Welcome to the mock draft room!
The Rotoworld crew hopes you had a nice summer filled with relaxation, vacation and plenty of NBA offseason drama. It’s time to get back onto the digital hardwood and play the game we love.
This was a 10-team, head-to-head mock draft (snake) with 13 rounds and 130 total selections under the following format with standard categories:
PG, SG, G, SF, PF, F, C, UTIL (x3), Bench (x3)
Each round includes every player taken by team, the best and worst pick of each round and round-by-round analysis that gauges value, hunts bargains and provides insight to help build you the squad of your fantasy hoops dreams.
Draft Date: September 2, 2017
Round 1
Team 1: Russell Westbrook, PG OKC
Team 2: James Harden, G HOU
NOROF: Karl-Anthony Towns, C MIN
Team 4: Giannis Antetokounmpo, G/F MIL
Team 5: Kevin Durant, F GSW
Team 6: Kawhi Leonard, F SAS
Team 7: Anthony Davis, F/C NO
Team 8: Stephen Curry, G GSW
Team 9: LeBron James, F CLE
Team 10: John Wall, PG WAS
Best Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Worst Pick: Stephen Curry
It’s difficult to have a “bad pick” in Round 1, but the reason Curry gets the nod is due to the fact that LeBron was drafted one pick after. As talented as Chef Steph is in the NBA’s kitchen, the Warriors are so good and have so much talent that he simply doesn’t have to carry the load that every single other first round player does for his respective team. Giannis at fourth is absurd given that he could very well finish as fantasy’s No. 1 overall player, while Towns averaged 28.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 1.4 3PM, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks on 59.7% shooting—including a stunning 43.4% from distance—over his final 25 contests last season.
Round 2
Team 10: DeMarcus Cousins, F/C NO
Team 9: Rudy Gobert, C UTA
Team 8: Damian Lillard, PG POR
Team 7: Nikola Jokic, F/C DEN
Team 6: Kyrie Irving, PG BOS
Team 5: Chris Paul, PG HOU
Team 4: Paul George, F OKC
NOROF: Hassan Whiteside, C MIA
Team 2: Kyle Lowry, PG TOR
Team 1: Jimmy Butler, G/F MIN
Best Pick: Nikola Jokic
Worst Pick: Paul George
As he enters his third season in Denver, one can make a strong case that Jokic should be a first-round pick regardless of format. After a massive jump in his sophomore campaign, Jokic is primed to be the focal point on a team building itself around his skillset and operating under a coach who has already deemed him untradeable. I also really like the Irving pick here, and he’s someone I’m targeting in all leagues now that he’s arrived in Boston. CP3 falling to the second-round isn’t all too surprising given health concerns and his new partnership with Harden, but he ain’t dead by any stretch and he’s shaping up to be a value pick with his current ADP. I was floored to land Whiteside with the 18th overall selection—especially given Jokic, Cousins and Gobert all went ahead of him—but will take it each day of the week. George and Lowry likely could have been had in Round 3, and I’d personally rather have Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, Draymond Green or Myles Turner on my team.
Round 3
Team 1: Bradley Beal, SG WAS
Team 2: Kemba Walker, PG CHA
NOROF: Kristaps Porzingis, F/C NYK
Team 4: Draymond Green, F GSW
Team 5: Gordon Hayward, G/F BOS
Team 6: DeMar DeRozan, G/F TOR
Team 7: Isaiah Thomas, PG CLE
Team 8: Myles Turner, C IND
Team 9: Klay Thompson, G/F GSW
Team 10: C.J. McCollum, SG POR
Best Pick: Myles Turner
Worst Pick: Isaiah Thomas
The temperature of Porzingis Fever spiked at just the right time for me to take him in the third round, but had I not gone KAT & Whiteside with the first two selections it would have absolutely been Turner in this spot. The secret still isn’t fully out on just how talented Turner is, and now the Pacers are going to play through their young, budding star with the PG era complete. Despite MT dragging his feet a bit after the All-Star Break due to (understandable) fatigue, the big man still finished his sophomore campaign with averages of 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 2.1 blocks and just 1.3 turnovers on an efficient 51.1% shooting—including major improvement from behind the arc by connecting at a 34.8% clip—and 80.9% from the charity stripe. Big men who shoot well from the floor, free-throw line and serve as elite shot blockers are basketball unicorns, and Turner is poised to take another step forward as the new face of the franchise. Although Thomas is a heck of a talent and I’m not one to ever bet against him, his current hip situation offers too much current uncertainty for me to invest a top-30 pick. One other surprise in this round has to be Kemba going higher than Porzingis, Green, Hayward, Turner and McCollum.
Round 4
Team 10: Mike Conley, PG MEM
Team 9: Blake Griffin, F/C LAC
Team 8: Paul Millsap, F DEN
Team 7: Eric Bledsoe, G PHX
Team 6: Brook Lopez, C LAL
Team 5: Joel Embiid, C PHI
Team 4: Jusuf Nurkic, C POR
NOROF: Khris Middleton, G/F MIL
Team 2: DeAndre Jordan, C LAC
Team 1: Kevin Love, F/C CLE
Best Pick: Khris Middleton
Worst Pick: DeAndre Jordan
Perhaps Middleton wasn’t on the court enough last season after recovering from his hamstring injury for folks to remember what a stud he is, but he’s a multi-cat contributor who will be operating as the clear-cut No. 2 on a Milwaukee team that won’t have Jabari Parker (knee). There’s a reason Money Middleton was floated as the centerpiece of a potential Kyrie Irving trade before the point guard shipped up to Boston, and nobody should be surprised if Middleton winds up on the Eastern Conference All-Star team in 2018. Jordan was basically the exact same player last season he was the year prior, but a drop in blocks saw DJ average less than two blocks per game (1.7) for the first time since 2012-13 and I’m worried about what CP3’s departure will mean for Jordan’s game. Unless Jordan shows he’s capable of evolving into more on the offensive end, he’ll serve as more of a specialist than an anchor on any roster.
Round 5
Team 1: Marc Gasol, C MEM
Team 2: Otto Porter, F WAS
NOROF: Goran Dragic, PG MIA
Team 4: Dennis Schroder, PG ATL
Team 5: Al Horford, F/C BOS
Team 6: LaMarcus Aldridge, F/C SAS
Team 7: Carmelo Anthony, F NYK
Team 8: Devin Booker, SG PHX
Team 9: Nicolas Batum, G/F CHA
Team 10: Jeff Teague, PG MIN
Best Pick: Marc Gasol
Worst Pick: Jeff Teague
Gasol came at a massive discount in drafts last season when there was panic about his foot, but there’s no explaining the price cut here. On a remade Memphis team that (still) does not know what it’s going to get from anyone not named Mike Conley and Gasol, the seven-foot Spaniard is again going to be the heart and soul of anything the Grizzlies do. I was really happy to get Dragic to fill a glaring point guard need, especially since names like Schroder and Teague went so quickly off the board thereafter. Minnesota spent big to bring Teague in, but he’s no better than the fourth option behind KAT, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins. Booker could be a real steal if he learns to do more than just score and hit triples, and Melo is turning into a value due to the ongoing uncertainty of what jersey he’ll be wearing on opening night. Aldridge is the definition of a “meh” fifth-round pick, and that was a clear response to Horford going off the board one pick prior.
Round 6
Team 10: Serge Ibaka, F/C TOR
Team 9: Andrew Wiggins, G/F MIN
Team 8: Nikola Vucevic, C ORL
Team 7: Elfrid Payton, PG ORL
Team 6: Lonzo Ball, PG LAL
Team 5: Ben Simmons, G/F PHI
Team 4: Andre Drummond, C DET
NOROF: D’Angelo Russell, G BKN
Team 2: Jonas Valanciunas, C TOR
Team 1: Jrue Holiday, G NOP
Best Pick: Andrew Wiggins
Worst Pick: Jonas Valanciunas
I am always curious to see where rookies land, but especially so this time around with such hype behind the incoming class. Ball and Simmons going just after Wiggins speaks to the excitement behind the potential each brings to the table, and both rooks going just before D-Lo speaks to how quickly perception and expectation can change from season to season. Wiggins started becoming more than a points-only fantasy player last year, but he’s going to have to continue to evolve with Jimmy Buckets now in town and the Wolves being KAT’s team. Still, it’s hard not to like the value after 50 picks have come off the board. Russell felt like a solid grab at 58th overall, especially given how high his ADP rose going into last season with the Lakers, but it’s going to take more than a transition to Kenny Atkinson’s system in order for Russell to deliver on his potential in both fantasy and reality. Ibaka, Drummond and Valanciunas are what they are until proven otherwise. So long as Holiday (and his key teammates) can stay on the floor—that’s a big if that’s from guaranteed given the nucleus we’re discussing—Jrue could easily be one of the better bargains from this draft.
Round 7
Team 1: Robert Covington, F PHI
Team 2: Tobias Harris, F DET
NOROF: Brandon Ingram, F LAL
Team 4: Ricky Rubio, PG UTA
Team 5: Dwight Howard, C CHA
Team 6: Julius Randle, F LAL
Team 7: Gorgui Dieng, F/C MIN
Team 8: Victor Oladipo, G IND
Team 9: Marcin Gortat, C WAS
Team 10: Dario Saric, F PHI
Best Pick: Brandon Ingram
Worst Pick: Marcin Gortat
Maybe I’m irrationally excited about Ingram’s growth given what he showed us after the All-Star Break last season, but it sure feels like there’s about to be a whole different tone surrounding his game than the one so many utilized in his first professional go-around. Not only did Ingram, who just turned 20, use his on-court demeanor to represent his growing confidence, but he talked that talk while walking that walk with averages of 13.2 points, 3.9 boards, 2.5 dimes and 1.1 steals on 47.5% from the field. Assuming his 3-point shot—something he’s known for—starts falling at a more regular rate and Ingram straightens out his struggles from the line, most of us are going to be wondering why he wasn’t drafted higher. There’s a reason Magic Johnson wouldn’t trade him for anyone—including Paul George—and the previous regime wouldn’t include Ingram in the DeMarcus Cousins discussion, either. This kid is good.
As for the rest of the round, you can see where some hunted upside in different forms (Randle, Oladipo) while others chose known commodities (Howard, Rubio), but Gortat was so bad to end last season that picking him ahead of upside plays like Marquese Chriss, Steven Adams or Clint Capela—all of whom went in Round 8—makes very little sense.
Round 8
Team 10: Markelle Fultz, G PHI
Team 9: Marquese Chriss, F/C PHX
Team 8: Harrison Barnes, F DAL
Team 7: Jae Crowder, F CLE
Team 6: Zach LaVine, G CHI
Team 5: Steven Adams, C OKC
Team 4: Derrick Favors, F/C UTA
NOROF: Gary Harris, G/F DEN
Team 2: Danilo Gallinari, F LAC
Team 1: Clint Capela, F/C HOU
Best Pick: Gary Harris
Worst Pick: Zach LaVine
Durability is the only reason that Harris isn’t currently being drafted higher, but he’s certainly got plenty to play for in a contract season. After hearing his name whipped around in trade rumors for Paul George and Kyrie Irving, this is the season for Harris to ensure that he’s a household name. After averaging 16.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 3PM on 53.3% shooting, including 41.9% from distance and 81.9% from the free-throw line, after the All-Star Break last season, Harris will be looking to show why he should be considered a linchpin of Denver’s future core. There is plenty of intrigue with LaVine given the state of Chicago’s fungi-infused roster, but the Bulls have zero incentive to rush his recovery, he would have been on the board later and very rarely does an NBA player come back from a torn ACL with full strength immediately.
Round 9
Team 1: Evan Fournier, G/F ORL
Team 2: Rajon Rondo, PG NO
NOROF: James Johnson, F MIA
Team 4: Dwyane Wade, G CHI
Team 5: Jabari Parker, F MIL
Team 6: Tim Hardaway, Jr., G NYK
Team 7: Trevor Ariza, F HOU
Team 8: George Hill, G SAC
Team 9: Dennis Smith Jr., G DAL
Team 10: Lou Williams, G LAC
Best Pick: Dennis Smith, Jr.
Worst Pick: Jabari Parker
It’s easy to see the type of upside that made everyone in the Dallas organization foam at the mouth when DSJ fell into their laps at ninth overall, and he was an excellent pick just inside the top 100 given the potential. It feels like a lot of people forgot about what a gem Johnson was in Miami last season, but it’s fair to wonder if he’ll have the same statistical impact now that Justise Winslow is healthy, Pat Riley drafted Bam Adebayo and subsequently gave $50M to Kelly Olynyk. All of that being said, this organization didn’t give Johnson a $60M payday to just be some guy, but Miami’s depth up and down the roster could work against JJ’s consistency on a game-to-game basis. I really didn’t understand the Parker pick here since the Bucks are going to treat him with kid gloves and massage his minutes when he finally does return, and that is unlikely to be before the All-Star Break even if there are no hiccups along the way. Remember, this is the second ACL tear Jabari has suffered in the same knee in the short span of just three years.
Round 10
Team 10: Rudy Gay, F SAS
Team 9: Avery Bradley, SG DET
Team 8: Eric Gordon, SG HOU
Team 7: Zach Randolph, PF SAC
Team 6: T.J. Warren, F PHX
Team 5: Markieff Morris, F WAS
Team 4: Reggie Jackson, PG DET
NOROF: Nerlens Noel, C DAL
Team 2: Wes Matthews, SG DAL
Team 1: Wilson Chandler, F DEN
Best Pick: Avery Bradley
Worst Pick: Zach Randolph, Wes Matthews
Bradley figures to have a big role in Detroit with KCP heading West, and it felt like recency bias definitely played a part in his slipping to the 10th round. When he was healthy last season, Bradley was an absolute pest and took a sizable step forward as a reliable offensive player. His tenacity, defensive aptitude and fearless attitude figures to earn Bradley consistently big minutes under Stan Van Gundy in a contract season. That sounds like a recipe for success. I also liked the Warren pick in this round, especially at the value. It’s hard to rationalize picks like Z-Bo and Matthews—veterans whose ceilings are well-established and do little if anything to elevate your team’s overall standing—especially when we’re still inside the top 100 selections.
Round 11
Team 1: Buddy Hield, SG SAC
Team 2: Marcus Morris, F BOS
NOROF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG LAL
Team 4: Aaron Gordon, F ORL
Team 5: De’Aaron Fox, PG SAC
Team 6: Willy Hernangomez, C NYK
Team 7: Jeremy Lin, G BKN
Team 8: Willie Cauley-Stein, F/C SAC
Team 9: Patrick Beverley, PG LAC
Team 10: Derrick Rose, PG CLE
Best Pick: Aaron Gordon, Willy Hernangomez
Worst Pick: Patrick Beverley
Gordon was finally the player we so desperately wanted him to show he was capable of being after the All-Star Break last season by averaging 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 0.9 3PM and 0.7 blocks on 50.3% from the field and 83.8% from the free-throw line, but we need to see it for more than a 24-game sample size. The good news is that Gordon will be just 22 when the season begins, so there is plenty of reason to believe he can take another step forward. Consistency will be key for AG as he looks to take his game to the next level, and it’s on both Gordon and the Orlando organization to define a role that will breed the desired results. In the 11th round, Gordon is a no-brainer pick. Beverley might have been a headliner in the Chris Paul return, but it’s hard to believe that Milos Teodosic finally came to the NBA in order to be a backup. For my money, there are better picks than Beverley in that spot, especially with guys like Malcolm Brogdon and Jamal Murray still on the board.
Round 12
Team 10: Pau Gasol, F/C SAS
Team 9: Tristan Thompson, F/C CLE
Team 8: Dion Waiters, G MIA
Team 7: Frank Kaminsky, F/C CHA
Team 6: Malcolm Brogdon, G MIL
Team 5: Darren Collison, PG IND
Team 4: J.J. Redick, SG PHI
NOROF: Jamal Murray, G DEN
Team 2: Greg Monroe, F/C MIL
Team 1: Tyreke Evans, G/F MEM
Best Pick: Malcolm Brogdon, Jamal Murray
Worst Pick: Tyreke Evans
As alluded to in the previous round, both the Brogdon and Murray selections stood out as impressive values in Round 12. Waiters is a fascinating gamble given his success last season in his new long-term home of Miami, but the Heat’s depth combined with Waiters’ inconsistent history are definite concerns. I’m not sure what the Evans pick was about other than hoping to find lightning in a bottle, but there’s limited upside, a history of knee issues and an undefined role on a team with a lot of questions. I’ll pass.
Round 13
Team 1: Robin Lopez, C CHI
Team 2: Rodney Hood, G/F UTA
NOROF: Jayson Tatum, F BOS
Team 4: Dirk Nowitzki, F/C DAL
Team 5: Josh Jackson, F PHX
Team 6: Ryan Anderson, PF HOU
Team 7: Kent Bazemore, G/F ATL
Team 8: Thaddeus Young, F IND
Team 9: Jordan Clarkson, G LAL
Team 10: Tyler Johnson, G MIA
Best Pick: Rodney Hood
Worst Pick: Ryan Anderson
It’s almost always a dart toss in the last round of any draft, and you can see that with picks like Tatum and Jackson. Then there’s the “I’ll take a chance” category of guys who failed to deliver on elevated ADP’s last season, and that’s reflected in the Bazemore and Ryno selections. Writer’s Note: Stay away from those picks.
Nobody really knows what kind of role (or how many minutes) Dirk is going to play in what might be his final season, but he’s too legendary to go completely undrafted, right? I really liked the Hood pick given where he was selected and the possible role for him to assume with Hayward now in Boston, and at that price, it’s basically impossible to get upset if things don’t go as projected.
