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#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.
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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.
