The NBA trade deadline came and went but the strength of the upcoming draft caused it to be a mainstream topic of conversation during the deadline. The Boston Celtics were at the forefront of trade talks but were reluctant to part with the Brooklyn Nets pick they have the right to swap with this off-season. The Celtics were linked with Jimmy Butler and Paul George, but Boston opted to hang onto the Nets pick. As things stand now, Boston (thanks to Brooklyn’s poor record) will have the most ping-pong balls in the lottery as teams fight for the top pick. With less than four months remaining before the June 22 draft, two point guards have emerged as the top two prospects. Washington’s Markelle Fultz and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball are the consensus top pro prospects. Draft junkies were anxious to see the two players square off to conclude the regular season but a knee injury for Fultz prevented that from happening leaving the fall matchup as the lone time the two faced off in college. Ball and Fultz may be garnering the majority of the attention, but there are plenty of additional talent. Forwards like Kansas’ Josh Jackson, Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac and Duke’s Jayson Tatum are other talented players projected to go in the top ten. In Heavy’s latest mock draft, we use the current NBA standings to determine the draft order. We factor in draft pick trades and team needs to predict where the top college players will land. The players listed are the top prospects, but their NBA availability will depend on whether they declare for the draft after the college basketball season ends. Click the arrow on the right side of the above image to see Heavy’s latest NBA mock draft. (Getty)
Jonathan Adams is a sports and news contributor to Heavy. Jonathan graduated from UCF with a Master of Sport Business Management degree and has worked in a variety of capacities in the sports world. Follow him on Twitter @JonDAdams.March 1, 2017 8:00 pm
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