2024 NBA Draft: Eastern Conference Grades

Atlanta Hawks — B

1. Zaccharie Risacher, France
43. Nikola Djurisic, Serbia

With no first rounders over the next three years, having had their pockets picked by San Antonio in the Dejounte Murray heist (and yes, no trade backs), the pressure to get this pick right was high. The national perception of Risacher has largely been seen through the prism of this being a “weak” draft. While he was not regarded as a potential top pick at the start of the cycle, he did about as well as one could have expected considering his age. He is a nearly 6’10” wing who played a major role on the French League semifinalists and Eurocup runners up. On a per minute basis, Risacher had a similar pre-draft season in the Eurocup and in France as Brandon Miller had at Alabama. Unlike Miller, Risacher has no baggage, and his predraft season was when he was almost two years younger than Miller. Make no mistake, Risacher is an incredibly valuable prospect to add for a Hawks team in flux. he may be in for a cultural adjustment, but the long term upside is apparent. As is the case in the copycat NBA, many teams will try to imitate the switchable and versatile Celtics. With Risacher, the Hawks have him for the rookie deal, both Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter for three more years, and are likely to extend Jalen Johnson this offseason. Fans will undeniably be interested in what happens with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, but the team has taken a major step forward in being a longer and more versatile team from the 2-4 positions. Djurisic was a highly rated prospect in his juniors but never quite realized his potential. he showed enough with his skill level in the pre-draft events to pique interest and get selected on his potential, and could make a splash if his shooting improves.

Boston Celtics — B

30. Baylor Scheierman, Creighton
54. Anton Watson, Gonzaga

It is hard to find fault in the recently crowned champs taking an easy fit for an off-ball shooter who can get a red-shirt year in Boston prior to Sam Hauser likely being too expensive to re-sign in the summer of 2025. They do not have any glowing needs. At this point, the Celtics need the draft to add capable and useable cheap contracts. Scheierman is older and lacks speed and upside, but he tested better than expected at the combine with his speed and leaping. Watson is another good fit as a guy that showed a great deal in high school with size and versatility and just never seemed to show his full abilities in college. look for him to be a nice development project with maturity and some ability to contribute minutes.

Charlotte Hornets — B

6. Tidjane Salaun, France
42. KJ Simpson, Collorado

It is a new era for the Hornets with a change at the ownership level, and the first pick they make is a bit of a gamble. Given that he only turned 18 one month prior to this past season having started, it is impressive that Salaun was a regular contributor in the French league as well as Basketball Champions League. At 6’10” with a 7’1” wingspan with plus athleticism and coordination, he is the ideal developmental pick in this era. He was streaky as a three-point shooter, which is not uncommon for young pros, and 31.6% from three is nothing special, but he was streaky but comfortable taking them. The challenge facing the franchise is its ability to developing him. It feels more daunting for a team with the poor track record of the Hornets to take someone who is so clearly a developmental player. On the flip side, if they do not shoot for upside, then will likely continue to struggle to improve. Southern California native KJ Simpson gives them a scrappy, diminutive scorer at 6’1. He’ll have to work hard on adjusting his game to the size of NBA guards and getting shots off and not being a liability on defense, but there’s no questioning his desire and dedication.

Chicago Bulls — A-

11. Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite

In what certainly appears to be a summer of transition for the Bulls, the draft offered them a gift at #11 in the form of an athletic 6’10” forward from suburban Hinsdale. In the short draft history of Arturas Karnisovas, he has taken long athletes who have needed to improve their perimeter shooting. With Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams, Chicago has been able to get them to be 40% three-point shooters by their third season. It has not been as rewarding with Dalen Terry as of yet, and it is still early with Julian Phillips. The organization clearly believes in its ability to develop a player’s shooting. Buzelis enters the league in a similar position as Jeremy Sochan or Deni Avdija did, but will need to improve upon his 26% shooting from three to reach his ceiling. With the 2024-25 Bulls likely to take a step back, he should be afforded the chance to get on the floor, possibly compete for Rookie-of-the-Year or All-Rookie honors. Also, he could be the beneficiary of an offense that features more ball movement with the addition of Josh Giddey. If the Bulls can get off Zach LaVine’s contract, they could position themselves with cap flexibility in the summer of 2025 to go with what could be a intriguing young core of Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Josh Giddey, Buzelis, Williams, and a 2025 top ten pick.

Cleveland Cavaliers — A-

20. Jaylon Tyson, California

Taking Jaylon Tyson, one of our favorite late first rounders, should pay immediate dividends for Cleveland. He had a breakout junior season at Cal where he averaged 19.6 PPG and was first team All-Pac12. At just under 6’7” with a 6’8” wingspan, he should be big enough to get on the floor with Donovan Mitchell if he can go from a ball-dominant do-it-all player to more of an off-ball role to begin his career. To help him in this process, he will have the benefit of having a teammate who made the same stylistic transition from college to pro in Max Strus.

Detroit Pistons — C+

5. Ron Holland, G League Ignite
37. Bobi Kilintman, NBL

With the departure of GM Troy Weaver and entrance of Trajan Langdon, it was hard to assess where the Pistons would go. After all, nobody could be sure of what Langdon thinks of the players he is inheriting. Holland was considered to be the top prospect coming into this season. Despite not being a consistently great player with the G-League Ignite, he seemed relatively similar to RJ Barrett given the differences in the level of competition. The G-league, for all its faults, is less forgiving than the middle and bottom of the ACC. As to how he fits, it probably will not look great right away. Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland have many similar strengths and weaknesses. Both are great athletes, good character, competitive defenders, and cannot shoot from the perimeter. Add to the that Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey also being ball-dominant creators who are not great spot-up shooters, and this does not appear to be a quick turnaround. Then again, if there was any indication of the core being close, they would not have cleared out the GM and head coach.

Indiana Pacers — B

35. Johnny Furphy, Kansas
49. Tristan Newton, UConn
50. Enrique Freeman, Akron

Furphy is a long term play and the pacers did well to grab him in the early second round area at 35. He’s still very raw and will need some time before he can be expected to contribute. The Pacers came close making it to the conference finals before an untimely Haliburton injury. Newton and Freeman are both excellent fits with Indiana. Freeman will run through a brick wall and just needs some refinement of his shot. His rebounding was the best in the country and he puts his 7’3 wingspan to good use. Newton has proven to be a winner and can bring whatever the team needs, including leadership. With a young roster, they should be right back in the hunt again next season, with two rady to contribute role guys and a young wing being developed for the future in Furphy.

Miami Heat — B+

Kel’el Ware, Indiana

Ware has elite physical traits for a center prospect. It is fascinating how similar the measurements and testing results are for Ware and Alex Sarr given the perception of the two. While at Indiana, Kel’el showed the ability to be an excellent rim protector on the defensive end as well as an effective scorer in the paint. While not a high volume three-point shooter, he was 42.5% on 40 attempts. From a value perspective, it is an excellent pick for Miami. From a fit standpoint, and considering where the Heat are in their build, it does not seem ideal. Ware can probably step in and give a solid 12-15 minutes per game behind Bam Adebayo, but is that a good return for the #15 pick? While far from perfect prospects, Jared McCain or Dalton Knecht could have offered the chance to have a greater impact on the team sooner.

Milwaukee Bucks — B-

23. AJ Johnson, NBL
33. Tyler Smith, G League Ignite

With Giannis in his prime and both Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton on the back end of theirs, it seems odd that Milwaukee continues to opt for long-term developmental prospects when it does not have many avenues to fill in holes on its roster. A.J. Johnson has great measurables as a 6’5” guard with nearly a 6’9” wingspan and a 38-inch vertical jump. He could not get on the court in the NBL. After taking MarJon Beauchamp and Chris Livingston in the past couple drafts, it seems as though the Bucks might be carrying too many developmental prospects on its main roster for a team with the realistic hope of winning a title. Terrence Shannon Jr. was available, has many of the same impressive physical traits as Johnson, but less potential. Granted, a team like Milwaukee has to swing to their fences on picks, as they don’t have the same ability to add talent via free agency. And the current franchise pick was a swing for the fences pick as well. These picks look like they have a lot of promise, but it’s a little bit of a head scratcher that this “development duo’ ended up with a title contender in Milwaukee, instead of a rebuilding team. The picks deserve an A and the fit deserves a D so we will split the difference with a B-.

New York Knicks — B+

25. Pacome Dadiet, France
34. Tyler Kolek, Marquette
56. Kevin McCullar, Kansas
60. Ariel Hukporti, Germany

Following the trade for Mikal Bridges and reported extension for OG Anunoby, it became clear the Knicks draft was transitioning to long-term development as there probably was not anyone who could get into their rotation. It will be interesting to see if Dadiet comes over next season. He may be more of value to the 2024-25 Knicks if he remains off the roster allowing for an older, more established player. Given that the Knicks traded away their other pick, they have already opened up a roster spot and cap money. If Dadiet is on the roster, he will likely be more of a Westchester Knick than a Nova Knick. He does not turn 19 until next month, but is a prototypical wing at 6’8” with great promise. He rarely played more than 20 minutes per game, and was understandably inconsistent. A late season hot spurt from three where he went 8-11 over a couple weeks helped get his season tally over 33% to finish at 35.8% from three, which certainly helps perception of where his shooting is at. He has great projectable traits defensively, but not been a good defender as of yet. Kolek was projected by many as a possible first rounder and the Knicks scoop him up in the early second round. he should give them a ready to go backup at the point guard position adding a great deal of passing and toughness. McCullar is a potential Quentin Grimes type and came with a very late pick, so the investment is minimal. he’s a “Thibs’ type with his defensive mindset. Injury concerns and age were two factors that kept him from going higher and made him a potential steal at 56. Hukporti is actually an excellent late draft and stash guy. He’s got great physical gifts but has been derailed by injury over the past few years. he could turn into a very nice late pick in time.

Orlando Magic — C+

Tristan da Silva, Colorado

The Magic took a step forward behind their forward duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but struggled to score in its series against Cleveland. It seemed as though Orlando would opt for either a shooter or creator for their backcourt, which is why the selection of da Silva seems odd. As a 6’9” forward with a good feel for the game and an ability to shoot, da Silva might make for a nice backup to Banchero and possibly play alongside him a bit. His lack of strength is a bit of a concern as he is not ideal for all power forward matchups and while he has the projectable traits to grow into being a switchable defender across positions has not proven to be one as of yet.

Philadelphia 76ers — B

16. Jared McCain, Duke
41. Adem Bona, UCLA

It is difficult for a team lining up its roster and cap for free agency to have a draft that makes sense. One can argue that in this era taking a “profile player” of a 6’6” to 6’9” wing who can shoot and has enough athleticism and length to project defensively would have been the safest selection given the uncertainty. Dalton Knecht was on the board, fit the profile, and went with the next pick. Kyshawn George went shortly thereafter. Philadelphia opted for Jared McCain who is an excellent shooter whose body of work and profile as a player justifies being taken in this range. Unfortunately, he is an undersized for a guard who is not proven as a point guard. It stands to reason Philadelphia will be looking to play well into the playoffs. It is fair to wonder whether the 76ers can operate with Maxey and McCain on the floor defensively against the likes of the Knicks or Celtics. If that is the case, then is McCain a trade asset for either later this summer or next year? bona was one of the freakiest bigmen testing at the NBA combine. He plays extremely hard, so he can produce some real results if the Sixers development staff are able to work some magic improving his feel for the game and skill set.

Toronto Raptors — A-

19. Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
31. Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco
44. Jamal Shead, Houston
59. Ulrich Chomche, NBA Africa

Following an active trade deadline that altered its roster, the Raptors were able to sit back and take a long and athletic 6’5” guard. Walter has a better reputation as a shooter than his freshman season stats. In Big XII play, Walter only shot 34% from the floor and 29% from three. If his shot lives up to his reputation should be able to fit in with the core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Jakob Poeltl. With Gary Trent Jr hitting free agency, it would seem likely Walter and 2023 first rounder Gradey Dick will have every opportunity to take hold of that spot. Mogbo is sort of a Scottie Barnes, Draymond Green fusion. He’s got similar length, athleticism and passing ability. it will be interesting to see if he can unlock the huge potential and continue to add better shooting. Shead is a pit bull on defense and another player that is potentially  a good shot doctor away from something special. Chomche is a high upside guy who needs a lot of seasoning but has two key attributes in length and shooting. He’ll need time, but has very intriguing upside.

Washington Wizards — B-

2. Alexendre Sarr, France
14. Carrington Carrington, Pittsburgh
26. KyShawn George, Miami

Washington fans are not unfamiliar with a rebuild, and it appears this incarnation of it is operating with a long-term view with its roster. After investing four years in Deni Avdija, and seeing him have a breakout season, they traded him for a second first rounder in this draft. Having taken Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George a year after taking Bilal Coulibaly and Tristan Vukcevic, they clearly are not shying away from young developmental players with prototypical sie. In Alex Sarr, they get a prototypical center prospect in this era. At nearly 7’1” with a 7’4” wingspan, 9’2” standing reach, and 37-inch vertical jump, the Wizards are getting an elite developmental player. He fared better in the NBL than many prospects who have elected to enter the Next Stars program, but was never as impressive as he was in the exhibition games against the G-League Ignite. While one hopes he can become a player in the mold of Jaren Jackson Jr because the physical ability is there, he also has many of the same strengths and weaknesses of James Wiseman and Jaxson Hayes. A canyon exists between those two ends of the spectrum. With Bub Carrington, they get a big, athletic, high upside point guard from up I-95 in Baltimore. He started out hot as a pistol at Pitt against a non-conference slate that kept the Panthers out of the NCAA Tournament, but struggled some n ACC play where he only shot 39% from the floor, 31% from three, and only had 3.7 assists with 2.0 turnovers per game. 21 year old Kyshawn George had a solid, but largely unspectacular, freshman season at Miami. While 7.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 0.9 SPG do not sound like much, he did shoot 40.8% from three. For a 6’8” wing with a 6’10” wingspan, his shooting and projectable traits make him an interesting long-term prospect. One can only hope that if any of these players breakthrough by 2028 that the franchise is in a better spot so that it does not swap that player out for more draft picks.