That wraps up the first-ever two-day NBA Draft. If you’re looking for a recap of Round 1, we have the grades for every team as well as the best fits out of that round. Everything from Round 2 you can see by just scrolling down.
Thanks for hanging out with us in the afternoon for Round 2.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 58, New York Knicks select: Ariel Hukporti, 6'11" center, Germany (via Melbourne United in NBL). Likely a draft-and-stash player for the Knicks. Hukporti passes the eye test of being an NBA center and he showed off an old-school, rim-running game in Australia. He’s a strong rebounder who runs the break well. If he’s ever going to find his way to the NBA he’s going to have to develop a jump shot, and show some more lateral quickness, but not a bad gamble by New York at the end of the draft.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 57, Toronto Raptors select: Ulrich Chomche, power forward/center, Camaron, via NBA Academy Showcase (Africa). This is a bet on Chomche’s long-term upside because right now he’s so raw he’s probably not ready to play in the G-League, let alone contribute in the NBA. Chomche is a 6'10" big with a 7'4" wingspan who has potential as a shot blocker thanks to an impressive vertical leap. He’s shown some skill as a passer, and he’s shown flashes of a handle. He’s just incredibly raw and has to grow into both his skillset and a feel for the game. He’s still learning. This is a long-term play by the Raptors but a good roll of the dice this late in the draft.
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
Minnesota traded the No. 57 pick (which it just got from Memphis a handful of picks earlier) to the Toronto Raptors.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 56, New York Knicks select: Kevin McCullar, 6'7" wing, Kansas. McCullar was a fifth-year senior who, at age 23, could fall into the “older, solid player who can step in and help now” category in this draft. He can get the Knicks points (18.3 points a game) and is an improving playmaker (4.1 assists a night). The question is can he shoot well enough? He hit just 33.3% from 3 last season and at his age how much improvement can teams expect on that front? If he can shoot well enough there might be a place for him in the league.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 55, Los Angeles Lakers select: Bronny James, 6'1" guard, USC. The most talked about player in the draft by casual fans (and not so casual), he and his father both got what they wanted — Bronny James is in the NBA and playing for a glamour franchise with LeBron.
Been working a long time for this 💜 pic.twitter.com/CJAt1Hluhv
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 27, 2024
Bronny’s agent Rich Paul didn’t shy away from the fact that if Bronny’s father was anyone else he’d be back in college — he came off the bench for a team that didn’t make the tournament last season. But Bronny is playing the hand he is dealt, he got selected in the NBA draft, and we’ll see what he does with the opportunity.
The potential is there — he’s got legit NBA athleticism, has a good IQ and feel for the game, and already is a quality defender. The problems are he doesn’t have the handle to be a point guard yet, he doesn’t shoot well enough to be a two (26.7% from 3), and he doesn’t have a lot of touch on his shot. Bronny is a project who will take a couple of seasons to develop, but the Lakers have drafted him as expected (in part Paul scared off every other team by telling them Bronny would play in Australia if they drafted him, it wasn’t a bluff and it worked).
Sit back for a moment and think about being so good for so long in the NBA that you get to play with your son. That’s an amazing story and great for the James family.
Teammates. pic.twitter.com/PCvi59q3vc
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
No. 54, Boston Celtics select: Anton Watson, 6'8" power forward, Gonzaga. He was a fantastic defender for the Bulldogs and that should translate to the next level, although he’s a bit undersized as a rim protector. Watson’s offense relies on a feel for the game and a good touch in the paint, but if he is going to stick at the next level he is going to have to develop a consistent jump shot (he hit 41.2% from 3 last season but that is a bit of a mirage at less than two attempts a game. Could he earn a two-way contract with Boston?
--------------------------------------------------
No. 53, Memphis Grizzlies select: Cam Spencer, 6'3" guard/wing, UConn. One of the best trash talkers in the draft, which at least makes him fun. His selling point is he is a knockdown shooter — 44% from 3 last season for the Huskies — Spencer is very quick at pulling up off the bounce and knocking down the look. He’s got handles, a floater game, plays hard and smart. The concern is he has maxed out his physical abilities: He’s older at age 24, not tall, not long, and not a great athlete at the NBA level. He would be a defensive target. Memphis liked his shooting enough to see if he can overcome everything and contribute.
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
Minnesota traded the No. 53 pick to Memphis, with the Timberwolves moving back to No. 57 and getting some cash in the process.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 52, Oklahoma City Thunder select: Quinten Post, 7-foot center, Netherlands (via Boston College). This pick has been traded and ultimately landed with the Thunder, who make the call on Post.
Post is a sharp-shooting big man who hit 43.1% from 3 last season for the Eagles. He’s got skills beyond just shooting, he has touch in the lane with his shot, knows how to run dribble handoffs and the offense from the high post, and he he could defend the rim at the college level. The concern is whether he’s an NBA-level athlete who can hold his own — can he be an intimidating shot blocker in drop coverage? OKC loves five-out, floor spacing bigs, and the Thunder are going to give him a chance to prove he can fit with them.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 51, Dallas Mavericks select: Melvin Ajinca, 6'6" wing, France (Saint-Quentin). The Knicks made this pick but it is headed to Dallas as part of a previous trade.
This is likely a draft-and-stash case for the Mavericks. Ajinca has the potential to develop into a 3&D player who can also create his own shot, and he knocked down 35.7% of his 3s last season playing in a second-tier French league. He’s shown flashes of things teams like – isolation scoring when challenged, relocation along the arc, finishing at the rim — but he’s got to be more consistent. He’s just 20, there’s time, but he’s got developing to do.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 50, Indiana Pacers select: Enrique Freeman, 6'7" forward , Akron. A great story, a former walk-on — the coach saw him destroying everyone in a pickup game and told him to come out — who heard his name called at the NBA Draft. He did a little of everything for the Zips, scoring 18.6 points and grabbing 12.9 rebounds a game last season, he can operate in the post and even showed some touch from 3 last season. He’s got a 7'2" wingspan and crashes the boards hard. He’s not going to be a center in the NBA but if he can hit 3s consistently and become a stretch four he might stick. Can he adjust to playing a small role after being Mr. Everything in Akron?
--------------------------------------------------
No. 49, Indiana Pacers select: Tristen Newton, 6'3" guard, UConn. A two-time champion with the Huskies, he was a glue guy for those teams. He shot just 32.1% from 3 last season but was better off the catch-and-shoot (he still needs to be more consistent with his shot). He knows how to run an offense, he crashes the boards, but he’s going to have to show the Pacers he can hang athletically to get a spot on the roster (he might be a good two-way candidate, if he’s up for that at age 23).
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
Reggie Jackson just picked up his $5.4 million player option with the Nuggets, and now the team has agreed to trade the veteran point guard to Charlotte for three unprotected second round picks. The Hornets need depth at the point and Jackson fills that need.
This saves the Nuggets some money against the luxury tax (which they are deep into) as they try to re-sign KCP.
Denver is trading Reggie Jackson to Charlotte with three unprotected second-round picks, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
No. 48, San Antonio Spurs select: Harrison Ingram, 6'5" wing, North Carolina. He showed off some playmaking skills for the Tar Heels and shot 38.5% from 3 last season (a step forward for the 21-year-old from previous stops). That said, he’s not a great athlete at the NBA level which leads to questions about his ability to defend wings in the NBA, and his ability to create space for his own shot. Is he more of an undersized stretch four in the NBA? His shooting means he has a chance to stick as a role player but is that shot for real (career 62% free throw shooter)? Ingram will has to show Gregg Popovich and the Spurs that it is.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 47, New Orleans Pelicans select: Antonio Reeves, 6'5" wing, Kentucky. He is a knockdown 3-point shooter — 44.7% from 3 for the Wildcats last season — who can put the ball on the floor, get in the lane and has a fantastic floater game. The problem is there is not much on his resume aside shooting. If he’s going to stick with the Pelicans, Reeves has to show more defensively, plus have to become a better passer and play maker. Still, not a bad roll of the dice by New Orleans considering Reeves shooting and where we are in the draft.
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
Orlando has traded the No. 47 pick to New Orleans for two future second-round pick swaps in 2030 and 2031.
Orlando is trading No. 47 to New Orleans, sources say. https://t.co/9EpHPHoglF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
No. 46, Los Angeles Clippers select: Cam Christie, 6’5” guard/wing, Minnesota. The brother of the Lakers wing Max Christie, Cameron is a sharpshooter who hit 39.1% from 3 as a freshman, and showed he can score in a lot of ways — as long as he is out by the arc. Christie struggled to score inside the paint, something he has to improve going forward. He’s got to get stronger, both for his drives and on the defensive end (he’s a good defender for a college freshman but will get pushed around at the next level). He’s just 18, he’s a bit of a project, but the Clippers can’t go wrong taking a good shooter.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 45, Toronto Raptors select: Jamal Shead, 6-foot guard, Houston. This pick was traded earlier in the day and the Kings were picking for the Raptors.
Shead is one of the best, most disruptive defenders in the nation. He’s a vocal leader who is an old-school floor general on offense with impressive passing skills. He understands how to run a pick-and-roll. He’s undersized and not a great shooter (30.9% from 3 last season), but he’s got that something. He could be a Jose Alvarado type and stick around as a roll player, but he’s got to develop a consistent 3-pointer to make that work. Toronto needs point guard depth so Shead has a chance to stick.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 44, Miami Heat select: Pelle Larsson, 6'5" guard/wing, Sweden (via Arizona). He was a big part of the Wildcats strong regular season (let’s not talk about the tournament). Larsson is catch-and-shoot specialist who shot 39.7% from 3 during his college career, will pump-fake closeouts, put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. He is fairly athletic and hustles on the defensive end. He is not a high-end player at the next level but has solid role player written all over him, and at this point in the draft that’s a solid pickup for the Heat, who tend to hit on these kinds of picks.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 43, Atlanta Hawks select: Nikola Djurisic, 6'7" wing, Serbia. His stock rose when Nikola Topic was out for Mega Basket (Adriatic League) — that put the ball in Djurisic’s hands and he thrived. He has NBA size and good athleticism, is good off the pick-and-roll and showed real passing skills in addition to getting buckets. He likely spends another year or two overseas — he needs to improve his 3-point shot (30.5% last season) and his defense — but this is not a draft and stash player who never comes over. He’s just 20 and is going to be in the NBA at some point, Atlanta fans are just going to have to be patient.
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
Miami and Atlanta flip picks 43 and 44, with some cash involved for the Heat.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 42, Charlotte Hornets select: K.J. Simpson, 6-foot guard, Colorado. One of the most improved players in the NCAA last season, he’s an entertaining player to watch because he hits tough shots and seems to come through in the clutch. Does that translate to the NBA, especially for an undersized guard? He works well on and off the ball and he shot 43.4% from beyond the arc last season — if he can shoot like that at the next level for the Hornets his chances of making the roster and sticking go up significantly. He profiles as a backup guard and there may be a role for him in Charlotte.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 41, Philadelphia 76ers select: Adem Bona, 6'8" power forward/center, UCLA. He has the potential to be an energy big off the bench and play a role from opening night. Think of the impact of former Sixth Man of The Year Ronny Turiaf: out-hustles everyone, he may be slightly undersized but is explosively athletic guy who sets strong screens, rolls hard to the rim and can finish alley-oops. He was the Pac-12 (RIP) Defensive Player of the Year. Philly fans are going to love him and his hustle on both ends of the court. He plays at 100 MPH, but with the Bruins that led to foul trouble and turnovers that he has to clean up if he wants to see the court for Nick Nurse and the 76ers. Also, he has no shooting range and that includes from the free throw line.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 40, Phoenix Suns select: Oso Ighodaro, 6'10" center, Marquette. Ighodaro is probably the best passing big man in this draft — get him the ball at either elbow and he can find cutters, be there for dribble handoffs, or just show off his feel for the game. Ighodaro also is a solid defender who can switch out on the perimeter as needed. That said, he is not an impressive rim protector, not a great rebounder, and doesn’t space the floor on offense. He’s not a traditional big man, but we’ll see if he can find a spot on the Suns roster and if Mike Budenholzer can find a way to use him.
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
The No. 40 pick, which the Knicks just got from the Thunder (and is being taken on the board by the Trail Blazers but hasn’t been theirs for a while) is now going to the Phoenix Suns. The Knicks are getting picks 51 and 56 in this draft out of the deal.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 39, Memphis Grizzlies select: Jaylen Wells, 6'7" wing, Washington State. He has good positional size and shot 41.7% from 3 last season, which will catch a lot of teams’ eyes. He’s an elite spo-up shooter who could put the ball on the floor a little to create for himself. The question is simply can he defend well enough to stick on the court for the Grizzlies (a team that does need shooting). He has to get a little stronger and show more defensive grit, but if Memphis can bring that out of him they’ve got a role-playing shooter who could be with them a while.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 38, Oklahoma City Thunder select: Ajay Mitchell, 6'3" guard, UC Santa Barbara. The Belgian native helped his cause with how he played the point at the NBA Draft combine. Mitchell shot 39.3% from 3 last season for the Gauchos and if that is real — it was a big jump from previous seasons — he has a chance to stick. Mitchell is a crafty finisher around the rim, although the one time I saw him in person he used his strength to overpower smaller guards in the post, a move not often going to be available to him in the NBA. Not an elite athlete but has potential as a rotation guard who can be a second-unit floor general and knock down some 3s.
Mitchell landed in a great basketball spot for himself, a great development program, but going from parties in Isla Vista to OKC is going to be a culture shock.
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
The Knicks are trading the No. 38 pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for cash considerations and the No. 40 pick.
The Knicks are trading No. 38 to OKC, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
No. 37, Detroit Pistons select: Bobi Klintman, 6'9" wing/forward, Sweden. Klintman played one season at Wake Forest then left and played last season for Cairns in Australia’s NBL. Scouts were all over the place on him, some loved his size — he is a big wing — who can defend, play in transition, and his backers love the potential of his fluid athleticism. How much he improved last season playing against men in Australia depends on who you ask, but he’s got to get stronger. More importantly, his 3-point shot (33.7% last season) has to get better, as does his consistency overall. He has the potential to develop into a wing rotation player but he’s got a lot of work to do in the gym to get there.
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
The Timberwolves are trading the No. 37 pick to the Pistons
--------------------------------------------------
No. 36, San Antonio Spurs select: Juan Nunez, 6'3" point guard, Spain. A point guard with a real passing flare at a young age (20), he played with French prospect Pacome Dadiet for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany last season. He’s a real floor general with an old-man-at-the-Y game who uses a change of speed and his IQ to get to the rim and create passing angles. The concerns are his lack of a shot (31.9% from 3 last season, and he’s not great from the midrange) and a lack of athleticism that may make it difficult for him to transition to the NBA. That said, he’s gotten reps with the Spanish national team and playmakers are hard to find.
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
The Pacers and Spurs are swapping picks 35 and 36 for the old reliable “cash considerations” according to a report.
So the Pacers sent cash considerations to the Spurs to draft Johnny Furphy at No. 35, sources said. https://t.co/B1DfCuauoR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
No. 35, Indiana Pacers select: Johnny Furphy, 6’9” forward, Kansas. He’s on the younger end in this draft at 19, and has been a rising star. He’s a project at the NBA level, but he’s got the size and athleticism that can’t be taught, plus his shooting has improved (35.4% from 3). Spurs fans need to be patient, but he could develop into a quality NBA player, he has the tools.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 34, New York Knicks select: Tyler Kolek, 6'3" guard, Marquette. Portland is making the selection but this pick is part of a trade with New York and the Blazers are selecting for the Knicks (details of the trade are still rolling in).
A growing trend among contending NBA teams with expensive rosters — teams trying to navigate the new CBA and its aprons — is to draft older players who can step in and play a role right away on a rookie contract. Enter Kolek, who has turned himself into one of the best shooters in the draft (40.4% from 3 this season), plus is a great passer (7.6 assists a game) and a high IQ player. There is a role for him in the league as a shooter, but the question is does he have the foot speed, the athleticism to defend at the next level — Thibodeau isn’t playing him if he can’t defend. Still, good pick for New York.
The Knicks are sending the Blazers future second-round picks for Tyler Kolek at No. 34, per source.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
No. 33, Milwaukee Bucks select: Tyler Smith, 6'9" power forward/center, G-League Ignite. He’s got one of the prettiest jumpers of a big man in this draft, and he showed with the Ignite how he could be a threat as a pick-and-pop big. He also has the ability to set a good pick then roll to the rim, catch and dunk (although his touch in the paint needs work). Teams can see where he fits on offense as a role player, but his defense is a serious concern. He’s raw and needs to develop but he’s just 19 and could prove to be a fit for Bucks down the line.
--------------------------------------------------
No. 32, Utah Jazz select: Kyle Filipowski, 6'11" center, Duke. An absolute steal this late in the draft, Filipowski is a first-round talent who fell to them. He is a stretch big who averaged 17.1 points and shot 35% from 3 last season, which fits with the way the NBA game is evolving. He has shown some handle, moves his feet well on defense, and projects at the NBA level as a big off the bench who can give a team a solid 15+ minutes a night. If Filipowski can become even more dangerous threat from 3, he could be a great grab (think Kelly Olynyk).
He has a fan in Jayson Tatum.
Lot of teams gone regret passing up on Flip https://t.co/uS1E6caYtF
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
No. 31, Toronto Raptors select: Jonathan Mogbo, 6'6" power forward/center, San Francisco. Can he become a dynamic energy big man off the bench in the NBA? He has guard-like handles — he can grab a rebound, push it up the court and make a quality pass — and he’s strong on the boards. He has the potential to be a versatile defender. The problems are he is undersized for the role he would play at the next level, and he has no shot outside the restricted area. Mogbo is a project, but if he can develop a jumper then he might become a bench rotation player in the league.
--------------------------------------------------
Two notes on the Denver Nuggets that are not NBA draft related but still worth passing long.
First, as expected (and reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic), Denver’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is declining his $15.4 player option for next season. The Nuggets want to re-sign him but KCP can get a three- or four-year deal starting a little above $20 million a season and wants to lock that up. Caldwell-Pope will have options as other playoff teams will come calling.
Second (also reported by Charania), the Nuggets and point guard Jamal Murray are working toward a four-year, $209 million max extension. That deal makes sense for both sides.
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
This might be the biggest trade of the past two days (at least so far, and not counting the Bridges trade to New York, which wasn’t really a draft trade):
The Toronto Raptors are acquiring guards Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov, plus the 45th pick today, from the Raptors for wing Jalen McDaniels. Toronto picks up two quality guards (Mitchell has a lot of fans around the league, and Vezenkov was a standout in Europe who didn’t mesh with the Kings but is talented and might find a better comfort level in Toronto), plus a pick in this. Sacramento frees up a roster spot with this move, clearing the runway for a future deal
The deal gets the Kings under the luxury tax and opens a roster spot.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
The Warriors are acquiring guard Lindy Waters III from the Thunder in exchange for the No. 52 pick in this draft. Reports out of the Bay Area say Golden State plans to hold on to Waters as a deep bench player they can try to develop.
Oklahoma City is trading Lindy Waters III to Golden State for No. 52 pick, sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
The Atlanta Hawks are trading A.J. Griffin to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the No. 44 pick on Day 2 of the NBA draft. The Rockets add shooting — Griffin is a career 37% shooter from beyond the arc — and a player they like more than anyone they were going to pick up at 44. The Hawks save $3.9 million and get a pick for a player they can take a flier on.
ESPN Sources: The Atlanta Hawks are trading F AJ Griffin to the Houston Rockets for the 44th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. Griffin, 20, was a 2022 first-round pick out of Duke. pic.twitter.com/IhjHKnCxCd
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
WE HAVE A TRADE
It feels like there will be a lot of trades on Day 2 of the NBA draft. In what is largely a salary dump move for Minnesota, it is sending Wendell Moore Jr. and the No. 37 pick in this draft from the Timberwolves for the No. 53 pick. Moore is owed $2.5 million this season but will have a hard time sticking in Detroit unless he suddenly develops a 3-point shot.
Minnesota is trading Wendell Moore Jr. and the No. 37 pick in today's Day 2 of NBA draft to Detroit, sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2024
--------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the second day of the 2024 NBA Draft—and we do mean day. This round of the NBA draft was originally supposed to be an evening affair like Wednesday night’s first round, the NBA picked its date and locked it in. Then, the presidential debate was scheduled, forcing the league to rethink the time. So, we have a 4 p.m. Eastern start.
Everyone seems to be waiting for the news about Bronny James’s selection in the second round. The smart bet is near the end of the round, but we will see.
It can be hard to keep up with all the picks and trades on draft night, and that’s why we are here. This will be a life-changing night for the players selected and a franchise-changing night for some teams, even if we don’t know it right away.
This 2024 NBA Draft Tracker will have it all: breakdowns of every pick, every trade — complete with an analysis of how that player fits (or doesn’t) with his new surroundings. Stick with us and you won’t miss a thing.
If you want a recap of Round 1 click here, and we also have a list of the best players still available and a breakout of the teams that found the best fits for their roster in the first round.
