Foreign Players are Here to Stay
Zaccharie Risacher was drafted number one overall by the Atlanta Hawks and now back to back French players have been drafted with the first overall pick, joining Victor Wembanyama. This is yet another sign of the globalization of basketball and the wealth of talent in other countries. The world is continuing to catch up to the USA, and we already see it with many of the league's biggest stars having been born abroad including Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetekounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and many others. This draft is just another example of how close other countries are getting to the USA in terms of young basketball talent. The first two picks and 3 of the top 6 were French players in Risacher, Alexandre Sarr, and Tidjane Salaun. It seems very fitting that this summer is an Olympic year, and we will be able to see just how close other countries are to the USA. While the United States will still be the betting favorites, other countries are catching up sooner than many of us would like to admit.
Teams Weren’t High on this Year’s Class
It’s no secret that this year's class lacked star power and was generally seen as a weaker class from years past or next year’s star studded class, but it was still interesting to see how different organizations decided to value this year’s picks compared to future picks. No trade highlighted this more than the Spurs and Timberwolves trade that sent the number 8 overall pick, which became Rob Dillingham, to Minnesota for a 2031 unprotected 1st round pick and a top 1 protected 2032 pick swap. Trading a top ten pick for 7th and 8th graders would seem insane in pretty much any other year, but considering how lackluster the league saw many of these players, it could be seen as a win-win. Dillingham is going to be a ton of fun in Minnesota, and a player that I see as a Monta Ellis type bucket getter, but i’m much more intrigued in San Antonio’s decision to prioritize draft picks six and seven years into the future over players in this class. They’re also betting on the Timberwolves to fall apart by then, which is a surprise considering Anthony Edwards is one of the leagues best players and just 22 years old. The Timberwolves show that some teams did like this class much more than the Spurs did, and because of it got a dynamic scoring guard who should slide into Mike Conley’s starting role once he retires. Most teams, however, seemed to value future picks more than 2024 picks in trades. Luckily for them, the 2025 draft class that I’ll be previewing next week projects as one of the best in recent memory with potential superstars Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper at Rutgers and Cooper Flagg at Duke.
The Lakers Got a Steal in Dalton Knecht
Bronny James has dominated the headlines for the Lakers draft, understandably so, considering how special it’s going to be to see a father and son duo out on the floor together, but Dalton Knecht deserves more recognition. Knecht is going to make a major difference for the team this season and in my opinion was one of the biggest steals in the draft, possibly the biggest. He’s a lights out shooter, shooting almost 40% from three last season, with solid size as a wing at 6’ 6'' with a 6’ 9” wingspan. The Lakers major problem in the playoffs was their lack of three point shooting, as LeBron James was the best three point shooter in their first round loss vs the Nuggets, so Knecht is exactly what the Lakers needed. Bringing in JJ Redick as head coach who was one of the elite shooters in the league and now a player who can play a similar role that Redick did in the league makes too much sense. Having him fall from a likely top ten pick to 17 was a major surprise. Reports are that his fall was due to being 23 years old already, but with the Lakers only having a few years left of LeBron’s career to compete, that makes his age and being ready to contribute right away a plus for Los Angeles. Also, the nickname Knecht 4 is easily the best in the draft.
My Favorite Picks
While this class seems to lack the star power of other draft classes, there were still many quality players. My favorites were Alex Sarr to the Wizards, Stephon Castle to Spurs, Rob Dillingham to the Timberwolves, Nikola Topic to the Thunder, Knecht to the Lakers, and Kyle Filipowski to the Jazz. We won't go over Dillingham and Knecht again, but I'll provide a brief overview of why I liked the rest of these picks.
Alexandre Sarr to the Washington Wizards
The best player in the draft was Sarr in my opinion, and he is a great start to their rebuilding core. Sarr has great defensive versatility and if his shot continues to develop he’ll be an all star and the best player on the Wizards roster very quickly.
Stephon Castle to the San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs needed Castle and his great perimeter defense. His pairing with Wemby is going to be elite defensively, and if his jump shot becomes more consistent and extends to the three point range, their offensive pairing will also be perfect. I view him as a similar player to Marcus Smart, with higher offensive potential. The Spurs needed better guard play desperately and Castle fits like a glove.
Nikola Topic to the Oklahoma City Thunder
Nikola Topic to the Thunder is interesting because he would’ve easily been a top ten pick if not for his injury concerns. He suffered a partially torn ACL on May 27th, and there’s talk he might not be ready to play this season, but the Thunder have a top five roster in the league, and don’t need him right now. When he does get healthy, he’ll be a crafty pick and roll ball handler and a perfect fit with Chet Holmgren. He should be able to lead bench lineups, and once again the Thunder have a great player who fits well fall to them.
Kyle Filipowski to the Utah Jazz
I still don’t understand how Filipowski went in the second round, as I thought he should’ve been a top 20 pick, and possibly sneak into the lottery. Instead he went 32nd to the Jazz. The Jazz aren’t the most talented team, and there have been talks they might end up trading Lauri Markkanen this summer, so drafting a new big man with range seems like a good idea. Utah should be trying to get as much talent as possible right now, so drafting a falling Filipowski was a no brainer, but they still get props for doing it.
Photos by Julia Nikhinson (AP Photo), Brad Penner (USA Today Sports), and Los Angeles Lakers
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