How the Brooklyn Nets Won the 2024 NBA Draft
From a rapid makeover in Brooklyn to Dalton Knecht’s surprising slide, here are the winners and losers from the first round of the draft
In a draft without a consensus #1 overall selection, teams still managed to get things right. Or mess them up entirely. You know the drill by now. While teams like Brooklyn managed to change their fortunes, albeit without making a single pick, other teams like Oklahoma City made…questionable decisions. Here are the winners and losers from the 2024 NBA Draft.
Winner: Brooklyn Nets
Without a pick in the first round, the Brooklyn Nets were the landslide winners of the draft. Houston owned the third overall pick in this draft, thanks to Brooklyn. They promptly selected Reed Sheppard, my favorite prospect in this class. It was the perfect encapsulation of how crappy Brooklyn’s situation was; without picks or cap space. So, the Nets decided to change that in a few fell swoops.
First, Brooklyn orchestrated a deal with the Rockets in which both sides exchanged draft picks. The skinny is that the Nets got back their 2025 and 2026 first-rounders in exchange for two Suns first-rounders in 2025 and 2027, along with a 2029 pick swap. In other words, the Nets now have a free pass to tank.
Because Houston owned their picks, tanking was out of the question. Now, with control over their picks in 2025 and 2026, the tankapalooza is rapidly approaching. And what better way to start the festivities than by trading your best player.
Mikal Bridges was sent to greener pastures with his Villanova buddies. In New York, Bridges can strike a balance between his roles in Phoenix and Brooklyn as the Knicks prepare for contention. In return, the Nets got a whopping six first-round picks plus another second-rounder;
- Unprotected Knicks 1sts in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031
- 2028 Pick Swap
- 2025 Top-4 Protected 1st (via MIL)
- 2025 Nets 2nd-Rounder
Never in a million years did I think that the Nets could get that much for Bridges. That’s more than what the Jazz got for Donovan Mitchell and is pretty close to the haul that the Timberwolves gave up for Gobert. Brooklyn’s future, which once looked murky and unclear, is now crystal clear. Sean Marks and the front office now have 16 first-rounders available through 2031.
More moves are on the horizon. Cam Johnson, Dennis Schroder, and Dorian Finney-Smith will all have suitors on the open market. Ben Simmons’ albatross contract comes off the book next offseason. Brooklyn’s rebuilding project is officially underway — this time without superstar intervention (hopefully).
And if things weren’t already going swell, the Nets managed to re-sign Nic Claxton to a very affordable 4-year, $100 million dollar deal. Brooklyn was at risk of losing a bidding war on Claxton this offseason. Instead, they get to keep him and allow him to become one of the pillars of their future.
The 2025 draft class boasts far more superstar potential than this year’s. And now the Nets have positioned themselves well to reap the benefits of that class by starting from scratch sooner rather than later.
Loser: Anything Resembling Content
It was hard to get excited about this year’s draft class. I’ve never been a fan of the draft for many reasons. I never loved the inexact science of drafting. It was always amusing to see people change goalposts for prospects they did and didn’t like. Regardless, this draft class didn’t have a headliner. There was no Zion Williamson or Victor Wembanyama.
Instead, we were left with many ‘ifs’ and ‘maybe’s.’ Many of the top picks need a lot to go right for them to become All-Star caliber players. Is it possible that those things happen? Absolutely. But without a superstar, it’s hard to keep track of your hypotheticals and best-case scenarios.
Rather than dreaming about Wembanyama’s potential, I’m telling myself that Zaccharie Risacher needs to become a better shooter, athlete, and finisher to be a game-changer. That’s not a knock on Risacher; it’s just an observation of the lack of…moxie.
I thought we would get some drama with the fifth overall pick. With Donovan Clingan still (somehow) on the board, I figured the Pistons would have Portland and Memphis duel to the death for his draft rights. Instead, Detroit and Charlotte took raw, project players while Clingan fell into Portland’s laps (no complaints from me).
Many of the players taken in the first-round are projected to be role players. The hypothetical ceilings of many of the prospects aren’t particulaly high. In this draft, taking a flyer means taking a 22-year-old instead of the unknown 18-year-old. Where’s the fun in that?
Next year’s draft is thankfully supposed to be a little more star-studded. If there was ever an argument against having the draft across two different days, this draft class would be the example. Stretching this minuscule talent across two days violates the Eighth Amendment.
Loser: Dalton Knecht
Everywhere you looked, Dalton Knecht was a sure-fire lottery pick. And it made sense. Other than his “advanced age” (23 is the new 40), Knecht had all the skills to succeed in the modern NBA. The 6’5″ wing lit up the SEC with his scoring ability.
Knecht was one of the best overall shooters in the entire draft. He was comfortable both on and off the ball. He could finish with both hands and initiate the offense. How much more do you want? Aside from his sub-par lateral movement, it seemed like Knecht would be a prospect teams fell in love with.
The NBA is in an arms race. Wings with the skills of guards rule the league. Just ask the Celtics. And while Knecht certainly doesn’t have the two-way upside of Tatum or Brown, there was enough offensive juice to justify a lottery selection.
Instead, Knecht fell outside of the lottery entirely. The Lakers took him with the 17th selection. While most rookies aren’t expected to contribute immediately, that won’t be the case for Knecht. The Lakers are trying to win with an aging Lebron James. That’s despite a flawed roster and a coach whose last gig was a podcast.
I don’t think any rookie went to a tougher situation than Knecht. He’s being fed to the wolves. He’s going to be playing with Lebron James on a team with futile championship aspirations. And he needs to be good right away, otherwise LA’s gamble on his advanced age will be fruitless. Will he be ready?
Winner: Portland Trail Blazers
I didn’t think this day would ever come. Yes, you’re reading this correctly. My Portland Trail Blazers had a good draft. I’m just as surprised as you are. Coming into the night, the Blazers had two lottery picks (7 & 14). The front office had a lot of different directions at their disposal.
More than anything, Portland needed a direction. Guys like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe hadn’t developed quickly enough to justify building around. More than anything, stabilizers had to be acquired. Getting Donovan Clingan with the 7th pick fits that description to a T.
Coming into the night, I didn’t think Clingan would fall out of the top five. With a 7’7″ wingspan, it’s not hyperbole to call Clingan one of the best defenders the draft has seen in recent years. An elite shot blocker and rim deterrent, the 2x National Champ is poised to be a Gobert-lite level rim protector.
Offensively, Clingan possesses a soft touch with a bevy of moves at his disposal. He’s also a pretty good playmaker and decision-maker off the short roll. It was hard to find a safer selection in such a wacky draft. Clingan oozes stability, which the post-Dame era Blazers oh so desperately needed.
Some people are concerned about Clingan’s positional fit in Portland. I doubt that will be a problem. Deandre Ayton’s contract, attitude, and play make him expendable. Robert Williams isn’t very durable. Clingan is the best center that the Blazers have, point blank. Telling yourself otherwise is fatuous.
Drafting Clingan alone would have been a win in my book. But Joe Cronin orchestrated a deal before the draft started that was arguably even more clever. In exchange for the aging Malcolm Brogdon, the 14th pick, plus a couple seconds, the Blazers acquired Deni Avdija from Washington.
I didn’t even know Washington was looking to trade Avdija. Given his improvements last season, I figured they would want to hold onto him. And if they were looking to trade him, surely it would cost more than this, right? Last season, Avdija established himself on both ends. He was pesky on the perimeter and settled into his role offensively. Avdija finished sixth in most improved voting for a reason.
With Clingan as an anchor for the new-look defense, Avdija will serve as a solid wing presence. Avdija’s contract is arguably the best part of his acquisition, however. Owed just $55 million over the next 4 years, Avdija is on one of the most affordable deals in the league. In 2028, when Avdija is 27, he’ll be getting paid just $11.8 million dollars.
For the first time without Damian Lillard, the Blazers have something resembling a plan. There’s still a lot of work to do and a lot of unanswered questions. But, in the intermediary, Portland greatly revitalized their defense and stability in one night.
Winner: France
In a league teeming with international talent from all over the globe, one country has been churning out talent at an alarming rate. France. Last year, Victor Wembanyama was the first overall pick. That was merely a prelude to what we saw this year.
The first two picks (Risacher and Sarr) are French. There were three French selections in the top ten, the first time a non-US country has had that many top ten selections. Four players from France were selected in the first round.
It’s a testament to France’s development programs and the strength of their domestic leagues. It’s also indicative of the country’s international strength. If the United States were to have something of an equivalent on the global stage, it’s unequivocally France.
France beat the United States during the last Olympics. They’re teeming with young and exciting talent. Victor Wembanyama is poised to be the next face of the league. This year’s crop of talent needs a lot of development to blossom but could turn into important assets for both their teams and country going forward.
And don’t look now, but another french prospect could be among the top selections next year, too. Keep your eye on Nolan Traore, an 18-year-old electric scoring guard. This pipeline of talent is seemingly neverending.
While Wembanyama steals the majority of the limelight, there’s a quiet French Revolution in the NBA right now. The country has asserted itself as a powerhouse of development in recent years, becoming a factory for intruiging, raw, but fascinating prospects.
Loser: Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City probably should’ve beaten the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs. While the Mavericks were good, the Thunder had the talent to overcome them. Their biggest drawback in that series was their lack of rebounding. Dallas punished the smaller Thunder on the boards time and time again. And in a series with such tight margins, that was the difference.
OKC’s title window is right now. Despite all their first-round picks and a roster filled with, for all intents and purposes, kids, Sam Presti understands this team can’t wait. Their time to strike is now. There’s a reason OKC traded an excess good in Josh Giddey for a more proven veteran in Alex Caruso.
Coming into the draft, with the 12th pick, I hoped OKC would address their size and rebounding needs. Sarr, Clingan, and Edey were all gone, but other options remained available. Yves Missi, DaRon Holmes II, and Kel’el Ware were all available when OKC came up to bat with the 12th selection. All would have been decent options to help sure up the front lines.
Instead, the Thunder took Nikola Topic. Now, I have no problems with Topic the player. Before tearing his ACL, he probably would’ve been a top-7 selection. The 6’5, 18-year-old is cerebral with the ball in his hands. He can score very efficiently inside the arc and is a savvy passer. With a quick first step that allows him to put so much pressure on the rim, I think Topic is an extremely interesting player even with his injury.
But why are the Thunder taking him? Why are they taking a player that won’t help them win this season? This is like putting a band-aid on a compound fracture. OKC did nothing to address their most glaring flaw. Unless Chet Holmgren wakes up tomorrow 50 pounds heavier, the Thunder still desperately need size on the interior. And while Topic is a tantilizing offensive project, I feel like this was a missed opportunity for Presti and the Thunder to try and plug one of their few weaknesses.
I’m sure I will be eating my words when Topic eventually turns into a machine in a few years
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