2nd Round and UDFA Reactions
What were the most exciting picks of the second round, and which of these players can we most expect to become a member of an NBA rotation?
Pick 31 The Toronto Raptors: Jonathan Mogbo
Jonathan Mogbo to Tornoto was something that made sense, as he fits the Toronto archetype as a bigger piece with ballhandling skills, and Mogbo is also good friends with Scottie Barnes, so there is likely a good fit there.
Pick 32 The Utah Jazz: Kyle Filipowski
I mentioned last night Kyle Filipowksi dropping into the 2nd round was a shock, but his lack of length and the strange reporting about hs relationship with his parents and older girlfriend could have contributed to his drop, but him to Utah was something I expected. After they traded away Kelly Olynyk they needed another floor spacing big to fit Will Hardy’s perimeter-based system.
Pick 33 The Milwaukee Bucks: Tyler Smith
The Bucks front office continued to take players who Doc Rivers won’t have to worry about playing from day 1, who is notorious for not playing rookies and took on another project who has a go-to skill in his shooting. I was shocked this pick wasn’t Tyler Kolek, as the fit of his staying in Milwaukee and playing backup point guard under Doc, another former Marquette player, seemed too obvious. Besides the point, Smith is incredible value for the Bucks at 33, it is now up to the organization that has a poor draft record to develop Smith.
Pick 34: The New York Knicks: Tyler Kolek
The New York Knicks traded up to pick 34, and went with Tyler Kolek at pick 34 a point guard who can immediately come in and play from them. I mocked this in the 1st round for the New York, and being able to get the value they got last night in Pacome Dadiet, along with trading their other 1st round pick, while also getting the guy they want in Kolek is a steal for them.
Pick 35: The Indiana Pacers: Johnny Furphy
Furphy is the last of the green room invites to be selected after the Pacers moved up, and he’s a high athlete wing who can run and space the floor, but offers little on defense and as a creator. Next to Tyrese Haliburton, he won’t have to worry about the creation, and he has to improve his defensive technique, as he offers a lot of effort.
Pick 36: The San Antonio Spurs: Juan Nunez
The Spurs continue their long tradition of selecting European prospects in the 2nd round. Nunez is one of the best passers in this class, both in assists and just being able to quickly move the ball. His issue is he lacks the ability to shoot, along with being probably the worst athlete in this class. He also signed a contract with Barcelona, so I expect him to stay overseas for at least two years.
Pick 37 The Detroit Pistons: Bobi Klintman
Klintman was selected by the Pistons with the 37th pick, and in classic Pistons fashion, his agent is Michael Tellum, whose father Arn works in the Pistons organization. Jokes aside about the Pistons org, this is a fantastic fit, and I love the idea of Cade Cunningham running the floor with Bobi getting him opportunities. He is the best cutter in this class who also spaces the floor well, but struggles to create in the halfcourt.
Pick 38 The OKC Thunder: Ajay Mitchell
Ajay Mitchell is the final 1st round grade off the board in this draft, and this is probably my favorite pick from a value and fit perspective of this entire 2nd round. He has awesome footwork inside the lane to decelerate both in isolation and inside ball screen. He also defends well on the ball but lacks timely rotations. His ability to play off the ball because of his ability to shoot, but can also operate as a scorer and passer at the NBA level.
Pick 39 Memphis Grizzlies: Jaylen Wells
Wells is an incredible shooter who the Grizzlies can add to space the floor immediately. He has an awesome-looking shot and is big at 6’7” as well, so he can shoot over defenders as well. Wells’ issue is he does not offer a lot as a creator or defender. He is incredibly skinny and struggles when he is bumped. He has a solid handle, the physicality is just a struggle for him. He doesn’t slide very well, and he struggles with his strength on the defensive end. His length is also not particularly good for someone at 6’7”. I like this fit for Memphis, as they need shooters to surround Ja Morant and Wells is most definitely that. I wrote about him more in this piece, but since I published this I did move Wells up on my board, higher than a two-way grade.
Pick 40 The Phoenix Suns: Oso Ighodaro
I love this fit for Phoenix. Ighodaro isn’t just a good passer for a big, Oso is just one of the best passers in this entire class. He can run all sorts of unorthodox actions with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and more, and I expect Ighodaro to be able to play right away because of his processing speed. He struggled with big “big man” jobs, particularly rebounding, but is versatile on the perimeter defensive. Ighodaro also returns home after his time at Marquette, as he is an Arizona native.
Pick 41: The Philadelphia 76ers: Adem Bona
The 76ers go with Adem Bona at pick 41, and the UCLA product gets to go to an empty roster, where he will likely be used as a backup big man. Bona is incredibly athletic and could be used in multiple different coverages, and getting a coach like Nick Nurse who has been known to blitz or play at the level a bit more than other coaches is huge for both Bona and Philly. Paul Reed, the 76er’s other backup center, also has a non-guaranteed contract, and this could allow them to free up more space.
Pick 42 The Charlotte Hornets: KJ Simpson
If you turned on a Hornets game late in the season you got the experience of Cody Martin running point, so I am excited to see Charlotte select KJ Simpson out of Colorado, as the undersized guard does a bit of everything. He turns the ball over a bit more than you would like and only has 1 year as a good shooter, but Simpson can play on the ball and run the show, particularly for a team of Charlotte’s caliber. He is a good point-of-attack defender as well, and I like this fit a lot. If Simpson was taller, he would likely be a 1st round selection.
Pick 43 The Atlanta Hawks: Nikola Djurisic
The Hawks moved up 1 spot to take Nikola Djurisic, an on-the-ball wing who is a creative passer and creator. I have shooting concerns about Djurisic, along with his ability to scale down his role among defensive concerns. This fit doesn’t make a ton of sense to me, and I don’t have any intel about his inclination to stay overseas as a stash, or to come over now, although Givony said he is likely to be stashed.
Pick 44 The Miami Heat: Pelle Larsson
Pen this pick in as another fit I love here in the 2nd. The Swede and Arizona product is a guard who can play on or off the ball. He is a great shooter off the ball, along with knowing how to move. He has some real athletic pop as well, but he doesn’t always utilize this. He shows some strong secondary playmaking and is a quick decision-maker, but he would also go missing in games often. The real swing skill was Arizona using Larsson as a passer in the short roll in inverted screens, and if any coach is going to use this ability it would be Eric Spolstra. I expect the Miami Heat to run a lot of actions for Larsson, and this could end up being a steal just due to the fit.
Pick 45 Toronto Raptors: Jamal Shead
With their 2nd selection in the 2nd round, the Toronto Raptors take Jamal Shead, who may be the current best perimeter defender in this class. His ceiling isn’t as high as someone like Ryan Dunn or even Devin Carter, but his current level of technique and effort is unreal. He can also operate as a backup point guard on the offensive end, and could potentially shoot it one day as well. The majority of his shots at Houston were self-created, and if he can get more catch-and-shoot opportunities that could benefit him. His biggest flaw is his size, but that is not an issue on defense. Him joining Davion Mitchell in the backcourt is incredibly exciting, and it might not be too difficult to win games due to the overall quality of the roster, but guards won’t be having fun nights in Toronto.
Pick 46 The Los Angeles Clippers: Cam Christie
Christie was my highest remaining player on the board, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was an organized fall for Christie. This is a great fit for Christie, as the Clippers lack low-end depth on their roster, and he can shoot from day one out of handoffs, in transition, in movement, or stagnant. His body is underdeveloped, and he struggles on the defense end right now. Reports are that Christie is very competitive, and if he can develop into a 3 and D wing when he improves on defense both physically and his processing he could offer a lot of value on the for the Clippers.
Pick 47 The New Orleans Pelicans: Antonio Reeves
After trading two future picks for pick 47 to the Magic the Pelicans selected Antonio Reaves, a quality shooter who can play on and off movement. He can transition well from off-ball onto the ball to get into the lane. Reeves doesn’t offer a lot as a passer and is also very small. To be honest, it looks like Reeves hasn’t touched a weight in his life, and he struggled to get to the rim, which severely limits his ability to play in the NBA, along with being a very poor defender.
Pick 48 The San Antonio Spurs: Harrison Ingram
Ingram is a do-it-all all wing who can disrupt on the defensive end. He improved his shooting at UNC, along with being reliable on defense. He knows how to be physical, along with knowing where to be, which translates to rebounds as well. He also used to be a PnR operator at Stanford but did not show a lot of that passing at UNC. He is a poor athlete and will struggle with bursty wings on defense. I am much lower on Ingram than most, and I would hope the Spurs get Ingram on a two-way contract.
Pick 49 The Indiana Pacers: Tristen Newton
Newton is a smart guard who can do a little bit of everything on the court while not having a superpower. He decelerates well when driving to the lane and had an acumen for drawing fouls. He was a solid shooter this year, and his form looks good. As a passer, he doesn’t have a lot of passing vocabulary and won’t make wow passes, but he often makes the right read. On defense, he can impact the game by having good length, but he has a slender frame and will likely get targeted by wings. I expect this to be a two-way contract.
Pick 50 The Indiana Pacers: Enrique Freeman
Akron’s Enrique Freeman was a regular student at Akron who walked onto the team and is now getting drafted. Freeman is a switchable, slender big who can slide on the defensive end, as well as having some athletic pop that helps with rebounding. He has real length and also shows some passing ability in the short roll. His scoring is all post-ups, and he is too skinny to be able to do this to most NBA players. He doesn’t offer anything as a straight-line driver and he often turned around and went back to the basket after his first step. He has some intrigue as a shooter. He shot 37% from 3, but it was only 54 attempts, 8 of which came against Creighton when he made 3. His form looked a lot different in his Combine tape than in games, so I don’t know if he has tweaked it a lot, so I just have no idea if he can shoot. The FT stuff has improved year by year, but it still just isn’t great.
Pick 51 The Dallas Mavericks: Melvin Ajinca
The Mavericks selected Ajinca who is a wing who can shoot the ball right now. He has some juice as a perimeter shot creator and has a little step back he likes to get to. It is good off the catch, and he has shown a bit of stuff as a movement shooter. Right now he has improve as a driver and defender. As a driver, he tends to drive without a plan and has a poor handle. On defense, he has to reign in some of the energy he shows. He flies around the court but it is often uncontrolled. He is likely a stash candidate, and I would love to see him stay at Saint Quentin, which will have an upcoming projected top 5 pick in the 2025 Draft.
Pick 52 Golden State Warriors: Quentin Post
Post is a quality shooter while being a true 7-footer. He sets nasty screens, and rolls to the rim well, so he can operate as a true pick and pop big. He also passes the ball a bit. he struggles with mobility on defense, and will just be out there in drop coverage. He will likely spend time in the G League on a two-way contract. I like this fit for the Warriors as a floor spacer for a team that has often struggled with its shooters outside of Steph in recent seasons.
Pick 53 The Memphis Grizzlies: Cam Spencer
Spencer is a total competitor who will be going to an organization that will love his energy. He is a great shooter who can do so off of movement, along with being a good ball mover. He competes on defense and has good hands, but he doesn’t have the athletic profile to be a good defender long-term.
Pick 54 The Boston Celtics: Anton Watson
Anton Watson is a tweener forward/big who has some defensive versatility. He is one of those “right place right time” guys who can make good passes, and cuts, and defends well purely off of his basketball IQ. Watson struggles to shoot, and if he can be a quality rotation player if he plays the 5 he could become an NBA player.
Pick 55 The Los Angeles Lakers: Bronny James
Bronny James is a project on both sides of the ball who can one day impact the game on defense in particular. He is a high-level athlete and is already very strong with good instincts, but he didn’t impact the game at a very high level at USC. As an offensive player, he can theoretically shoot but he didn’t put up good numbers at USC. His basketball IQ as a passer is high and you can tell he is LeBron’s kid, but he lacks the handle and separation to impact the game right now. He is likely many years away from impacting the game in the NBA.
Pick 56 The New York Knicks: Kevin McCullar
McCullar is an athletic wing who finds his skills best utilized on the defensive end. He has a long list of injuries that limits his draft stock and has also been a questionable shooter. He played with the ball in his hands a lot over the past 2 years, and he has to scale back his role as an NBA player off the ball. I don’t like him as a driver, and he even tends to attack closeouts without a plan.
Pick 57 The Toronto Raptors: Ulrich Chomche
Chomche is one of the most fascinating prospects in this entire class. I loved him then I saw him play at Hoop Summit. Similarly to Bronny, he is many years away from impacting the NBA game. His tools are off the charts. He is a high-level athlete with some shooting versatility, but his processing ability just doesn’t look up to level. He looked lost at Hoop Summit against high schoolers, and he might be the famous “two years away from being two years away.” I will likely be tuning into Raptors G League games as the joy of watching someone so raw isn’t something we get to see too often.
Pick 58 The New York Knicks: Ariel Hukporti
With the final pick, the Knicks select Ariel Hukporti, a rim-running physical force. Hukporti’s entire game is at the basket. He has good size to play drop coverage and rebounds the hell out of the basketball. I am intrigued to see if Hukporti returns much more value than his selection, as the simplicity of his game can be very valuable if harnessed.
Undrafted Signees:
Immediately after the draft ended, the Nuggets signed PJ Hall and Trey Alexander to two-way contracts. Both of these guys were at the higher end of my two-way tier, so I wasn’t surprised for this news to drop. I like both these guys for Denver, as they continue to take chances on older college players who may be able to come in and contribute from day 1. Alexander in particular makes sense, as he is a combo guard who can shoot the ball well off the catch, along with having a nice mid-range game that could fit well with Jokic. PJ Hall reportedly had offers in the 2nd but chose Denver off of fit.
The Miami Heat also signed Keshad Johnson to a two-way contract out of Arizona right after the draft, and Johnson, a defensively-minded wing who can buy in immediately to multiple schemes is exactly the kind of player who can fit with Miami. Johnson is also a shaky shooter and has limits as a creator. He could end up going down the long line of Miami undrafted free agents who contribute in time.
The third undrafted domino to drop was Justin Edwards of Kentucky signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way. Edwards was originally a top recruit who struggled at Kentucky, and his upside as an athletic 3 and D wing could be high. I am not shocked he was one of the first to sign, and I was more surprised he wasn’t selected.
The King then signed Isaiah Crawford out of Lousiana Tech to a two-way contract. Like most UDFAs Crawford is a quality defender with shooting questions, but he went undrafted as he has torn his ACL multiple times, which is also why I had a two-way grade on him. If it wasn’t for this injury history, I would likely have had Crawford in my 40s. For the Kings to grab a defender who could shoot is big, as they lack defense but their unique offensive system requires shooters alongside Sabonis. The Kings also obtained the services of Washington State big Isaac Jones. Jones is a tweener big man who struggled to rotate well on the defense end. As a roll man, he has good hands and has a strong face-up game in the mid-post. He is effectively a non-shooter, so I think the Kings hope he can learn the 5.
Oregon big man N’Faly Dante signed a two-way with the Houston Rockets. Dante is a physical force with a massive frame. He was one of the best lob catchers in the nation and he rolls to the rim very hard. He blocks shots well and is overall very good at paint deterrence. His hand placement in the pick and roll was also very good. Dante could potentially step in and be a rim runner for Houston, and coach Ime Udoka will undoubtedly like his physicality.
The Los Angeles Lakers signed Frenchman Armel Traore out of Blois. Traore is an athletic wing with defensive instincts. He often rotated well on the defensive end, but he occasionally gets too aggressive and can get in foul trouble. On offense, he uses his athleticism to get out in transition, and he is an above-the-rim finisher. He is pretty strong and contact doesn’t bother him. His jump shot is very boxy and isn’t reliable right now, and his handle doesn’t look like he will ever be a creator in the NBA. If the Lakers can fit his jump shot, I wouldn’t be shocked if he provides value, as finding an athlete like him in the UDFA market is not common. The Lakers also signed Blake Hinson out of Pitt. Blake Hinson is a sharpshooter who missed two seasons of college basketball with undisclosed medical issues. He stands at 6’7” and provides real shooting gravity as he can shoot from very long range and can shoot off of movement, but he offers little as a defender and passer.
The Suns added Jalen Bridges from Baylon on a two-way. Bridges is a knockdown shooter with length. He can defend on or off the ball and has some real ability to block shots on the weak side. He struggled to put the ball on the floor in his college career, but Phoenix already has a bevy of offensive creators.
The Golden State Warriors signed Reece Beekman as an UDFA, and Beekman is a defensively-minded point guard who can come in and defend at the point of attack. He struggles to play without the ball in his hands as he doesn't space the floor right now. He is also undersized and struggled to finish at the rim.
The Detroit Pistons signed St. John’s Daniss Jenkins. Jenkins is a stocky point guard who finds most of his contribution on the defensive end. He has good screen navigation and footwork. On offense, he doesn't do anything spectacular but keeps care of the ball and knows how to play within the flow on an offense. He is considered a high-character guy and had the buy-in of coach Rick Pitino to be the leader of St. John’s this past year
In more UDFA fun the Clippers signed Trentyn Flowers, who was the only player I had a guaranteed contract grade on to go undrafted. This didn’t surprise me as I am higher on Flowers than consensus, as I believe he has the athleticism to get inside the lane in the NBA and has to improve his handle. Flowers could ultimately end up being a non-contributor from the wing. He attacks the lane with no plan and can’t pass off the dribble. I like this swing for the Clippers, as they often rim pressure outside of their stars.
Wrap Up
Alright! That was a long 24 hours, as at the time of publishing this those are all the UDFAs. I should have a string of articles coming out in the next week where I grade each team’s total haul in the draft and UDFA market, so be on the lookout for that. Other than that, I will probably have Summer League film breakdown, along with upcoming 2025 content.