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.
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.