Jalen Brunson. Nikola Jokic. Draymond Green.
Every year, quality players — and a few stars — fall into the second round of the NBA Draft. Last season, 52 players drafted in the second round touched the court in an NBA game. There are quality players to be found, there are steals to be made.
Who were the steals of the 2024 NBA Draft’s second round? Here are my four favorites.
Johnny Furphy to Indiana (No. 35)
He was a rising star at Kansas (and is rumored to have turned down big NIL money to stay in Lawrence), but he chose to enter the draft at age 19. He comes with NBA size (6-9) and athleticism plus a 3-point shot (35.4% last season) — surprisingly, he fell to the second round.
Absolute STEAL @Pacers #RockChalk x #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/06ug6ZGVlP
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) June 27, 2024
He doesn’t create a lot of shots for himself yet — again, he’s 19, he can grow into that — but he knows how to finish plays from the arc or at the rim. That sounds like the kind of guy who can thrive playing with Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell. This was a steal in the second round for the Pacers, just adding to the depth of a team that was in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Cam Christie to Los Angeles Clippers (No. 46)
There was a lot of buzz about the younger Christie — brother of Lakers’ wing Max Christie — having strong workouts with teams and moving up draft boards. Then he fell to the middle of the second round.
This is a steal because Christie is an 18-year-old who shot 39.1% from 3 last season and is rapidly improving. Yes, there are holes in his game right now — like any shooting inside the arc — and he’s got to get stronger and improve his defense, but he’s an 18-year-old sharpshooter. That is a good bet by the Clippers.
Adem Bona to Philadelphia (No. 41)
I’ll admit a bias here — I have a soft spot for high-energy big men off the bench. The Montrezl Harrell/Ronny Turiaf mold of player who just comes in and out-hustles everyone on the court, changing the vibe.
I think Philadelphia got one of those guys in Adem Bona, a guy who at 6’8” was one of the best interior defenders in this draft class, thanks to explosive athleticism and a 7’4” wingspan.
“𝙄𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚. I represent a lot of people. I represent two countries, and I know that back home, they’re very proud of me.”
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) June 27, 2024
𝘼𝙙𝙚𝙢 𝘽𝙤𝙣𝙖, speaking on ESPN after his @NBADraft selection (@sixers).
📺 footage via of ESPN pic.twitter.com/H09lsrjtqo
He’s not going to score a lot of points (at least at first), but for a team restructuring itself and looking for guys who can make an impact in a role, Bona is going to be a great fit and a steal.
Tyler Kolek to New York Knicks (No. 34)
As the rosters stand heading into free agency, the Knicks are projected as the second-best team in the East and a threat to the champion Celtics. They also are getting expensive, like second apron of the tax expensive, depending on free agency. The reality of the modern NBA is that older, expensive playoff teams need to find young players who can walk in the door and contribute while not hurting the balance sheet.
Enter Tyler Kolek.
The Marquette star is a first-round talent that fell to the second round. He’s one of the better shooters in the draft (40.4% from 3 last season), dished out 7.6 assists a game, and played the kind of high IQ game that Tom Thibodeau loves. Kolek is going to have to improve his defense to get Thibs to trust him, but this is the kind of smart pick that the best teams in the league make. And the Knicks are one of those teams now.
