Let the 2024 NBA draft speculation begin, now that the 2023 NBA draft is over. Few players’ draft positions will receive as much discussion or speculation as Bronny James of USC. Few analysts think he will rise to the level of a lottery pick, but he will have a chance to make his statement with the Trojans this coming season.
The bigger point about Bronny applies to other 2024 NBA prospects as well: Their positions on the projected draft board are not likely to be stable or fixed. Where they stand now, and where they stand in November or December, might not match where they will eventually land next June.
ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony explained:
“New players will undoubtedly emerge both in the college ranks and around the globe, and unlike in previous years, there are rare opportunities for less-heralded players to move into the top-five portion of the draft,” Givony wrote.
“In comparison, our 2023 mock draft a year ago correctly predicted four of the top five picks who eventually heard their names called Thursday (similar to what we saw in 2022 and 2021), something we don’t expect to happen for 2024.
“G League Ignite and the Australian NBL are becoming increasingly important evaluation platforms in the NBA scouting world, as evidenced by the fact that six of the top 25 players projected to be drafted are signed there currently, including the top-two players in our mock draft, who are slated to play for Ignite.
“Expect there to be significant movement as unknown players emerge and other, more highly regarded prospects inevitably stagnate or drop as they are heavily scrutinized throughout the season by NBA scouts.”
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