Category: NBA Draft Blog

NBA Draft blog

Celtics sign Torrey Craig

The Boston Celtics have signed forward Torrey Craig.

Following the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Celtics roster stands at 17 players.

The NBA veteran has appeared in 441 career games (168 starts) spanning eight seasons with stints in Denver, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Indiana, and Chicago. Craig owns career averages of 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.8 minutes per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field. This season, Craig averaged 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in nine games for the Chicago Bulls.

During the 2022-23 season, Craig averaged career-highs across the board with 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.8 blocks in 24.7 minutes per game in 79 outings (60 starts) with the Suns. Craig has posted 14 double-doubles during his professional tenure and scored 20-plus points six times.

Craig spent four seasons in the Australian NBL before making his NBA debut with Denver during the 2017-18 season. In 2017, he was named the Australian NBL Defensive Player of the Year, earned Australian NBL Most Improved Player honors, and was selected to the All-NBL Second Team. The South Carolina native played four collegiate seasons at the University of South Carolina Upstate and averaged 16.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 31.0 minutes per game over 131 appearances (124 starts).

2024 NBA Draft first round results

Per NBA.com, these are the 2024 NBA draft first round picks that were made along with the reported trades, some of which may take a while before they come official. The second round takes place tomorrow:

1. Hawks draft Zaccharie Risacher (JL Bourg-en-Bresse)

2. Wizards draft Alex Sarr (Perth)

3. Rockets draft Reed Sheppard (Kentucky)

4. Spurs draft Stephon Castle (Connecticut)

5. Pistons draft Ron Holland II (G League Ignite)

6. Hornets draft Tidjane Salaun (Cholet Basket)

7. Trail Blazers draft Donovan Clingan (Connecticut)

8. Spurs draft Rob Dillingham (Kentucky) — Traded to Timberwolves

9. Grizzlies draft Zach Edey (Purdue)

10. Jazz draft Cody Williams (Colorado)

11. Bulls draft Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite)

12. Thunder draft Nikola Topic (KK Crvena Zvezda)

13. Kings draft Devin Carter (Providence)

14. Trail Blazers draft Bub Carrington (Pittsburgh) — Traded to Wizards

15. Heat draft Kel’el Ware (Indiana)

16. 76ers draft Jared McCain (Duke)

17. Lakers draft Dalton Knecht (Tennessee)

18. Magic draft Tristan da Silva (Colorado)

19. Raptors draft Ja’Kobe Walter (Baylor)

20. Cavaliers draft Jaylon Tyson (Cal)

21. Pelicans draft Yves Missi (Baylor)

22. Suns draft DaRon Holmes II (Dayton) — Traded to Nuggets

23. Bucks draft AJ Johnson (Illawarra)

24. Knicks draft Kyshawn George (Miami) — Reportedly traded to Wizards

25. Knicks draft Pacome Dadiet (Ratiopharm Ulm)

26. Wizards draft Dillon Jones (Weber State) — Traded to Thunder (via Knicks)

27. Timberwolves draft Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)

28. Nuggets draft Ryan Dunn (Virginia) — Traded to Suns

29. Jazz draft Isaiah Collier (USC)

30. Celtics draft Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)

Atlanta Hawks win 2024 NBA Draft Lottery

The Atlanta Hawks secured the first overall pick at the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, which was conducted earlier today in Chicago. The first pick in this year’s draft is Atlanta’s own.

Entering today’s lottery, the Hawks held a 3% chance of receiving the top overall pick in this year’s draft. It’s just the second time in Atlanta history the club owns the first overall pick, as the Hawks selected David Thompson with the first pick in the 1975 NBA Draft.

The 2024 NBA Draft will mark the 78th year of the event.

New this year, the NBA Draft will expand to a two-night format. The first round will take place on Wednesday, June 26 at the Barclays Center, while the second round will take place at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios on Thursday, June 27.

The first round will continue to have five minutes between draft picks and the second round will increase to four minutes from two minutes.

Orlando Magic select Anthony Black 6th overall in 2023 NBA Draft

The Orlando Magic have selected guard Anthony Black in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Black (6’7”, 200, 1/20/04) played and started in all 36 games last season as a freshman at the University of Arkansas, averaging 12.8 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 3.9 apg. and 2.06 stlpg. in 34.8 minpg. He was named to the 2022-23 All-SEC Second Team (coaches), as well as the 2022-23 All-SEC Freshman Team. Black led the Razorbacks and SEC in minutes played, while setting Arkansas freshman records in games played, games started, minutes played (1,253), steals (74) and free throw attempts (190). He was the only player in the SEC to rank in the top 25 in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots.

Black graduated from Duncanville High School in Duncanville, TX. As a senior (2021-22), he was named a McDonald’s All-American and played in the Iverson Classic. Black led Duncanville to the 2022 Texas 6A state championship and was named the Texas 6A State Tournament MVP. He was also a highly-regarded recruit as a wide receiver, receiving offers from Arkansas, Baylor and Texas among others.

Detroit Pistons select Ausar Thompson 5th overall in 2023 NBA Draft

The Detroit Pistons announced that the club has selected Ausar Thompson with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Detroit has also agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to No. 25 overall pick, Marcus Sasser, as part of a larger trade that is not yet final.

Thompson, 6-7, 215, averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes across 20 games for the City Reapers of Overtime Elite in 2022-23. He was named Overtime Elite MVP and later named Finals MVP after averaging 21.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the playoffs. In his second year in the league, Thompson led the City Reapers to a 14-1 regular season record and their first OTE Championship while earning Player of the Week honors twice. The combo guard finished second in the league in assists while collecting at least three steals seven times.

A native of Oakland, Calif., Thompson was named the Broward County 5A Co-Player of the Year at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition to Overtime Elite, Thompson participated in The Basketball Tournament for Team Overtime in July of 2022. Thompson was selected one pick after his identical twin brother, Amen, who went No. 4 overall to Houston. Thompson’s older brother, Troy Thompson Jr., played collegiate basketball at Prairie View A&M and participated in training camp with the Stockton Kings.

Thompson is the fourth top-five selection for the Pistons since 1995 (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Darko Milicic) and the third in the last three seasons.

Houston Rockets select Amen Thompson 4th overall in 2023 NBA Draft

In last night’s 2023 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets selected guard Amen Thompson with the fourth overall pick and Cam Whitmore with the 20th overall pick.

Thompson (6-7, 215) spent the past two seasons with Overtime Elite, (OTE) an Atlanta-based league which offers players ages 16 through 20 a pathway to becoming professional athletes. This past season, the 20-year-old teamed with his twin brother, Ausar, to lead the City Reapers to the championship with Amen hitting a game-winning buzzer beater in Game 2 of OTE’s best-of-five Finals. Ausar was selected fifth overall by Detroit in tonight’s draft.

During the Reapers playoff run, Amen averaged 17.2 points, 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds up from his season averages of 16.4 ppg, 5.9 apg and 5.9 rpg. He ranked third in the league in assists and sixth in scoring.

Prior to the start of last season, Thompson represented a collection of OTE draft eligible players in a series of games overseas against professional teams from Spain and Serbia. In five games played, he averaged 17.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.8 apg and 2.0 spg while shooting 56.1% from the floor. Following that tour, Thompson also had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in an exhibition game against the Adelaide 36ers from Australia’s National Basketball League.

Whitmore (6-7, 235) finished his freshman season at Villanova averaging 12.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.4 spg and 1.4 3-pointers made. Over the past 15 seasons, he was one of four Division I freshman to have averaged at least 12.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.00 spg and 1.0 3FGM while playing fewer than 28.0 mpg.

In the 20 games Whitmore played at least 24 minutes, he averaged 14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.6 spg and 1.8 3FGM while shooting 50.2% from the floor and 38.5% from 3-point range. At the 2022 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship, he averaged 18.7 points and was named MVP after leading USA Basketball to the gold medal.

Whitmore, who was born in Maryland and was a McDonald’s All-American, will turn 19 years old on July 8. He was measured with a 40.5” max vertical leap at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine.

Portland Trail Blazers select Scoot Henderson third overall in 2023 NBA Draft

The Portland Trail Blazers selected guard Scoot Henderson with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Henderson, 19, arrives in Portland after spending two seasons with NBA G League Ignite. During the 2022-23 season, Henderson averaged 17.6 points (44.4% FG, 32.4% 3-PT, 75.0% FT), 5.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 25 games (24 starts). Henderson (6-2, 196) competed in the Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star Weekend in both 2022 and 2023.

A native of Marietta, Ga., Henderson accrued averages of 16.1 points (44.5% FG, 76.2% FT), 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks in 46 games (28 starts) in two seasons for NBA G League Ignite. In 2020-21, Henderson was named Class 6A Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a junior at Kell High School.

Charlotte Hornets select Brandon Miller second overall in 2023 NBA draft

The Charlotte Hornets selected forward Brandon Miller from the University of Alabama with the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The 6-9 Miller was named First Team AP All-America, Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and NABC Freshman of the Year this season. He became the first player in conference history to win SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Tournament MVP in the same season.

Miller led the Crimson Tide to the 2022-23 SEC regular season and tournament titles, the No. 1 ranking in the final AP poll and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

He poured in 18.8 points per game, tops in the SEC and the most among all freshmen nationally. Miller ranked first in the SEC and 13th nationally with 106 made 3-pointers, the second-most in a season in Alabama history. He shot 38.4 percent from 3 and 85.9 percent from the free-throw line, both of which represented the second-highest marks in the conference. Miller also ranked fourth in the SEC in rebounds per game (8.2) and 10th in blocks (32).

A consensus five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American out of Cane Ridge High School in Antioch, Tenn., Miller was named Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. His father, Darrell, played football at Alabama in the early ‘90s.

Hornets take Brandon Miller with No. 2 pick in 2023 NBA Draft

Via ESPN.com:

The Charlotte Hornets had whittled their choices to two players on the eve of the 2023 NBA draft, but in the end they selected Alabama forward Brandon Miller with the second pick Thursday night…

In Miller, the Hornets add a 6-foot-9 playmaker who won SEC Freshman and Player of the Year honors at Alabama last season after averaging 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 43% from the field and 38% from 3-point range. He also won the SEC tournament’s MVP award and was named a second-team All-American.