2024 NBA Draft Thread – (June 26 & 27)

[Hal14]

Alex Karaban announced he's returning to UConn for another year.

Coleman Hawkins, Hunter Sallis, Xaiven Lee, Payton Sandfort, Jarin Stevenson, Jamir Watkins and Mark Sears all withdrawing from the draft as well..

[Hal14]

Harrison Ingram measured 6'5.25" (no shoes), 233 lbs at the combine.

Similar measurements to guys like Grant Williams, Lamar Stevens, Jae Crowder and PJ Tucker..

Watched some more UNC film tonight..Ingram is growing on me..wouldn't hate it if we took him in the 2nd round..

[redslastlaugh]

Wow, that’s a lot of guys to withdraw. I think Sam Vecenie had Karaban and Sallis in the 1st round. Sort of disappointing this many guys exiting the draft pool.

Alex Karaban announced he's returning to UConn for another year.

Coleman Hawkins, Hunter Sallis, Xaiven Lee, Payton Sandfort, Jarin Stevenson, Jamir Watkins and Mark Sears all withdrawing from the draft as well..

[djFan71]

Alex Karaban announced he's returning to UConn for another year.

Coleman Hawkins, Hunter Sallis, Xaiven Lee, Payton Sandfort, Jarin Stevenson, Jamir Watkins and Mark Sears all withdrawing from the draft as well..

Dang it! No Sallis for me, no Watkins for you. No Hawkins hoping at 54 or UDFA????

[djFan71]

I think I'm Jaylon Tyson or Daron Holmes at 30 if they fall, otherwise trade back/out. Hope Brad was friendly when negotiating that Brogdon trade with Portland. He can be such a jerk sometimes, lol.

[Cuban Pete]

Cs will likely trade out of the first round for cap reasons. I'm going to guess that they will draft Adem Bona, C UCLA in the second round.

[Hal14]

Alex Karaban announced he's returning to UConn for another year.

Coleman Hawkins, Hunter Sallis, Xaiven Lee, Payton Sandfort, Jarin Stevenson, Jamir Watkins and Mark Sears all withdrawing from the draft as well..

Dang it! No Sallis for me, no Watkins for you. No Hawkins hoping at 54 or UDFA????

And no Karaban for 165 Brows lol.

All these guys returning to college is due to 2 factors:

-NIL $

-More and more, we're seeing "fringe guys" (guys projected to go in the 2nd round, UDFA or *maybe have a slight chance at 1st round) have an uphill battle in the NBA, where teams don't have the roster spots, playing time or shot attempts to go around, with all the other good players already in the league..each year, another 60 drafted players (plus another 30+ UDFA) are added to the pool of players, while only a few guys retire so each year it becomes more and more competitive for roster spots and playing time

So guys like Watkins, Sallis and Karaban see that and don't want to be the next Usman Garuba, Tyty Washinton, Romeo Langford, Greg Brown, James Bouknight or Keon Johnson (stuck at the end of the bench, stuck in g league or getting waived) when they could be a star player in college for another year and make a million bucks in NIL $

[Hal14]

I think I'm Jaylon Tyson or Daron Holmes at 30 if they fall, otherwise trade back/out. Hope Brad was friendly when negotiating that Brogdon trade with Portland. He can be such a jerk sometimes, lol.

Yeah, I'd certainly be onboard with picking one of them.

Tyson is higher on my big board, but I think there's a more realistic path to playing time for Holmes.

Will be interesting to see if we bring in 1 (or both) of them in for a workout. So far, neither has worked out for the Celtics (although not all workouts get reported).

[Hal14]

Damn, it's pretty cool to see the comments under the tweet by Holmes. Dayton fans LOVE this guy.

Read on Twitter

[Memokerobi]

Damn, it's pretty cool to see the comments under the tweet by Holmes. Dayton fans LOVE this guy.

Read on Twitter

They call him Deuce too..

[redslastlaugh]

I dont have a big board, but I have a list of guys Id be fine with drafting at either pick. I looked at the ESPN best available:

https://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable

For this exercise, I assumed the top 25 would be off the board, and of the remaining prospects, this my list of draftable guys:

Baylor Scheierman
Kevin McCullar
Jaylon Tyson
Juan Nunez
Niko Djurisic
Adem Bona
Jonnathan Mogbo
Ajay Mitchell
DaRon Holmes
Keshad Johson
Jamal Shead
Jaylen Wells
Enrique Freeman
PJ Hall
Isaiah Crawford
Tyon Grant Foster
Nique Clifford
Dillon Jones

So, we got two picks. Give me any two of this list, and Im good to go!

[Dogen]

I dont have a big board, but I have a list of guys Id be fine with drafting at either pick. I looked at the ESPN best available:

https://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable

For this exercise, I assumed the top 25 would be off the board, and of the remaining prospects, this my list of draftable guys:

Baylor Scheierman
Kevin McCullar
Jaylon Tyson
Juan Nunez
Niko Djurisic
Adem Bona
Jonnathan Mogbo
Ajay Mitchell
DaRon Holmes
Keshad Johson
Jamal Shead
Jaylen Wells
Enrique Freeman
PJ Hall
Isaiah Crawford
Tyon Grant Foster
Nique Clifford
Dillon Jones

So, we got two picks. Give me any two of this list, and Im good to go!

Odds are probably something like, 4 of those 18 guys will be in the league 3 years from now. Maybe it's less.

Anyway, Brad will pick 2 of those 4!

Out of those guys (if we keep both picks): Scheierman at 30. Holmes II. Then Tyson.

At 54: Djurisic is intriguing if he's there. Bona might be a nice pickup too.

[redslastlaugh]

lol, so find one of the four, Brad, haha!

I dont have a big board, but I have a list of guys Id be fine with drafting at either pick. I looked at the ESPN best available:

https://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable

For this exercise, I assumed the top 25 would be off the board, and of the remaining prospects, this my list of draftable guys:

Baylor Scheierman
Kevin McCullar
Jaylon Tyson
Juan Nunez
Niko Djurisic
Adem Bona
Jonnathan Mogbo
Ajay Mitchell
DaRon Holmes
Keshad Johson
Jamal Shead
Jaylen Wells
Enrique Freeman
PJ Hall
Isaiah Crawford
Tyon Grant Foster
Nique Clifford
Dillon Jones

So, we got two picks. Give me any two of this list, and Im good to go!

Odds are probably something like, 4 of those 18 guys will be in the league 3 years from now. Maybe it's less.

Anyway, Brad will pick 2 of those 4!

Out of those guys (if we keep both picks): Scheierman at 30. Holmes II. Then Tyson.

At 54: Djurisic is intriguing if he's there. Bona might be a nice pickup too.

[Hal14]

I dont have a big board, but I have a list of guys Id be fine with drafting at either pick. I looked at the ESPN best available:

https://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable

For this exercise, I assumed the top 25 would be off the board, and of the remaining prospects, this my list of draftable guys:

Baylor Scheierman
Kevin McCullar
Jaylon Tyson
Juan Nunez
Niko Djurisic
Adem Bona
Jonnathan Mogbo
Ajay Mitchell
DaRon Holmes
Keshad Johson
Jamal Shead
Jaylen Wells
Enrique Freeman
PJ Hall
Isaiah Crawford
Tyon Grant Foster
Nique Clifford
Dillon Jones

So, we got two picks. Give me any two of this list, and Im good to go!

Good list.

Here's PJ Hall making 10/12 catch and shoot 3's at the combine:

Read on Twitter

Also, Clifford withdrew from the draft..he's going back to college..

[snowman]

I really think Brad tipped his hand last season in making so many trades to stockpile 2nd round picks. I think that unless someone falls to us at 30 that Brad has been hoping for, he will trade the pick (and the guaranteed salary) for a high 2nd and a future 2nd. He has more control and roster spaces for 2-ways than he has for the big club that can be filled. Remember a 1st round pick can't be signed as a 2-way contract, but a 2nd round pick, using the 2nd round exception can be, and not be a guaranteed salary.

[playa-hater]

I suggested it a month ago and I am even more certain now. Target someone who you really like. Somone who has legit starting potential for down the road and not another "project" by trading back..again. If you need to trade up for, then so be it. Someone 'like' Furphy is now growing on my wish list. If he were to fall into the Mid-20s may be worth the trade up for. He can be the more versatile and complete player that Hauser is struggling to be. Da Silva or a few others as well. Even if J Taylor's name gets hot and he is projected to go a few picks earlier, and You like him, make the move upwards and guarantee his selection.

and since Wyc and company read these threads, I expect they will follow my lead...

[Smart2Nesmith43]

Alex Karaban announced he's returning to UConn for another year.

Coleman Hawkins, Hunter Sallis, Xaiven Lee, Payton Sandfort, Jarin Stevenson, Jamir Watkins and Mark Sears all withdrawing from the draft as well..

Dang it! No Sallis for me, no Watkins for you. No Hawkins hoping at 54 or UDFA????

And no Karaban for 165 Brows lol.

All these guys returning to college is due to 2 factors:

-NIL $

-More and more, we're seeing "fringe guys" (guys projected to go in the 2nd round, UDFA or *maybe have a slight chance at 1st round) have an uphill battle in the NBA, where teams don't have the roster spots, playing time or shot attempts to go around, with all the other good players already in the league..each year, another 60 drafted players (plus another 30+ UDFA) are added to the pool of players, while only a few guys retire so each year it becomes more and more competitive for roster spots and playing time

So guys like Watkins, Sallis and Karaban see that and don't want to be the next Usman Garuba, Tyty Washinton, Romeo Langford, Greg Brown, James Bouknight or Keon Johnson (stuck at the end of the bench, stuck in g league or getting waived) when they could be a star player in college for another year and make a million bucks in NIL $

I think it's just one factor. It's the NIL money which for most projected second rounders is probably much higher than whatever they would get on the fringes of an NBA roster. I don't buy that there is a bigger roster crunch than in the past when the league has just added 90 two way spots in the last few years.

[Curmudgeon]

As I've said elsewhere the NCAA's decision to allow revenue sharing payments to athletes will significantly increase the age of NBA draft classes. You may even see a number of 18-19 year-old international players opting to play U.S. college ball.

[djFan71]

I suggested it a month ago and I am even more certain now. Target someone who you really like. Somone who has legit starting potential for down the road and not another "project" by trading back..again. If you need to trade up for, then so be it. Someone 'like' Furphy is now growing on my wish list. If he were to fall into the Mid-20s may be worth the trade up for. He can be the more versatile and complete player that Hauser is struggling to be. Da Silva or a few others as well. Even if J Taylor's name gets hot and he is projected to go a few picks earlier, and You like him, make the move upwards and guarantee his selection.

and since Wyc and company read these threads, I expect they will follow my lead...

I'm definitely on the trade up for Da Silva train - that's probably a mid-teens, need something like Sam or Pritchard or future firsts type trade tho. And he's gotta get by PHI & MIA as I don't see them trading with us. I know we did just get Springer, but he was a salary dump for PHI. I doubt either would trade us those picks. But I think if he clears them, NOP, ORL or even TOR could be options. I'd do it, but I'm like Danny and will trade anyone, lol

I think 30 and 54 and/or some future 2nds could possibly get you to mid 20s (WAS or NYK) and be in better spot for Tyson or Holmes. I'm unsure on Furphy due to D, but think he'd be available then as well.

Obviously this is all just mocks-based guessing, though.

[redslastlaugh]

PJ Hall reminds of more physical Daniel Theis with worse D, better screening and a chance to be a better shooter. If Hall shoots 3s like his jr year, he could be a player I think. If the D improves…

Good list.

Here's PJ Hall making 10/12 catch and shoot 3's at the combine:

Read on Twitter

Also, Clifford withdrew from the draft..he's going back to college..