A lot of draft picks are changing hands in trades all over the NBA, and that’s in part because the 2017 NBA Draft is one of the deepest we’ve seen. There are potential franchise-changing players at the top and solid rotation players throughout.
Let’s take a look at the top 75 prospects for this year’s NBA Draft.
1. Markelle Fultz, Washington: It’s strange to think of Fultz’s growth, given that he’s been atop this list for a while, but notice how much better he was second time around against the Arizona defense, even getting to the free throw line 15 times. And this is just the floor. My goodness.
2. Josh Jackson, Kansas: The shooting, it is happening. The last piece, falling into place.
3. Lonzo Ball, UCLA: Has seen no decline in his offensive efficiency as he and the Bruins have picked up the defense of late.
4. Jonathan Isaac, Florida State: Here, watch what an experienced offensive talent like Michael Young does against Isaac’s defense on the perimeter.
5. Lauri Markkanen, Arizona: 22.5 points and 12 rebounds per game over the past two have allayed concerns following a mini-slump by The Finisher. We are calling him that, yes?
6. Dennis Smith Jr., North Carolina State: The turnovers are steadily rising, but the athleticism and tools are undeniable.
7. Robert Williams, Texas A&M: It’s not just that he’s scoring consistently -- he’s added distance to that range and repeatable shot. Seeing this guy shoot threes in the NBA doesn’t seem like much of a stretch, a legitimate stretch-five future.
8. Jayson Tatum, Duke: This ranking may be low. He’s taking off, and both the perimeter shot and rim protection are coming along.
9. Malik Monk, Kentucky: Monk does whatever is necessary. He’s the elite scorer in this draft, but it is far from all he does. New: three games with three steals in his past seven.
10. De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky: A great indicator of future shooting overall is free throw shooting, and to that end: Fox is at 80.5 percent over his past seven, after a mark below 70 percent prior to that this season.
11. Frank Ntilikina, France: Two words: wingspan. Sure, it looks like one word, but not when describing Ntilikina, whose wingspan is 7-feet.
11. Justin Patton, Creighton: Still harnessing the offensive potential, and worth wondering what his numbers would look like with Mo Watson still around.
13. Johnathan Motley, Baylor: A three-star recruit out of high school merely proves that those ratings are not destiny for this easy first-rounder.
14. Justin Jackson, North Carolina: For the team that needs a do-everything wing but doesn’t have a high enough pick to grab Josh Jackson.
15. Josh Hart, Villanova: The only argument against Hart for National Player of the Year is how long he’s been this effective, which doesn’t seem fair.
16. Allonzo Trier, Arizona: Recent trip to Washington showcased the versatility -- 12 boards against Washington State, four threes in five attempts against Washington.
17. Frank Mason, Kansas: Note the precision of his feeds lately, especially the alley-oops, and you get a sense of Mason refining his game even more.
18. Isaiah Hartenstein, Germany: If you like raw potential and a shrug of your shoulders, Hartenstein -- buried on the bench for his Euro team -- is the way to go.
19. Caleb Swanigan, Purdue: Best big man in the college game. Period.
20. T.J. Leaf, UCLA: Don’t overlook the diversity of his offensive game, though it is worth noting that Ball’s feeds have maximized his looks.
21. Ivan Rabb, California: Rabb has seen his shooting percentage dip, but his assist percentage, 6.6 last year, is up to 11.5 this season -- a solid complementary skill to his rebounding, which is pro-ready.
22. Miles Bridges, Michigan State: Three double-doubles in his past six games for this three who is a surprisingly good fit at the four.
23. John Collins, Wake Forest: The nation’s leader in Player Efficiency Rating keeps impressing.
24. Tacko Fall, Central Florida: East Carolina figured out how to frustrate Fall, limiting him to a single field goal, but I’ll need to see it happen more than once to drop him.
25. Thomas Bryant, Indiana: Some recent struggles, but Bryant doesn’t trade finishing for a capable perimeter stroke.
26. Tyler Lydon, Syracuse: Lydon’s length and defense can affect games even when he isn’t asserting himself offensively.
27. Ethan Happ, Wisconsin: The concern is the break-even free throw rate that makes Happ, an otherwise vital interior presence and scorer, a liability late.
28. Zach Collins, Gonzaga: As ridiculous as it would be to criticize an undefeated team, it is hard to believe Collins isn’t starting for Gonzaga yet.
29. Dillon Brooks, Oregon: Unstoppable of late, especially from three -- looking every bit like the Brooks Oregon expected.
30. Mikal Bridges, Villanova: Three-and-D, thy name is Mikal Bridges.
31. Alec Peters, Valparaiso: Peters keeps destroying the Horizon League, and is going to give a high-major some real problems if the Crusaders punch their ticket to the tourney.
32. Harry Giles, Duke: Great Matt Norlander piece captured the Giles conundrum. Notable for me how self-aware he is.
33. Terrance Ferguson, Australia: Don’t be surprised if teams view him as a future three.
34. Luke Kennard, Duke: So often the difference-maker this season for Duke.
35. Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson: Elite wing defender heading to a league in need of them.
36. Marcus Marshall, Nevada: The ball is constantly in his hands, he plays virtually the entire game and over his last 10 games, he’s at 41:14 assist to turnover ratio while scoring 16.6 per game. A combo guard in the best sense.
37. Chimeze Metu, USC: Six straight games in double figures, with a high of 29 against Washington State.
38. P.J. Dozier, South Carolina: The drop in accuracy from the field lately is mildly alarming.
39. Tony Bradley, North Carolina: He doesn’t play a ton, but enough that opposing coaches talk him up already.
40. Matthias Lessort, Martinique: A stretch-five to dream of.
41. Devonte Graham, Kansas: Shot 1-for-12 against Baylor, but still played 37 minutes for Bill Self because of seven boards, four assists and just a single turnover.
42. Cameron Johnson, Pittsburgh: The athleticism and accuracy from three just pops.
43. Monte Morris, Iowa State: In seven of his past eight games, committed no more than one turnover. In the win over Kansas? 44 minutes played, and not a single turnover committed.
44. Dwayne Bacon, Florida State: Sometimes he’s scoreless against Pitt, sometimes he dunks like this.
45. Semi Ojeleye, SMU: Isn’t settling for jump shots as much lately, getting to the line 36 times over his past four games.
46. Kobi Simmons, Arizona: Coming off the bench lately, but his threes are falling.
47. Donovan Mitchell, Louisville: Exciting potential combo guard who looked comfortable at the point earlier this season.
48. Isaiah Briscoe, Kentucky: Hasn’t repeated the kind of game he had against Georgia -- 23 points, 11 boards and eight assists -- but we know it’s in there now.
49. L.J. Peak, Georgetown: 20.5 per game over four contests devolved to just six against DePaul when his team needed him most.
50. Joel Berry, North Carolina: Prone to shooting outages, yet still at better than 41 percent from three for the season.
51. Melo Trimble, Maryland: The limited-mistake games at the point are coming more frequently now.
52. Jessie Govan, Georgetown: 23 points on 19 shots against Marquette suggests a greater comfort with asserting himself offensively.
53. Bryce Alford, UCLA: Does not miss -- the skill that will get him paid.
54. Angel Delgado, Seton Hall: A double-double machine with post moves.
55. Jordan Bell, Oregon: The pre-injury Bell shows up just enough to provide hope.
56. D.J. Hogg, Texas A&M: Averaging five assists per game over his last three contests, not something many 6-8 wings can boast.
57. Grayson Allen, Duke: Still too inconsistent for my taste from three, but I see why people are in love with the shot mechanics.
58. Marques Bolden, Duke: A ray of sunshine: six efficient minutes against Wake Forest.
59. Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State: 27 points and nine assists in recent contest par for the course with Evans, who has a decent argument for Big 12 Player of the Year.
60. Wesley Iwundu, Kansas State: Consistency is a plus, and Iwundu’s last ten—no fewer than 10 points, no more than 16, shooting better than 53 percent overall and 41 percent from three—certainly qualify.
61. Billy Garrett Jr., DePaul: Has stayed relentlessly positive through some difficult years for his teams, and is capable of guarding twos and threes.
62. Justin Robinson, Monmouth: The biggest beneficiary of Isaiah Thomas’ rise may be Robinson, whose small stature kept him from getting looks from high-majors out of high school. But he has turned himself into a combination playmaker and elite scorer for the giant-killing Hawks.
63. Jock Landale, St. Mary’s: Hyper-efficient scoring five tried to beat Gonzaga by himself, and nearly did.
64. Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina: My favorite single stat of the season so far? Thornwell, against Alabama earlier this season, got to the free throw line 33 times.
65. Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame: Undersized at 6-5, but knows how to score, rebound and can defend threes.
66. Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina: Elite rebounding, especially defensive boards, will get the uber-NBA body of Meeks onto a roster.
67. Jalen Adams, Connecticut: Making a late run at becoming this year’s Shabazz Napier.
68. Peter Jok, Iowa: When you shoot 22-for-23 from the line and your coach is surprised you missed one, that’s an elite shot. The three follows.
69. Tim Kempton, Lehigh: Well on his way to a third straight Patriot League Player of the Year, Kempton is a strong rebounder with well-developed offensive game. Think Mike Muscala, another Patriot NBAer.
70. Gary Clark, Cincinnati: A Mick Cronin-style defender who can rebound and distribute at 6-8.
71. Kris Jenkins: Not just three-and-D guy, he rebounds as well.
72. Bryant Crawford, Wake Forest: Irrepressible attacking the basket, and a nightmare defender against the ACC’s best point guards.
73. John Gillon, Syracuse: Duke can tell you why he’s on this list.
74. Devin Robinson, Florida: Strong wing defender, and the shot is coming.
75. Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin: Strength and toughness keeps winning games for Wisconsin.
