2017 NBA Lottery Redraft

After seeing the rookies’ performances, we have redrafted them based on their strengths and the teams’ needs.

Jason Shorin and Nathan Seto
May 21, 2018

  1. 76ers: Donovan Mitchell
    1. A tough decision here between Mitchell and Tatum, but Mitchell gets the nod as he has already established himself as the focal point of an offense and a star in the league. Adding him to the likes of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia would be extremely scary as each budding star has different strengths which will help cover up their weaknesses.
  2. Lakers: Jayson Tatum
    1. Tatum slides into the second spot with the Lakers as he’s shown in the regular season and playoffs that he’s a prolific scorer with a plethora of advanced moves. Some may question his fit alongside the similarly skilled Brandon Ingram, but as the NBA shifts to a more positionless game having two shot creating wings could be a nightmare to defend.
  3. Celtics: Kyle Kuzma
    1. The biggest steal in the original draft, Kuzma goes to the Celtics at the third pick as a polished role player to help reduce the focus of opposing defenses on the likes of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
  4. Suns: Markelle Fultz
    1. With this pick the Suns take a risk going after Fultz due to his shaky shooting form and injury issues, but the possible reward of him reaching his full potential and forming a dynamic backcourt duo with Devin Booker is too much to pass up for the Suns.
  5. Kings: Lonzo Ball
    1. The Kings get their point guard of the future with the 5th pick as Lonzo’s playmaking and passing ability will improve the entire Kings team. Lonzo’s poor shooting prevents him from going higher in this draft, but he started to show more shooting promise during his rookie season and should become more efficient as his career progresses.
  6. Magic: Dennis Smith Jr.
    1. Smith Jr. is an absolute stud and would give Orlando an extremely exciting and explosive tandem between him and Aaron Gordon. Smith Jr. will need to learn to become more consistent and efficient from the field, but he has all the tools and ability to become a star.
  7. Bulls: Lauri Markannen
    1. Markannen winds up going to his original team in this re-draft. He’s a silky smooth 4 that can stretch the floor and has all the skills that a team wants for its bigs in the modern NBA.
  8. Knicks: OG Anunoby
    1. With Anunoby the stats don’t tell the whole story as he has worked himself into Toronto’s starting line-up and established himself as one of the league’s top perimeter defenders. His offensive game still needs work, but he’s got plenty of time to grow on that end as he’s only 20 years old.
  9. Mavericks: De’aron Fox
    1. Fox drops a few spots from his original draft position as other rookie point guards were more impressive during their inaugural season. With that said, Fox’s seems to be just a consistent jump shot away from becoming an elite point guard.
  10. Trail Blazers: John Collins
    1. John Collins replaces Zach Collins for the Blazers as John has a very efficient offensive game that doesn’t require many touches. This would pair extremely well with Portland’s backcourt duo.
  11. Hornets: Bam Adebayo
    1. With Adebayo, the Hornets get a younger and cheaper version of Dwight Howard which should allow them to be more aggressive in building the rest of their roster.
  12. Pistons: Luke Kennard
    1. Detroit stays with the same pick in this re-draft as Kennard immediately displayed his expert shooting touch and as the season continued Kennard progressed with his defensive and playmaking skills.
  13. Jazz: Malik Monk
    1. Without Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz take a risk on Monk hoping that he can put it altogether. Monk didn’t have the best rookie campaign but he showed plenty of promise at a position that the Jazz would need without Mitchell.
  14. Heat: Jarrett Allen
    1. The final lottery pick, Allen sneaks in with the Heat and fills a similar role to Adebayo in Miami. With Allen, the Heat get a very solid Center which should allow them to move away from Hassan Whiteside and his bloated salary.