The 2017 NBA Draft Lottery is on Tuesday, which means the NBA Draft is fast approaching. Here’s a look at some mock drafts around the web, including some thoughts of our own.
The 2017 NBA Draft is one of the more star-studded draft classes in recent memory and the Chicago Bulls will have the 16th overall pick, which means they won’t be participating in the draft lottery on Tuesday night.
(The Bulls would receive one of the Sacramento Kings’ two first-round picks if their own pick is outside of the top 10 selections in the lottery, but that’s looking unlikely. If the Bulls don’t get the pick in the first round, it becomes a second-round pick.)
Although the draft isn’t until June 22, there’s never a shortage of talk about who is going where and for the Bulls, there’s no telling who will be their guy next month. Just look at some of the mock drafts across the web heading into Tuesday’s lottery.
Bleacher Report: Creighton’s Justin Patton
CBS Sports: UCLA’s T.J. Leaf (Howard Megdal), Australia’s Terrance Ferguson (Gary Parrish)
Draft Express: Wake Forest’s John Collins
The Ringer: Duke’s Luke Kennard (Kevin O’Connor), Creighton’s Justin Patton (Danny Chau) and Michigan’s D.J. Wilson (Jonathan Tjarks)
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SB Nation: North Carolina’s Justin Jackson
USA Today: North Carolina’s Justin Jackson
We’ll take some deeper looks into draft prospects that could be available for the Bulls at No. 16 as the draft creeps closer, but here’s a few thoughts on the prospects surrounding the mock drafts as of now.
- Justin Patton, Creighton: A 6-foot-10 (without shoes) big with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Patton had a breakout year for the Blue Jays as a fantastic rim-runner in transition, but really hasn’t shown too much with his shooting touch. Still, the potential’s there for Patton to become one of the many versatile bigs in the NBA today.
- T.J. Leaf, UCLA: Standing at 6’8.75″ (without shoes) with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Leaf was one of the main reasons UCLA found themselves in the Sweet 16 this past year with Lonzo Ball leading the way. He can shoot from distance, moves well for his size and can pass the basketball. He won’t be a dominant defensive presence, but he’s a good offensive player.
- Terrance Ferguson, Australia: Originally a top commit to Arizona before academics got in the way and resulted in him going overseas, Ferguson was arguably the freakiest athlete in his class along the likes of Malik Monk. A streaky shooter and an bouncy athlete, this is a name to keep your eyes on.
- Luke Kennard, Duke: Beaten out by Justin Jackson for the ACC Player of the Year award this past season, Kennard was one of the best shooters in the entire country. He shot 43.8 percent from 3-point range and shot 52.5 percent from the field overall.
- D.J. Wilson, Michigan: A late bloomer during Michigan’s hot stretch late in the season that saw them win the Big Ten Tournament title, Wilson was key in getting Michigan to the Sweet 16 this past spring with his versatility on both ends of the floor. He’s still a work-in-progress, but his ceiling continues to get higher.
Next: All-time history of the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Draft Lottery
- Justin Jackson, North Carolina: The ACC Player of the Year and a national POY candidate, Jackson’s leap into superstardom was one of the main reasons the Tar Heels got all the way back to the national title game and finished the job this year. He’s long, he can shoot it and he’s experienced, which is big for the Bulls front office.