For up-to-the-second drafts results check out Sportsnet’s 2017 NBA Draft Tracker.
10:50 PM: So, to recap: Jimmy Butler was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 7th overall pick, Lauri Markkanen, and Zach Lavine. Lonzo Ball went to the Lakers after all. Paul George was nearly dealt to the Celtics but the deal fell just short (…for now). Malik Monk, the best shooter and one of the most exciting players in the draft, fell all the way to the Hornets at number 11. The Knicks blew it and passed on him at number 8. The Sacramento Kings passed on Monk two picks later, but may have actually not screwed things up. Canadians Trey Lyles and Jamal Murray are teaming up in Denver. The Raptors drafted a legitimate top-ten talent at number 23. And the Spurs drafted a player, Derrick White, who will be on the floor in big playoff moments one day real soon.
If I had to describe the first-round of the draft in one word?
10:33 PM: Dwane Casey, speaking to the media now, says multiple teams picking after the Raptors “were salivating” to draft Anunoby, adding that “We’re lucky he fell to us at 23…He fits into how we want to play… He’s a P.J. Tucker clone essentially.” Far more athletic, but the comparison is apt.
Also, Anunoby says his injury timeline may not be as long as we think:
10:27 PM: …But back to Anunoby:
10:26 PM: Caleb Swanigan, the bruising power forward from Purdue and one of the five best collegiate players last season, goes to Portland at number 26. Swanigan was projected as a second-rounder because of questions surrounding his speed and weight, but he could be the steal of the draft. Apart from being a killer rebounder he can comfortably stretch the floor to the college three-point line.
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10:11 PM: Here’s a good idea of what new Raptor OG Anunoby brings to the table defensively:
Anunoby isn’t expected to see the floor until later in his rookie season, but the Raptors coaching staff will now have the opportunity to mould his offensive game and eventually develop him into the legitimate 3-and-D threat they need at the small forward spot.
10:04 PM: “With the 23rd pick in the 2017 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors select…” OG Anunoby!
Anunoby was ranked on the edge of the lottery throughout most of the pre-draft process. A pre-season All-American heading into his juniour season at Indiana, injury concerns following a torn ACL suffered in January led him to fall all the way to 23. Terrific pick for the Raptors, who have the luxury of time to develop his game, particularly on offense where he has the most room to grow. The Kawhi Leonard comparisons are unfair to Leonard, but you get the idea; Anunoby’s a total project offensively but has legitimate All-Defense talent.
9:57 PM: Commissioner Adam Silver officially announces Butler-to-Minny trade, Nets take Allen, and now the Raptors are ON THE CLOCK.
9:56 PM: Anti-visor in real life, but on draft night? I approve:
9:53 PM: With reports that the Brooklyn Nets will draft centre Jarrett Allen at 22, that opens the door for the Raptors to draft one of the most contentious prospects in the draft, OG Anunoby, a combo forward who could be a game-changing force on the defensive end but will be sidelined long-term as he recovers from a knee injury.
9:51 PM: Meanwhile, in Toronto:
9:50 PM: Terrance Ferguson, who just went to the Thunder at number 21, was on Sportsnet’s mock draft going to the Raptors until earlier today. He’s an athletic wing with a ton of potential to become a knock-down shooter, something OKC badly needs to happen as soon as possible.
9:44 PM: The Trailblazers select PF/C Harry Giles on behalf of the Sacramento Kings. Giles is a total wildcard but was projected to go first overall this time last year. He’s a nice grab at number 20. Reminder: the Kings traded the chance to draft Malik Monk in exchange for Justin Jackson and Harry Giles.
9:28 PM: D.J. Wilson to the Milwaukee at no. 17 is a surprise but he’s a good fit with the Bucks, yet another long, athletic, versatile player for a team moving closer and closer toward totally position-less basketball.
9:18 PM: Still can’t get over the fact that the Timberwolves got Jimmy Butler for Zach Lavine and Lauri Markkanen and kept their 16th overall pick. They chose Justin Patton, a promising centre who ranked second at the position heading into draft night.
Also, the Kings got Justin Jackson at number 15 (technically Portland’s pick as part of the Zach Collins trade earlier in the night). In case you were wondering, no, that doesn’t make up for passing on the opportunity to draft Malik Monk.
9:05 PM: If the reports that the Celtics’ weren’t willing to part with either their third overall pick this season or next year’s Nets pick in a deal for Jimmy Butler are true, that instantly becomes one of the biggest What If’s? in today’s NBA.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat select Kentucky’s Bam Adabeyo, the first in what’s likely to be a run of bigs over the next handful of selections.
8:55 PM: Duke’s Luke Kennard goes to the Pistons (his shooting ability alone will give him a role in the NBA), but the pick is suddenly overshadowed by another trade, as the Nuggets reportedly get Canadian forward Trey Lyles from Utah in exchange for their 13th pick. I really like Lyles and, subsequently, this trade for Denver.
8:48 PM:. Monk goes to the Charlotte Hornets at number 11. Steal. Absolute steal. After acquiring Dwight Howard via trade earlier in the week and now drafting a dynamic volume scorer and the draft’s best pure shooter in Monk, the Hornets could (shockingly) be one of the more intriguing teams in the East next season.
8:42 PM: The Kings select Zach Collins with the 10th pick, but we learn they’re picking for Portland who just traded up to nab the Gonzaga big man.
The Trailblazers get a pass from me for not choosing Monk given they already have two gunners in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in the backcourt.
Collins is a nice piece for them, though it remains to be seen when he’ll be NBA-ready. He’ll get a chance to earn minutes out of training camp.
8:35 PM Dennis Smith Jr. is a mighty fine pick here at number nine for the Dallas Mavericks, who need a potential starting PG. But, again, Monk was on the board and is now undergoing a pretty surprising slide. Monk now falls to Sacramento, who might be walking away as one of the biggest winners on draft night (behind, of course, the Minnesota Timberwolves). I’m stunned.
Also, remember: Dennis Smith Jr. is a future dunk contest champion:
8:31 PM: ESPN just showed a graphic that listed Ntilikina’s “bust potential” at 59 per cent. That’s, um, not ideal.
8:30 PM: I really like the Knicks draftee, French point guard Frank Ntilikina, but I really don’t like the Knicks pick. Malik Monk has a chance to be a special player and he fell right into New York’s lap. Ntilikina is a good fit in the triangle offense and has a really high ceiling, particularly on the defensive end, but his potential isn’t nearly as high as Monk’s.
8:22 PM:NOW WE’RE TALKING! Lauri Markkanen may turn out to be very good but this feels like a reach with Malik Monk and Dennis Smith Jr. on the board. Markkanen can shoot the lights out and is a legit seven-footer. Everything else is a weakness for him at the moment. I can’t believe the Bulls just
traded Jimmy Butler for Markkanen and Zach Lavine.
Also, coming around on Isaac:
8:14 PM: Magic go with Jonathan Isaac, a high-potential forward from Florida State. Nearly seven feet tall with three-point range and, more importantly, an outstanding defender who can guard multiple positions and protect the rim.
The Bulls are now on the clock with their newly-acquired pick. The Timberwolves will be drafting on Chicago’s behalf.
8:17 PM: Isaac refuses to wear his draft hat. I’m not thrilled about that. Red flag.
8:08 PM The Kings select Fox. Sacramento’s point guard of the future and already one of the fastest player’s in the NBA. A great player to build a culture around for a team in the infancy stages of (another) rebuild.
Everything going more or less according to plan right now. We need a team to screw things up and take Zach Collins or Luke Kennard now to shake things up. But who can we turn to now that the Kings are actually making smart decisions in their front office?
8:05 PM: D’Aaron Fox is the most likely pick right now for Sacramento, who are on the clock, and that’s cool because he’s the best player available. But chances are there’ll be a very good point guard available to the Kings at number 10. Do you roll the dice and grab someone like Jonathan Isaac or Malik Monk instead and wait? Or is Fox good enough to sacrifice positional value on the draft board?
8:01 PM Aaaaand Jackson goes to the Suns. Not hard to see him developing into an all-star type player in Phoenix where he’ll get a ton of opportunity from day one. Meanwhile… More trade talk, which is overshadowing the selections thus far (maybe because there haven’t been many surprises yet).
7:55 PM: Tatum goes to the Celtics. The Phoenix Suns’ phones are ringing off the hook right now with offers for the fourth pick and, presumably, Josh Jackson. I had the Suns getting D’Aaron Fox in the mock draft— I love the notion of pairing him with Devin Booker in the backcourt— but Phoenix is in a good position either way should they keep the pick.
7:49 PM: Lonzo is a Laker. Now the real intrigue in the draft begins. Jayson Tatum is the favourite at number three to Boston, but I think Josh Jackson is the better fit.
As for Lonzo Ball, I think he’ll be really good. It’s a nice pick for the Lakers. Lavar Ball, of course, is appearing on the post-pick interview and crashing Lonzo’s moment, but pretty soon his son’s game will vault him past his dad and further into the spotlight.
7:42 PM: The Fultz pick (again, a great one) is overshadowed at the moment by a reported trade between Minnesota and Chicago for Jimmy Butler. The 7th pick is expected to go to the Bulls, along with Zach Lavine and Kris Dunn. That would be an unbelievable coup for the Timberwolves. Butler and Wiggins running the wing with Towns manning the middle? Wow. Also: terrible trade for Chicago.
7:40 PM ET: It’s official (and was inevitable). Fultz is a 76er. The Boston trade was a masterful move from Bryan Colangelo, who just acquired a bona fide franchise point guard who gives Philly a chance to grow into a legitimate contender.
7:39 PM ET: Important:
7:32 PM ET Story on Grange’s Valanciunas report can be found here. My two cents: It’s possible they could be trying to move up in the draft, but given that they’re more likely to favour a draft-and-stash prospect (or two, if Masai Ujiri & Co. can acquire a second round pick), I wouldn’t be surprised if a trade amounted to, in essence, a salary dump. That’s how low the centre market is right now.
7:27 PM ET: The good folks at @SNstats have put together a ton of cool facts and figures about tonight’s draft and I’ll be sharing them throughout the night. For example: Did you know a record 14 college freshman were drafted in 2016? Well they were, and expect that record to be broken tonight. On the flip side, we may have a grand total of zero seniors drafted (Colorado guard Derrick White was the only four-year prospect to appear on my mock draft).
7:01 PM ET: As the draft approaches, Michael Grange is hearing some very interesting things about the Raptors’ 23rd pick:
Check back here at 7 pm ET and follow along with Sportsnet’s broadcast of the greatest night in sports: The NBA Draft!
Be a part of the live blog and have your say in the comments below.
In the meantime, get caught up with the latest mock draft, this list of five players the Raptors are hoping will fall to them at number 23, and the draft’s most burning questions (and answers).
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