NBA Draft Preview: A Last Minute Mock Draft Roundtable

Mar 25, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Josh Jackson (11) goes up for a shot as Oregon Ducks guard Dylan Ennis (31) and forward Jordan Bell (1) defend during the second half in the finals of the Midwest Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Day is finally here and it couldn’t have come soon enough. With so many rumors circulating and really only one surefire selection in the first round, these mock drafts look different no matter what site you go to. So naturally our staff all did their own mock drafts.

You all know how important this draft is for the Dallas Mavericks and their future success, so I am not even going to worry about writing a big long intro here.

Mar 17, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after making a three pointer during the first half against the Troy Trojans in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s get started.

Picks #1–#5

Although these picks do not relate directly with the Dallas Mavericks pick, any shake up in the top 5 would have a huge effect on the rest of the draft.

#1- MARKELLE FULTZ (whole staff) to PHI

Like I said before, this should come as no surprise since the news came out of the trade between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. Markelle Fultz has been widely considered the best player in the draft and for good reason. All kinds of players are coming out of this draft, but a do-it-all point guard like Fultz is hard to come by. Expect to see him in the elite group in years to come because the sky is the limit for this kid.

#2- LONZO BALL (whole staff) to LAL

Again, this pick really should not surprise anyone, although if it is not Lonzo, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise either. The LA Lakers have been very quiet about everything and have reportedly stated that they like a number of different players, but Lonzo just seems like the obvious choice to stay right by his home…and his dad. Ball has all the tools to be a star but only time will tell what he can really do in the league.

Feb 11, 2017; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard De’Aaron Fox (0) during the first half at Coleman Coliseum against Alabama Crimson Tide. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

#3- JOSH JACKSON (Mihajlo Knezevic, Evan Siegel, Aaron Reed, Emmanuel Dixon, Kohl Rast), JAYSON TATUM (Isaac Harris, Sam Casey) to BOS

At number three, we have our first bit of disagreement amongst the staff. Jayson Tatum and Josh Jackson have been the top ranked forwards in the draft for ages and that has not changed just yet. Reports have surfaced that the Celtics really like Jackson but Tatum would presumably be the better fit there. No matter what happens, these will both be great NBA players.

#4- JAYSON TATUM (Mihajlo Knezevic, Evan Siegel, Aaron Reed, Kohl Rast), JOSH JACKSON (Isaac Harris, Sam Casey), DE’AARON FOX (Emmanuel Dixon) to PHX

Pick number four gives us a little bit more variance with the added pick of De’Aaron Fox. Of course any of these three players could be picked here because they are all incredibly talented, but it is hard to say which players will be there still. Jackson and Tatum are both versatile forwards, one offensive and one defensive, and Fox is one of the top point guards in the draft. Good pick no matter what.

#5- DE’AARON FOX (Mihajlo Knezevic, Evan Siegel, Aaron Reed, Kohl Rast, Sam Casey, Isaac Harris), JAYSON TATUM (Emmanuel Dixon) to SAC

If you haven’t caught the theme yet, it would be a dream scenario to be in the top 5 this draft. All 5 of these guys stayed in the top 5 in our staff mock drafts, and for good reason. All of them have great strengths and a high ceiling no matter where they end up. Some of these guys may switch places, but I would expect these 5 to stay the top 5 no matter what.

Next: Picks #6 - #10