The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is over, but we’ll get another dose of draft season on Thursday as the second round gets underway at 4 p.m. ET. With several surprises in the first round, we’ll see what value slipped through on Day 2 and which team will potentially draft Bronny James.
As analysts continue to dole out their initial draft grades, let’s take a look at Fantasy Basketball’s draft winners and losers and assess the impact of some deals that fell through before or during the draft.
Before we begin, I need to explain to you why I don’t like recruiting recruits. It’s not easy for most first-year players to come into the league and play a big enough role to produce points in fantasy.
Last season was an extreme exception as Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren possess real star potential. This class does not do that. Therefore, I have the best of this class projected at best as a late round pick. There’s plenty of time left between now and the 24-25 season, but that’s unlikely to change.
Ok, let’s get off my soap box and talk about draft winners.
Draft winners
France
France is becoming the new Mecca for basketball hopefuls. The top 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 French people were selected in the top 25 (a new record), PF Tidjane Salaün ranked sixth with the Charlotte Hornets and G Pacôme Dadiet 25th with the New York Knicks.
Of the four Frenchmen selected on Wednesday, Sarr has the most potential to immediately contribute to fantasy managers as the Wizards approach a full-scale takedown.
Wizards of Washington
The Deni Avdija trade was a deal I didn’t see coming, but it makes sense after seeing the corresponding moves from Washington. This decision emptied the game for Bilal Coulibaly. Coulibaly’s play during the offseason (Summer League or Paris Olympics) will likely dictate how highly he is drafted in fantasy leagues heading into next season. Still, a late pick is reasonable, given his stock potential and expanded role in the offense.
I envision a similar opportunity for second overall pick Alex Sarr. He said he wanted to play in DC instead of 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 boardroom department.
Let’s revisit the Avdija trade for a moment: Going to Portland, the Wizards received buyout candidate Malcolm Brogdon and a 2024 first-round pick. That selection was used for Carlton “Bub” Carrington, a guard 6-foot-5 who can facilitate and score from any guard position – filling a need with no help at guard outside of Jordan Poole. To cap off their great night, they made a late-round trade with the Knicks to pick up Miami’s Kyshawn George, a 6-foot-8 Swiss army knife who looks like a better version of Anthony Black.
Kyle Kuzma will likely be the next player traded to Washington, and once he’s off the books, the youth movement will be thriving in Chocolate City.
Dalton Knecht, G/F, Los Angeles Lakers
The 23-year-old Tennessee alumnus was projected as a lottery pick, but concerns about his age likely factored into a brief slide. Through luck and circumstance, Knecht was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers 17th overall, making him one of the steals of the draft. Knecht was one of the most prolific scorers in the country, dishing out over 21 points with five rebounds and 2.6 threes per game during his senior season with the Vols. He shot 40% from three on over six attempts per game and, more importantly, made 42% of his threes.
The Lakers needed a 3-point threat on the perimeter, and they found it. Knecht’s defense is a question mark at the next level, but he will likely carve out a spot in the rotation right away as he will be JJ Redick’s version of JJ Redick. He is undraftable in draft formats, but could be a source of three-way waivers during the season.
Devin Carter, G, Sacramento Kings
Carter is one of my favorite players heading into the draft and is a great pick for a now winning Sacramento Kings team. De’Aaron Fox is waiting to sign an extension to see what moves are made this offseason, and between Malik Monk’s re-signing and Carter’s drafting, things are moving in the right direction. Carter is the son of former NBA veteran Anthony Carter, and while he’s only 6-foot-3, his skill set reminds me of a more explosive version of De’Anthony Melton (floor) or Derrick White (ceiling).
He’s a dog on defense and prides himself on being an exceptional on-ball defender with a knack for jumping passing lanes.
During his junior season, he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 dimes, 2.5 threes, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks with shooting splits of 47/38/75. Although he is an undersized combo guard, he is much more dynamic than Davion Mitchell and Kevin Huerter. He’s a player who could earn minutes immediately for a Kings team that needed a two-way punch alongside Monk coming off the bench.
Yves Missi – C, New Orleans Pelicans
Missi replaces Jonas Valančiūnas as the Pelicans’ interior rim protector and rebounder. Missi, a 7-footer and former five-star prospect who left Baylor after his freshman year, is much more athletic and defensive-minded than Valančiūnas. Missi possesses some traits of Derek Lively II in his ability to run the floor, rebound, and block shots at a high rate. Larry Nance Jr. is the closest thing to a center currently on New Orleans’ roster, so there’s some serious sleeper potential in the revamped fantasy leagues if that holds true.
Fun fact: Missi is only the sixth Cameroonian player to have played in the NBA.
Draft losers
Zacharie Risacher, F, Atlanta Hawks
If the Hawks stick with their current roster, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft won’t be relevant as a rookie, and he’s an L. There’s a lot of pressure when you’re the first pick, So I expect the Hawks to take their time with things, given that he is a 19 year old prospect. Additionally, there is a logjam on the wing with Bogdan Bogdanović and Jalen Johnson currently occupying the SF and PF spots.
His 3&D skills may land him in the rotation, but I’m skeptical how quickly he’ll get enough meaningful minutes for fantasy managers to see a return on their investment. He won’t be a failure, but it will take time for him to become a top offensive option.
The Blazers frontcourt
Blazers general manager Joe Cronin’s post-draft presser made it clear that C Donovan Clingan is one of the Blazers’ draft board’s highest-rated prospects. Before delving into Cronin’s praise for Clingan, he stressed that he’s looking for competition and will keep an open mind when trading veterans.
Joe Cronin on drafting Clingan with Ayton and Timelord already in place: “We’re building a culture of competition. We want guys to come in and earn their spot.” He says they’re still in “talent acquisition mode” and aren’t as concerned about overlapping positions.
-Sean Highkin (@highkin) June 27, 2024
Regarding their seventh overall pick, Cronin told the media that Portland’s scouting department retained him after his freshman year. Seeing him improve so much in one year as an effective screener, roll-man and passer after already being a defensive monster made this choice a no-brainer.
Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III are extension eligible and should be sweating now that Clingan enters the fray as a direct competitor. Their stock is down, as is Jerami Grant, who will likely be dealt this offseason with the Blazers bringing in two-time forward Avdija.
Bronny James Bettors
There was actually considerable action on Bronny James to go first overall against the Hawks. He was #1 in number of tickets according to BetMGM, winning 25% of the bets for the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft – that’s crazy!
These people spent money because Bronny was not selected in the first round. The 1.88 m combo leader put together a good combination, and despite Rich Paul’s best efforts, NBA teams still need to be convinced to select Bronny. There’s still time to hear his name called Thursday.