With the first night of the 2024 NBA Draft in the books, we’re off to a second day for the first time.
GO DEEPER
Analysis, fits for all 58 NBA Draft picks from John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie
Following the first round on Wednesday, league sources were quite pleased that they could stop after 30 picks, regroup, and not be up late until the wee hours of the evening trying to lock in Summer League spots and Exhibit 10 deals.
Instead, they’re now fielding calls that end a bit earlier in the evening than in previous years regarding potential trades for when each team gets on the clock. League sources have indicated that the Raptors, who will have the first pick on Thursday, have a high degree of leverage here. With expected first-round picks such as Johnny Furphy, Kyle Filipowski and Tyler Kolek slipping into the second round, there’s a real chance Toronto will get offers from a team that has a player still rated in the lottery on their board. Indeed, several picks in the top 10 of the second round were thought to be available overnight.
In that vein, whereas the first round featured a few deals here and there, expect many of them in the second as teams wheel and deal to maneuver around their board and accomplish their goals. Sometimes, that’s going to be to get out of the draft entirely. Other times, it’s to go up and acquire a player that you want once you know that he’s available at that selection.
With that said, he’s where we stand heading into Day 2 of the 2024 NBA Draft!
The most surprising dropout in the first round, Furphy is ranked No. 26 on my board and was expected by most league sources to be taken somewhere in the top 23 selections. He’s a big wing at 6-foot-7 who can shoot it and puts pressure on the rim with aggressiveness. But he is quite young, and it’s going to take him a long time on defense and as an overall playmaker. His role was very limited this past season at Kansas.
One thing to note: This pick has long been expected to hit the trade market overnight, with a potential bidding war from organizations that believe strongly in certain players. Furphy makes sense both for Toronto and for other teams looking to get up the board or trade into the draft.
Filipowski is the best player remaining on my board, a 6-foot-11 player with dribble-pass-shoot skills at the center position. Those players tend to be worth a large amount of value on the court offensively, and Filipowski was also productive in both years at Duke. Teams do have questions on what his defensive role is, but it’s hard for me to envision Filipowski still on the board after watching the playoffs and seeing how valuable being able to play five-out was on the court.
The Jazz could easily envision Filipowski as a ready-made replacement for Kelly Olynyk after the team traded him to the Toronto Raptors this past year.
Ighodaro is a bit lower on my board, but he’s a terrific big man who would fit a lot of what Doc Rivers wants from his bigs. He’s versatile on defense with his mobility and has a preternatural basketball IQ that allows him to see the court and make plays all over it with his passing ability out of dribble-handoffs and short-rolls. He’s on the smaller side for a center, but his brain is appealing to teams that already rebound the ball well. That’s the big concern, as Ighodaro is a center who isn’t overly physical in the post or on the glass. But the top-end passing skill here is elite, and he moves well across the board.
Mitchell had a strong pre-draft process and is expected to hear his name called somewhere in the top 40. Mitchell is one of my favorite upside swings in the draft. His ability to decelerate and play through contact as a shot creator is somewhat rare across the NBA. He averaged 20 points, four rebounds and four assists, and has some of the best footwork as a finisher on the interior in the class. The Blazers just traded Malcolm Brogdon on Wednesday and could use a technician such as Mitchell to potentially replace him as a long-term option.
The Spurs have a significant number of young players on the roster already and were not thought to be in the market to use this selection on a rostered player coming into the draft. However, the Spurs decided to trade out of No. 8 and may have opened a roster spot here. Kolek was expected to be a first-round pick last night but ended up falling outside of it. The Spurs would make an immense amount of sense here as a team that could use more depth at the point guard position. It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see someone who loved him try to move up for him.
Christie entered the NBA Draft after his freshman year with no assurance he’d be taken in the first round, choosing to bet on himself. It’s a similar route to that taken by his brother Max, who was selected at No. 35 two years ago by the Los Angeles Lakers. That still will probably end up being the route, as he’s largely been expected to hear his name called in the 30s. Here, Portland bets on Christie’s terrific shooting ability. He averaged 11.3 points per game while shooting 39 percent from 3 in a variety of different situations. The Blazers should just keep racking up shooters, and it’s easy to envision several other teams coming up to this spot and selecting him.
The Timberwolves surprised by trading into the first round to acquire Rob Dillingham while also still keeping the No. 27 pick to use on Terrence Shannon Jr. That says to me that a stash here is more likely, and the Wolves have been connected throughout the pre-draft process by league sources to Nunez, a dynamic passer and playmaker who averaged 10 points and five assists while playing for Ulm in Germany with first-round pick Pacôme Dadiet. There are athletic concerns here, though, and that may make Nunez more of a Euroleague superstar than a backup point guard option. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see this pick dealt for future capital, either.
The Knicks have been connected with Mogbo throughout the pre-draft process, per league sources. A 6-foot-6 big man with extremely long arms, Mogbo is a tremendous offensive player who also was aggressive and impactful on defense throughout a well-traveled college career. He averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds while dishing out four assists per game, and is seen as a real short-roll threat in the NBA as a safety valve in ball screens. The Knicks picked up an additional six second-round picks already by trading out of the No. 24 pick, which makes me wonder if the team may look to use this pick.
Smith fell outside of the first round, but it was always touch-and-go as to whether he’d be picked there. League sources were unsure of his standing or his floor on draft night. Here, the Grizzlies could theoretically take another G.G. Jackson-like flyer on a high-upside shooter and scorer with real athletic traits. Also, look for this pick to potentially be used on the trade market, as the Grizzlies have a bit of a roster crunch and have already addressed their center position.
It’s hard to imagine the Blazers using four roster spots on rookies this season, so I would expect at least one of No. 34 or 40 to be moved tomorrow to a team looking to jump into the draft. This would be a steal for anyone if Bona gets here, as he’s been one of the most impressive players throughout the pre-draft process to this stage. His energy is considered infectious and his defense is high level, having won Defensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12.
The 76ers prioritized shooting in the first round with Jared McCain. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them do it again with Wells, given how barren their roster is and how essential shooting is. I would anticipate the 76ers using this pick (or even trying to add more if possible) to try to fill out the bottom end of their roster with intriguing bets. If they’re willing to offer guaranteed roster spots, they will be among the most popular destinations.
Klintman was expected to go somewhere in the No. 25-to-45 range entering draft night, so it wasn’t too surprising to see him left over. He’s a 6-foot-9 wing/forward who can step away and shoot, as well as cut to the rim and finish above the basket. However, his defense and overall consistency leave a lot to be desired. The Hornets can afford to take a flyer on him even having just drafted Tidjane Salaun in the first round.
Spencer to Miami would be one of my favorite fits on draft night. He’s older at 24, but he’s one of the best off-ball movers and shooters in the class, having hit over 42 percent from 3 for his career. He helped Connecticut win a national title this past season as a first-team All-Big East player, and is renowned in league circles for his intensity and consistency of approach.
Shead is one of my best players remaining, a remarkable defensive savant who is as aggressive at the point of attack and in help situations as you’ll find an undersized guard. If he can figure out the offense, he’s so good on the other end that All-Defensive isn’t out of the question. Having said that, it would require him earning the minutes to be able to accomplish that by improving his jumper and continuing to play at a high level as a distributor out of ball screens. Even after having drafted Reed Sheppard, the Rockets would just see this as a best-player-available strategy.
Freeman was another one of the true risers of the pre-draft process, with teams coming away loving his mentality and aggressiveness as one of the MAC’s best defensive players of all time. He’s shifting from being a big in college to more of a 4 man, and teams aren’t entirely convinced that he’ll be able to do so successfully. But the impression I’ve gotten is that teams just want to have him in around in their locker room because his energy and effort are infectious.
Alexander has a chance to be something of a 3-and-D guard who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend. When he was locked in — especially when he was in his younger years at Creighton and didn’t have to shoulder such an offensive load — he was a menace on defense and made life tough for opposing players. This year, the jumper fell off a bit, and I don’t think you can trust him to make pull-ups at a high level. However, he’s an interesting bet if you already have some primary wings who can play both on and off the ball.
Simpson falls here after deciding to stay in the draft. The Magic could use a bit more guard depth even if it’s on a two-way type of deal, and Simpson has his fans league-wide as a pesky defender who can shoot, pass and create shots. He was one of the best players in the Pac-12 this past season and led Colorado on a deep NCAA Tournament run. His size will be held against him, but he has some very real talent.
Ajinca is a big-time potential shooter who played in France this past season, and would be an awesome stash opportunity for the Spurs if the board fell this way. We’re at the point in the draft where it feels like any of these picks would be up for grabs in a trade, but if the Spurs don’t move off of it, there are worse ideas than betting on a big wing who can space the court and has a ton of real strength.
Larsson is a smart offensive player, that’s the easiest way to describe him. He doesn’t try to do too much and consistently takes his opportunities when they’re given to him. Teams worry a bit about his lack of flexibility and capability with the ball in his hands, but he moves well off of the ball, has real strength for his size, and shoots it well from distance. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him land earlier than this.
Djurisic is another potential stash candidate for someone after choosing to stay in the draft. He’s a dynamic player with ball in hand and can pass. Then, he also can drive and score at a high level. However, he’s struggled to shift off of the ball in a big way, and teams are worried about how scalable he is to playing with great players around him.
Newton is one of my favorites in this class because he does just about everything at a solid level. He’s not great at anything, but I wouldn’t say he’s deficient at anything. I think I would expect the Knicks to possibly move this pick or two-way a player, and Newton would be an awesome choice across the board after winning the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four this season as a guard who can dribble, pass and shoot.
Johnson has emerged over the last two years after helping to lead San Diego State to the Final Four and playing strong hoops this year at Arizona as a defensive playmaker. He’s improved his shot over his career, but teams want to know more about if this will last moving back toward the NBA line. He’s one of my favorite two-way bets in the class, and he’s also regarded to be a high-character kid.
Reeves is a tremendous shooter who knocked down about 45 percent of his 3s at Kentucky this year as the No. 1 option most nights on the scouting report in the SEC. He is skinny and struggles on defense, but if you give Reeves an open 3, the ball is going in. Again, I see him more as a likely two-way, but I’d be willing to bet that on anyone who can shoot like this and is also capable of attacking closeouts.
The idea behind Bridges is a 3-and-D wing who can play with size on the back side of the defense, guard multiple positions, and knock down shots off of the catch. I don’t totally buy Bridges’ jumper off of movement, but he did make 41.2 percent of his 3s this season, largely out of spot-up situations. Again, we’re firmly in two-way zone here, but the Celtics should theoretically love this type of player.
The pick everyone has been waiting for. It’s seen as likely by sources who represent opposing teams across the league that the Lakers will select Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Now, we just wait and see what happens. James has potential as a defender and shooter, but he struggles to handle the ball at a high enough level to play point guard at 6-foot-1. I have an Exhibit 10 grade on him and don’t see him as draftable, but the odds seem good that he’ll hear his name called. We’ll see if that comes to fruition.
Hall would be a interesting depth big option for the Phoenix Suns after they acquired this pick during the first round in a trade down involving the Denver Nuggets. Hall can shoot and he’s tough on the interior. The hope here is that he could be a Mike Muscala-type long-term who sticks in the NBA with his intelligence and shooting ability.
Hukporti had a great year in Australia and is one of the better defensive bigs in the draft. He doesn’t have a ton of offensive game, but don’t be surprised to see a team try to stash him because of his interior play as a rim protector, his rebounding, and his willingness to play a very direct game basket to basket with a high motor.
Ingram had a strong year in his lone season at North Carolina, turning into an awesome defensive player in college who could knock down shots. At Stanford, he was more of a point forward type. Where teams are worried about him is if he’s quite athletic enough to be a legitimate NBA wing who can take on tough assignments and stay in front. But he has a ton of length to make for it, and is seen as a strong two-way contract bet.
(Top photo of Bronny James: David Becker / Getty Images)
