Grades for all 30 NBA draft classes: Best picks, biggest reaches and which teams got value
Kevin Pelton, a writer for ESPN who has been with the company for many years, wrote the following blog post on June 28, 2024 at 12:30 AM.
Who came out on top and who missed the mark in the 2024 NBA draft? Although we can't predict the future success of every player, we can analyze the picks in terms of their value and how teams navigated the draft board.
Now let's evaluate the performance of all 30 teams in the league's recent two-day draft. This draft stood out for the high number of French players chosen and, of course, the debut of Bronny James in the NBA.
In my opinion, I judge teams' draft grades by how effectively they used their picks, rather than just looking at the amount of talent they acquired. This is because a team's talent level is often influenced by their previous season's performance or past trades, rather than their draft choices. I rely on player projections to assess the potential value of prospects, considering factors like age, performance, and various metrics. I also consider whether a player was selected earlier or later than their projected value.
Let's dive into my grades, starting with A and going through the alphabet.
Click on a team: Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Toronto, Utah, Washington.
First up in Round 1 was Zaccharie Risacher, followed by Nikola Djurisic in Round 2, who was acquired at No. 43 from Miami.
In a preliminary selection process where there was no clear top choice, Atlanta decided to pick Risacher, who is seen as the best option due to his size and strong shooting abilities. This selection helps fulfill a gap in the Hawks' upcoming starting lineup, which will also feature power forward Jalen Johnson and the team's chosen point guard.
Since Risacher didn't contribute much in terms of statistics while playing in France, I initially ranked him lower in terms of potential compared to Reed Sheppard, Alex Sarr, and Donovan Clingan. But considering the subjective nature of this year's draft, it was reasonable for some to view Risacher as the top prospect.
Initially, Atlanta only had the top draft pick. However, the Hawks acquired another pick on Thursday by trading AJ Griffin to the Houston Rockets. With that pick, they selected Serbian guard Nikola Djurisic, who was ranked as the second lowest in my statistical projections.
First Round Pick: Baylor Scheierman was selected at number 30. Second Round Pick: Anton Watson was chosen at number 54.
All eight players who played for at least 20 minutes in the NBA Finals are staying with the Celtics. This means they can focus on drafting for the future. Personally, I would have chosen Kansas forward Johnny Furphy, who is younger than 23-year-old Scheierman. However, Scheierman's shooting skills and size make him a good fit for Boston, similar to Sam Hauser.
In the second round, the Celtics added the veteran player Anton Watson from Gonzaga. Watson is known for his ability to defend against different positions and he also showed a 41% accuracy from the 3-point line during his fifth year in college, even though he only took 51 shots from that range.
The Nets traded away their No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft to Houston as part of the deal for James Harden. This decision was difficult for the team and may have played a role in their recent trade to undo a future pick swap with the Rockets. By making this trade, the Nets are preparing for a rebuild and are likely to have a high draft pick next year.
Stage 1: Tidjane Salaun (Position 6) Stage 2: KJ Simpson (Position 42)
There were rumors that the Hornets might move down from the 6th pick in the draft, but they decided to stay where they were and select Salaun, who was considered a high potential draft prospect. Just like when the Washington Wizards selected Bilal Coulibaly as the 7th pick last year, this is another example of a new front office taking a chance on a young player (Salaun is only 18) in hopes of his long-term potential outweighing the risk of him not panning out in the NBA.
The Hornets selected Simpson as the third player from Colorado in the draft. Out of the three players, he had the strongest performance last season, with an average of 19.7 points per game and 4.9 assists per game, while shooting 43% from beyond the arc.
First Round: Matas Buzelis (Ranked 11th)
During the initial round, a notable moment occurred when Buzelis and his loved ones felt overwhelmed with emotion after he was chosen by his local team, Chicago. Although our draft scouts ranked him at No. 5 in their final top 100, I wasn't as enthusiastic about Buzelis. Nonetheless, it's difficult to dispute the worth he brings to the team.
The important thing to consider is how bringing in Buzelis could impact the Bulls' talks with restricted free agent Patrick Williams. If both Williams and DeMar DeRozan are signed again, the team might end up having to pay extra money in luxury taxes unless they make a cost-effective trade, possibly with Zach LaVine involved.
In the first round of the game, Jaylon Tyson, ranked at number 20, made a strong performance.
It's no shock that the Cavaliers chose a wing in the draft, as they have been looking to fill that position since before they added Donovan Mitchell two years ago. They decided to go with a more experienced college player, rather than a young prospect like Kyshawn George. Tyson's abilities suggest he will thrive in a 3-and-D role in the NBA, especially if he can shoot more consistently like he did in the 2022-23 season (40%) compared to last season (36%), when he had more ball handling responsibilities at Cal.
Second Round: Melvin Ajinca was selected as the 51st pick by the New York team.
After trading their first-round pick to the New York Knicks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavericks were not expected to make a selection until the very last pick of the draft. However, they traded up seven spots to draft Ajinca, a promising young French player who may not join the team right away.
First Round: DaRon Holmes II (Ranked 22nd from Phoenix)
With GM Calvin Booth leading the way, the Nuggets have always trusted their own evaluations more than others. They are taking a risk on Holmes, who is ranked 38th by ESPN as a top prospect. Another team wanted Holmes enough to prompt Denver to trade up from the 28th pick to the 22nd pick to select him. This move cost the Nuggets their only second-round pick, along with two future second-round picks. Holmes is known for his skills as an athletic big man, having averaged 3 three-pointers per game at a 39% accuracy rate last season at Dayton.
Blog Round 1: Ron Holland II was selected as the No. 5 pick. In Round 2, Bobi Klintman was chosen as the No. 37 pick, acquired via Minnesota.
Choosing Holland as the 5th pick in the draft was unexpected, especially since ESPN had him ranked 13th. However, I can understand the reasoning behind it. Holland showed a lot of potential as a high school player before having a tough season with G League Ignite. If you think his struggles were due to the team's issues rather than his own skills, then it makes sense to draft him in the top five.
The main concern is whether it makes sense to add another player to the Detroit team who may not excel at shooting, especially with players like Ausar Thompson who struggled in that area. The Pistons are hoping for improvement from within, especially with the help of new assistant coach Fred Vinson, known for helping players improve their shooting skills in New Orleans. Klintman, who showed decent shooting ability by hitting 36% of his 3-pointers in the Australian NBL, does bring some value in that aspect.
Golden State Warriors Grade: D+
Second Round: Quinten Post (Number 52 pick acquired from Oklahoma City)
The Warriors had a long and complicated journey with their second-round pick on Thursday. They originally traded it to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Lindy Waters III, then got it back from the New York Knicks through another trade. Despite usually following my predictions closely in the past, the Warriors surprised everyone by selecting the player with the lowest rating in this year's draft. Post, who is already 24 years old, had a low shooting percentage inside the arc for a modern big man, making only 54% of his 2-point shots last season.
In the first round, Reed Sheppard performed well and secured the third position in the competition.
Despite the rumors of a Durant trade being shut down by Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia on social media before the first round, it was always clear that staying at No. 3 and selecting Sheppard was the best choice for the Rockets. In my draft projections, I pointed out that Houston has consistently been able to get great value in their picks compared to other teams.
Once more, the Rockets have succeeded in selecting my top choice in the draft with the 3rd pick. Sheppard is a great addition to Houston's youthful roster, complementing their existing talent. I am particularly excited about the combination of his shooting skills with Thompson's athleticism, allowing them to excel as defensive forces. In a strategic move, the Rockets traded away their second-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick, AJ Griffin.
Second Round: Johnny Furphy (35th pick from San Antonio), Tristen Newton (49th pick), Enrique Freeman (50th pick)
Even though they didn't have an early draft pick, the Pacers managed to draft the player ranked fifth in my projections. By moving up one spot, they prevented Furphy from falling into the second round. It's understandable why some scouts may not have seen Furphy as a top lottery talent like my projections indicated, but it was truly surprising to see him not selected in the first round. If Furphy can improve his shooting and size, he could be a good fit playing alongside Pascal Siakam in the frontcourt for Indiana.
Afterwards, the Pacers selected two college veterans, both 23 years old, who were highly ranked for their age - Newton and Freeman. Both players have the ability to make an immediate impact as late second-round picks.
Second Round: Cam Christie (Number 46)
Christie found himself in the city where his brother, Max, was picked as the 35th player by the Lakers in the 2022 draft. Max is currently a restricted free agent. In my previous analysis, I mentioned that Christie was ranked 12th due to his impressive performance as a one-and-done player compared to his brother. Christie, who is only 18 years old, is one of the youngest players in the draft. Despite being selected in the middle of the second round, he was considered one of the best value picks in the draft.
LA Lakers: B+
First round: Dalton Knecht was picked 17th overall. Second round: Bronny James was selected as the 55th overall pick.
I didn't predict that Knecht would perform well because he is still young at 23 years old, didn't have strong stats in college, and didn't have many assists, steals, or blocks. Because of this, I didn't think he would be a top player in the draft. However, towards the middle of the first round, it became clearer that his shooting skills were worth taking a chance on.
Knecht will need to show that he can play defensively for a team that has not had many options to cover for weak defenders. However, his shooting abilities will complement Anthony Davis and LeBron James perfectly.
Considering the history of players chosen in the 50s in the draft, it makes sense for the Lakers to take on Bronny James as a prospect for development. It's a positive outcome for the Lakers that they were able to select Bronny without having to give up anything to trade up in the draft.
In the first round, Zach Edey was chosen as the 9th pick, while Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer were selected in the second round as the 39th and 53rd picks, respectively (with the 53rd pick acquired from Detroit).
Despite ranking Edey at number 4 in my statistics-based projections due to his impressive performance at Purdue, I was surprised to see him get picked in the top 10. (Watch my reaction on the Hoop Collective live show if you don't believe me.) Similar to scouts, I have doubts about Edey's ability to start full-time because of his defensive limitations. I would have felt better drafting him in the late teens instead.
The Grizzlies recognized the need for a center in this draft and successfully addressed it by selecting one. I believe they got good value in the second round with Wells, who was ranked highly in my projections due to his impressive 42% 3-point shooting in Division I and his size at 6-8. Spencer, another solid shooter, was also a great addition to the team after helping UConn win the national title as a transfer player.
First round pick Kel'el Ware was chosen as the 15th overall pick, while second round pick Pelle Larsson was selected as the 44th pick, acquired through a trade with Houston.
I was shocked that Ware was picked before Yves Missi, who usually ranked higher among centers in many draft lists. However, I understand how Ware's skills will benefit Miami. His shooting ability (making 42.5% of his 3-point attempts last season, even though he only took 40 shots) could potentially lead to him playing alongside Bam Adebayo instead of just being his backup. Similar to Missi, Ware excels at finishing above the rim in pick-and-roll situations.
Larsson is a perfect example of Miami's shooters who are tall and can make shots from far away. He made 43% of his 3-point shots in his final year at Arizona. The Heat will definitely push Larsson to take more shots from behind the 3-point line.
First pick: AJ Johnson, number 23. Second pick: Tyler Smith, number 33.
In the future, choosing the 19-year-old Johnson could benefit the Bucks, but it's uncertain how it will impact a team with three key players who will be at least 33 years old when the season starts. The team appeared slow and lacking in athleticism and defense on the wing last season, so Johnson could potentially help in that area. However, he didn't get much playing time in the Australian NBL last season, so it may take some time before he can make a significant contribution in the NBA.
I am more excited about Smith being drafted in the second round. He is a big player who can shoot well and has some concerns about his defense. Smith can look to Bobby Portis Jr., who comes off the bench for the Bucks, as a role model for his growth in the NBA.
First round: Rob Dillingham, who was selected at number 8 by San Antonio, and Terrence Shannon Jr., who was taken at number 27.
The Timberwolves made a bold move on draft night by trading a future first-round pick and a swap to select Dillingham at No. 8. This decision was seen as the most intriguing move of the night. With limited future draft picks due to the Rudy Gobert trade, Minnesota sacrificed some of its flexibility to secure a top-10 player who may not have been available to the team in the near future.
If Dillingham can maintain his defensive performance, his ability to score and handle the ball could make him a strong partner for Anthony Edwards in the future. I am not as impressed with the idea of selecting Shannon with the 27th pick. As the oldest player selected in the first round, Shannon was successful in college mostly due to his physical advantages, which may not translate as well to the NBA. In a role without the ball, Shannon's inconsistent 3-point shooting (36% last season, 35% career) will be a concern.
Exciting New Orleans Pelicans Team
First pick: Yves Missi at number 21; Second pick: Antonio Reeves at number 47 acquired from Orlando.
Since Jonas Valanciunas is now a free agent, the Pelicans were in dire need of a center, and Missi emerged as the best player available. I am curious to see how a center who excels at running to the rim but lacks shooting range will mesh with Zion Williamson. However, defensively, Missi brings some of the same versatility as Larry Nance Jr. but with added size and shot-blocking ability.
NY Knicks: B-
First pick in round one was Pacome Dadiet at number 25. In round two, Tyler Kolek was chosen at number 34 from Portland, followed by Kevin McCullar Jr. at number 56 from Phoenix, and Ariel Hukporti at number 58.
When the Knicks selected Dadiet after moving back from the 24th to 26th pick and eventually trading out of that spot entirely, many began to speculate that they would send the 18-year-old French forward to play overseas in order to have more financial flexibility. Dadiet mentioned to the media that he would be interested in joining the Knicks right away, following his time playing as a reserve for EuroCup team Ratiopharm Ulm.
In the next part of the draft, the Knicks chose two seasoned college players who will help with their salary cap situation after reaching a difficult cap limit this season. Even though Kolek played for a team that is a rival to New York, Marquette, his toughness and ability to make plays align well with the Knicks. McCullar is another player with experience in important games and a variety of skills.
At 22 years old, Hukporti is better prepared to make a positive impact in the NBA compared to most international players. His strong points, such as offensive rebounding and rim protection, are exactly what New York is looking for in their centers.
OKC Thunder: B- Grade
First Round picks: Nikola Topic at number 12 and Dillon Jones at number 26, acquired from Washington. Second Round pick: Ajay Mitchell at number 38, acquired from New York.
The Thunder stuck to their usual style with both of their first-round draft picks on Wednesday. Topic, who stands at 6 feet 6 inches tall, is the newest ball handler from Oklahoma City who has good size. Like Josh Giddey, the main question about Topic is how well he can shoot 3-pointers, especially after only making 25% of his attempts this season in the Adriatic and EuroLeague. However, because Topic is just 18 years old and has a high free-throw percentage of 86%, the Thunder have confidence that they can improve his shooting while he recovers from a partial ACL tear.
Jones was traded to Oklahoma City in exchange for several future second-round picks. He fits the Thunder's profile of wing players who perform better than their height suggests. Despite being 6-foot-4½ without shoes at the NBA draft combine, Jones managed to average 10.5 rebounds per game in his final three seasons at Weber State. In addition to his rebounding ability, he also demonstrated playmaking skills with 5.2 assists per game last season, and some shooting ability with a career 32% shooting percentage. Overall, Jones resembles Thunder player Andre Roberson in terms of playing style.
The Thunder made another trade, this time with New York, and acquired UCSB's Ajay Mitchell. Ajay is a point guard who is taller in size and he made 39% of his 3-point shots last season, an improvement from his 29% in his first two seasons.
Blog Title: Tristan da Silva Defies Expectations In the first round of the competition, Tristan da Silva, ranked at No. 18, delivered an outstanding performance. Despite being relatively unknown in the racing world, Tristan's skills and determination proved that rankings don't always accurately reflect a driver's abilities. With his impressive showing, Tristan has definitely caught the attention of both fans and seasoned professionals alike. Stay tuned to see how this underdog continues to defy expectations in the upcoming races.
I understand why Orlando chose da Silva in the draft. He is a skilled big man who can shoot well (making 1.9 3-pointers per game with 39.5% accuracy). He will complement Magic's key players Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. However, I have doubts about whether da Silva can contribute enough in other areas besides shooting to earn playing time. If Orlando plans to play da Silva alongside Banchero in the frontcourt, his lack of rim protection (just 0.7 blocks per 40 minutes) could be a problem. Additionally, da Silva struggles as a rebounder, with a career-high of 5.1 rebounds per game.
First up in the draft was Jared McCain, who was picked at number 16. Following him in the second round was Adem Bona, who was selected at number 41.
The Sixers, who focus on statistics, drafting McCain at No.16 was expected. McCain's strong shooting skills (41% on almost six 3-point attempts per game) will be a good fit for a team like the Sixers who need to create space for Joel Embiid. I am curious about how well McCain (6-2 without shoes) will be able to play alongside the 6-2 Philadelphia starter Tyrese Maxey. However, in the long run, getting good value is more important than worrying about how players fit together.
Bona didn't quite meet my expectations in terms of strength, but there are many positive aspects to his defensive skills. He recorded 2.7 blocks and 1.7 steals per 40 minutes in his second year. This is comparable to Sixers reserve Paul Reed, who averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per 40 minutes during his sophomore year at DePaul.
First Pick: Ryan Dunn was selected as the 28th pick by Denver. Second Pick: Oso Ighodaro was chosen as the 40th pick by Portland.
After selecting two players in the draft, the Suns were focused on improving their defense. Dunn's talent for stealing the ball and blocking shots, as well as his ability to defend different positions, made him the best choice based on these attributes. Ighodaro also caught their attention for his defensive skills. However, both players need to contribute offensively as well, which is why they were still available when the Suns picked them. Ideally, Dunn and Ighodaro will complement the Suns' offensive stars and help strengthen the team overall.
Blazing Success In Portland
Match 1: Donovan Clingan (Ranked 7th)
There were rumors that the Blazers might make a move to get Clingan, but in the end they were able to keep their seventh pick in the draft and secure my second favorite player. Clingan joining the team means there will be a lot of competition at the center position with Ayton and Williams both returning from injuries. However, the most important thing is that the Blazers were able to add a talented player like Clingan who can support their young perimeter players on offense.
After initially having four picks, Portland only made one selection in the draft. They traded the No. 14 pick to the Washington Wizards to acquire Deni Avdija and exchanged both second-round picks for future selections.
In the first round of the competition, Devin Carter, who is ranked number 13, will be competing.
Carter is Sacramento's newest attempt to find a guard who excels at defense to backup or possibly play alongside starting guard De'Aaron Fox. The top pick for this position, Davion Mitchell, was traded to the Toronto Raptors for salary reasons on Thursday. The Kings do have 2022 second-round pick Keon Ellis and 2023 second-round pick Colby Jones on their roster as well.
Out of the players mentioned, Carter is most likely to remain on the team. He performed better at a younger age than Mitchell and was rated more highly by scouts than Ellis and Jones.
San Antonio Spurs: A Team To Watch
First pick: Stephon Castle at number four. Second pick: Juan Nunez at number 36 from Indiana, and Harrison Ingram at number 48.
Even though the Spurs traded their eighth pick to Minnesota to get more future first-round picks, they focused on strengthening their backcourt. Castle is the standout player, playing a key role in UConn's back-to-back championship wins as a freshman. His size, abilities, and defensive skills are all positives, but Castle will have to work on either becoming a better playmaker or improving his outside shooting to make a significant impact on both ends of the court.
In the next stage, San Antonio picked up Nunez, a talented 20-year-old player who is good at creating scoring opportunities. He might choose to further develop his skills while playing overseas. The Spurs also selected Ingram, showing confidence in his ability to increase his shooting accuracy from 3-point range to 38.5% in his junior year, compared to his previous two seasons where he shot at 32%.
First pick of the draft was Ja'Kobe Walter at number 19. Following him, in the second round, Jonathan Mogbo was selected at number 31, Jamal Shead was picked at number 45 from Sacramento, and Ulrich Chomche was chosen at number 57 from Memphis.
I have to confess that I'm not really sure why I was so optimistic about Walter, who was ranked sixth. Getting him with the 19th pick is a good deal and shows that Toronto is once again trying to improve their wing shooting by selecting another promising player after drafting Gradey Dick last year.
I really liked Mogbo as a sleeper in this year's draft. He's able to play different positions even though he's not very tall, showing athleticism and hard work similar to former Raptors player Precious Achiuwa. Shead is a skilled college point guard who had a great season last year at 21 years old.
First up in round one was Cody Williams, who was picked as the 10th overall player. Following him in round two was Kyle Filipowski, who was picked 32nd overall.
If you had told people a year ago that the Jazz would sign both Collier and Williams, they would have been puzzled about how Utah was able to get another high draft pick. Both players were highly ranked before the season started, but their performances during their first year at college were inconsistent in the Pac-12 conference.
I personally have more confidence in Collier compared to Williams, although Collier was drafted 19 spots lower. Collier performed better in the Nike EYBL games and during his time at USC, taking into consideration that Williams had to play injured at Colorado. I would have liked to see the Jazz make a different choice with the 10th pick. However, I do think it was a good move for Utah to pick up Filipowski early in the second round. Filipowski has similarities to former Jazz player Kelly Olynyk, so Utah should have a good understanding of how to utilize him effectively.
First round picks: Alex Sarr was selected as the second overall pick, followed by Bub Carrington at No. 14, and Kyshawn George was acquired at No. 24 through a trade with New York.
Beginning the evening with just one selection in the top 25, the Wizards were able to acquire three of my top 15 prospects. This was in part due to Washington trading Avdija to Portland to acquire a second lottery pick, which resulted in landing Carrington. Additionally, the Wizards traded up two spots to select George, who was projected to be drafted slightly lower.
All three of Washington's new players are under 20 years old. The team's 2023 draft pick, Bilal Coulibaly, is also young, which gives the team a good mix of talent to start their rebuilding process. Sarr, who they selected in the 2024 draft, could be their next big star. Washington is making progress in their rebuild, even if it is happening slowly.
