
Josh Jackson will be one of the first forwards taken in the 2017 NBA Draft. (Getty)
Just a few weeks remain before the 2017 NBA Draft. It is the calm before the storm with limited information flowing from teams.
Lonzo Ball is slated to work out with the Los Angeles Lakers on June 7, and it looks like the only team Ball will work out for is Los Angeles. Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler reported Ball must “blow the doors off” the workout for the Lakers to select him with the No. 2 pick.
This is hard to believe for a few reasons. The Lakers will have their first draft since Magic Johnson is back in the front office. Johnson wants to get good players for the Lakers, but also understands the Los Angeles market. Ball and all that surrounds him is a perfect fit for the L.A. lights. There are also obvious similarities to Johnson in Ball’s passing ability and court vision. All this will be too tempting for the Lakers to pass up.
However, HuffPost Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports the Lakers are not sold on Ball citing a Lakers source close to the situation. “It’s not even close right now. Ball won’t be a Laker unless they really start to buy into him as a star,” the source told Schultz.
The Lakers are working out additional players with an eye on the other top point guards in the draft. The Vertical’s Shams Charania reported the Lakers will work out Dennis Smith Jr. and De’Aaron Fox. Smith is an interesting name to watch as he as much talent as anyone in the draft but questions surround his poor finish at NC State.
As you are waiting for draft day, take a look at the statistical model Reddit user kip_chelly put together as a way to compare 2017 NBA Draft prospects to current NBA players. The model uses prospects stats and compares them with past college players. Here are a few notable comparisons, but be sure to check out kip_chelly’s full findings.
Fox’s numbers most closely resembled Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson. Fox’s data also had similarities to Marcus Smart and Elfrid Payton- players who could be viewed as Fox’s floor.
Jonathan Isaac was comparable to Al-Farouq Aminu and Kawhi Leonard. Isaac has not displayed massive amounts of offensive ability but does have the versatility to defend multiple positions. The hard part is projecting whether Isaac can develop into a primary scorer.
My big board of top 75 players is now available on Fan Speak where you can control your favorite team and conduct your own mock draft. Try it out for yourself and reach out to me on Twitter @JonDAdams with your results.
Fans wishing to look ahead to 2018 can also check out my latest 2018 NBA mock draft outlining the stars to watch for next year’s draft.
Here’s my breakdown of every pick of the NBA draft in my latest two-round mock draft.
NBA Mock Draft 1st Round

Malik Monk’s shooting ability is about to make one NBA team very happy. (Getty)
The third pick will begin to show how the draft will unfold. Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk are the four likely candidates in play for the Sixers. What direction they choose will have a domino effect on the rest of the draft. As of now, I have the Sixers siding with Jackson, but Fox is also a logical choice depending on how serious the Sixers are about playing Ben Simmons at point guard.
PICK | PLAYER |
1. Boston Celtics | PG Markelle Fultz, Washington |
2. LA Lakers | PG Lonzo Ball, UCLA |
3. Philadelphia 76ers | SF Josh Jackson, Kansas |
4. Phoenix Suns | SF Jayson Tatum, Duke |
5. Sacramento Kings | PG De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky |
6. Orlando Magic | PG Dennis Smith Jr., NC State |
7. Minnesota Timberwolves | F Jonathan Isaac, Florida State |
8. New York Knicks | SG Malik Monk, Kentucky |
9. Dallas Mavericks | PG Frank Ntilikina, France |
10. Sacramento Kings | PF Lauri Markkanen, Arizona |
11. Charlotte Hornets | PF John Collins, Wake Forest |
12. Detroit Pistons | SG Luke Kennard, Duke |
13. Denver Nuggets | C/F Zach Collins, Gonzaga |
14. Miami Heat | SF Justin Jackson, North Carolina |
15. Portland Trail Blazers | F OG Anunoby, Indiana |
16. Chicago Bulls | SG Donovan Mitchell, Louisville |
17. Milwaukee Bucks | C Harry Giles, Duke |
18. Indiana Pacers | SG Terrance Ferguson, Australia |
19. Atlanta Hawks | C Jarrett Allen, Texas |
20. Portland Trail Blazers | F Rodions Kurucs, Latvia |
21. Oklahoma City Thunder | F Semi Ojeleye, SMU |
22. Brooklyn Nets | PF Jordan Bell, Oregon |
23. Toronto Raptors | PG Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State |
24. Utah Jazz | F Tyler Lydon, Syracuse |
25. Orlando Magic | C Bam Adebayo, Kentucky |
26. Portland Trail Blazers | PF Isaiah Hartenstein, Germany |
27. Brooklyn Nets | F D.J. Wilson, Michigan |
28. L.A. Lakers | C Ike Anigbogu, UCLA |
29. San Antonio Spurs | C Jonathan Jeanne, France |
30. Utah Jazz | C Justin Patton, Creighton |
NBA Mock Draft 2nd Round

Dillon Brooks is a name to watch in the second round. (Getty)
The second round is where things get interesting as teams look for players who have a chance to make their roster or are worth stashing in the D-League. Here are a few sleepers to keep an eye on.
Syracuse forward Andrew White is a perfect Three-and-D candidate at the next level. White has good size, shot 40 percent from the three-point line and averaged 18.5 points. A team in need of shooting would be wise to take a chance on him.
All Johnathan Motley did at Baylor was produce averaging nearly a double-double in Waco. Motley is a steal if he falls into the second round.
Florida’s Devin Robinson is an interesting prospect who I got to see in person a few times. Robinson is crazy athletic but lacks polish. While he is not always in the right place, Robinson has a good motor and a team will see value in his upside.
PICK | PLAYER |
31. Atlanta Hawks | G Derrick White, Colorado |
32. Phoenix Suns | SF Dillon Brooks, Oregon |
33. Orlando Magic | F Johnathan Motley, Baylor |
34. Sacramento Kings | PF Ivan Rabb, Cal |
35. Orlando Magic | F Devin Robinson, Florida |
36. Philadelphia 76ers | PG Frank Jackson, Duke |
37. Boston Celtics | C Caleb Swanigan, Purdue |
38. Chicago Bulls | PF T.J. Leaf, UCLA |
39. Philadelphia 76ers | PF Mathias Lessort, France |
40. New Orleans Pelicans | PG Monte Morris, Iowa State |
41. Charlotte Hornets | SG James Blackmon Jr., Indiana |
42. Utah Jazz | SG Davon Reed, Miami |
43. Houston Rockets | PG Frank Mason III, Kansas |
44. New York Knicks | PF Cameron Oliver, Nevada |
45. Houston Rockets | PF Alec Peters, Valpo |
46. Philadelphia 76ers | C Anzejs Pasecniks, Latvia |
47. Indiana Pacers | SF Andrew White, Syracuse |
48. Milwaukee Bucks | C Tony Bradley, North Carolina |
49. Denver Nuggets | PG P.J. Dozier, South Carolina |
50. Philadelphia 76ers | PG Kobi Simmons, Arizona |
51. Denver Nuggets | F Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson |
52. Washington Wizards | PF Jonah Bolden, Australia |
53. Boston Celtics | SG Tyler Dorsey, Oregon |
54. Phoenix Suns | SG Wesley Iwundu, Kansas State |
55. Utah Jazz | C Eric Mika, BYU |
56. Boston Celtics | SG Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina |
57. Brooklyn Nets | SF Dwayne Bacon, Florida State |
58. New York Knicks | SG Josh Hart, Villanova |
59. San Antonio Spurs | PF Kyle Kuzma, Utah |
60. Atlanta Hawks | PG Marcus Keene, Central Michigan |