The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is over, but we’ll get another dose of draft season on Thursday when the second round begins at 4 p.m. ET. With several surprises in the first round, we’ll see what value drops on Day 2 and which team will potentially draft Bronny James.
As analysts continue to hand out their early draft grades, I will provide the fantasy basketball draft winners and losers and assess the impact of some trades that fell before or during the draft. Here we go!
Draft winners
France
France is becoming the new mecca for basketball prospects. This year’s top two picks 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 for the Charlotte Hornets and G Pacôme Dadiet going 25th for 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 inch closer to a full-scale teardown.
The Wizards of Washington
Trading Deni Avdija was a deal I didn’t expect, but it makes sense after seeing Washington’s corresponding moves. That play opened the door for Bilal Coulibaly. Coulibaly’s play in the offseason (Summer League or Paris Olympics) will likely dictate how high he is drafted in fantasy leagues ahead of next season. Still, a late-round pick is reasonable considering his stock potential and an expanded role on offense.
I imagine a similar opportunity for second overall pick Alex Sarr. He said he wanted to play in D.C. instead of Atlanta because he would have 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 advice department.
Back to the Avdija trade for a moment, when heading to Portland, the Wizards received acquisition candidate Malcolm Brogdon and a 2024 first-round pick. That selection was used on Carlton “Bub” Carrington, a 6-foot-1 guard. meter who can facilitate and score from any guard position – filling a need with no help in the backcourt other than Jordan Poole. To cap off their big night, they made a late-round trade with the Knicks to get Miami’s Kyshawn George, a 6-foot-2 Swiss Army knife who looks like a better version of Anthony Black.
Kyle Kuzma will likely be Washington’s next trade piece, and as soon as he’s off the books, the youth movement will be active and booming in the 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 slump. By 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, scoring over 21 points with five rebounds and 2.6 threes per contest in his senior season with the Vols. He shot 40% from three on over six attempts per game, and more importantly, he connected on 42% of his catch-and-shoot threes.
The Lakers needed a three-point threat on the perimeter and they found it. Knecht’s defense is a question mark at the next level, but he’ll likely get a spot in the rotation right away because he’ll be JJ Redick’s version of JJ Redick. He is undraftable in retooled formats, but can be a source of waivers from three during the season.
Devin Carter, G, Sacramento Kings
Carter is one of my favorite pre-draft players and is an excellent fit for a winning Sacramento Kings team. De’Aaron Fox is waiting to sign an extension to see what moves will be made in the offseason, and between the re-signing of Malik Monk and the signing of Carter, things are moving in the right direction. Carter is the son of former NBA veteran Anthony Carter, and although he is only 6-foot-1, his skill set reminds me of a more explosive version of De’Anthony Melton (ground) or Derrick White (ceiling).
He is a dog on defense and prides himself on being an exceptional on-ball defender with a talent 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. divided. Although he is an undersized combo guard, he is much more dynamic than Davion Mitchell and Kevin Huerter. He’s a player who could immediately reserve minutes for a Kings team that needed a two-way punch alongside Monk off the bench.
Yves Missi – C, New Orleans Pelicans
Missi replaces Jonas Valančiūnas as the Pelicans’ inside 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 than Valančiūnas. Missi has some Dereck Lively II traits in his ability to run the court, rebound and block shots at high speed. Larry Nance Jr. is the closest thing to a center currently on New Orleans’ roster, so there’s a lot of potential for a sleeper in retooled fantasy leagues if that happens.
Fun fact: Missi is only the sixth Cameroonian player to play in the NBA.
Draft losers
Zaccharie Risacher, F, Atlanta Hawks
If the Hawks stick with their current roster, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft won’t be fantasy relevant as a rookie, and that’s an L. A lot of pressure comes with being the No. 1 pick, so I hope the Hawks don’t take a hurry with things considering he is a 19 year old prospect. Additionally, there is a stalemate on the wing, with Bogdan Bogdanović and Jalen Johnson currently occupying the SF and PF spots.
His 3&D skill set could put him in the rotation, but I’m skeptical about how quickly he’ll get enough meaningful minutes for fantasy managers to see an ROI. He won’t be a failure, but it will take time to become one of the top offensive options.
The Blazers’ frontcourt
Blazers GM Joe Cronin’s post-draft communicator clearly stated that C Donovan Clingan was one of the highest-rated prospects on the Blazers’ draft board. Before delving into Cronin’s praise for Cligan, he emphasized that he was looking for competitors and would keep an open mind when trading veterans.
Joe Cronin on drafting Clingan with Ayton and Timelord already in position: “We’re building a competitive culture. We want guys to come in and earn their spots.” He says they are still in “talent acquisition mode” and were not as concerned about overlapping positions.
-Sean Highkin (@highkin) June 27, 2024
Regarding the seventh overall pick, Cligan, Cronin told the media that Portland’s scouting department signed 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 the choice obvious.
Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III are extension eligible and should be sweating it out now that Clingan is entering the fray as direct competition. His stock is falling, along with Jerami Grant, who will likely be traded this offseason with the Blazers bringing in forward Avdija.
Bronny James Bettors
In fact, there was considerable action on Bronny James to go first overall to the Hawks. He was number one in ticket count by BetMGM, taking 25% of bets for the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft – that’s amazing!
These people spent money 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 have yet to be swayed to draft Bronny. There is still more time to hear his name called on Thursday.
