Tag: NBA Mock Draft

The latest NBA mock draft from Yahoo has Bronny James taken by … the Lakers!

Now this makes the most sense.

The questions about what Bronny James will do next are swirling.

He’s declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, but if LeBron James’ son pulls out, he will transfer. There’s the distinct possibility that a team takes him simply to entice LeBron to join his kid, which is possible!

In the latest 2024 NBA mock draft from our Bryan Kalbrosky, he doesn’t have Bronny taken. But in the new, post-March Madness mock from Yahoo’s Krysten Peek, there Bronny James is … at pick No. 55. She doesn’t delve into why, but you don’t need that — you know that if the Lakers want to keep LeBron in L.A. for, perhaps, the rest of his career, this is a great way to do it.

There you have it! Check out the latest NBA mock draft from our Bryan Kalbrosky.

2024 NBA mock draft has Sixers selecting Tristan de Silva at No. 16

A 2024 NBA mock draft has the Philadelphia 76ers selecting Colorado senior Tristan de Silva.

At the moment, the Philadelphia 76ers have two games left in the 2023-24 season and they have a lot of work to do before preparing for the playoffs. There is a lot to figure out and they have a great chance of making a deep run into the postseason when considering the return of Joel Embiid.

However, the Sixers have a draft pick in the 2024 NBA draft and one has to wonder what they will do with that pick. President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey could move the pick for a win-now player to prioritize his team’s championship window at the moment.

A mock draft put together by Bleacher Report has the Sixers selecting Colorado senior Tristan de Silva:

A strong three-game NCAA tournament (18.0 PPG, 60.0 percent FG) helped Tristan da Silva continue to sell his scoring versatility and IQ for passing and defense. The lack of explosiveness and physicality brings down his perceived ceiling, but he’s too big, skilled and efficient for it to matter outside the lottery. Regardless of how much his athletic limitations hold him back, teams can bank on da Silva’s shooting, passing and overall discipline.

In his senior season in Boulder, de Silva shot 39.5% from deep and averaged 16.0 points with 5.1 rebounds. The Sixers could use a player with his skill set for their bench unit to continue to solidify their roster and better contend with teams in the Eastern Conference.

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Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard are top five picks in CBS NBA mock draft

A new CBS NBA mock draft has two Kentucky players in the top five

Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard are going to be lottery picks in the NBA Draft. That is, if the analysts who do NBA mock drafts know what they’re talking about.

Nearly every mock draft that comes out has both Dillingham and Sheppard as top ten picks. A new CBS mock draft from Kyle Boone, however, took it a step further, and have both being selected inside the top five.

First up is Dillingham, the lightning quick guard who seemed to be able to take over games at will. Boone has him going second overall to the Washington Wizards and had this to say:

Despite coming off the bench the majority of the season for Kentucky, Dillingham flashed shades of Kyrie Irving with his twitchy ability and brilliant ball-handling skills. He can take over games when he’s hot and has the athletic pop to grow into a potent two-way player.

Just two picks later, Reed Sheppard goes to the Charlotte Hornets with the fourth overall selection. Another Kentucky guard, Sheppard was deadly from three-point range, and proved to be a terrific passer. This was Boone’s thought:

However good you think Sheppard is, just know you’re probably wrong and underrating him. He had an historically great freshman season at Kentucky as arguably the best shooter in college basketball, and he proved to be a legitimate playmaker on offense with the ball in his hands and on defense as a savvy, smart team defender. Has a game that projects perfectly to the NBA level.

Boone didn’t have any other Wildcats going in round one, despite forward Justin Edwards declaring for the NBA Draft this week. He didn’t address round two, where multiple Kentucky players could go.

The latest 2024 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report has Zach Edey going to the Bucks

Could Zach Edey really be a first-rounder?

Is Purdue big man Zach Edey a lottery pick? A first-rounder at all? A second-round big man worth gambling on?

In some mock drafts ahead of the real thing in 2024, he’s in the lottery. In our latest NBA mock draft from Bryan Kalbrosky, he’s not in the first round.

There’s a middle ground when it comes to the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman. He’s taken at No. 25 by the Milwaukee Bucks, which would be interesting given their team makeup — maybe he can be a useful backup to spell their frontcourt.

Here’s what Wasserman said about this pick:

He’s been dominant without showing anything. Opponents have had no answer for his drop steps into the lane and jump hooks, and nobody has had the strength or height to regularly keep him from catching and finishing off rolls or positioning himself for putbacks.

Edey has been disruptive in rim protection as well, contesting shots without fouling and altering penetrating guards’ decisions in the lane.

Scouts remain hopeful for a Purdue championship game against Connecticut and Donovan Clingan, who may be the only prospect capable of physically matching up.

Regardless, as rare and powerful as Edey’s impact has been, there will continue to be skeptics questioning his fit and value on an NBA floor. He’s still going to require a specific team, presumably one with shooters, that’s drawn to the idea of adding more physicality, easy baskets and shot-blocking in the middle.

There you have it! Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!

Filipowski, McCain both go top 20 in ESPN’s post-Elite Eight mock draft

ESPN released a new NBA mock draft after the Elite Eight, and the Blue Devils had two players drafted in the top 20.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released an updated NBA mock draft on Monday morning in light of the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games.

The two analysts think Duke’s two stars, All-American 7-footer Kyle Filipowski and South All-Region Team member Jared McCain, both made the top 20 picks in the projections.

Filipowski went 16th overall to the Phoenix Suns after he averaged 16.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in his sophomore season. McCain went 19th overall to the Toronto Raptors after he averaged 21.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game during the four-game March Madness run.

The two players have gotten lottery hype, Filipowski due to his combination of size, passing ability (2.8 assists per game), and speed, and McCain because of his shooting prowess.

Despite the mock draft being two full rounds, no other Blue Devils made the 58 picks that Givony and Woo built out.

The latest 2024 NBA mock draft from The Ringer has Zach Edey going to the Thunder

Two big men in Oklahoma City!

It was just last year that Purdue center Zach Edey ultimately decided to stay with the Boilermakers instead of declare for the NBA Draft, given that he was projected as a late first-rounder or a second-rounder.

It paid off. He’s now projected as a lottery pick in some mock drafts. In our latest NBA mock draft from Bryan Kalbrosky, he’s not a first-rounder. But in the latest mock from The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor has him at No. 12 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which would be an awesome pairing with fellow big man Chet Holmgren.

Here’s his take on the pick:

I am endlessly fascinated by the possibility of putting Edey next to a rim protector like Chet Holmgren. Edey could provide the beef inside, and Holmgren would provide versatility. The combination looks incredible on paper, and I’d imagine Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault would do cartwheels if he could add another layer to his dynamic system with a center as big as Edey.

There you have it! Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!

The latest 2024 NBA mock draft from The Ringer has Zach Edey going to the Thunder

Two big men in Oklahoma City!

It was just last year that Purdue center Zach Edey ultimately decided to stay with the Boilermakers instead of declare for the NBA Draft, given that he was projected as a late first-rounder or a second-rounder.

It paid off. He’s now projected as a lottery pick in some mock drafts. In our latest NBA mock draft from Bryan Kalbrosky, he’s not a first-rounder. But in the latest mock from The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor has him at No. 12 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which would be an awesome pairing with fellow big man Chet Holmgren.

Here’s his take on the pick:

I am endlessly fascinated by the possibility of putting Edey next to a rim protector like Chet Holmgren. Edey could provide the beef inside, and Holmgren would provide versatility. The combination looks incredible on paper, and I’d imagine Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault would do cartwheels if he could add another layer to his dynamic system with a center as big as Edey.

There you have it! Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!

NBA Mock Draft sees Spurs select French forward with No. 3 pick

In a recent NBA Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs picked up French forward Zaccharie Risacher.

After selecting Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs have a chance to propel their organization even further forward this summer, as they are slated to have another top selection. They could pair Wembanyama with another young star, thus giving them a solidified core moving forward.

Though there may not be a sure-fire superstar in this year’s draft like there was last year with Wembanyama, the Spurs will still land a solid young piece. The question is, who will they choose to take, and which position will they end up prioritizing in the draft?

In a recent NBA Mock Draft written up by Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, the Spurs took French forward Zaccharie Risacher.

“Zaccharie Risacher is locked in as one of the perceived safe top options at the draft,” Wasserman wrote. “There is simply a level of comfort around his scoring production, positional size, 42.9 percent three-point shooting, defensive tools and court coverage.

“On one hand, Bourg-en-Bresse has tightened his role, allowing Risacher to play strictly to his strengths as a spot-up scorer and transition finisher. On the other hand, he’s not been given many on-ball reps to showcase or grow his creation, ball-handling and playmaking skills. Risacher hasn’t recorded an assist in five consecutive games.

“But teams also won’t be overly picky in this draft. Fit will be valued more than usual at the top, given the lack of surefire stars. And Risacher’s three-and-D projection represents a coveted, low-risk archetype that is also easy to fit in most lineups.”

Adding Risacher, a fellow Frenchman, would create a dynamic duo in San Antonio.

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NBA Mock Draft sees Bulls take Duke guard with No. 11 pick

In a recent NBA Mock Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Duke guard Jared McCain with the 11th pick.

As the Chicago Bulls prepare for the offseason, they need to have their eyes on two key things – the NBA Draft and the trade market. Free agency won’t matter as much for the Bulls this year, as rumors have indicated that they plan on trying to trade Zach LaVine. And if that’s the case, one can assume that they may try to take a step away from the current core.

But even if they don’t, adding new young talent to this team is crucial. Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu look like potential stars in the making and Patrick Williams looked solid before his injury, but outside of that, there isn’t much to look forward to on the roster moving forward.

In a recent NBA Mock Draft concocted by Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, the Bulls picked up Duke guard Jared McCain with the 11th pick.

“Eight three-point makes against James Madison gave Jared McCain another bump in the draft’s shooter rankings,” Wasserman wrote. “He’s now up at 41.5 percent from deep on the year with a balanced shot distribution chart of spot-up, off-screen and pull-up jumpers.

“But stellar pick-and-roll play with his pacing, floater touch, finishing craft and passing IQ also adds an extra element of creation and playmaking for McCain to generate offense with.

“Despite lacking ideal size or plus athletic traits, he has an easy-fit game with his on/off-ball skill set. Positive energy and passion are bonuses with teams likely to covet McCain’s character and intangibles.”

Adding McCain’s ball-handling and shooting would be huge for the Bulls.

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Three Wildcats drafted in first round of new ESPN NBA mock draft

ESPN has a new NBA mock draft out with three Wildcats in round one

With the Kentucky Wildcats season over, focus has shifted to the future for the players. For many of them, that includes decisions on whether or not to declare for the NBA Draft.

Experts continue putting out NBA mock drafts without the decisions, just doing their best to predict where the best players might go if they do go pro. On Monday, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo put a new one out (subscription required), and Kentucky had some representation in round one.

The first Wildcat off the board, as expected, is Rob Dillingham. The Freshman guard was a walking highlight reel of tough shots. He showed over and over that he was at his best when the lights were the brightest. ESPN has him going third overall to the San Antonio Spurs.

Next up is Kentucky’s other Freshman sensation, Reed Sheppard, at number seven to the Memphis Grizzlies. Sheppard’s basketball acumen was on display all season, and he shoots and passes at an elite level.

The third Wildcat in round one is forward Justin Edwards, who started slow, but really came on late in the season. They have him going to the Boston Celtics with the last pick of round one. Edwards has loads of potential as both a scorer and defender.

The final pick from Kentucky is Ugonna Onyenso with pick 45 to the LA Clippers. The seven-footer is a terrific shot blocker, but is very raw on offense, and needs to add some strength.