Round 1 of the 2024 NBA Draft is over, but we’ll get another dose of draft season on Thursday when the second round kicks off at 4:00 p.m. ET. With several surprises in the first round, we’ll see what value slipped through to Day 2 and which team might draft Bronny James.
As analysts continue to hand out their initial draft grades, let’s take a look at the winners and losers of the fantasy basketball draft and assess the impact of some trades that fell before or during the draft.
Before we dive in, I have to tell my usual spiel about why I don’t like drafting rookies. It’s not easy for most first-year players to come into the league and see minutes in a role meaningful enough to produce fantasy points.
Last season was an extreme outlier because Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have real star potential. Not this class. That’s why I projected the best of this class as late-round picks at best. There’s a lot of time between now and the 24-25 season, but that probably won’t change.
Okay, off my soapbox to the winners of the draft.
Design winners
France
France is becoming the new mecca for basketball prospects. The first two picks this year were French, with F Zaccharie Risacher going first overall to the Atlanta Hawks and F/C Alex Sarr going second to the Washington Wizards. Four Frenchmen were selected in the top 25 (a new record), with PF Tidjane Salaün going sixth to the Charlotte Hornets and G Pacôme Dadiet going 25th to the New York Knicks.
Of the four Frenchmen selected on Wednesday, Sarr has the most potential to be an immediate contributor for fantasy managers as the Wizards approach a complete demolition.
The Washington Wizards
Trading Deni Avdija was a deal I didn’t see coming, but it makes sense after seeing Washington’s subsequent moves. That move cleared the way for Bilal Coulibaly. Coulibaly’s play in the offseason (Summer League or Paris Olympics) will likely determine how high he is drafted in fantasy leagues next season. Still, a late-round pick is reasonable given his stock potential and an expanded role in the offense.
I see a similar opportunity for Alex Sarr, who is selected second overall. He said he wanted to play in DC over Atlanta because he would get more playing time as a rookie. He also has some late-round appeal due to the Wizards’ extremely thin frontcourt, and his athleticism and versatility help fantasy managers in the stock and board departments.
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Back to the Avdija trade for a moment: In going to Portland, the Wizards received buyout candidate Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick in 2024. That selection was used for Carlton “Bub” Carrington, a 6-foot-5 guard who can facilitate and score from both guard positions — and who fills a need without backcourt help next to Jordan Poole. To cap off their stellar night, they made a late-round trade with the Knicks to land Kyshawn George from Miami, a 6-foot-8 Swiss Army Knife who looks like a better-shooting version of Anthony Black.
Kyle Kuzma will likely be Washington’s next trade partner, and once he disappears from the radar, the youth movement in Chocolate City will be in full swing.
Dalton Knecht, G/F, Los Angeles Lakers
The 23-year-old Tennessee alum was projected as a lottery pick, but age concerns likely played a role in his brief decline. As luck and circ*mstance would have it, Knecht was selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, making him one of the steals of the draft. Knecht was one of the most prolific scorers in the country, posting over 21 points with five rebounds and making 2.6 three-pointers per game in his final season with the Vols. He shot 40 percent from three on over six attempts per game and, most importantly, made 42 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers.
The Lakers needed a three-point threat on the perimeter, and they got one. Knecht’s defense is a question mark at the next level, but he’ll likely cement himself in the rotation immediately because he’ll be the JJ Redick version of JJ Redick. He’s not a redraft option, but he could be a source of three-point waivers throughout the season.
Devin Carter, G, Sacramento Kings
Carter is one of my favorite players before the draft and fits in perfectly with the triumphant Sacramento Kings team. De’Aaron Fox is waiting to sign an extension to see what moves are made this offseason, and between the re-signing of Malik Monk and the drafting of Carter, things are looking up. Carter is the son of former NBA veteran Anthony Carter, and while he’s only 6-foot-1, his skill set reminds me of a more explosive version of De’Anthony Melton (floor) or Derrick White (ceiling).
He is a dog on defense and prides himself on being an exceptional ball defender with a knack for jumping into passing lanes.
In his junior season, he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 dimes, 2.5 threes, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks on 47/38/75 shooting splits. Although a small combo guard, he is much more dynamic than Davion Mitchell and Kevin Huerter. He is a player who can immediately get minutes for a Kings team that needed a two-way punch next to Monk off the bench.
Yves Missi – C, New Orleans Pelicans
Missi replaces Jonas Valanciunas as the Pelicans’ inner-rim protector and rebounder. Missi, a 7-foot-1, former five-star prospect who transferred out of Baylor after his freshman year, is far more athletic and defensive-minded than Valanciunas. Missi possesses some Dereck Lively II traits in his ability to run the floor at a high pace, rebound and block shots. Larry Nance Jr. is the closest thing to a center currently on New Orleans’ roster, so there’s some serious sleeper potential in fantasy redrafts if that holds true.
Fun fact: Missi is only the sixth Cameroonian player to play in the NBA.
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Losers of the draft
Zaccharie Risacher, F, Atlanta Hawks
If the Hawks stick with their current roster, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft won’t be fantasy relevant as a rookie, and that’s an L. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with being the top pick, so I expect the Hawks takes his time with things considering he is a 19 year old prospect. Additionally, there is congestion on the wing, with Bogdan Bogdanović and Jalen Johnson currently occupying the SF and PF spots.
His 3&D skills could get him into the rotation, but I’m skeptical of how quickly he’ll get enough meaningful minutes for fantasy managers to see an ROI. He won’t be a bust, but it will take time for him to develop into one of the primary offensive options.
The Blazers attacking half
Blazers GM Joe Cronin’s post-draft presser clearly stated that C Donovan Clingan was one of the higher-rated prospects on the Blazers’ draft board. Before delving into Cronin’s praise for Clingan, he emphasized that he was looking for competitors and would be open to trading veterans.
Joe Cronin on drafting Clingan with Ayton and Timelord already in place: “We’re building a competitive culture. We want guys to come in and earn their spots.” Says they’re still in “talent acquisition mode” and aren’t too concerned about positional overlap.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) June 27, 2024
Regarding their seventh overall pick, Cronin told the media that Portland’s scouting department picked him up after his freshman year. To see him improve so much in one year as an effective screener, roll man and passer, after already being a defensive monster, the pick was a no-brainer.
Extension-eligible Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III should sweat as Clingan enters the fray as a direct competitor. Their stock drops, as does Jerami Grant, who will likely be drafted this offseason with the Blazers bringing in dual forward Avdija.
Bronny James Bettors
There was actually quite a bit of action on Bronny James to go first overall to the Hawks. He was No. 1 in ticket count per BetMGM, and took 25% of the bets for the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft — that’s wild!
Those people burned through cash because Bronny wasn’t drafted in the first round. The 6-foot-1 combo guard had a strong combination, and despite Rich Paul’s best efforts, NBA teams still have to be persuaded to draft Bronny. There’s still time to hear his name called on Thursday.
