Chris Stone and I are back with another update to our list of the top 60 prospects available in the 2017 NBA Draft. The NCAA Tournament has come and gone, so save for a few international prospects, we’ve seen the last of the 2017 Draft class in actual games.
The Tournament wasn’t a strong one for the draft’s top prospects, as only three lottery picks on our previous big board made the Elite Eight, and none advanced to the Final Four. Instead, we got a good look at some prospects down the draft, some of whom were able to break away from the pack and solidify much better draft profile than they had previously. Most notable of these was UNC small forward Justin Jackson, whose diverse offensive game was put on display as the Tar Heels captured the national title. South Carolina guard Sindarius Thornwell also established himself as a draft prospect despite previously not being on our radar.
The next stage will be declarations, as players decide whether to test the draft waters or return to school. This process can throw a wrench in the plans of NBA teams as they begin to focus on the draft, and to an extent, it already has. Several expected players have confirmed their status in the draft by hiring agents — Dennis Smith Jr., Harry Giles, Malik Monk, and Lauri Markkanen, for example.
But we’ve already lost a few interesting prospects who have chosen to head back to school. Projected lottery pick Robert Williams will head back to Texas A&M, as will Miami guard Bruce Brown, a projected late-first round pick. More of these decisions will likely come over the next few weeks as the draft class is finalized.
Until then, here is our updated prospect rankings, from Markelle Fultz to Thomas Bryant.