There was a lot of wheeling and dealing being done in Round 1 of the 2024 NBA Draft. Some teams were aggressive looking to move up the board, finding trade partners willing to move down to save money.
Overall, there weren’t too many surprising selections in the first round. But, as the case is every season, a few players slipped in the draft. That has led to there being some excellent talent available to teams in the second round.
Arguably the best player available on several analysts and scouts boards is Johnny Furphy out of Kansas. Some projections had him as a top-10 player in this draft, as he seemed likely to be picked in the somewhere in the mid-teens.
For a majority of the first round, his name was atop the best-available player list. For whatever reason, teams continued to pass on him, which presents a golden opportunity for the Toronto Raptors in Round 2.
Owners of the first pick in the second round, No. 31 overall, will likely field calls from teams interested in trading up to land Furphy. Another prospect from a blueblood school who remains on the board is Kyle Filipowski out of Duke.
Finding big men that can operate with success on the perimeter is not easy. Filipowski can, so seeing him drop out of the first round was surprising. He isn’t the perfect prospect, but no one really is that is mocked in the 20s of the first round.
Marquette guard Tyler Kolek is another player who likely won’t be waiting long to hear his name called in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Lacking elite measurables and explosiveness is likely what kept him from breaking into the later portion of the first round.
But, his elite offensive arsenal is something NBA teams can make use of. He can dominate in the pick-and-roll as a skilled passer and talented scorer. His 3-point shooting was strong as well, as he is a legitimate three-level scorer.
Of course, the player who everyone will be keeping an eye on in the second round is Bronny James. Will any NBA team take the leap and select him in the 2024 NBA Draft? It is the biggest storyline remaining as we head into the second night of the draft.
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