5 huge surprises from the 2024 NBA draft

The dust has barely settled after the NBA concluded the first round of the 2024 draft. Zaccharie Risacher went No. 1 to the Atlanta Hawks, while the Washington Wizards grabbed Alex Sarr. Reed Sheppard will be playing alongside Jalen Green in Houston, giving the San Antonio Spurs the chance to pick Stephon Castle at No. 4.

The four slowly emerged in mock drafts as the first names likely to be called. Atlanta had been linked to Risacher and Sarr but ultimately went with the former after the latter refused to work out with them. Once they went 1-2 Sheppard and Castle seemed like who the doctor ordered for Houston and San Antonio, respectively.

It wasn’t until No. 5 that surprises made the NBA event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn even more entertaining.

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Unexpected moves in the 2024 NBA Draft

#5 Spurs trade Rob Dillingham to the Timberwolves

The San Antonio Spurs were expected to pick guards in the 2024 NBA Draft to complement Rookie of the Year winner Victor Wembanyama. Gregg Popovich’s group played much better in the second half of the season when they ended the Jeremy Sochan experiment at point guard. Once Tre Jones, a natural playmaker took over, the Spurs became a more cohesive unit.

San Antonio grabbing Stephon Castle wasn’t a big surprise. They may have gotten the best on-ball defender in the NBA draft who has the makings of a floor general.

Spurs fans on social media were overjoyed when they picked Rob Dillingham at No. 8. The Kentucky guard is arguably the most creative point guard in this year’s class with 44.4% shooting from deep. They already envisioned how San Antonio would look like with Dillingham and Wembanyama playing pick-and-roll.

The Spurs, however, decided to trade him for a 2031 unprotected first pick and a 2030 pick swap. The move by itself is a head-scratcher as “Wemby” needs all the help he can get. But, San Antonio may be planning another move, probably a trade for veteran help, making those picks valuable.

#4 Pistons draft Ron Holland II at No. 5

The Detroit Pistons badly need a player who can help spread the floor for Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. A shooter will also unclog the paint for Jalen Duren to work on the interior.

From a need perspective, most NBA mock drafts predicted the Pistons to get Matas Buzelis from the G League Ignite. Instead, they took Buzelis’ teammate Ron Holland II with the No. 5 pick.

The 6-foot-8 Holland is a 24% shooter from deep so Detroit must be convinced he can turn around that part of his game. If he develops into a decent shooter, the upside could be eye-popping. He has electric athleticism which he often maximizes with ferocious attacks above the rim.

Ron Holland II is only 18 years old so he has time to improve on his game. In the meantime, Detroit might use him in certain situations so as not to worsen their already inept shooting from deep.

#3 Charlotte Hornets pick Tidjane Salaun at No. 6

Last year, the Charlotte Hornets wanted to get a wing to pair with point guard LaMelo Ball. They picked former Alabama star Brandon Miller, who ended up with an impressive NBA rookie campaign. Miller isn’t just the team’s small forward of the future, he may have overtaken Ball as the franchise cornerstone.

The Hornets went the same route this year, only they picked somebody who wasn’t considered by scouts as a top 3 player at his position. With Zaccharie Risacher and Ron Holland II off the board, Charlotte could have gone with Matas Buzelis. They used their pick to get the third Frenchman in the top 6 by getting Tidjane Salaun.

Charlotte could have also gone a different direction by drafting Donovan Clingan. The two-time champ with UConn would be the team’s best big man if Charlotte wanted him.

Tidjane Salaun’s upside is tantalizing and Charlotte’s training staff will give him time to develop. It was a surprise the Hornets picked him when they had other options that seemed to be better fits for the team.

#2 Dalton Knecht sliding to No. 17 for the LA Lakers

Dalton Knecht was projected by most mock drafts to be a top 10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Instead, the SEC Player of the Year slid to the LA Lakers’ delighted arms at No. 17. JJ Redick’s tenure as coach of the Lakers couldn’t have gotten off to a better start than drafting Knecht.

Last year, the Lakers were ripped for passing up on Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Cam Whitmore for a player with more upside. They didn’t want to take that risk again by getting the 23-year-old former Tennessee star. He is probably the most NBA-ready among this year’s rookies.

Concerns about his age and defense were probably the biggest reasons he didn’t land in the top 10. The Lakers, though, value his shooting and size to help spread the floor for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Rob Pelinka was still in disbelief when Dalton Knecht was still on the board when LA’s opportunity came.

#1 The Milwaukee Bucks take AJ Johnson with the No. 23 pick

The Milwaukee Bucks’ core around Giannis Antetokounmpo is aging. They had the second-oldest roster in the NBA last season and need immediate help. Most analysts predicted that they would get a plug-and-play prospect who can bolster the second unit.

Instead, they went with AJ Johnson, who is still quite raw. He isn’t likely coming in to give the bench a boost, considering his performance last year with the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL. In one season with the Hawks, he averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 26 games.

The Bucks are probably hoping he becomes their next Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was also an unheralded player when they drafted him. Johnson has hardly seen action so it’s a big gamble for Milwaukee to bet on his upside.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to pick him might have been the biggest surprise in the 2024 NBA Draft.