With the NBA Finals set to commence in the coming days, the 2024 NBA Draft is just around the corner.
Held in June, there are several former Kentucky Wildcats who are preparing to hear their name called. At this point, it is almost a foregone conclusion that both Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard will be lottery picks.
Where they go is a far more interesting discussion. Friday, ESPN draft analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released their most recent 2024 NBA Mock Draft. They had four Cats being taken in the 58-pick event.
Sheppard sits No. 3 to the Houston Rockets, with Dillingham No. 6 to the Charlotte Hornets. Justin Edwards is taken 28th by the Utah Jazz, and Antonio Reeves, the team’s leading scorer from last season, is selected at No. 58 by the Dallas Mavericks, who will face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
This marks the first time ESPN has had Reeves selected, which is wonderful to see following his All-American final season with Kentucky Basketball. Most of the projections have had him going undrafted. However, after draftable prospects like Alex Karaban, Mark Sears, Jarin Stevenson, Walter Clayton, and even Jaxson Robinson pulled out of the draft, that could help Reeves sneak into the very end of the draft.
Here’s what Givony wrote on Sheppard:
“Should Houston stand pat at No. 3, continuing to add shooting will likely be a priority after it finished toward the bottom of the league last season. With that in mind, adding a sharpshooter such as Sheppard, who converted over half of his 3-point attempts and proved capable of playing on or off the ball, could be attractive. Sheppard’s unselfishness, feel for the game, and sharp defensive instincts could make him a strong fit alongside the Rockets’ core,” said Givony.
Sheppard would be an ideal fit in San Antonio as well, so one shouldn’t expect him to fall past No. 4. That said, Dillingham to Charlotte is also a good long-term fit, and Woo was able to break down this pick.
“With less than a month before the draft, Charlotte has been connected to perimeter players, with the team said to be high on the long-term future of Mark Williams — which might preclude drafting Donovan Clingan as an option here. Other names to watch for the Hornets include Cody Williams and Ron Holland. But Dillingham’s shooting ability and playmaking make him an attractive fit as someone who can play alongside Ball and Brandon Miller in the short term, and also offer long-term cover at point guard (depending what happens with Ball),” he wrote.
Both prospects that are set to go in the lottery have an ultra-high ceiling, and even a former top-five recruit like Justin Edwards could make waves at the next level. In the coming weeks, expect the excitement of draft night to continue to rise.
