"I'm picking a n**** that can come in and give me some hope": $4M worth former NBA player drops an honest take on Zach Edey ahead of 2024 NBA Draft

Zach Edey has been dominant through the first four games of the NCAA Tournament. The Purdue Boilermakers center is averaging 30.0 points, 16.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 65.6% from the field and 66.7% from the free-throw line.

There has been plenty of debate surrounding his draft status, within $4M worth former NBA player, Rashad McCants (via. Celebrity Net Worth), advocating strongly for his inclusion in the lottery picks of the 2024 NBA Draft.

Speaking on the Gil's Arena podcast, the former NBA player stated:

"If you got a draft pick, you got a draft pick for a reason. Y'all trash. If y'all got a lottery pick, you trash. It ain't even no question. I'm picking a n**** that can come in and give me some hope. Give me some hope. Give me something that didn't - like give me some kind of bright spot."

He continued:

"And think about it. What risk are you taking with Edey to say that I'm going to regret this pick? Who is around after him or before him that you're like, 'oh, we should have picked him instead of him?' Nobody."

Check out Rashad McCants' comments on Zach Edey below (starting at the 9:40 mark):

Edey, with a strong four-year college career and two consecutive first-team All-American titles, is a standout player. He was even named National College Player of the Year last season, possibly repeating the feat in 2024. Despite this, there have been questions about how his game will translate to the NBA. Nonetheless, in a lackluster draft class, teams might consider selecting the Boilermakers center early.

Colin Cowherd believes Zach Edey deserves NBA minutes

Zach Edey could become just the fourth player named a national college Player of the Year at least twice. While each of the first three was selected first overall, there have been talks that the Purdue Boilermakers center could fall out of the first round altogether. Colin Cowherd recently revealed that he believes Edey deserves NBA minutes, stating:

"After about an eight-year run of small ball when only the Warriors truly mastered it - Houston tried, a lot of people tried - now the league's pivoting back to size. The big guys are dominating and I'm watching Zach Edey and I'm thinking, isn't he worth 13 to 14 minutes a night somewhere? I know. People tell me it doesn't work. I'm not asking him to defend the wing."

Check out Colin Cowherd's comments on Zach Edey below:

Edey joined the Boilermakers as a three-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. He has averaged 17.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.2 steals and 1.7 blocks in just 24.6 minutes per game. He boasts 62.1% from the field and 70.7% from the free-throw line.