NBA Draft 2017: Start Time, Live Stream Info, First-Round Lottery Predictions And Rumors

Amidst all of the trade rumors and offseason craziness, the 2017 NBA Draft is finally upon us. It’s set to start at 7 p.m. EDT Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and the future of multiple franchises could be altered before the end of the first round.

Fans that watch the draft on TV on ESPN or with the free live stream online at WatchESPN might see more than just the top college basketball players make the pros. A few potential blockbuster trades have been discussed over the last few days, and teams might decide to pull the trigger right before the draft begins, or even as lottery picks are coming off the board.

READ: Lakers Trying To Trade For Paul George, Clear Cap Space For LeBron James

Paul George has been at the heart of the recent trade rumors. The Indiana Pacers might be compelled to trade their star player when the first round gets underway, considering they’ve been informed that George plans to leave as a free agent in 2018.

The Los Angeles Lakers might be the favorites to acquire George, though their proposed package centered around the No.27 and No.28 draft picks is a far cry from what the small forward is actually worth. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets have also inquired with the Pacers about making a trade.

Jimmy Butler has found himself in trade rumors, though it’s looking more and more unlikely that he will be dealt. Dwyane Wade has opted into his contract with the Chicago Bulls, and the team might take another run with the group that made it to the playoffs as the No.8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Celtics have already made the biggest splash of the offseason, trading the No.1 overall selection to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for this year’s No.3 pick and a future first-round pick. Boston apparently wasn’t as high on consensus No.1 pick Markelle Fultz, and they have plenty of assets to make another deal on draft day.

With seven first-round picks over the next three years, Boston has been linked to just about every star player that can be had in a trade. That even includes Kristaps Porzingis, who the basketball world was recently surprised to hear could be acquired for the right price from the New York Knicks.

The Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers have the most first-round picks. Portland selects 15th, 20th and 26th overall. The Sacramento Kings are the only team with two lottery picks.

Here is a mock draft for the 2017 lottery:

1) Philadelphia 76ers, Markelle Fultz (Washington)

2) Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball (UCLA)

3) Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum (Duke)

4) Phoenix Suns, De’Aaron Fox (Kentucky)

5) Sacramento Kings, Josh Jackson (Kansas)

6) Orlando Magic, Jonathan Isaac (Florida State)

7) Minnesota Timberwolves, Lauri Markkanen (Arizona)

8) New York Knicks, Frank Ntilikina (France)

9) Dallas Mavericks, Dennis Smith (N.C. State)

10) Sacramento Kings, Malik Monk (Kentucky)

11) Charlotte Hornets, Donovan Mitchell (Louisville)

12) Detroit Pistons, Luke Kennard (Duke)

READ: Kyle Lowry, Paul George On Houston Rockets' Radar

13) Denver Nuggets, John Collins (Wake Forest)

14) Miami Heat, Zach Collins (Gonzaga)