2017 NBA Draft: Latest projections for Arizona Wildcats’ Lauri Markkanen and Kobi Simmons

Chance Comanche and Kadeem Allen are expected to go undrafted

The 2017 NBA Draft is less than a week away and, as usual, a couple Arizona Wildcats are expected to get selected.

Here’s where the latest projections have them landing:

Lauri Markkanen

• DraftExpress — 7th overall, Minnesota Timberwolves
• USA Today — 10th, Sacramento Kings
• CBS — 11th, Charlotte Hornets
• Sporting News — 7th, Minnesota Timberwolves
• NBC — 7th, Minnesota Timberwolves

Sean Miller said last month that Markkanen being a lottery pick is a “no-brainer” and it appears NBA GMs agree with that.

Kobi Simmons*

• DraftExpress — 60th overall, Atlanta Hawks
• CBS — 57th, Brooklyn Nets

It appears Simmons will be selected late in the second round or will wind up undrafted.

*USA Today, Sporting News, and NBC did not include the second round in their respective mock drafts

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Kadeem Allen and Chance Comanche were not found in any mock drafts (though most do not provide second-round projections).

Both players have worked out for several teams and should get a shot at NBA Summer League, at minimum.

Allen is believed to have a strong chance of making NBA team due to his defensive prowess, but his age — he is 24 — is likely hindering him from being drafted.

Comanche is seen as a candidate to garner a “two-way” contract. With that, he would essentially be the 15th or 16th player on an NBA team’s roster, and would be spending most of his time — if not all of it — in the G-League next season.

Players who receive two-way contracts earn the G-League base salary ($75,000), with the potential to accrue additional income if they are active on an NBA roster. That additional income would be the prorated amount of the NBA minimum salary ($815,000).

One catch: two-way players cannot be active on an NBA roster for more than 45 days, meaning their earning potential income is capped at $279,000 for the season.

Like Comanche, Simmons is also seen as a candidate to receive a two-way contract.

This offseason is the first time these two-way contracts are an asset for NBA teams as they are part of the new CBA which comes into effect this summer.

Here’s a more in-depth look at two-way contracts, which are expected to become a commonly-used tool for NBA front offices.

The 2017 NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 22 at 4 p.m. PST in Brooklyn, New York.

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Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire

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