Tag: 2024 NBA Draft

New mock has the Chicago Bulls taking French forward in 2024 NBA draft

“Age, positional size, shot making, play-finishing and defense create an exciting foundation” for this player.

It might be early for most Chicago Bulls fans to think about the 2024 NBA draft, but Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has a player in mind for the Bulls to draft in his most recent mock for the 2024 class. In it, the B/R analyst has Cholet’s Tidjane Salaun, an 18-year-old forward who has been compared to Obi Toppin going to Chicago at No. 11 overall.

Putting aside the assumption Chicago is in the lottery, Wasserman writes that despite streaky play, “he’s one of the draft’s youngest prospects, shooting 38.1% from 3 as an athletic, 6-foot-9 forward with the tools and mobility to guard multiple frontcourt archetypes.”

“Age, positional size, shot making, play-finishing and defense create an exciting foundation for Salaun to build on,” he adds.

“The Chicago Bulls will prioritize upside over fit with the franchise still stuck in no-man’s land, Zach LaVine on the trade block and DeMar DeRozan entering free agency,” suggests the B/R draft expert.

“And the French forward is starting to look more interesting than the majority of NCAA one-and-done freshmen and upperclassmen still on the board.”

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Can Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley find success in the NBA draft for the Chicago Bulls?

Can AKME and company find the right players for the Bulls’ future plans?

Chicago Bulls front office execs Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley have done a solid job finding talent within their organization. One such example is their most recent move to elevate reserve floor general Coby White to the team’s starting gig in the wake of an extended injury absence to star Bulls point guard Zach LaVine — and then sticking with White as a major part of the team’s rotation on his return to the fold.

But even so, AKME (as Karnisovas and Eversley are sometimes called) have yet to find success in the draft, forward Patrick Williams having been drafted by the duo’s predecessors. Can AKME and company find the right players for the Bulls’ future plans in the next several drafts?

This is the question explored by Haize, the host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast on a recent episode.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear his thoughts on Chicago’s draft future under Eversley and Karnisovas.

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Celtics projected to take two forwards, big man in new 2024 mock NBA draft

Bleacher Report has put together a full two-round mock draft update that has the Celtics selecting three new players.

For most fans of the Boston Celtics (and truthfully, most of the league), the halfway point of the 2023-24 season is far too early to be thinking about the 2024 NBA draft. But for those who earn their paychecks by looking at the flow of prospective players from the NCAA and abroad into the Association, it is just starting to heat up in terms of analysis. Most college teams are into conference play by now, and overseas leagues are deep into their respective current seasons.

And such is the case with Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, who has put together a full two-round mock draft update that has the Celtics selecting three new players.

Let’s take a look at each.

Rumor: USC freshman Bronny James drawing NBA draft consideration

USC freshman Bronny James is reportedly drawing NBA draft consideration by multiple teams.

USC Trojans freshman Bronny James is reportedly drawing NBA draft consideration by multiple teams, according to Shams Charania on FanDuel TV.

James was projected to be a first-round pick this year before suffering a cardiac arrest at a team workout in July. He missed the first eight games of the season and was cleared to return to practice and game situations last month.

The 19-year-old has made 10 appearances with the Trojans and has started in each of the last two games for the first time this season. He is coming off one of his best outings of the year, recording 11 points, six assists and five rebounds in a loss to Arizona on Wednesday.

The performance likely helped improve his draft positioning.

When I talk to people around the league, he is on the draft boards of multiple teams. It is curious: What if he gets drafted somewhere not in L.A.? LeBron James does have a player option this summer.

James is averaging 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 36.8% shooting from the field with the Trojans. He has scored in double figures three times, including a career-high 15 points in a loss to Oregon State on Dec. 30.

The 6-foot-4 guard is a highly-touted prospect, given his athleticism and defensive skill set. He has shown promise as a strong perimeter defender with his size and instincts, though is still working to get it going on the offensive end.

James will likely need to show continued growth and improvement over the rest of the season to earn serious draft consideration this year. He could also elect to stay at USC for another year but appears to be on teams’ radars at this stage of his career.

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2024 NBA mock drafts: January’s first-round projections for Rockets

With 14 losses in 17 games, the outlook for Brooklyn’s 2024 first-round draft pick (owned by Houston) continues to improve by the day.

With 14 losses in their last 17 games, the 2023-24 NBA season is increasingly looking like a lost one for the reeling Nets (16-24). That’s potentially very good news for the Houston Rockets, who own Brooklyn’s 2024 first-round draft selection as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade from January 2021.

Entering Thursday, Jan. 18, the Nets were at No. 8 in the NBA’s pre-draft lottery standings, and only a game behind Memphis at No. 6. That would create a 26.3% chance of a top-four lottery selection and a 6% shot at No. 1 overall.

Those probabilities could rise, of course, if the Nets continue their on-court struggles and lose more games.

In turn, that should boost the expected value of that 2024 draft asset to the Rockets and general manager Rafael Stone — who could also potentially dangle that pick as trade bait in the weeks leading up to the NBA’s 2023-24 in-season trade deadline of Thursday, Feb. 8.

Though the Rockets (19-21) are likely to lose their own first-round draft pick to Oklahoma City as part of the 2019 Chris Paul-Russell Westbrook trade, it’s worth noting that unlike the Harden-Brooklyn deal, the conveyance of Houston’s pick is top-four protected.

Thus, if the Rockets miss the 2023-24 Western Conference playoffs, they will actually have multiple chances — both with their own pick, and the one from Brooklyn, which they will receive no matter what — at securing a top-four pick in the first round 2024 NBA draft.

And if Houston loses its pick to the Thunder due to not winning the lottery, it’s becoming increasingly likely that the pick they receive from Brooklyn would be higher in the first-round order, anyway.

With that in mind, here’s a look at who draft experts have going to Houston (with the Brooklyn pick) in the latest wave of mock drafts. Keep in mind that the projected pick slot varies based on the exact date of each mock’s publication, since the standings change daily.

The Rockets are also slotted to have three draft selections in the 2024 second round. Further details are available here.

NBA draft set to expand to two days

The move would still need approval from the player’s union.

Fans of the Boston Celtics (and the rest of the league) will soon have more to see when it comes to the NBA draft — perhaps as soon as this summer. The league hopes to expand the draft to a two-day affair in the near-term future per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Association still needs to get approval from the National Basketball Players’ Association for the change, which would see the current one-day format split into two days. Each of the draft’s two rounds would be split between June 26 and June 27 if the proposal can be implemented this summer. The player’s union and the NBA have been in regular contact about that potential shift, according to Woj.

“Among a number of reasons for the expansion of the event, including the programming for television rights partners,” writes the ESPN reporter, “the NBA and teams are hopeful that the hours between Wednesday night’s first round and Thursday’s second round will give teams more time to make trades and plan out strategies for the second night.”

“Teams have been frustrated with the chaotic speed of the second round and believe there could be more order in the process with a day between the picks,” adds Wojnarowski.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Report: NBA draft expected to expand to 2 nights starting in 2024

The NBA draft is reportedly expected to expand to two nights starting this year in June.

The NBA draft is reportedly going to expand to two nights starting in June, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The NBA is finalizing plans to host the first and second rounds of the draft on June 26-27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The league must receive approval from the National Basketball Players Association before making the change official.

The primary reason for the expansion is to allow teams additional time to execute trades and other plans between the two rounds. Teams can use up to five minutes to select in the first round, compared to two minutes in the second round.

The draft is expected to have several candidates in the running to be the top pick this year, including Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite), Ron Holland II (Ignite), Zaccharie Risacher (JL Bourg), Alexandre Sarr (Perth) and Cody Williams (Colorado) among others.

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Fans were upset about the report that the 2024 NBA Draft will likely become a two-day event

The 2024 NBA Draft will feel different than the 2023 NBA Draft with Victor Wembanyama. One massive change is the event may get longer. 

The 2024 NBA Draft will feel different than the 2023 NBA Draft with Victor Wembanyama. One massive change is the event may get longer.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 2024 NBA Draft is “preparing to move to days” for this upcoming class. That means the first-round picks will hear their names called at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 26 and then second-round picks will get selected the following day on June 27.

While it’s not uncommon for a professional sports draft to last multiple days (with the NFL Draft spanning three days long), fans were not initially thrilled with the report about the switch in the NBA.

Here is how many reacted when they saw the long-rumored speculation confirmed by Woj.

A new 2024 NBA Draft poll of scouts revealed an intriguing prospect is the favorite to go No. 1

Who do you have at No. 1 overall?

While there is still plenty of time for this all to shake out, it is never too early to speculate about who will become the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Last year, long before the pick was made at Barclays Center, we knew who would hear his name called with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft with nearly 100 percent certainty. There was never even a doubt that a team would select Victor Wembanyama at that position.

RELATED: Projecting the first round with Ja’Kobe Walter leading the way

This year, no obvious candidate is waiting in the wings as a “can’t miss” prospect. But there is one player who has potentially separated himself from the pack, at least according to several NBA executives who spoke with draft insider Jeremy Woo (via ESPN):

“The 7-foot-1 French big man is currently sidelined with a hip injury but is presently expected to return before the end of the season. It’s worth noting that several of the Sarr voters expressed their lack of confidence in that outcome, but viewed him as the tentative best bet. […]

Sarr’s youth, versatility as a mobile defender and perimeter-friendly forward — coupled with the league-wide demand for tall, skilled frontcourt players — could give him the broadest degree of appeal amongst the top candidates. Sarr’s NBL role has been modest, but he’s grown into it nicely and demonstrated he can impact winning, which puts him in a good developmental place for a 7-footer who has yet to turn 19 and is still getting his first real taste of high-level basketball.”

The big man currently ranks No. 1 overall on ESPN’s Big Board. He is also projected to hear his name with the first pick in Yahoo’s latest mock draft.

Sarr, who plays for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s NBL, received 12 votes from Woo’s survey of 20 scouts and executives. G League Ignite forward Ronald Holland received two votes and no other prospect received more than one.

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2024 NBA mock drafts: OKC Thunder December/January picks projections

2024 NBA mock drafts: OKC Thunder December/January picks projections.

As the calendar flips to 2024, the NBA draft is roughly six months away. This also means college basketball is roughly two months away from starting March Madness.

2024 NBA mock drafts are rare during this part of the calendar, since it’s still incredibly early to project where teams land and which prospects rise and fall on boards. However, a handful of mocks have been posted during the last month.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, who have a 23-11 record and are second in the Western Conference standings, are rich with draft assets for this upcoming class.

The Thunder owns their first-round pick, a top-four protected pick from the Houston Rockets, a top-10 protected pick from the Utah Jazz and a first-round pick from the LA Clippers.

The Thunder also own the Rockets’ second-round pick. It’s important to note that the worst of the four first-round picks OKC owns will be conveyed to the Indiana Pacers.

However, it is unlikely the Thunder enter the 2024 NBA draft with this many draft picks. They can’t afford the luxury of adding several rookies to their roster.

This means a consolidation trade is likely whether to improve the roster by the trade deadline or to package picks for a future/better pick.

All these elements lead to a murky picture as to how exactly this year’s draft might go for the Thunder. Nonetheless, let’s look at the latest versions of mock drafts to see who could be added to OKC’s youthful roster.

For transparency, all three of these mocks were published at various times — Bleacher Report’s was published on Jan. 5, Tankathon’s was published on Dec. 28 and NBADraft.net’s was published on Jan. 5.