5 Post-Lottery Fits I Like
Teams outside the lottery often look to contend, and hitting on late picks is a great way to do that. Here are 5 fits I like for teams in the 15-30 range.
It is very hard to extend a contention window in the NBA. Even the Warriors dynasty took two years off of missing the playoffs entirely before they would once again win a title. For a team to have a long title window they have to handle asset management well, and one of the more obvious ways to do that is to hit on quality role players late in the 1st round, so you have cost-controlled players to extend your window. Let’s jump into the fits.
Miami Heat: Devin Carter
Right now I have some real questions if Carter will even make it out of the lottery. I have him 10th on my personal board, but I could see a world in which Carter makes it to pick 15. If that happens, I would expect Pat Riley to rush his ass to the podium as fast as he can, as Devin Carter might be the most Miami Heat player to ever exist. Not only was his father, Anthony Carter, a player development coach for six years under Erik Spoelstra, but he was also a player under Pat Riley in the early 2000s. Devin embodies everything about “Heat Culture.” His motor never stops, he’s a tough defender at the point of attack, he tends to rely on craft and intelligence on both ends, he cares about winning, he isn’t afraid of the moment, and he is even a top rebounder in the class despite standing at 6’3'“, averaging a staggering 8.7 rebounds per game. He would slot in perfectly next to either Tyler Herro or Terry Rozier, and allow whichever one of the two that isn’t starting to become one of the best sixth men in basketball. His defense in ball screens with Bam Adebayo would be very exciting, and would likely make Miami a contender for best defense in basketball. If Carter is there at 15, I don’t expect him to make it any further.
Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Filipowksi
Kyle Filipowski, or “Flip” was a former top 5 recruit who can slot in at either the 4 or the 5, as well as spacing the floor, having shot 35% from three this past season. This makes him a perfect fit for the Lakers, who got shakey big man play outside of Anthony Davis this past season, and slotting in Flip, who can simultaneously play the 4 next to Davis, or take backup minutes as a pick-and-roll partner with LeBron James and Austin Reaves, is something that just seems too obvious for the purple and gold. Flip would be ready to play from day one, and his ability to dribble-pass-shoot at 6’11” isn’t a common skill, and would allow the Lakers to run more sets than they would with a more limited screen and roll big. He also tends to slide pretty well on the perimeter, he likely won’t end up being some Swiss army knife defender, but he will allow Anthony Davis to still guard a non-shooter to play as a roamer. Flip could also go before the Lakers, with 12 to OKC seeming like a good fit as well, but he would be a great acquisition for the Lakeshow, who look to capitalize on the last years of LeBron’s career.
Toronto Raptors: Ajay Mitchell
The Raptors currently lack an identity in the Scottie Barnes era and were a bottom 6 team in both offense and defense last season. Taking Ajay Mitchell, an older guard and floor raiser who will be ready to play from day one with upside, could be the right move to propel them closer to contention. Barnes is a complicated player to build around, needing shooting around him to maximize his potential as a point-forward, and Mitchell provides that, as well as giving the Raptors a secondary ball handler when Immanuel Quickley goes to the bench. Mitchell slots in perfectly next to that duo, providing a triad of offensive creators who can also defend, with Mitchell being the worst of the three on the defensive end, but also being able to hold his own on that end. The only issue with this fit is that pick 19 might be a bit early for Mitchell for some, but he is currently number 24 on my board, in a tier that goes from pick 19 to pick 33. The Raptors could go best player available, but for the fit, the Belgian Santa Barbara product stands out among the rest.
Denver Nuggets: DaRon Holmes II
The Nuggets are a team in an interesting spot after their attempt at back-to-back championships failed, and they look to reload their depth with the 28th selection in this year’s draft. DaRon Holmes has allegedly received a promise in this draft and while it has been speculated to be plenty of teams, from OKC at 12 to Phoenix at 22, this could conceivably be the Nuggets at 28. Since Calvin Booth took over as general manager in 2020, they have tended to take older, ready-to-play players, with Christian Braun and Julian Strawther standing out, and even Bones Hyland who was seen as an upside swing being a 2 year college player. Holmes seems to fit perfectly for the Denver side, as his ability to shoot the ball at a solid level, as well as slide his feet on the perimeter can allow him to play alongside Nikola Jokic as a bigger 4. The big thing I think Holmes unlocks for Denver is Peyton Watson. Watson was one of the best help defenders in basketball last season in his limited minutes, but he still struggles as a floor spacer, meaning he struggled to play with Aaron Gordon while the latter manned the 5 with Jokic off the floor. Slotting Holmes into the rotation as a floor spacer can help Watson continue to see minutes and help the Denver defense with Jokic off the floor, as well as masking some of the defensive concerns with Holmes.
Boston Celtics: Cam Christie
It seems that Boston is likely on the cusp of their 18th title in franchise history tonight, and the roster doesn't exactly have a lot of holes to fill, seeing that the only meaningful rotation player they don’t have under contract in 2025 is Xavier Tillman, who won’t be super difficult to replace with all due respect to Tillman. That means if I am the Boston front office I am looking for a player for 2026 and beyond, potentially to replace Sam Hauser, who only has one more year under contract, and has been a key floor spacer who teams outright cannot help off of. Christie makes sense for Boston for this reason, as he was a lights-out shooter for Minnesota as a freshman, having finished the year 20th among freshmen in the country who played at least 55% of their team’s total minutes in three-point percentage. The big indicator for Christie is he finished the year shooting 42%, 43% off the catch, 42% off the dribble, and 41% from NBA range. He is comfortable using ball screens to attack off of one or two dribbles, as well as having the rare ability to square his hips in the air. Christie is at minimum a floor spacer for Boston, with the upside as a creator and defender as his frame fills out, which is what will limit him from playing as a rookie.