Tag: 2024 NBA Draft

Arkansas’ Eric Musselman reacts to Trevon Brazile returning to school

Brazile appeared in only nine games this season after suffering an ACL injury on Dec. 6 versus UNC Greensboro.

Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile announced in late March that he will return to school for another season after an injury-shortened sophomore campaign.

Brazile appeared in nine games because of an ACL injury on Dec. 6 versus UNC Greensboro. He averaged 11.8 points, six rebounds, 1.2 blocks, one assist and one steal on 37.9% shooting from 3-point range before the injury.

He had three 20-point games and two double-doubles.

The 6-foot-10 forward was viewed as a potential first-round pick in the NBA draft entering the season given his overall ability and 7-foot, 4-inch wingspan. However, Brazile will return to Fayetteville for at least one more season after having his year cut short.

Arkansas coach Eric Musselman is happy to have him back.

After losing Nick Smith Jr. to the NBA draft, the Razorbacks will get a key piece back with the return of Brazile. Musselman previously said they built their team around him and they will look to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament with him in the fold.

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2024 NBA mock draft: Who ESPN has the OKC Thunder selecting

Let’s take a look at who ESPN has the Thunder selecting in the 2024 NBA draft:

In an extremely early 2024 NBA mock draft, ESPN draft insider Jonathan Givony published a version of how he thinks the draft will go.

The 2024 draft class is headlined by Bronny James, LeBron James’ son. James is expected to go No. 10 in this mock draft to the Orlando Magic.

The top prospects in this class are guard Matas Buzelis, who will be 18 years old and will play for the G League Ignite, and Cody Williams, the younger brother of Jalen Williams.

Buzelis went No. 1 to the San Antonio Spurs and Williams went No. 2 to the Charlotte Hornets.

For this draft class, the Oklahoma City Thunder have four draft picks. That number of picks will likely be lower by the time the 2024 NBA draft actually takes place in 16 months.

The four picks consist of their first-round pick and second-round pick, the LA Clippers’ first-round pick and the Houston Rockets’ second-round pick.

With the Thunder likely a playoff team next season if healthy, they will likely not end up with a high draft pick. This mock draft reflects that: The Thunder’s highest draft pick is No. 13.

Let’s take a look at who the Thunder take in this early 2024 NBA mock draft.

Draft picks the OKC Thunder own in the 2024 NBA ‘double draft’

The 2024 NBA Draft could be the first time high school players will be eligible to be taken since 2005.

In 2024, the NBA will likely once again allow 18-year-olds to enter the draft.

The NBA and NBAPA are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the one that will expire in 2024, although either side can opt out of the deal by Dec. 15. The new CBA will likely come with numerous rules changes — one of those being the age eligibility for drafts.

Since 2005, the draft eligibility age has been 19 years old, eliminating the possibility of high school players going straight to the NBA. In recent years, both sides have spoken of a desire to return to the 18-year-old minimum in the next CBA.

In whichever year the change is made, the shift will produce what some are calling a “double draft” because it would contain both the one-and-dones who had to go to college for a year to be draft eligible and the members of that year’s high school graduating class.

Any team holding a large number of high picks in the “double draft” year should receive a big payoff, which brings us to the Thunder.

Oklahoma City has a well-documented massive supply of draft picks in the 2020s. And, as of right now, the Thunder have four first-round picks in 2024:

  • Their own pick
  • The LA Clippers’ unprotected first-round pick
  • A top-four protected Houston Rockets pick
  • A top-10 protected Utah Jazz pick
  • The less favorable second-round pick between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets.

The possibility of four first-round picks — though the Jazz’ pick is doubtful since they will be in the middle of a rebuilding process in 2024 — enables the Thunder to add significant talent.

The Thunder will likely be an up-and-coming young team with the chance of making the playoffs in 2024 due to their core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort and whoever they add in the 2023 NBA draft.

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Why the NBA could go back to drafting high schoolers in 2024, explained

It’s already time to start thinking about the 2024 NBA Draft.

The NBA does not allow players under 19 years old to get drafted as of right now. However, that policy could reportedly change — and it could happen reasonably soon.

Some of the game’s biggest stars of all-time, such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, decided to forego their collegiate eligibility and declare for the draft after finishing high school. None, however, were allowed to do that since the rule changed in 2005.

But for nearly two decades since then, even the most NBA-ready prospects have used a buffer season between high school and the NBA. Some, such as LaMelo Ball, opted to play overseas. Others, like Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, chose alternative paths like the G League Ignite. Now, we can add another non-collegiate route to the mix.

So is this the end of college basketball as we know it? Probably not!

However, the prep-to-pros trend may become fashionable again once more. Here is what we know about when and why this might happen.