Following a historic draft lottery featuring jumps from the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers into the top four, NBA fans are slated for one of the more exciting drafts in recent memory. In addition to some exciting top-end talent, the lottery holds plenty of NBA-ready options for teams looking to take the next step.
There isn’t a team in the NBA that would pass on Cooper Flagg if given the opportunity. Dallas adds a two-way versatile wing with the ability to be the engine of their offense with his feel for the game. Flagg projects to be a franchise cornerstone for over a decade.
Despite circulating trade discussions and San Antonio’s crowded guard rotation, it’d be irresponsible to pass on the talent of Dylan Harper this high in the draft. Harper’s crafty downhill scoring, projectable defensive tools, and ability to play both guard positions allow him to coexist with De’Aaron Fox and ease his way into his NBA career.
Several questions can be raised about how Ace Bailey’s game will translate to the next level. It’s still possible that Philadelphia will bet on the talented forward’s upside with the third overall pick. While Bailey still may have a path to stardom in the NBA, his size and length give him the potential to be a high-level defender and role player with development in his decision-making and shot diet.
With VJ Edgecombe on the board at fourth overall, the Charlotte Hornets would have a hard time passing on his athleticism and two-way potential. The former Baylor wing has extreme explosiveness, and his high motor allows him to hound ball-handlers on the defensive end. Edgecombe has had success as a play-finisher at the college level and projects to be a true two-way threat if he develops his handling and shot-making abilities.
Following a 17-win season and poor lottery luck, the Utah Jazz ownership group has expressed a desire to compete at a higher level going forward. Despite having multiple avenues with this pick, Utah doesn’t overthink and adds shot-making specialist, Tre Johnson, to their guard room. Johnson gives the 24th-ranked offensive unit a scoring jolt immediately and offers potential as a pick-and-roll distributor.
Following the Washington Wizards’ selection of Alex Sarr the previous year, Washington solidifies their frontcourt by selecting Khaman Maluach. The Wizards add arguably the best player available, who possesses one of the highest upsides in the draft. Alex Sarr’s camp has expressed the desire to play him next to another big, and Maluach’s versatile skillset allows Sarr to do just that.
Looking to bounce back from an injury-riddled season, the New Orleans Pelicans select their second consecutive first-round big man. Derik Queen comes in as one of the more skilled centers in the draft, with the ability to play minutes next to both Yves Missi and Zion Williamson. While the three-point shot is a work in progress, the Pelicans may focus on developing that aspect of his game.
While there are many areas for improvement for Jeremiah Fears, the Brooklyn Nets land one of the highest upside guards in the class. The former Oklahoma star adds a much-needed lead guard to a rebuilding Nets roster, with the ability to get downhill as well as anyone in his class. While his outside shot-making, consistency finishing at the rim, and decision-making could use growth, Fears is an exciting project for Brooklyn to work with.
With the Toronto Raptors showing all signs of accelerating their rebuild, they selected one of the highest floors in this draft in Kon Knueppel. The sharpshooting wing is a seamless fit with Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and R.J. Barrett, with his ability to play without the basketball and knock down outside shots.
Following a massive success of a season, the Houston Rockets bolster their impressive defense with one of the best defensive bigs in the draft. Collin Murray-Bowles is a versatile defender with a knack for forcing turnovers and changing shots at the rim. He gives head coach Ime Udoka the option to both stagger his minutes with Alperen Şengün, as well as allow them to share the court as a tandem. While Murray-Bowles needs growth in multiple offensive areas, he can still immediately impact winning.
With their crowded guard and big rotations, the Portland Trailblazers round out their roster by adding a moldable wing in Carter Bryant. While his production won’t jump out at you, Bryant’s shot mechanics, size, and defensive potential point to him being an impactful role player in the future.
As Nikola Vucevic’s Chicago Bulls future continues to fade, the Bulls land a stretch four with the potential to play some small-ball five. Rasheer Fleming has shown the ability to be a great pick-and-pop threat, and his athleticism allows him to be an effective shot-blocker.
Following another disappointing Atlanta Hawks play-in exit, Jase Richardson provides much-needed offensive play next to Trae Young. Richardson’s shotmaking ability off the dribble will fill a large void in this Atlanta offense, and his potential as a distributor will be valuable down the line. Despite his lack of positional size, his defensive IQ can keep him on the floor against matchup-hunting offenses.
Despite missing the play-in tournament following key injuries, San Antonio’s competitive window is opening, allowing them to take one of the more immediately impactful players in the class. Nique Clifford’s offensive versatility allows him to play with and without the basketball, knock down shots at a respectable rate, and be a solid initiator/connector. Clifford projects to be an impactful off-ball defender as he was in college with his IQ and knack for forcing turnovers.
The NBA Draft Lottery projects to feature raw talent, as well as NBA-ready players for competitive teams. Due to a combination of good teams with bad teams’ picks, lottery teams with rising expectations, and lottery luck for competitive teams, many of these lottery picks are set up to impact winning immediately at the next level.
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