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NBA Draft: Is Jarrett Allen moving up or down Draft boards?

By James Caldwell

Feb 14, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) dunks the ball in front of Oklahoma Sooners guard Christian James (3 during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) dunks the ball in front of Oklahoma Sooners guard Christian James (3 during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Texas Longhorns freshman basketball star Jarrett Allen has a chance to move up NBA Draft boards at the NBA Combine this week.

Right now, though, Jarrett Allen is moving down NBA Draft boards.

In the latest 2017 NBA Mock Draft released by FanSided, Jarrett Allen moved down to the #17 pick in the first round. That would land him on the Milwaukee Bucks.

Last week, Allen was projected at #15 to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Allen is close to being an NBA Draft Lottery Pick, projected to land on an NBA team that just made the Playoffs like the Blazers or Bucks.

But, a good showing at the NBA Combine could make him a Lottery Pick, landing with a team that just missed the Playoffs and could use him in a starting role.

Let’s look at who those teams might be.

NBA Lottery Teams that Need Big Man

Jarrett Allen is unlikely to move into the Top 7 of the NBA Draft unless he completely blows away scouts at the NBA Combine.

More realistically, a good showing could land him in the 8-14 range of the NBA Draft order. The actual order will be decided on May 16 during the NBA Draft Lottery. But, here are the teams in that range.

  • Sacramento Kings
  • The Kings traded away DeMarcus Cousins, but they have several big men already on the roster, including 2015 first round pick Willie Cauley-Stein.
  • Conclusion: Unlikely for Jarrett Allen
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • The Mavs need a lot of help at multiple positions to become competitive again in the Western Conference. Outside of Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs’ top big man is Nerlens Noel from Kentucky. If Allen performs well at the Combine, the Mavs might be interested in keeping Allen in the state of Texas.
  • Conclusion: Possible to stay in Texas
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • The Hornets are loaded with big men, including college basketball stars Frank Kaminsky, Miles Plumlee, and Cody Zeller.
  • Conclusion: Not happening.
  • Detroit Pistons
  • This is intriguing because the Pistons might be looking for a big man to tandem with Andre Drummond. Could Jarrett Allen slide up to this spot over some other big man prospects?
  • Conclusion: Intriguing possibility
  • Denver Nuggets
  • The Nuggets like to play up-and-down to wear out opponents in altitude. They were the third highest-scoring team in the league behind Golden State and Houston. But, they played such bad defense that they could not outscore opponents. Allen could offer help on both ends of the court as a scorer and defender who can grab rebounds to start the fastbreak.
  • Conclusion: Another intriguing possibility
  • Miami Heat
  • The Heat have plenty of big men, including Hassan Whiteside and Udonis Haslem. It seems unlikely that Miami would look to Jarrett Allen mid-way through the first round.
  • Conclusion: Unlikely.

Overall Conclusion for 2017 NBA Draft

If Jarrett Allen moves up NBA Draft boards into the Lottery, the potential destinations are Dallas, Detroit, and Denver.

If one of the three D’s does not select Allen, then he likely falls out of the lottery to the Playoffs teams drafting in the first round. That’s not a bad spot to be in joining a team that just made the NBA Playoffs and needs one or two more pieces to make a deeper run.

Either way, Allen seems to be in a good position to land on a quality team that needs an athletic scorer and defender.

Next: Projected 2017 UT Basketball Roster

We’ll find out more about Allen’s Draft stock after the Combine concludes this week. Then, it’s all eyes on the NBA Draft taking place June 22 in New York.

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