NBA Draft 2024 Rumors: Zach Edey Ranked as Lottery Pick by 'Plenty of Executives'

There has long been the belief among fans that former Purdue center Zach Edey is an excellent college basketball player who doesn't have the skill set or athleticism to hack it in the NBA.

NBA executives may not agree.

According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, "Edey has quite a few fans around the NBA at this point, and there are plenty of executives who say they have him ranked as a lottery pick, or even as a top-10 prospect because of how well he rates in their analytics models."

Edey will divide opinion, that much is certain.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman ranked the center 31st on his latest big board, noting that the "post skill" he brings to the table "creates enough of an advantage that it's become much easier to picture him being an effective NBA scoring option."

He continued: "He obviously won't receive the same type of usage, but the ability to consistently turn into high-percentage hooks, get easy putbacks and simply provide an interior defensive presence could yield starter value for the right team."

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer ranked him No. 22 on his own big board, describing him as a "massive center with a skill set that has transformed him from a fringe draft prospect to a potential lottery pick."

Edey will undoubtedly be a plus at the NBA level as an interior scorer and rebounder, and his massive height and frame will allow him to alter shots in the paint as a defender.

But he will undoubtedly be punished at the next level when pulled away from the basket on defenses. Teams will look for him in pick-and-rolls and on switches, taking advantage of his slow foot speed and lacking overall athleticism.

Offensively, his lack of a perimeter game will hurt a team's spacing. He'll need to be surrounded by four shooters to be most effective on the interior. But he's a solid passer and screener, which should alleviate some of those concerns. And if he improves his perimeter jumper, he could be a real offensive threat.

In what seems to be a weak draft, he'll be an intriguing player to follow. It wouldn't be shocking to see him off the board midway through the first round.