The Philadelphia 76ers took Washington guard Markelle Fultz as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft on Thursday night, widely confirming most mock draft predictions for the top selections at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The Boston Celtics Took Duke Forward Jayson Tatum With the No. 3 Overall Pick

The 19-year-old, 6-foot-5 star was one of a record-setting 16 freshmen selected in the first 30 picks, which only included two seniors.

“Coming in, I want to win Rookie of the Year,” Fultz said earlier this year. “I got a pretty high goal for myself: I want to be the M.V.P. I set my goals high because I want to put in a lot of work to achieve them.”

The Sixers acquired Fultz earlier this week in a trade with the Boston Celtics to move up two spots from No. 3. In his lone season at Washington, the guard averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds in 25 games for the Huskies, who finished the season with a dreadful 9-22 record and 13 straight losses. Fultz also shot 41.3 percent from three-point range and 64.9 percent from the free-throw line.

Only Kevin Durant (Texas, 2006-07) and Michael Beasley (Kansas State, 2007-08) averaged more points as a freshman over the past 10 seasons.

When asked on Thursday what the greatest misconception about him is, Fultz stated it was that he’s “not a winner.”

“I get tired of hearing that,” he said. “Anybody that knows me knows how competitive I am. Look at my résumé through high school. I’ve been winning my whole life.”

According to the New York Times’ Benjamin Hoffman and Marc Tracy, Fultz is an “intriguing” player to join Philadelphia’s core offense, which includes Joel Embiid, Dario Saric and Australian forward Ben Simmons, whom the Sixers took as the No. 1 overall pick in 2016. Embiid was the 76ers’ third overall pick in 2014.

The Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, selected hometown star Lonzo Ball as the second overall pick on Thursday.

The 6-foot-6 UCLA freshman point guard shot 41.2 percent from three-point range. In his lone campaign with the Bruins, Ball set a single-season record with 274 assists. In exchange for him, the Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell (the No. 2 pick just two years ago) to the Brooklyn Nets.

Hoffman claims that “Ball’s ability to create opportunities for teammates should immediately make Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram better players.”

Tracy, for his part, believes the youngster — who is known for his rapping skills and whose father LaVar Ball is a former college basketball and retired professional football player — could be the most raved-about draft pick of 2017. Tracy says Ball could reach levels akin to Kyrie Irving, LeBron James or Allen Iverson. 

The Celtics, who were expected by some mock drafts to take Kansas forward Josh Jackson, ended up selecting 19-year-old, 6-foot-8 Duke small forward Jayson Tatum as the No. 3 pick. The Phoenix Suns chose 20-year-old Jackson as the fourth overall pick. Another Duke player, sophomore shooting guard Luke Kennard, went to the Detroit Piston as the 12th overall pick.

As far as major trades go, the Bulls sent three-time All-Star guard Jimmy Butler and their No. 16 overall pick — Creighton center Justin Patton — to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and their No. 7 pick, Arizona’s 7-foot freshman power forward from Finland, Lauri Markkanen. Butler — who averaged 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.9 steals a game last season — will now be reunited with former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. 

The Sacramento Kings, meanwhile, picked Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox as the fifth overall selection. Sacramento then turned No. 10 overall pick, Gonzaga swingman Zach Collins, into UNC Forward Justin Jackson (No. 15 overall pick) and Duke’s 6-foot-11 freshman center Harry Giles via a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers that has not yet been formally announced. Giles declared for the draft earlier this year despite suffering severe injuries to both his knees.

Here are the full results of the 2017 NBA Draft: (30 picks in each of the two rounds)

1. 76ers: Markelle Fultz (G) – Washington
2. Lakers: Lonzo Ball (G) – UCLA
3. Celtics: Jayson Tatum (F) – Duke
4. Suns: Josh Jackson (F) – Kansas
5. Kings: DeAaron Fox (G) – Kentucky
6. Magic: Jonathan Isaac (F) – Florida State
7. Bulls: Lauri Markkanen (F) – Arizona
8. Knicks: Frank Ntilikina (G) – Strasbourg, France
9. Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr. (G) – NC State
10. Trail Blazers: Zach Collins (F/C) – Gonzaga
11. Hornets: Malik Monk (G) – Kentucky
12. Pistons: Luke Kennard (G) – Duke
13. Jazz: Donovan Mitchell (G) – Louisville
14. Heat: Bam Adebayo (C) – Kentucky
15. Kings: Justin Jackson (F) – UNC
16. Bulls: Justin Patton (C) – Creighton
17. Bucks: DJ Wilson (F/C) – Michigan
18. Pacers: TJ Leaf (F/C) – UCLA
19. Hawks: John Collins (F) – Wake Forest
20. Kings: Harry Giles (F/C) – Duke
21. Thunder: Terrance Ferguson (F) – Adelaide, Australia
22. Nets: Jarrett Allen (C) – Texas
23. Raptors: OG Anunoby (F) – Indiana
24. Nuggets: Tyler Lydon (F) – Syracuse
25. 76ers: Andzejs Pasecniks (C) – Gran Canaria, Latvia
26. Trail Blazers: Caleb Swanigan (PF) – Purdue
27. Lakers: Kyle Kuzma (F) – Utah
28. Jazz: Tony Bradley (C) – North Carolina
29. Spurs: Derrick White (G) – Colorado
30. Lakers: Josh Hart (G) – Villanova
31. Pelicans: Frank Jackson (PG) – Duke 
32.  Suns: Davon Reed (SG) – Miami
33. Magic: Wesley Iwundu (SF) – Kansas State
34. Kings: Frank Mason III (PG) – Kansas
35. Grizzlies: Ivan Rabb (PF) – California
36.  76ers: Jonah Bolden (PF) – Australia 
37. Celtics: Semi Ojeleye (SF) – SMU
38. Warriors: Jordan Bell (C) – Oregon
39. Clippers: Jawun Evans (PG) – OSU
40. Hornets: Dwayne Bacon (SF) – FSU
41. Hawks: Tyler Dorsey (SG) – Oregon
42. Lakers: Thomas Bryant (C) – Indiana
43. Rockets: Isaiah Hartenstein (C) – Lithuania
44. Knicks: Damyean Dotson (SG) – Oregon
45. Rockets: Dillon Brooks (SF) – Oregon
46. Bucks: Sterling Brown (SG) – SMU
47. Pacers: Ike Anigbogu (C) – UCLA
48. Clippers: Sindarius Thornwell (SG) – South Carolina
49. Nuggets: Vlatko Cancar (SF) – Slovenia
50. 76ers: Mathias Lessort (PF) – France
51. Nuggets: Monte’ Morris (PG) – Iowa State
52. Pacers: Edmond Sumner (PG) – Xavier
53. Celtics: Kadeem Allen (SG) – Arizona
54. Suns:  Alec Peters (PF) – Valparaiso
55. Jazz: Nigel Williams-Goss (PG) – Gonzaga
56. Celtics:  Jabari Bird (SG) – California
57. Nets: Aleksandar Vezenkov (PF) – Spain
58. Knicks: Ognjen Jaramaz (PG) – Serbia
59. Spurs: Jaron Blossomgame (SF) – Clemson
60. Hawks: Alpha Kaba (PF) – France

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 22: Markelle Fultz walks on stage with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers during the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City.

This year’s NBA Draft will kick off at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday night (June 22), and here is all the info you need:

NBA Draft 2017 Round 1 Info/Preview

When: Thursday, June 22, 7 p.m. EST

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Predictions:

The Philadelphia 76ers are widely projected to select Washington guard Markelle Fultz as the No. 1 overall pick from the Boston Celtics, who are expected to take Kansas swingman Josh Jackson at No. 3 overall. Fultz could likely prove to mesh well with the Sixers’ young core of guards like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric. Philadelphia is also predicted to take the Lakers’ first-round pick from next year as part of their trade for Fultz.

According to the New York Times, the Lakers will likely choose hometown star Lonzo Ball — a powerful point guard who played one season for UCLA — as the No. 2 overall pick on Thursday. Ball’s father LaVar is a former college basketball star and former tight end who played in the World League of American Football and as a practice squad member for the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers of the NFL.

The top international prospects, per the Times, are Frenchman Frank Nitikina and Latvian center Anzejs Pasecniks. In total, the NBA boasts 20 French-born players, while only four come from Latvia — three of whom have joined the league in the last three years.

Here is the full team selection order for the first two rounds of the 2017 Draft:

First-round order

1. Philadelphia 76ers (from Celtics via Nets)

2. Los Angeles Lakers

3. Boston Celtics (from 76ers via Kings)

4. Phoenix Suns

5. Sacramento Kings (from 76ers)

6. Orlando Magic

7. Minnesota Timberwolves

8. New York Knicks

9. Dallas Mavericks

10. Sacramento Kings (from Pelicans)

11. Charlotte Hornets

12. Detroit Pistons

13. Denver Nuggets

14. Miami Heat

15. Portland Trail Blazers

16. Chicago Bulls

17. Milwaukee Bucks

18. Indiana Pacers

19. Atlanta Hawks

20. Portland Trail Blazers (from Grizzlies)

21. Oklahoma City Thunder

22. Brooklyn Nets (from Wizards)

23. Toronto Raptors (from Clippers)

24. Utah Jazz

25. Orlando Magic (from Raptors)

26. Portland Trail Blazers (from Cavs)

27. Brooklyn Nets (from Celtics)

28. Los Angeles Lakers (from Rockets)

29. San Antonio Spurs

30. Utah Jazz (from Warriors)

Second-round order

31. Atlanta Hawks (from Nets)

32. Phoenix Suns

33. Orlando Magic (from Lakers)

34. Sacramento Kings (from 76ers via Pelicans)

35. Orlando Magic

36. Philadelphia 76ers (from Knicks via Jazz and Raptors)

37. Boston Celtics (from Timberwolves via Suns)

38. Chicago Bulls (from Kings via Cavs)

39. Philadelphia 76ers (from Mavericks)

40. New Orleans Pelicans

41. Charlotte Hornets

42. Utah Jazz (from Pistons)

43. Houston Rockets (from Nuggets)

44. New York Knicks (from Bulls)

45. Houston Rockets (from Blazers)

46. Philadelphia 76ers (from Heat via Hawks)

47. Indiana Pacers

48. Milwaukee Bucks

49. Denver Nuggets (from Grizzlies via Thunder)

50. Philadelphia 76ers (from Hawks)

51. Denver Nuggets (from Thunder)

52. Washington Wizards

53. Boston Celtics (from Cavs)

54. Phoenix Suns (from Raptors)

55. Utah Jazz

56. Boston Celtics (from Clippers)

57. Brooklyn Nets (from Celtics)

58. New York Knicks (from Rockets)

59. San Antonio Spurs

60. Atlanta Hawks (from Warriors via 76ers and Jazz)

WACO, TX – FEBRUARY 18: Josh Jackson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks and teammate Landen Lucas #33 celebrate after Kansas defeated the Baylor Bears at the Ferrell Center on February 18, 2017 in Waco, Texas. Kansas won 67-65. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not yer officially offered Chauncey Billups a position in their front office, two sources familiar with the negotiations told reporters Thursday.

Chauncey Billups Still Weighing Job In Cavaliers’ Front Office

Billups and owner Dan Gilbert met in Detroit on Tuesday and again on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena for meetings with staff.

Gilbert has considered Billups as the Cavs’ next president of basketball operations following the departure of general manager David Griffin, whom the team announced on Monday is leaving after three seasons.

According to The Athletic, the Cavaliers have offered Billups a five-year contract to lead their front office.

The 40-year-old former NBA guard — who played for the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers among other teams — has known he could be a contender for a top executive job with the Cavs for several weeks, as it grew evident that Griffin would soon be leaving the team. Griffin’s contract with the Cavaliers expires June 30.

ESPN reported Tuesday, however, that Billups is content living with his family in Denver and traveling to Los Angeles to do television work for the network.

The Cavaliers have had four different general managers over the last 12 years under Gilbert. None of those GMs received a renewed contract.

Billups — who is close to Cavs coach Tyronn Lue — also reportedly interviewed for a front-office role with the Atlanta Hawks recently.

The Cavs do not have a pick in the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday, and will instead plan to rebuild their roster around LeBron James, who could become a free agent next summer.

In an interview with TMZ Sports this week, rapper and entrepreneur Ice Cube claimed Billups was leaving the BIG3 league — which begins June 24 — for a position in the NBA.

Billups is currently on the roster of the Killer 3s team in the BIG3 league that is coached by Charles Oakley. The team’s first game is scheduled for June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

NEW ORLEANS – FEBRUARY 16: Basketball player Chauncey Billups attends 2008 National Basketball Players Association Gala at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on February 16, 2008 in New Orleans Louisiana. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Given all the rumors surrounding potential big trades this NBA offseason, Dwight Howard decided to chat with fans on social media Tuesday night about their opinions on which major players they expect to be swapped.

Dwight Howard Has Two years Left On Three-Year Deal with Hawks

Less than ten minutes after the 31-year-old All-Star offered to answer fans’ questions on Twitter, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears revealed that the Atlanta Hawks were sending Howard to the Charlotte Hornets. However, Spears made a mistake by calling the Hornets by their old name, the Charlotte Bobcats. The team announced in 2013 that it would be changing its name beginning in the 2014-2015 season. Spears corrected his error in a separate tweet.

Five minutes after Spears’ tweets, Howard answered the first question from a fan regarding the Indiana Pacers trading Paul George, saying it was difficult to name just one potential new destination for the All-Star.

At this point, Howard appeared to still be unaware that the Hawks — his hometown team — had traded him to the Hornets in a three-player deal.

As part of the swap, Atlanta will acquire Miles Plumlee, Marco Bellinelli and the 31st and 41st picks in Thursday’s NBA Draft. The Hawks already have the 19th pick in the first round of the 2017 Draft.

The Hornets will be Howard’s fifth team of his 13-year NBA career. The eight-time NBA All-Star was drafted first overall out of high school by the Orlando Magic in 2004, and spent eight years there before playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (2012-2013) and Houston Rockets (2013-2016).

“It is extremely important for our organization that we maintain our flexibility, and this trade helps us achieve that critical goal,” Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said in a statement released by the team. “We appreciate the contributions that Dwight made on the court and in the greater Atlanta community this past season.”

Hornets GM Rich Cho said the team is excited to add “a player of Dwight’s stature.”

“He has been a very talented player, an elite rebounder and rim protector as well as a physical presence since the moment he entered the league,” Cho said in a statement.

The trade will save the Hawks salary-cap space.

The Hornets traded off their first-round draft pick in 2016 to acquire Belinelli after losing Courtney Lee and Jeremy Lin during free agency. Belinelli played in 74 games last season and averaged 10.5 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting.

In his lone season with the Hawks, Howard averaged 13.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game during the regular season. Nevertheless, those figures fell to merely eight points and 10.7 rebounds per game during Atlanta’s first-round playoff loss to the Washington Wizards. Howard’s 2016-2017 season was one of his better campaigns since being traded by the Magic in 2012.

“It was very difficult. I want to play,” Howard said at the end of the season. “I want to be on the floor. I want to make an impact. You can’t do it on the bench.”

The Hawks were eliminated in the first round of the postseason for the first time in three years. After the season ended, coach Mike Budenholzer resigned his additional role as president of basketball operations and Wes Wilcox stepped down as general manager.

Howard — a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year — still has two years remaining on the three-year, $70.5 million free-agent deal he inked last summer. He is still owed $23.5 million in 2017-18 and $23.8 million in 2018-19.

BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 27: Dwight Howard #8 of the Atlanta Hawks is ejected from the game following his second technical foul against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter at TD Garden on February 27, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert announced on Monday that general manager David Griffin is leaving the team, and LeBron James appears to have been uninformed about this decision.

LeBron James Claims He Was Unaware of Cavs GM David Griffin’s Firing

According to ESPN’s Ryen Russillo, James was “surprised” to see the Cavs part ways with Griffin. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, meanwhile, reported Gilbert didn’t meet with James before deciding to let the GM go.

James thanked and expressed his appreciation for Griffin, who had been the Cavaliers’ general manager since 2014, on Twitter late Monday night:

Griffin became acting general manager for the Cavs in February 2014 after Chris Grant was fired from that post, and then became the team’s permanent, full-time GM three months afterwards.

Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe were among those who reacted to the news of Griffin’s departure. On Tuesday’s episode of “Undisputed,” the duo reflected on how this development will affect the Cavs’ roster, particularly considering that the team has been rumored to be mulling several trades and that the NBA Draft begins on Thursday.

Of the two hosts of “Undisputed,” Sharpe perhaps made the boldest of all claims during Tuesday’s episode: that Griffin’s exit from the Cavaliers would imply that James would be leaving Cleveland yet again next year.

“It’s over, Skip. LeBron is leaving Cleveland in 2018,” Sharpe told Bayless. “The two most powerful people in that organization are Dan Gilbert and LeBron James. That [was] was directed at Dan Gilbert. ‘I appreciate you if no one else did. We got us one.’”

James, 32, was drafted first overall by the Cavs in 2003 as a high schooler and played in Cleveland for seven years (2003-2010) before joining the Miami Heat. The power forward — nicknamed “The King” — then spent four seasons with the Miami Heat before returning to his hometown in Ohio to play for the team he began his NBA career with.

Sharpe continued explaining his theory for why James will soon leave the Cavaliers, stating that he believes the All-Star and Gilbert may hold a contentious relationship. “Now, we know this, Skip: He’s gone out of his way — he has never addressed, since his return in three years, he’s never addressed his owner by name. He only refers to [Gilbert] as ‘the owner.’”

After discussing James’ potential exit from the Cavs at length, Sharpe concluded by pondering which top NBA players the team might consider acquiring in a trade this offseason or during the draft.

“Now, my thing is where this hurts the Cavaliers. They’re trying to make a move, maybe trying to get a Paul George, maybe trying to get a Jimmy Butler. Who do they call?”

Bayless, meanwhile, revealed he is skeptical of James’ claim that he was completely unaware of the team’s decision to terminate Griffin. Sharpe’s co-host cited James’ status as one of the best players on both the Cavaliers and in the NBA as justification for his doubting the All-Star’s assertion.

“I have a really hard time believing that LeBron James had zero to do with David Griffin’s firing,” Bayless said. “I just have a hard time believing that the most powerful athlete in all of sports, the face — not only of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the face of the NBA — the quote unquote ‘best player on the planet’… and you’re telling me that he had absolutely zero to do, that he is being treated like nothing but an employee of the Cavaliers? He was completely in the dark? That he found out just as we all found out, off the announcement yesterday. ‘Oh, David Griffin’s being fired! I had no idea!,’ say sources close to LeBron.”

Bayless, who has previously criticized the Cavs for their playoff performances, also claims he predicted the Cavs were going to fire Griffin if they lost this year’s NBA Finals — which they did, in five games to the Golden State Warriors. However, Bayless added that Griffin didn’t deserve to be terminated, saying that the team simply need to “sacrifice” one of their executives following that mistake.

Griffinn’s current contract expires June 30. James has one more guaranteed year remaining on his deal — a 3-year, $99,857,127 contract. The four-time MVP publicly endorsed Griffin in April.

According to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, (h/t Pro Basketball Talk’s Dan Feldman) James would seriously consider signing with either of Los Angeles’ teams (the Lakers or the Clippers).

Wojnarowski explained that since James helped the Cavs win an NBA title in 2016, he is now at liberty to seek opportunities outside Cleveland if he thinks that will help his career the most.

BOSTON, MA – MAY 25: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates his dunk in the third quarter as Jae Crowder #99 of the Boston Celtics looks on during Game Five of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 25, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Boston Celtics have been expected to choose Washington guard Markelle Fultz as the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, but now it seems the team is eyeing Kansas swingman Josh Jackson for the top selection.

Celtics May Pick Kansas’ Josh Jackson Instead of Washington’s Markelle Fultz As Top Draft Pick

“We like him a lot,” a Celtics source told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford on Thursday. “But we like several guys a lot. We’ve got a week to figure it out.”

The NBA Draft will be held on June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The same source told Ford the Celtics are “strongly considering” other options besides Fultz.

One unnamed general manager stated he is confident the Celtics will pick Jackson at No. 1, and cited his strong familiarity with the team’s general manager Danny Ainge’s draft interests and record. The team earned the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery last month.

“I’ve picked Danny’s brain for years,” the general manager said. “Jackson is an Ainge player all the way. Tough, athletic, long, versatile, elite motor. If he’s keeping the pick, Jackson just to me, far and away, is the most Celtics-type player for them to draft. From all my conversations with them, I’m convinced they’ll take Jackson No. 1.”

The Celtics are in most desperate need of offensive power right now. Ainge has already said he intends to keep All-Star Isaiah Thomas on his squad. Jackson can score, but earned many points in college off transition and offensive rebounds. The Jayhawks star shot over 37 percent from the college line.

Jackson cancelled a previously scheduled meeting with the Celtics earlier this week, according to a Monday report from ESPN’s  Jeff Goodman and Marc J. Spears. 

Although the reason for the cancellation remains unknown, Ford cited NBA sources who theorized Jackson and his agent B.J. Armstrong may also be considering joining the Philadelphia 76ers or Los Angeles Lakers, given that their depth charts are more empty.

“We’re in dialogue with Boston,” Armstrong said, via Ford. “We’re very respectful of them. They have the No. 1 pick and can select whoever they choose. We just need to see how things play out over the next week.”

In his most recent mock draft released Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman predicted the Celtics would take Fultz at No. 1 overall and the Lakers would select Jackson at No. 2.

Phoenix radio host John Gambadoro tweeted Monday that he also believes the Lakers and Sixers are Jackson’s most likely destinations, particularly the former.

Boston is also allegedly interested in Gordon Hayward and Blake Griffin, who are set to become free agents this summer.

Here is the full first-round order for the 2017 NBA Draft:

1. Boston (from Brooklyn)
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Philadelphia (from Sacramento)
4. Phoenix
5. Sacramento (from Philadelphia)
6. Orlando
7. Minnesota
8. New York
9. Dallas
10. Sacramento (from New Orleans)
11. Charlotte
12. Detroit
13. Denver
14. Miami
15. Portland
16. Chicago
17. Milwaukee
18. Indiana
19. Atlanta
20. Portland (from Memphis via Denver and Cleveland)
21. Oklahoma City
22. Brooklyn (from Washington)
23. Toronto (from LA Clippers via Milwaukee)
24. Utah
25. Orlando (from Toronto)
26. Portland (from Cleveland)
27. Brooklyn (from Boston)
28. Los Angeles Lakers (from Houston)
29. San Antonio
30. Utah (from Golden State)

Attention, all basketball fans: tickets for the 2017 NBA Draft are now on sale.

Tickets: NBA Draft 2017, Barclays Center June 22

The draft will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday, June 22at 7pm EST. Tickets begin at $41, and there is an overall eight-ticket limit for the event.

Among the top prospects in this year’s draft are Washington guard Markelle Fultz and UCL guard Lonzo Ball: most experts seem to agree these two players will be chosen early.

CBSSports’s Gary Parrish predicts the Boston Celtics, who earned the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft lottery, will select Fultz as the top pick and that Ball will go to the Los Angeles Lakers as the second overall selection.

In his mock draft, Parrish then has Kansas small forward Josh Jackson going to the Philadelphia 76ers as the No. 3 overall pick, and then the Phoenix Suns selecting Duke small forward Jayson Tatum as the fourth pick.

Rounding out the top ten pick predictions for the first round, according to Parrish’s mock draft, are Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox to the Sacramento Kings (No. 5), Kentucky point guard Malik Monk to the Orlando Magic (No. 6), Florida State small forward Jonathan Isaac to the Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 7), NC State point guard Dennis Smith to the New York Knicks (No. 8), France point guard Frank Ntilikina to the Dallas Mavericks, and Duke shooting guard Luke Kennard to the Kings.

Another top prospect Parrish predicts will be selected in the first round is North Carolina small forward Justin Jackson, whom he believes the Chicago Bulls will take as the 16th pick. Parrish also predicts Duke’s freshman power forward Harry Giles will go to the Portland Trail Blazers as the 20th overall pick.

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 23: Ben Simmons walks on stage after being drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 23, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

The 2017 NBA draft lottery on Tuesday saw the Boston Celtics get the No. 1 overall pick, while the Los Angeles Lakers landed in the top three for the third straight year.

Celtics Get No. 1 Pick in 2017 NBA Draft, Lakers Land In Top Three of Lottery

Washington guard Markelle Fultz is believed to be the first overall selection, while Kansas’ Josh Jackson and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball are also considered contenders for the top spot. There is just over a month remaining until a decision is made.

The Lakers secured the second overall pick for the third consecutive season, and are expected to retain what would have been an unprotected first-round selection in 2019 — the remains of the Dwight Howard trade in 2012.

Los Angeles is also hoping to attract Paul George or some other high-profile free agent in 2018. However, Magic Johnson has other ideas for the Lakers in the meantime. The team’s president of basketball operations said the squad will likely build around the 2016 No. 2 overall pick, former Duke small forward Brandon Ingram. 

The Celtics obtained the Brooklyn Nets’ No. 1 pick via a selection trade they received in the notorious 2013 Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce swap.

The Philadelphia 76ers locked down the third overall pick for 2017. Had the Lakers fallen below the top three in this year’s draft lottery, their selection would have been granted to the Sixers via the Steve Nash trade in 2012. The Phoenix Suns sent Los Angeles’ pick they obtained in the swap to Philadelphia in a later trade involving Brandon Knight. 

The New Orleans Pelicans, meanwhile, yielded their No. 10 draft pick to Sacramento. The Kings also secured the fifth overall selection via a trade with Philadelphia, something that seemed to delight Sixers center Joel Embiid despite his incorrect prediction that his team would land the tenth pick.

Here are the complete first-round lottery results:

1. Boston (From Brooklyn)
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Philadelphia (from Sacramento)
4. Phoenix
5. Sacramento (from Philadelphia)
6. Orlando
7. Minnesota
8. New York
9. Dallas
10. Sacramento (From New Orleans)
11. Charlotte
12. Detroit
13. Denver
14. Miami

15. Portland
16. Chicago
17. Milwaukee
18. Indiana
19. Atlanta
20. Portland (From Memphis via Denver and Cleveland)
21. Oklahoma City
22. Brooklyn (From Washington)
23. Toronto (From LA Clippers via Milwaukee)
24. Utah
25. Orlando (From Toronto)
26. Portland (From Cleveland)
27. Brooklyn (From Boston)
28. Los Angeles Lakers (From Houston)
29. San Antonio
30. Utah (From Golden State)

The Celtics will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8:30 pm EST on Wednesday for Game 1 of the NBA Conference Finals, after eliminating the Washington Wizards in Game 7 of the Semifinals on Monday.

WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 07: Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics reacts after a call in the second half against the Washington Wizards in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Verizon Center on May 7, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Duke freshman forward Harry Giles is entering this year’s NBA draft, the university announced Tuesday.

Duke Freshman Harry Giles Entering 2017 NBA Draft

The 6-foot-10 18-year-old, who missed two seasons in high school due to a pair of torn ACLs, was out for the first 11 games of this season because of a third knee injury. Giles was ranked as the No. 1 player in the freshman class by ESPN.

A spokesman for the Blue Devils, Gary Walton, says Giles plans to hire an agent.

“Playing in the NBA has been my goal for as long as I can remember, and I’m so excited to take the next step in that journey,” the power forward said in a statement issued through the school. “My time at Duke has been a dream come true.”

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski praised Giles in a separate statement.

“With his uplifting personality and love for the game, Harry Giles has been a joy to coach,” Krzyzewski said. “He is only beginning to scratch the surface of how good he can be on the basketball court. Harry has an exciting NBA future ahead of him and we are here to fully support him as a member of our brotherhood.”

Giles averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game this season. He is now the 11th player in the Blue Devils’ history to declare for the draft after his freshman year. Teammate Jayson Tatum was the 10th last week. Each of the previous nine were first-round picks, with eight of them going in the lottery.

Several NBA executives told ESPN will probably be selected in the latter half of the round, and ESPN Insider Chad Ford ranks Giles as the No. 14 prospect in the 2017 NBA draft.

Duke was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by South Carolina in the second round on March 19.

NC State point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is also reportedly entering the draft. Smith Jr. averaged 18.6 points, 6.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from beyond the arc in his only season as a player for the Wolfpack.

DURHAM, NC – JANUARY 04: Harry Giles #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after drawing a foul against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 4, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)