NBA Draft Picks 2017: List of Results, Grades and Analysis

Andy BaileyJun 22, 2017

The 2017 NBA draft is finally here, and tons of noise was made throughout the night in the form of both picks and trades.

The Philadelphia 76ers completed the process by selecting Markelle Fultz. The Los Angeles Lakers helped LaVar Ball speak a dream into existence by taking his son Lonzo. And the Chicago Bulls traded Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Breakdowns of all 30 picks, which included a record 16 freshmen, from the first round as well as analysis of all the trades can be found below the results.

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1. 76ers—Markelle Fultz (Washington, PG, Freshman)

Fultz has been the consensus top pick in this class for a while now, and the Sixers made it official.

The player Jay Bilas called a "James Harden clone on offense" during ESPN's broadcast averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds as a freshman at Washington.

He's perhaps the top pick-and-roll ball-handler in this class, making him a nearly perfect complement to Philly center Joel Embiid. Those two, along with point forward Ben Simmons, have the 76ers set up for success for years to come.

Grade: A

2. Lakers—Lonzo Ball (UCLA, PG, Freshman)

The Los Angeles Lakers landed one of the best passers in recent memory in Lonzo Ball, who is more pass-always than pass-first.

He has incredible vision, feel and basketball IQ for a player his age, and he'll help every other young Laker get better right away.

Grade: A

3. Celtics—Jayson Tatum (Duke, SF, Freshman)

The Boston Celtics got one of the best pure scorers in the draft. Tatum has a deep reservoir of ways to score: fadeaways, post moves, pull-ups.

He should be able to relieve Isaiah Thomas of some of the offensive load he carries right away, as either a 3 in conventional lineups or a 4 in smaller looks.

Passing on Josh Jackson is a bit of a gamble, though. Jackson struggled to have a consistent form on his jump shot, but he has a more versatile two-way game.

Grade: B

4. Suns—Josh Jackson (Kansas, SF, Freshman)

Considering Jackson was locked in at No. 3 in a lot of mock drafts for months, this may actually be a bit of a slide for him.

And he's a great fit on the young Phoenix Suns. Phoenix has two promising wings in Devin Booker and T.J. Warren, but both struggle to defend. Jackson may be the best defender in this draft. Plus, he can handle the ball, pass and run some pick-and-roll.

Small-ball lineups with Booker, Warren and Jackson at 2, 3 and 4 will be a blast to watch.

Grade: A

5. Kings—De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky, PG, Freshman)

Sacramento has been high on De'Aaron Fox for a while. Not having to trade up to get him is an ideal scenario for the Kings.

Now, they can pair him with Buddy Hield, who was very solid there after the DeMarcus Cousins trade, as well as another young talent with the No. 10 pick.

Fultz and Ball generated most of the highlights over the last few months, but Fox is probably the most competitive 1 in this class. And that counts for plenty, especially when forecasting who will work hardest to improve.

Grade: A

6. Magic—Jonathan Isaac (Florida State, PF/SF, Freshman)

Jonathan Isaac is an interesting talent and someone who could play as many as three positions, from the 3 all the way to the 5. He had strong block and steal rates and could really help Orlando on the defensive end.

The only problem is the Magic already have Aaron Gordon, whose development was stymied last season by an overcrowded frontcourt.

A knockdown-shooting wing for a team that was near the bottom of the league in three-pointers would've made more sense.

Grade: C

7. Bulls—Lauri Markkanen (Arizona, PF/C, Freshman)

Chicago received this pick as part of the package that cost them Butler, and the team used it to take a potential stretch 5 in Lauri Markkanen.

Early in his career, at least as long as the Bulls have Robin Lopez, he'll probably play the 4, where he may struggle to defend.

If he can improve his rim protection and effort on the glass, he has a chance to stay on the floor and become a weapon on the offensive end.

Grade: C+

8. Knicks—Frank Ntilikina (France, PG, 18)

Phil Jackson appears to be married to the triangle, so this pick makes plenty of sense for the Knicks. One of the hallmarks of the system in years past has been big point guards, which is exactly what Frank Ntilikina is.

At 6'5" with a 7'0" wingspan, Ntilikina fits the bill perfectly. He should be able to defend either guard spot and eventually operate out of the high post on the other end.

Grade: B

9. Mavericks—Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State, PG, Freshman)

Yogi Ferrell was a nice surprise for the Dallas Mavericks last season, but they couldn't pass on a higher-ceiling 1 in Dennis Smith here.

The explosive scoring guard, who reportedly had a 48-inch vertical during the predraft process, gives Dallas a long-term option at point guard who can grow alongside Harrison Barnes and Nerlens Noel (assuming he's re-signed).

Grade: A

10. Blazers—Zach Collins (Gonzaga, PF, Freshman)

The Portland Trail Blazers grabbed this pick by trading Nos. 15 and 20 to Sacramento. And Zach Collins has a chance to be worth it.

He was incredibly productive in his lone season with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, averaging 23.2 points, 13.6 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per 40 minutes. He also shot 67.2 percent from two-point range and 47.6 percent from three-point range.

Collins has the chance to be a legit stretch 5 who can also protect the rim. For a team that gets most of its production out of the backcourt, this is a great selection.

Grade: A

11. Hornets—Malik Monk (Kentucky, SG, Freshman)

This is the first big slide of the night. Malik Monk was projected as high as No. 6 to the Magic in a lot of mock drafts, so this is great value for the Hornets.

And a lineup of Kemba Walker, Malik Monk, Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams and Dwight Howard is eerily similar to the Orlando Magic squad Howard took to the NBA Finals back in 2009.

Grade: A

12. Pistons—Luke Kennard (Duke, SG, Sophomore)

With shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope entering restricted free agency, the Detroit Pistons went out and drafted one of the best shooters in this class in Luke Kennard.

And he can do more than just shoot. Kennard can score in a variety of ways, and from all over the floor. And he scored more points in the Ohio High School basketball ranks than LeBron James.

He could have a hard time defensively, though. He had a low steal rate in college and his wingspan is just 6'5". Getting him to an average level on that end could take some time.

Grade: C+

13. Jazz—Donovan Mitchell (Louisville, SG, Sophomore)

Donovan Mitchell was one of the most explosive prospects at this year's combine, and he worked out pretty early for the Utah Jazz. That front office must've been pretty impressed by the workout, because it traded the No. 24 pick and Trey Lyles to move up to get Mitchell.

With Alec Burks struggling to stay on the floor for three years now, and Rodney Hood taking a step back in 2016-17, Mitchell makes some sense for Utah. It may be a bit of a reach when a player like Frank Jackson may have been available in the 20s, though.

Grade: B-

14. Heat—Bam Adebayo (Kentucky, C/PF, Freshman)

With Willie Reed heading to free agency, Bam Adebayo could step right in and be Hassan Whiteside's backup for the Miami Heat.

There's potential for him to play some 4 as well, though he's probably more likely to hit his ceiling as a rim-running 5.

Grade: B

15. Kings—Justin Jackson (North Carolina, SF, Junior)

Sacramento acquired this pick from the Blazers for No. 10 and used it on sweet-shooting upperclassman Justin Jackson.

The ACC Player of the Year showed NBA range throughout the season and averaged 18.3 points while shooting 37 percent from three.

Sacramento now has an intriguing young lineup coming together with Fox, Hield and Jackson at positions 1, 2 and 3.

Like some of the other offensive-first players taken Thursday night, though, it'll take some time for Jackson to become a plus on the defensive end.

Grade: B

16. Timberwolves—Justin Patton (Creighton, C, Freshman)

This pick came from the Bulls as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. Justin Patton, who was compared to Kristaps Porzingis by Bleacher Report's Dan Favale, could be an interesting third big behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng.

If he develops quickly, he might even be able to play in some lineups alongside Towns. There's plenty of upside here.

Grade: B+

17. Bucks—D.J. Wilson (Michigan, PF, Junior)

After barely playing in each of his first two seasons at Michigan, D.J. Wilson averaged double figures for the first time in his career and shot 37.3 percent from three as a junior.

He has decent perimeter skills for a 6'9" player, which is exactly what you need out of a combo forward these days.

But Wilson's late arrival is concerning. It's generally a bad sign if a player can't dominate as a freshman or sophomore. And there isn't a lot from Wilson that jumps off the screen.

This feels like a bit of insurance for Jabari Parker, who suffered a second torn ACL this past season, but Milwaukee still has time to go for high-upside picks.

Grade: D

18. Pacers—TJ Leaf (UCLA, PF, Freshman)

UCLA freshman TJ Leaf bested Markkanen in player efficiency rating, box plus-minus, rebounding percentage, assist percentage, steal percentage and block percentage, per Sports Reference.

He's a few inches shorter than Markkanen, and a lot of his production may have been tied to playing with Ball, but there's reason to believe Leaf could be every bit as good as the top-10 pick from Finland.

Grade: A

19. Hawks—John Collins (Wake Forest, C/PF, Sophomore)

John Collins led the entire NCAA in player efficiency rating with a ridiculous 35.9, per Sports Reference. His .658 true shooting percentage led the ACC.

And while he was a sophomore, Collins is still a few months shy of his 20th birthday. There's still plenty of room for growth. If he expands his game outside the paint, he could be a steal.

Grade: A

20. Kings—Harry Giles (Duke, C, Freshman)

This is another pick that was part of a trade. Sacramento picked this one up from the Blazers and went for Harry Giles.

Giles was Scout.com's top recruit prior to his freshman season at Duke, but knee injuries and limited playing time sent him spiraling down draft boards.

If he can put his injury woes behind him, this is a great upside pick, but it's certainly a gamble. Having multiple first-rounders makes that more palatable, though.

Grade: B

21. Thunder—Terrance Ferguson (Australia, SG, 19)

Terrance Ferguson struggled in his lone professional season in Australia, but playing against better competition may wind up being better NBA preparation than the NCAA.

He's an explosive athlete who still has a long way to go in terms of skill, but Russell Westbrook will get him plenty of open looks.

Grade: B

22. Nets—Jarrett Allen (Texas, C, Freshman)

This is great value for the Nets. Jarrett Allen has a 7'5" wingspan and was very productive as a freshman in Texas.

With all the big men in the middle of this first round, someone was bound to slide, and it looks like Allen is that someone.

Grade: B+

23. Raptors—OG Anunoby (Indiana, SF, Sophomore)

OG Anunoby was Scout.com's No. 3 prospect in the country prior to the 2015-16 season. A small role as a freshman and a torn ACL as a sophomore really derailed his NBA stock, though.

Like Giles, if Anunoby can come all the way back and find the form that made him such a prized recruit, this is a great value.

Grade: B+

24. Nuggets—Tyler Lydon (Syracuse, PF, Sophomore)

The Denver Nuggets moved back in the draft by trading No. 13 to Utah for Trey Lyles and No. 24. Adding Lydon to Lyles, Kenneth Faried and Juan Hernangomez is a little odd.

With so many power forwards on the roster, Lydon may have a hard time seeing the floor. Syracuse players often have a hard time adjusting from that zone defense to NBA defense.

Grade: D

25. 76ers—Anzejs Pasecniks (Latvia, C, 21)

A former teammate of Kristaps Porzingis, Anzejs Pasecniks was solid as a role player for Gran Canaria in Spain in 2016-17.

He has good mobility for his 7'2" frame, but he may need a couple of years to get up to the NBA's strength level.

Grade: B

26. Blazers—Caleb Swanigan (Purdue, PF/C, Sophomore)

Big Ten Player of the Year Caleb Swanigan was extremely productive for Purdue, averaging a whopping 15.3 rebounds per 40 minutes. He also shot 44.7 percent from three.

That combination of rebounding and shooting is very intriguing if he can figure things out on the defensive end. At this point in the first round, and with multiple picks to their names, this is solid value for Portland.

Grade: B+

27. Lakers—Kyle Kuzma (Utah, PF, Junior)

With Larry Nance and Julius Randle already in place, this is kind of an odd pick for the Lakers. Perhaps L.A. has something brewing with Randle as part of a package to get Paul George?

If not, Kuzma could have a really hard time getting on the floor.

Grade: C-

28. Jazz—Tony Bradley (North Carolina, C, Freshman)

For the second time on the night, Utah put pieces together to move up. This time, it was picks 30 and 42 to sneak up to 28 and take Tony Bradley.

Bradley didn't have a huge role as a freshman for UNC, but he put up 19.5 points and 14.1 rebounds per 40 minutes. He could develop into an affordable backup to Rudy Gobert.

Trading two picks to get him seems a little too costly, though.

Grade: C

29. Spurs—Derrick White (Colorado, SG/PG, Senior)

Derrick White was very productive in his lone season of Division I basketball, averaging 18.1 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 39.6 percent from three.

He's 22 years old, though. And as mentioned above, when a player doesn't dominate the competition till he gets a little older, it's concerning.

He couldn't be headed to a better situation, though. Few teams develop young players as well as the San Antonio Spurs.

Grade: B

30. Lakers—Josh Hart (Villanova, SG, Senior)

The Lakers closed out the first round by taking 22-year-old Josh Hart.

With so many selections in the top 30, it's easier to justify taking a senior. And with all the youth on L.A.'s roster, the maturity Hart brings makes a lot of sense.

Grade: B

31. Pelicans—Frank Jackson (Duke, PG/SG, Freshman)

Grade: A

32. Suns—Davon Reed (Miami, SG, Senior)

Grade: C

33. Magic—Wesley Iwundu (Kansas State, SG, Senior)

Grade: C+

34. Kings—Frank Mason (Kansas, PG, Senior)

Grade: C

35. Grizzlies—Ivan Rabb (California, PF/C, Sophomore)

Grade: C

36. 76ers—Jonah Bolden (Australia, PF/C, 21)