Tag: 2024 NBA Draft

Big 12 Freshman of the Year Ja’Kobe Walter announces NBA draft decision

Walter was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 35 games.

Baylor guard Ja’Kobe Walter told Shams Charania of The Athletic on Monday that he will forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2024 NBA draft.

Walter was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals on 34.1% shooting from 3-point range in 35 games. His 508 total points rank as the second-most by a freshman in program history.

He was also named to the All-Big 12 third team.

Walter struggled during the first month of conference play but settled in and finished the year on a high note. He totaled 39 points and 10 rebounds in two games in the NCAA Tournament as the Bears lost to Clemson in the round of 32.

Walter is projected to be a mid-first-round pick, given his scoring ability after producing nine 20-point games. He can get to his spots well, pull up from virtually everywhere, and get into the paint and finish. He can also lock up on defense and make things tough for the opposition.

He will have the opportunity to improve his draft positioning in team interviews and workouts over the pre-draft process. He could also be invited to compete in the G League Elite Camp or draft combine next month in Chicago, Illinois.

The 2024 NBA draft take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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ABA League Top Prospect Nikola Topić declares for 2024 NBA draft

Topić was named the ABA League Top Prospect after averaging 16.4 points, 6.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 19 total games this season.

Nikola Topić, a 6-foot-6 guard from Serbia, has declared for the 2024 NBA draft, his agent, Misko Raznatovic, announced Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Topić, 18, started the season on loan with Mega Basket in the ABA League in Serbia before returning to Crvena zvezda in December. He played three games there before suffering a knee injury that has cost him much of the season.

The 6-foot-6 point guard was named the ABA League Top Prospect after averaging 16.4 points, 6.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 19 total games this season. He joins the likes of Nikola Jokić, Goga Bitadze and Nikola Jović to win the award.

Topić is projected to be a lottery pick after dazzling this season before his injury. He brings great size to the next level and is likely more advanced than other prospects, given his professional experience in Serbia, which started when he was 16.

He has also represented Serbia at the junior level, most recently at the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship. He averaged 15.3 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and two steals on 47.4% shooting from the field in seven games to lead his team to the gold medal.

Topić started progressing in his recovery from his knee injury and was spotted recently shooting and doing other on-court activities with the team. He could be limited in workouts during the pre-draft process, but it appears he will be ready for the start of next season.

The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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Zaccharie Risacher: NBA draft scouting report and intel

2005 | 6’10 | 6’11 | 210 LBS Team: JL Bourg (France) Best aggregate mock draft rank: 1 / Worst rank: 18 Across 51 games in all leagues, Risacher averaged 10.5 points, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point range. He …

2005 | 6’10 | 6’11 | 210 LBS

Team: JL Bourg (France)

Best aggregate mock draft rank: 1 / Worst rank: 18

Across 51 games in all leagues, Risacher averaged 10.5 points, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point range. He also contributed 3.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per contest.

Risacher’s father, StĂŠphane, won a silver medal with the French National Team at the Olympics.

Sophomore guard Jaden Schutt intends to transfer from Duke

Redshirt sophomore Jaden Schutt becomes the third Duke player to enter transfer portal.

Following a trend of Duke players who were in reserve roles or didn’t play at all, sophomore Jaden Schutt has announced his decision to enter the transfer portal and find a new school to play for.

On3’s Joe Tipton first reported the news on Monday afternoon.

Schutt becomes another member of Jon Scheyer’s first recruiting class to enter the portal after Mark Mitchell and Christian Reeves also announced they would leave the program.

Schutt, a former four-star recruit from Jon Scheyer’s home state of Illinois and part of Scheyer’s inaugural seven-deep recruiting class in 2022, saw limited action for the Blue Devils in his time.

This past season was supposed to be a breakthrough moment for the esteemed sharpshooter, but injuries again derailed him. After Duke’s opening game this season, Scheyer confirmed that Schutt would redshirt and sit out the rest of the year.

With Schutt entering the transfer portal, Duke will have yet another scholarship available to try and fill via the transfer portal. With Jared McCain headed to the NBA draft, Duke will be in the portal for a veteran sharpshooter.

Nikola Topic: NBA draft scouting report and intel

2005 | 6’6 | 7’0 WS | 201 LBS Team: Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) Best aggregate mock draft rank: 1 / Worst rank: 15 Agent: Misko Raznatovic In 13 Adriatic League games, Topic averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, shooting 52.4 percent from the …

2005 | 6’6 | 7’0 WS | 201 LBS

Team: Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)

Best  aggregate mock draft rank: 1 / Worst rank: 15

Agent: Misko Raznatovic

In 13 Adriatic League games, Topic averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, shooting 52.4 percent from the field and a three-point percentage of 28.2 percent. He also recorded 0.9 steals and 3.1 turnovers per game.

His father, Milenko Topic, is a former professional basketball player, head coach and gold medalist with the Yugoslavian National Team.

As regular season ends, Rockets learn 2024 draft lottery odds

The Rockets will receive a 2024 lottery pick from the Nets, while there’s a small chance that Houston can avoid sending its own draft pick to Oklahoma City.

With the NBA’s 2023-24 regular season complete, the Houston Rockets have clarity on their odds entering the May 12 lottery to determine the 2024 first-round draft order.

Houston owns Brooklyn’s first-round draft selection, which enters in the No. 9 odds slot thanks to their 32-50 record. Houston controls Brooklyn’s first-round draft capital through 2027 due to the January 2021 trade involving James Harden.

The odds for that pick are as follows:

  • No. 1: 4.5%
  • No. 2: 4.8%
  • No. 3: 5.2%
  • No. 4: 5.7%
  • No. 9: 50.7%
  • No. 10: 25.9%
  • No. 11: 3.0%
  • No. 12: 0.1%
  • No. 13: 0.1%

Another way of framing it: The pick from Brooklyn has a 20.3% chance of being top four, a slightly above 50% chance of being No. 9, and a probability of just below 30% of being No. 10 or lower.

As for the Rockets (41-41), Houston likely enters the lottery with the No. 12 odds slot. Unless that pick lands in the top four, it goes to Oklahoma City as part of the Russell Westbrook trade from 2019.

However, unlike the pick headed from Brooklyn to Houston, the one slated to go from Houston to Oklahoma City does at least have a chance to not convey, depending on the lottery outcome.

Here’s a look at those percentages, should Houston stay at No. 12:

  • No. 1: 1.5%
  • No. 2: 1.7%
  • No. 3: 1.9%
  • No. 4: 2.1%
  • No. 12 or lower (pick goes to OKC): 92.9%

There is a small chance Houston could climb to the No. 11 odds slot if the Chicago defeats Miami in this week’s Eastern Conference play-in tournament. Since both the Bulls (39-43) had a worse record than the Rockets, they own higher odds slots. However, that would change if it unexpectedly makes the playoffs.

In that remote No. 11 odds slot scenario, the odds would be:

  • No. 1: 2.0%
  • No. 2: 2.2%
  • No. 3: 2.4%
  • No. 4: 2.8%
  • No. 11 or lower (pick to OKC): 90.6%

Whether Houston enters at No. 11 or No. 12 in the order, the odds are greater than 90% that the pick will go to the Thunder.

That said, it’s worth noting that the incoming selection from Brooklyn is already guaranteed to be higher than the outgoing pick to Oklahoma City, since the only way Houston’s pick could be ahead of Brooklyn’s selection is if Houston wins one of the four lottery selections. In that scenario, the Rockets would own both picks.

Houston also gets a 2024 second-round draft pick from Golden State (46-36), which will be at No. 43, 44 or 45 in the overall order. That will be decided by a random draw tiebreaker at a latest date.

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Jay Bilas projects a successful NBA career for Zach Edey: ‘He is going to play a long time’

After a decorated college career at Purdue, two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey is set to move on and enter the NBA draft.

After a decorated four-year college career at Purdue University, two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey is set to move on and enter the 2024 NBA draft.

Edey will leave the program as the all-time career leader in points (2,516), rebounds (1,321), field goals (925) and field-goal percentage (62.1). He is the first player in Big Ten history to finish with 2,400 career points and 1,200 career rebounds.

With Edey transitioning to the NBA this year, his draft range has been the subject of debate. In a time when big men can stretch the floor, Edey is a traditional post player with limited range, which could negatively affect his stock.

However, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said Tuesday on the “Rich Eisen Show” that he believes Edey will be a first-round pick and have a successful career in the NBA.

He is going to play in the NBA, and as long as he stays healthy, he’ll play for a long time. … He is the most impactful player in America on the college level. I think that not only is there a place for him in the NBA, but there is also a significant place. The entire game has changed: No NBA team is all of a sudden going to turn into a low-post-centric offense.

It is still going to be an analytics game about the 3-point line and about attacking the rim, but to have a player like that on your team, he is going to play a long time. This year’s draft isn’t as powerful as last year’s — there is no (Victor) Wembanyama in this draft, and nobody you’d say is a transformational talent, but there is a lot of talent. I look at him being a top-15 or top-20 pick.

Edey led the Boilermakers to the national championship game after averaging 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and two assists on 62.3% shooting from the field. He became one of seven players to record at least 925 points and 450 rebounds in a season.

The 7-footer projects to have value at the next level as a rim protector and dominant post player. He will also be a step above his peers in terms of his experience as a four-year player and from playing with Canada in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Edey will soon begin preparing for the pre-draft process in team workouts and interviews over the next several weeks. He proved himself as one of the most dominant collegiate players in recent memory and will look to continue that success at the next level.

The 2024 NBA draft will occur June 26-27 in New York City.

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Projected lottery pick Rob Dillingham announces NBA draft decision on ESPN

Dillingham was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and one steal.

Kentucky freshman Rob Dillingham announced Tuesday on ESPN’s “NBA Today” that he has signed a representation agreement with the Klutch Sports Group and will enter the 2024 NBA draft.

Dillingham was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and one steal on 44.4% shooting from 3-point range in 32 games. He registered eight 20-point games, including a season-high 35 points on Feb. 3.

He was also named to the All-SEC second team.

Dillingham ranked second in the conference in assist percentage (29.7), seventh in field-goal percentage (47.5) and ninth in assists and 3-point percentage. He hit at least three 3-pointers in 11 games.

Dillingham is considered one of the top guards in the draft and a potential top-five pick. He flourished playing with or without the ball and was exciting to watch in transition, with his lightning-quick speed and ability to change directions seemingly at the drop of a dime.

The 19-year-old can get into the paint and finish or pull up from the mid-range and hit shots. He emerged as a key player for the Wildcats off the bench and projects to be highly coveted among teams at the top of the draft board.

The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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San Antonio takes NCAA title tilt big man in new mock draft

In this mock, the Spurs take a rebounding machine who blocks shots like a Prohibitionist.

The San Antonio Spurs are on the hunt for the ideal player to pair with Victor Wembanyama in the 2024 NBA draft, and the folks over at the Ringer think they know just the prospect. A 7-foot-2 big man reminiscent of a more mobile Jakob Poeltl, freshly-crowned, back-to-back NCAA title-winner Donovan Clingan of UConn next to Wemby would make for a terrifying frontcourt of the future for the Spurs.

“Clingan rose up the rankings throughout the college season, and with UConn back in the Final Four, he has played himself into the top-three conversation,” writes the Ringer of the potential pairing.

“Pairing Clingan with … Wembanyama would give the Spurs a terrifying frontcourt that could shut down the paint for a decade.”

A rebounding machine who blocks shots like a Prohibitionist, Clingan’s 7-foot-7 wingspan and near-basket game are his selling points. And he’s shot 3s at the high school level, so there may be a chance for him to grow his jumper at the NBA level.

His free throw efficiency tells a different tale, and he struggles on defense in space. But with Wemby taking care of that aspect of the game and Clingan roaming near the dunker spot — let’s just say we can also see the vision.

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Bulls to take intriguing French forward in new mock draft

While he may not have the physical gifts or talents of Wemby, he is still an intriguing prospect.

The 2024 NBA draft is a distant event to most fans of the Chicago Bulls. But for folks who earn a living projecting the NBA draft, it is actually pretty late in the game of assessing each year’s crop of draft prospects. And the folks over at the Ringer have a target in mind for the Bulls’ first round pick of the 2024 draft, a 6-foot-8 French forward currently playing in Europe for JL Bourg in the LNB Pro A league that produced Victor Wembanyama.

That player would be 19-year-old Zaccharie Risacher, and while he may not have the physical gifts or talents of Wemby, he is still an intriguing prospect for Chicago to consider. Compared to Michael Porter, Jr. by the Ringer, Risacher can play up or down from his natural 3 position, and is a dangerous catch-and-shoot marksman.

He does struggle to finish at the rim at a level that concerns, and his long-distance shot needs more volume to feel confident that it is as good as we hope it is.

But even before his breakthrough this season as a jump shooter, he was serviceable enough. And with his solid defensive chops and his slashing attacks, the ceiling on Risacher is high, and the floor not terribly low.

While there are a few wings with higher floors likely to be had later in the draft, if Risacher is still on the board, the Bulls should pull the trigger and draft him.

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