2017 NBA draft mocks look good for Michigan Basketball
It’s not clear what D.J. Wilson and Moritz Wagner are going to do when it comes to the 2017 NBA draft, but recent mocks aren’t looking good for them.
The Michigan basketball team is waiting for decisions from Moe Wagner and D.J. Wilson on the NBA draft, but some recent mocks draft tells us, things might be trending in the right direction for UM.
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Obviously, the Wolverines want to have both Wagner and Wilson back for next season. Both players entered their names for draft consideration, but didn’t hire an agent. That gives them the option to withdraw (deadline May 25).
They each went to the combine and have worked out individually with different NBA teams. It gives them the chance to evaluate their draft status before making a final decision.
Certainly, mock drafts aren’t considered during this process, but if we look at the mock drafts coming out after last night’s draft lottery, we can conclude that neither Wagner or Wilson are guaranteed to go in the first round.
I looked at mock drafts done by Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, The Bleacher Report and four done by the Basketball Insiders.
That’s seven total mock drafts and of those seven, only two have Wilson getting picked in the first round (23 and 28). Wagner wasn’t projected as a first-round pick in any of them.
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Last month, Chad Ford of ESPN had both players in his first round. Of course, none of these are concrete news of anything. There are surprise picks all the time.
If Wilson and Wagner both stay in the draft, each will likely get picked. There just seems to be a good chance it won’t be until the second round.
For two players with that much talent, it seems unwise to stay in the draft if that’s the case. With another year of development, both should easily be first-round picks in 2018.
First round picks get three-year guaranteed contracts. Second round picks are guaranteed of nothing.
If one or both looks like a sure thing to go in round one, they should stay in the draft, no doubt. But if these mock drafts present an accurate picture of their draft stock, both should return to Michigan basketball.
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In eight days, Michigan basketball will know for sure about Wagner or Wilson one way or another. But for now, if mocks drafts mean anything, the Wolverines might end up getting some good news May 25.