Prospects the Philadelphia 76ers Should Watch for in the 2017 Draft Class

Mar 30, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonald's All-American West guard Lonzo Ball (2) celebrates the victory with forward Josh Jackson (11) during the McDonald's High School All-American Game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonald's All-American West guard Lonzo Ball (2) celebrates the victory with forward Josh Jackson (11) during the McDonald's High School All-American Game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
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Dec 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers special advisor Jerry Colangelo (L) goes over first quarter stats with owner Joshua Harris (R) during a timeout against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. The Spurs won 119-68. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers special advisor Jerry Colangelo (L) goes over first quarter stats with owner Joshua Harris (R) during a timeout against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. The Spurs won 119-68. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers grabbed one of the 2016 Draft’s most promising players when the team selected Ben Simmons, but  the 2017 NBA Draft is a whole different ball game.

The 2016 NBA Draft is now in the record books.  It resulted in what has been largely considered a successful draft haul with the establishment of Ben Simmons as the next franchise cornerstone in Philadelphia.  The team also picked up two other solid additions in Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Furkan Korkmaz later in the first round.   With 2016 behind us, the 76ers will surely begin looking forward to next year’s draft fairly soon.

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Despite the likelihood of new additions this offseason and a highly promising upside presented by Ben Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers are likely to remain a lottery team next year.  Given the excitement surrounding the talented players who are expected to commit next season, there’s certainly reason for an early analysis of some prospects who could suit the 76ers’ needs.

The 2016 NBA Draft was disappointing from a potential standpoint. Outside of the top eight, a slim number of players ever showcased anything that would lead to a projection beyond the label of solid contributor.  The 2017 NBA Draft, however, is set to be quite different. With a high school class loaded with highly coveted players and a solid bunch of returning upperclassmen, there’s a lot of hype that could be legitimized come next campaign.

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