For San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies fans hoping their team can find a future star with their lottery draft pick in June, one NBA general manager has a few words of warning for them: “This is an absolutely awful draft.”
Targeting stars in NBA free agency or on the trade market is the easiest way to improve a roster during the offseason, however, the best way to find a player who can be a long-term face for a franchise, and at a cap-friendly rate, is the NBA Draft.
Organizations near the top of this year’s event will be hoping they are the lucky club that lands the next Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Brandon Miller. All of those players are in the running for Rookie of the Year this season and have the early look of future All-Stars — especially Wembanyama.
- NBA Draft lottery date: May 12
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Unfortunately for the teams near the top this year, there have already been rumblings that the 2024 NBA Draft class is much weaker than 2023. However, according to a recent quote a league GM gave veteran college basketball reporter Jeff Goodman, this class might be among the least talented in years.
“This is an absolutely awful draft. There’s no guy that projects as a franchise player, no one that even stands out as the No. 1 pick. This is the type of draft that gets someone fired if they get the No. 1 pick,” the anonymous NBA GM told Goodman.
For Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Hornets, and Portland Trail Blazers fans, that is a horrifying outlook on a draft where any of those teams could have top three picks on June 26. Foreign-born teenagers like Alexandre Sarr and Nikola Topic are seen as two of the best prospects in this year’s class.
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