The 2017 NBA Draft will be one of the deepest drafts of the decade.
Suns fans spent lottery night drowning their sorrow in moans of agony and spewing words like “rigged” and “fixed.” But despite missing out on Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz, the Suns are actually still in a great position. The trade season will soon begin and with it, everything will change. Until then, we take what we know now and present you with our post-lottery Mock Draft 3.0.
Picks 30-26
With the last pick the first round, the Utah Jazz will get a giant of a man. Tony Bradley spent his freshman year as a backup, but he’s got a ton of potential. He has a 7’5″ wingspan supported by a solid 250lbs and climbing. Utah is likely going to want to clear some cap space as they sign Hayward and Hill to big new deals and Derrick Favors’ $12M seems like a prime suspect to be moved. Bringing in Bradley to back up the stifle tower gives them that flexibility. Perfect pick at the end of the first round.
I hate watching the Spurs draft. It’s the same thing every year, they find some undervalued player who somehow managed to fall ten slots or more below where they belonged. This year, I think it’ll be Caleb Swanigan. The man with a 7’3″ wingspan who managed to put up 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists a game this year. He’s an outstanding player. They can’t keep riding David Lee and Pau Gasol and Swanigan can fill San Antonio’s future void at center with some much needed youth. This pick by the Spurs will give you just another reason to hate them.
The Lakers have had pretty good luck over the years with drafting athletic freaks straight out of high school. Diallo gives them a chance to keep that trend going. Had he played at Kentucky he may have been a top ten pick, we just don’t know. What we do know is he has the second highest vertical ever recorded at the combine. The kid can jump out of the gym and halfway to the moon. He’s a boom or bust pick and that’s what the Lakers need.
Picking this low, the Nets just need to look for upside. Jeanne is every bit of that. He’s 7’2″ with a 7’6″ wingspan. He can shoot it and he is a pretty adapt passer to boot. He’s just too light and inexperienced right now. Putting him behind Brook Lopez would be a good chance for him to learn while he adds weight and develops an NBA post game. The Nets will unload Lopez before the season is out and Jeanne would be a nice prospect to replace him.
The Blazers just don’t have enough roster spots for all three first round picks. I would argue they really only have room for one impact player. So, I think you’ll see them draft and stash one, if not two, of their picks (assuming they keep them at all). Kurucs is a perfect player for their system. He’s just not ready to come over yet. Picking here at near the end of the first round, he’s a good fit.