NBA Draft Grades: Instant analysis of every pick

The revised two-day 2024 NBA Draft witnessed 29 teams pick Wednesday and Thursday with an eye on emerging talent.

Here’s a look at those 58 selections and some quick-fire reaction in the form of grades for each team.

Risacher has the upside to be an All-Star wing if everything clicks, but lots of projecting and growth needs to happen first. His lack of an elite wingspan or athletic tools leaves slightly less room for error than some other prospects at his position. Though Risacher has never played the role of lead option in his career, his 3-point shooting and defensive versatility will make him useful in Atlanta from Day 1.

Coming off an NBA title where the Celtics solely rostered players who could dribble, pass, and shoot, the team continued that trend with Scheierman, a fantastic floor spacer and defensive rebounder who grew into a capable playmaker throughout his college career. He doesn’t have great length and he struggles athletically, but in spot minutes next to Boston’s elite defensive starters, he could have a major impact on another potential championship run.

Salaun is one of the youngest players in the draft, and he’s also one of the rawest. His standing reach was the longest of any non-center at the combine, and he’s a fluid athlete with a functional jumper. But he hasn’t been very productive at any point in his young career, and his defensive counting stats don’t reflect his potential on that end. With so much room to grow offensively and defensively, he won’t impact winning for Charlotte in the short term – and at some point, that’s where the Hornets need to focus their attention.

Buzelis was on the short list of No. 1 pick candidates before an up-and-down shooting campaign with the now-defunct G League Ignite squad. His free-throw shooting was also quite poor, which clouds his potential as a marksman. As a jumbo playmaker with defensive versatility, he’s a clunky fit next to the recently acquired Josh Giddey, but he could serve as a better version of the Australian guard in a couple seasons.

Versatility is the name of Tyson’s game, and the Cavaliers can really use wings who can play both ends of the floor after a collection of Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, and Georges Niang struggled to fully fill a need as specialists around star guards and bigs. Tyson can hit threes, play point guard in spurts, and guard multiple positions with an above-average frame. A solid but unspectacular pick for a team that could use that type of player.

The Mavericks may lose Derrick Jones Jr. in free agency. Though Ajinca isn’t quite as long or athletic, he has the potential to fill a similar 3-and-D role alongside Luka Doncic; it just may take him some time to earn that type of responsibility.

Given the Nuggets have the league’s best player in center Nikola Jokic, trading up in the first round for another big man must mean Denver has faith the pair can play together. Holmes exclusively played the 5 at Dayton, and though he grew leaps and bounds as a shooter, he’s not particularly agile and can be stiff. His spacing could work on the offensive end with Jokic’s absurd passing, but it seems unlikely that the pair can work defensively, and that significantly limits what Holmes can do in Denver.

After one of the worst seasons in modern NBA history, the Pistons need all the talent they can get, and Holland checks a ton of boxes as a rebounder, defender, and versatile playmaker at forward. His shooting is a major weak spot, but a decent free-throw mark offers hope on that end. If he can’t get his shot to fall, his fit with with last year’s No. 5 pick, the poor-shooting Ausar Thompson, could be clunky. Klintman is also a young wing whose shot is more developed than Holland but is less athletic.

There’s not much to say about Post, whose Dutch passport may have him destined for European hoops in time. But his passing with a 7-foot frame is at least interesting.

Few draft prospects in recent history put together a shooting season like Sheppard did at Kentucky, let alone as a freshman. His 52.1% mark from beyond the arc makes him useful from the get-go for a Rockets team looking to win big next year. He’ll also be able to learn the point guard position from another undersized player in Fred VanVleet.

Although the Pacers didn’t have a first-rounder, they absolutely killed the draft Thursday. None of their selections have star potential, but Furphy’s shooting and athleticism make him a great candidate to run the wing in Indiana’s transition attack, Newton’s cerebral passing and size give him a similar profile to current Pacer Andrew Nembhard, and Freeman’s otherworldly rebounding numbers and speed make him a grab-and-go offensive option. All three should play spot minutes for the team next season.

Christie wasn’t overly productive in college and doesn’t have a towering ceiling. He probably isn’t good enough to crack the NBA rotation next year and is unlikely to ever be a starter. At best, he’s an undersized 3-and-D wing.

As many teams opted to take swings on unproven projects in a wide-open draft, one of the most polished players in this class fell into the Lakers’ laps at No. 17. Knecht was a monster offensively at Tennessee after transferring in from the mid-major ranks, and he can immediately provide a much-needed scoring punch for the Lakers. A late bloomer in basketball who grades out as a solid athlete, Knecht may even have star potential.

Whatever your opinion on the Lakers’ selection of Bronny James and his questionable prospect resume, the reality is simple: L.A. picking LeBron’s son to ensure the elder James returns to the team and remains happy with the franchise is as valuable as any player that was drafted in the 50s on Thursday. It doesn’t remove any shine from the earlier Knecht selection either.

Very few expected Edey to be picked in the top 10, but many expected the Grizzlies to be in the market for a center. With the hyper-versatile Jaren Jackson Jr. manning the four, Edey’s lack of foot speed is less of an issue in a drop-coverage scheme like that of the successful Grizzlies teams which deployed a fellow bulky big in Steven Adams at the five. Edey’s screen-setting for Ja Morant and offensive rebounding could get him the starting nod as a rookie. Nabbing Wells, a late bloomer and exceptional wing shooter, puts a bow on a great week for Memphis’ return to playoff relevancy.

Perhaps no one impressed in the combine’s athletic testing as much as Ware did. A massive 7-foot center who can move and jump like a forward, he hit 40% of his threes this season (in an extremely small sample). There’s a world in which his shooting pops and he works alongside Bam Adebayo long term, but he’s probably better poised to be a backup five or a lob threat on a team with a ball-dominant guard, and that isn’t the Heat. Miami redeemed itself with a great system fit in Larsson. He’s been a role player on great Arizona teams, and his spacing plus good size will give him an immediate NBA role.

Naturally, a Bucks team that’s reeling from a stunning first-round playoff loss with an aging Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo picked the biggest project in the first round, the 19-year-old Johnson. The 6-foot-4 point guard has an excellent athletic profile, but he didn’t even average 3.0 points per game in his campaign with Australia’s Illawarra Hawks, a team and league where LaMelo Ball averaged over 17 a few years back. Smith in the second round is also a young project with high upside and low production. It’s reasonable to assume neither will be a big help to Milwaukee next season.

At times in the Western Conference finals, Timberwolves who weren’t Anthony Edwards had issues creating their own shot off the dribble. That issue is immediately addressed by adding Dillingham, the best isolation scorer in the draft. He’s extremely thin and a nonfactor defensively, but he’s outstanding with the ball in his hands and as an off-the-catch shooter. Meanwhile, Shannon was absurdly productive this season at Illinois as a downhill driver, and his legal issues were resolved ahead of the draft. Spencer is an awesome shooter and is extremely smart moving off the ball. The trio instantly injects offense for the NBA’s best defense.

Missi projects as a lob-threat big man without ball skills, passing, or shooting, but he only measured at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan – slightly underwhelming for someone of his prototype. Stylistically, Missi’s lob ability could add a fun wrinkle to the Pelicans’ offense with Zion Williamson’s passing skill in high-low sets, but a limited player who doesn’t fully fit his role physically is a bit of an underwhelming selection.

With a win-now roster and a head coach in Tom Thibodeau who rarely depends on a deep bench or rookies, it makes sense to take a major gamble on Dadiet, a relatively unknown wing with length and offensive potential who won’t factor into their immediate plans. Productive college veterans Kolek and McCullar will likely play spot minutes for a team that is out of cap space.

Prior to tearing his ACL this spring, the Serbian-born Topic was a likely top-10 pick. A true 6-foot-6 without shoes and with point guard skills, he fits the jumbo-playmaker archetype that’s extremely popular in the modern NBA. Although the Thunder are clearly in win-now mode, they took an upside swing on a guy who may sit out the entire season to rehab his injury, much like Chet Holmgren did. Frankly, however, there may have not been a prospect remaining on the board who would’ve factored into OKC’s rotation anyway. The Thunder’s surprising over-drafting of severely undersized forward Jones drops this group’s stock, but efficient lefty Mitchell could be the team’s backup point guard next season.

The Magic were dead last in made threes last season, and Da Silva shot nearly 40% from three as a 6-foot-8 forward. He can play alongside star Paolo Banchero and can also take over the 4-spot when Banchero heads to the bench. Versatility is the name of the game for Da Silva, and his multi-faceted skill set will contribute to the team’s attempt to climb the East standings.

With only three players under contract heading into free agency, it’s hard to properly project what the 76ers will look like next season beyond attempting to surround Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey with a winning roster. McCain is an exceptional outside shooter and will help space the floor, but he’s undersized, unexceptional athletically, and lacks true point-guard skills. Bona is strictly a rim-runner offensively, but his outstanding motor and great athletic tools should help him carve out a role as well. The specific value each player provides makes these selections useful for Philadelphia.

There may not be a team that can successfully utilize Dunn’s combination of All-NBA defensive potential with extremely poor offense. He’ll make life easier on defense for the Suns’ trio of stars, and their scoring prowess will take the pressure off Dunn. Still, as a complete non-shooter, he’ll ruin Phoenix’s spacing if he isn’t surrounded by four 3-point threats at all times. Ighodaro is also a non-shooter, which is a tad concerning.

Yes, the Blazers already have two true centers in Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III, but for a team that hasn’t finished in the the league’s top half in defensive rating in a decade, adding the draft’s best rim-protector is a smart choice. Clingan can’t do much with the ball in his hands offensively, but his screens and offensive rebounding will make life much easier for Portland’s talented guards.

Equipped with a massive wingspan, elite athletic testing numbers, and a Big East Player of the Year award, Carter was one of the highest risers throughout the draft process. After being a relatively ineffective offensive player in two college seasons, Carter broke out in a big way this year. The Kings have an offensive-minded backcourt, and Carter shouldn’t be a zero at that end of the floor in the NBA. He also immediately boosts the team’s on-ball defensive personnel.

In the Spurs’ well-documented search for Victor Wembanyama’s long-term starting point guard, they began Wednesday night by taking a swing on Castle. He didn’t play that position on a title-winning UConn team, but he worked out with squads intending to play that spot. His 3-point shooting is also a major question mark, and the Spurs will work at fixing that above all else. Nunez represents another stab at the point guard question, and Ingram could be a valuable role player if his 3-pointer is consistent.

If Walter is closer to the 41% 3-point shooter he was over Baylor’s first 13 games as a freshman, his combination of offensive skill, fluid athleticism, elite length, and defensive upside make him an excellent value pick for a Raptors squad building around offensive hub Scottie Barnes. If he’s closer to the 30% he shot the rest of the way, his fit becomes a bit unclear. Given his high school reputation as an elite shooter, the Raptors are gambling he’s the former level of sniper.

The Raptors began Thursday’s second round by taking a chance on Mogbo, an undersized forward who’s shown zero shooting ability. However, he’s a relatively blank canvas who came very late to basketball, and he projects as an excellent, versatile defender. Shead is a bulldog point guard who is exceptionally tough, but he’s small and doesn’t bring much offensively. Chomche, meanwhile, is the biggest project in the entire draft.

Williams showed flashes at Colorado but is a minor question mark as a young forward with elite size and physical tools. He shot over 40% from deep as a freshman on very few attempts. He probably doesn’t have the playmaking chops of his older brother Jalen, but if he can become more consistent offensively, he’ll have a long NBA career as a prototypical 3-and-D wing. A rebuilding Utah squad could have taken a bigger chance here.

With their second pick, the Jazz took a fantastic swing on Collier, ESPN’s No. 1 high school recruit entering the season. He remained extremely productive at USC despite turnover and shooting concerns. Collier should not have fallen as far as he did, and he should factor into Utah’s rotation as a rookie. Adding college star Filipowski was another strong selection of a prospect who dropped far below his expected draft spot.

Sarr was widely considered the No. 1 pick until late in the process and could have the draft’s highest ceiling; he has a massive frame and All-Defensive team potential. Simply put, his mobility at his size doesn’t come around often. He’s a blank canvas offensively, and his development on that end will determine his NBA success.

Carrington is an offensive dynamo who can play both the point and shooting guard spots. He’s rail-thin and isn’t great defensively, but as one of the youngest players in the draft, he can become a 15-plus point-per-game scorer in a few years. To cap off Wednesday’s action, the Wizards took a solid gamble on a young sharpshooter in George who could be a prototypical 3-and-D wing if he improves athletically.