2024 NBA Draft: ‘Uncertainty’ is the theme for first-round prospects, even at the top

NEW YORK – Twenty-four top NBA draft prospects filed into the second-floor ballroom of the Lotte New York Palace on Tuesday afternoon, all expecting to hear their names called in the first round of Wednesday night’s event.

7-foot-1 Alex Sarr, who last played for Perth of Australia’s NBL, declined Atlanta’s attempts to host him for a workout, but told Yahoo Sports he would if he was ultimately selected. Will not stop them from reporting to the Hawks. At No. 1 overall. “I’ll play for any team that drafts me,” Sarr said Tuesday. “For me, the most important thing is that if a team is willing to take a chance on you, you just have to go out there and work hard. There is no such thing as being picky or not wanting to go anywhere.”

Washington, the No. 2 pick, has been labeled by league personnel as the preferred destination of Sarr’s camp, as the Wizards are in the early stages of a lengthy rebuild without a clear franchise cornerstone. “It’s a great organization,” Sarr said. “They’re a young team, and I think they’re going in a great direction.”

UConn center Donovan Clingan appears destined to be the next big man off the board, if not the top pick for Atlanta. Clingan worked out for the Hawks and told reporters he sees the potential for strong pick-and-roll chemistry with Atlanta’s guards. Of course, the Hawks are expected to engage rival teams on trade scenarios for both Trae Young and Dejounte Murray throughout this offseason. League sources told Yahoo Sports that the Lakers, Pelicans and Spurs are three spots that would be appealing to Young, and teams in the lottery are not ruling out the possibility that the Spurs could move into the top spot, which could open the door for them. Is. Atlanta is likely selecting Clingan at No. 4.

Sources said the Spurs currently have a fourth selection in addition to the No. 8 pick, and San Antonio was able to book Clingan in for a Zoom meeting this past weekend. While both Portland and Memphis are known to be interested in a trade and acquisition of Clingon, according to league personnel, there is no shortage of NBA figures who believe San Antonio’s late interest in Clingon is better than any other front office. There may be a ploy with the goal of luring in. Go up and get off at UConn Center. The Spurs originally focused on pinning Victor Wembanyama next to a strong shooting center like Jack Collins, and Klingon, for all his strengths on defense, isn’t exactly a proven commodity from distance.

But after his interview with Spurs, Clingan appeared keen on the option. “It was nice to be able to get to know (San Antonio) more and show them who I am as a person and have them know a little bit more about me,” Clingan said. “And I think mine and Wemby’s connection is something that could really work. “I’m just excited for tomorrow night.”

A general sense of uncertainty regarding Wednesday night’s order was evident throughout all three sessions, which scattered eight possibilities around the ballroom. With no definitive top prospects, NBA teams are preparing for all kinds of instability and movement up and down the draft board, while players have expressed the same sentiment. “I don’t know where I’m going to go,” Colorado forward Cody Williams said. “There’s going to be a lot of trades.” Williams said he worked out for every team that selected him in the top 10. G League Ignite product Ron Holland agreed. “There is a lot of uncertainty,” said Holland, who has worked for Atlanta, Charlotte, Portland, San Antonio, Chicago, Miami, Sacramento and Oklahoma City.

Providence guard Devin Carter has been highly touted as a potential No. 8 pick for San Antonio. Carter smiled as he imagined throwing the ball at a “big target” like Wembanyama. Carter has been one of the biggest up-and-comers in this class. He worked for Memphis – where his father, former NBA player Anthony Carter, is an assistant coach – Utah, Chicago, Miami and the Lakers in addition to San Antonio.

6-foot-7 Serbian point guard Nikola Topic is also among rival officials being considered for the Spurs. Topic said Wednesday that he visited San Antonio, Utah, Portland, Memphis and Houston while nursing a partially torn ACL. When asked about his expected draft range, Topic also expressed uncertainty. “I hope by 15,” Topic said, smiling. “I hope by 20.” League figures don’t expect him to drop that low and have pinned Topic as a potential backstop to Orlando at No. 18, as the Magic signed Topic last season with Topic’s father, Milenko Topic, a former Serbian head coach. , was appointed to the team’s front office. , according to league sources. “He really didn’t like the coaching,” the point guard confirmed to Yahoo Sports on Wednesday. “He is really enjoying this scouting job, traveling and seeing players.”

Oklahoma City currently has the No. 12 pick in this draft with a future first-round pick to potentially move up. One name that has been mentioned repeatedly for the Thunder thanks to OKC is Pittsburgh guard Bub Carrington. Carrington quickly rose up the scouting board with dynamic play as a freshman for the Panthers. He even admitted that getting invited to the green room, let alone being included in this draft, is quite an unexpected leap. “The plan was to stay at Pitt for two, three years,” Carrington said. In addition to OKC, Carrington revealed he worked out to San Antonio, Utah, Orlando, and Miami.

Baylor freshman center Yves Missy is another young player poised to be selected in the top 20. Missy has been linked to the Lakers in recent days, and he told Yahoo Sports that Los Angeles was one of his first workouts. “They’re looking for a big man who can play sometimes with AD and sometimes play without AD as a backup,” Missy said. The Baylor product also mentioned Philadelphia as another possible landing spot.

Indiana sophomore Kell Ware is right in the mix with Missy among the second-tier bigs behind Sarr and Clingon. Ware confirmed Tuesday that his pre-draft process included workouts with 16 different teams. He continues to be mentioned by league personnel as the No. 19 pick for Toronto.

Finding a home for USC guard Isaiah Collier, the former top-ranked high school prospect in this class, has been a little more challenging than most green room invitations. To his credit, Collier was relaxed on his stage, optimistic and hopeful for what might unfold on Wednesday night.

“I still think I’m the best player in the draft,” Collier said. “I know what I’m capable of.” Collier listed Chicago, San Antonio and Miami as three possible destinations.

Draft notes from across the league

• Cleveland, selected at No. 20, is getting a lot of inbound calls from teams about moving up at the end of the first round, according to league sources. From Houston picking No. 3 to Philadelphia picking No. 16 and below, many teams seem willing to wait for the best and final offers to be made for their picks before moving forward on any trade scenario.

• As the Bucks anticipate the trade market for Brook Lopez, they have left rival teams with the impression that the No. 23 spot could be focused on a potential long-term replacement at center. Sources said Milwaukee attempted to bring in Dayton big man Darron Holmes II for a workout. According to league sources, Holmes declined the invitation, but not because of a widely whispered promise to pick No. 28 with Denver. While Holmes really took off his workout schedule — leading teams to suspect a promise somewhere near the end of the first round — and Holmes certainly could be an option for the Nuggets at that spot, There is no guarantee Denver will select him, sources said. Holmes has garnered interest from enough teams to earn a green-room invitation. He has also been linked to Sacramento by league personnel.

• If Memphis ultimately decides to trade down from No. 9, Miami at No. 15 has been viewed as a potential move-up team as cited by NBA statistics.

• As talk continues that Dallas is courting multiple teams in deals that could remove Tim Hardaway Jr. from the points league personnel, he believes the Mavericks have a deal on the table – but a deal that Will still bring back salary. Dallas needs to unload Hardaway’s $16.2 million for the 2024-25 season in order to pay standout wing Derrick Jones Jr. above the $5.2 million taxpayer mid-level exception. Should Dallas make a drastic move and not reach a deal with Jones upon returning after his starting role in the NBA Finals, Pelicans wing Najee Marshall is expected to draw interest from the Mavericks and Pistons, sources said.

• There remains discussion among team executives about Sacramento’s efforts to trade for veteran help with the No. 13 pick and some combination of Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes, but there is no sign of any interest in the Pelicans regarding the Hawks All-Star guard. There are no credible rumors about a big deal yet. All-Star swingman Brandon Ingram, or any other player of that magnitude.