2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 26: The Timberwolves’ young core improves

Lottery odds: 0.5 percent

Draft status: Automatically eligible

Figuring out what teams at the end of the lottery will do in the 2017 NBA Draft is difficult. After the first 11 players or so, the field of prospects opens up with many players in the late teens and 20s potentially providing similar value to those projected to go in the early teens. That’s a difficult place for someone putting together a mock draft and an even more difficult place for an NBA team with millions of dollars riding on the selection.

For now, we’ll slot the Miami Heat with 18-year old wing Terrance Ferguson. The former five-star recruit played his basketball in Australia last season after forgoing the college game. There will be much ado made about his lack of production for the Adelaide 36ers and it’s not misplaced fear at all. Ferguson averaged just 4.6 points per game, shot it poorly from behind the 3-point arc and didn’t add much more in the way of box score statistics. Those aren’t great signs for a prospect who has been billed as a 3-and-D option with elite athleticism.

That said, there’s still enough of a canvas to justify Ferguson going in the late lottery or mid-first round. At 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he has the size teams will want out of a wing prospect who they hope will be able to defend multiple positions. His athleticism is off the charts and he’s shown on high school tape that he can shoot it better than he did down under. Ferguson could be a big miss, but he could also be a home run if things break right, which is what makes him worth it here.