As analysts continue to hand out their early draft grades, let’s examine the fantasy basketball draft winners and losers and assess the impact of some trades that went down before or during the draft.
Before we go any further, I have to give my usual spiel about why I don’t like drafting rookies. It is not easy for most first-year players to come into the league and see minutes with a meaningful role to generate fantasy points.
Last season was extremely exceptional as Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have true star potential. This is not a class. So I have the best of this class presented as the best picks of late. There’s a lot of time between now and the 24-25 season but that’s unlikely to change.
Okay, off my soap box and onto the winners of the draft.
draft winner
France
France is becoming the new mecca for basketball prospects. This year’s first two picks were French, with F Jackery Resacher going first to the Atlanta Hawks and F/C Alex Sir going second to the Washington Wizards. Four Frenchmen were selected in the top 25 (a new record), with PF Tidjane Salaun from the Charlotte Hornets going 6th and G Pacom Dadiet going 25th from the New York Knicks.
Of the four Frenchmen selected on Wednesday, Sarr has the most potential to contribute immediately for fantasy managers as the Wizards approach a full-scale disintegration.
washington wizards
Trading Deni Avdija was a deal I didn’t see coming, but it makes sense after seeing Washington’s respective moves. That move cleared the way for Bilal Coulibaly. Koulibaly’s play in the offseason (Summer League or Paris Olympics) will likely determine how high he is drafted in fantasy leagues before next season. Still, given his stock potential and expanded role in the offense, the late selection is justified.
I envision a similar opportunity for Alex Sir, the second overall pick. 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 helps fantasy managers in the stock-and-board department.
Back to the Avdija trade for a moment: In going to Portland, the Wizards got buyout candidate Malcolm Brogdon and a 2024 first-round pick. That selection was used on Carlton “Bub” Carrington, a 6-foot-5-inch guard who can facilitate and score from any guard spot – without any backcourt help other than Jordan Poole. Can satisfy a need. To cap off his great night, he made a late swap with the Knicks to capture Miami’s Keyshawn George, a 6-foot-8 Swiss Army knife who looks like a better-shooting version of Anthony Black. of.
Kyle Kuzma will likely be the next trade piece for Washington, and once he’s off the books, a youth movement will begin in the Chocolate City.
Dalton Knecht, G/F, Los Angeles Lakers
The 23-year-old Tennessee alumnus was projected as a lottery pick, but his numbers may take a slight dip due to concerns about his age. As fate and circumstance would have it, Knecht was selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, making him one of the best players of the draft. Knecht was one of the most prolific scorers in the country, averaging over 21 points along with five boards and 2.6 threes per contest in his senior season with the Vols. He shot 40% from three on more than six attempts per game and, more importantly, connected on 42% of his catch-and-shoot threes.
The Lakers needed a 3-point threat on the perimeter, and they found it. There are question marks over Knecht’s defense at the next level, but he’ll likely carve out a spot in the rotation right away because he’ll be JJ Redick’s version of JJ Redick. He is not draftable in re-draft formats, but may be the source of waivers three times during the season.
Devin Carter, G, Sacramento Kings
Carter is one of my favorite players ahead of the draft and is a perfect fit for a winning Sacramento Kings team. De’Aaron Fox is waiting to sign an extension to see what moves are made in the offseason, and between re-signing Malik Monk and drafting Carter, things are moving in the right direction. . Carter is the son of former NBA great Anthony Carter, and while he’s only 6-foot-3 inches tall, his skill set reminds me of a more explosive version of De’Anthony Melton (floor) or Derrick White (ceiling).
He is a dog on defense and prides himself on the fact that he is an exceptional on-ball defender and has a knack 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 with 47/38/75 shooting splits. Although he is a small combo guard, he is far more dynamic than Davion Mitchell and Kevin Huerter. He’s a player who can get minutes right away for a Kings team that needs a two-way punch with Monk off the bench.
Yves Missy – C, New Orleans Pelicans
Messi replaced Jonas Valanciunas as the Pelicans’ interior rim protector and rebounder. Missy, a 7-foot-tall and former five-star prospect who left Baylor after his freshman year, is far more athletic and defensive-minded than Valanciunas. Missy has some Derek Lively II qualities in her ability to run the floor, rebound, and block shots at a high rate. Larry Nance Jr. is currently the closest thing to a center on the New Orleans roster, so if that happens he has some serious sleeper prospects in redraft fantasy leagues.
Fun facts: Missy is only the sixth player from Cameroon to play in the NBA.
draft losers
Jackery Rescher, F, Atlanta Hawks
If the Hawks stick with their current roster, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft won’t be fantasy-relevant as a rookie, and that’s an L. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with being the top pick, so I expect the Hawks to take their time with things, considering he’s a 19-year-old prospect. Additionally, there is stalemate on the wing with Bogdan Bogdanovic and Jalen Johnson currently occupying the SF and PF spots.
His 3&D skills could get him into 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 fail, but it will take time for him to become one of the primary offensive options.
blazers frontcourt
Blazers GM Joe Cronin’s post-draft presser clearly stated that C Donovan Clingan was one of the highly rated prospects on the Blazers’ draft board. Before going into Cronin’s praise for Klingon, he emphasized that he was looking for competitors and would keep an open mind when trading veterans.
Joe Cronin on drafting Klingons with Ayton and the Timelords: “We’re building a competitive culture. We want people to come in and earn their spot.” Says they’re still in “talent acquisition mode” and weren’t concerned about positional overlap.
– Shawn Highkin (@highkin) 27 June 2024
Regarding his seventh overall selection, Cronin told the media that Portland’s scouting department locked in on him after his first year. Seeing him improve so much in a year as an effective screener, roll-man and passer after already being a defensive monster doesn’t make the selection any easier.
Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III are extension eligible and should be breaking a sweat now that the Clingans are entering the field as direct competition. His stock is falling, along with Jerami Grant, who could be dealt this offseason with the Blazers bringing in dual forward Avdija.
bronnie james bookie
There was actually a lot of action taken on Bronny James for going to the Hawks in the first place. He was No. 1 in the ticket count, per BetMGM, taking 25% of bets for the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft — that’s wild!
They spent a lot of money because Bronny went undrafted in the first round. The 6-foot-2 combo guard had a strong combine, and despite Rich Paul’s best efforts, NBA teams still needed to impress in order to select Bronny. There is still time for his name to be called on Thursday.
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