2017 NBA Mock Draft: The final predictions

With Jonathan Isaac off the board, things get a little funky for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kentucky’s Malik Monk would give them some additional shooting in the backcourt and a safety valve if Zach LaVine’s return from injury goes awry while Dennis Smith Jr. could provide a point guard of the future, assuming that they no longer Kris Dunn to play that role given his offensive struggles last season. Trading out of the pick might be the best option in order to snag an additional asset and land someone more reasonable later in the draft.

However, for now, we’ll slot them with he easy fit, which is Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen. The 7-footer can slot in at the power forward spot next to Karl-Anthony Towns and he certainly brings enough shooting to help open up the floor for Ricky Rubio and Andrew Wiggins. Markkanen made 42.3 percent of his triples this season and there are no red flags that suggest he won’t be able to do the same in the NBA.

The key to the Markkanen-Towns pairing will be improvement from Towns on the defensive end. Markkanen is unlikely to make great strides, so Minnesota would need Towns to be a lock down rim protector.

Learn more about Lauri Markkanen at The Step Back.