, Duke

9. Dallas Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr., G, NC State

10. Sacramento Kings (via New Orleans): Frank Ntilikina, G, France

11. Charlotte Hornets: Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga

12. Detroit Pistons: Ivan Rabb, F, California

13. Denver Nuggets: Lauri Markkanen, F, Arizona

14. Miami Heat: Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina

15. Portland Trail Blazers: Terrance Ferguson, G, Australia

16. Chicago Bulls: OG Anunoby, F, Indiana

17. Milwaukee Bucks: Jarrett Allen, C, Texas

18. Indiana Pacers: Tony Bradley, C, North Carolina

19. Atlanta Hawks: John Collins, F, Wake Forest

20. Portland Trail Blazers (via Memphis): TJ Leaf, F, UCLA

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Dwayne Bacon, F, Florida State

22. Brooklyn Nets (via Washington): Moritz Wagner, F, Michigan

23. Toronto Raptors (via LA Clippers): Jordan Bell, F, Oregon

24. Utah Jazz: Justin Patton, C, Creighton

25. Orlando Magic (via Toronto): Caleb Swanigan, F, Purdue

26. Portland Trail Blazers: (via Cleveland): Josh Hart, G, Villanova

27. Brooklyn Nets (via Boston): Sindarius Thornwell, G, South Carolina

28. Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston): Ike Anigbogu, C, UCLA

29. San Antonio Spurs: Isaiah Hartenstein, F, Germany

30. Utah Jazz (via Golden State): Rodions Kurucs, F, Latvia

Prospects for Contenders

Markelle Fultz, G, Washington

There's a good chance that Washington product Markelle Fultz is the first player taken in this year's draft. He and UCLA's Lonzo Ball are widely considered the top offensive prospects in the draft. The problem with Ball is that he and his family seem to want him in Los Angeles, and the Boston Celtics hold the top overall pick.

Ball has gone so far as to decline pre-draft workouts wit the Celtics.

"We tried to get him in for a workout and he politely said no," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said on 98.5 the Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich show (h/t A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com).

Now normally, the first overall pick in the draft isn't in position to help a contender. However—as you might have heard—the Celtics advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before being ousted by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Celtics have the Brooklyn Nets' selection thanks to the 2013 trade involving Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Will Fultz step on to the court and be an immediate NBA force? Probably not. He'll only be 19 when the 2017-18 season starts. Yet this is why he's a great fit for the Celtics.

The Celtics can work Fultz into games gradually throughout the season in order to get him experience. By the time the playoffs roll around, he should be seasoned enough to contribute as a scorer—giving the team another quality option alongside Isaiah Thomas.

Over the long term, Fultz makes sense for the Celtics because they are a young team. Core players like Thomas, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder are all on the underside of 30. Fultz can potentially grow alongside these guys and help make Boston a contender for several years.

Sindarius Thornwell, G, South Carolina

When examining prospects more likely to fall in the traditional range of contending teams, one has to take an extended look at South Carolina product Sindarius Thornwell. This is actually a great thing for both Thornwell and for the team that drafts him, because Thornwell should be ready to play right away.

Unlike most first-round prospects, Thornwell is a senior. He's 22 years old and he already has a 6'5", 210-pound NBA body. There will be a learning curve, to be sure, but physically, Thornwell should be ready for the pro transition.

Thornwell might not be the most athletic prospect in the draft, or the most exciting, but he's effective. He averaged 21.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season, while regularly playing sound defense—and this is the level of contribution he should be able to make early in his career.

Thornwell may not turn into a legitimate star at the NBA level, but he can be a solid role player for a contending team.

"I'm not a lottery pick, but I feel like I'm a lottery player," Thornwell said, per Dwayne McLemore of TheState.com. "I'm a glue guy. I can come in right away and produce on both ends of the court, but most importantly, the defensive end."

There's absolutely nothing wrong with adding a solid, consistent role player to your roster. Teams looking to challenge the Cavaliers or the Golden State Warriors for conference dominance should already be looking to add a player like Thornwell.

Isaiah Hartenstein, F, Germany

While not nearly as experienced as Thornwell, German player Isaiah Hartenstein has one thing going for him that should allow him to help a contender early. Size.

Even at just 19 years old, Hartenstein is already 7'1" and 250 pounds. He is athletic enough to be a threat from multiple spots on the floor and he can be a tough, gritty defender. Naturally, his size gives him value as a rebounder.

According to DraftExpress.com, Hartenstein has a lifetime average of 14.0 rebounds per 40 minutes of playing time. If there's a contender out there that doesn't want a double-digit rebounder on its roster, there's something wrong.

With time, Hartenstein may develop into a budding star in the mold of Kristaps Porzingis. While Porzingis didn't truly break out until this past season, his rookie campaign last year showed what kind of contributor Hartenstein may be as a rookie.

Even as a rookie, Porzingis was good for more than 14 points and seven rebounds a game. These aren't unrealistic numbers for Hartenstein to shoot for, and they're numbers a contender should welcome immediately.