NBA Draft 2024 Rumors: Latest Buzz Entering Day 2 Following 1st-Round Results
With the first round of the 2024 NBA draft in the books, the collective attention of the basketball world shifts to Thursday's Round 2.
This isn't all about Bronny James watch, but the draft fate of LeBron James' firstborn is clearly the top talking point. It's just not the only plot point that has people talking.
Let's dissect the latest draft buzz before the talent grab starts rolling again at 4 p.m. ET.
Trades Could Come Early and Often
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The first round came and went without the selection of several expected first-round picks, like Johnny Furphy and Kyle Filipowski.
That could convince teams to try trading up the board to stop their slide.
The Toronto Raptors, who hold the No. 31 pick, "have a high degree of leverage" with multiple trade-up targets still available, per The Athletic's Sam Vecenie. It's possible, Vecenie opined, that Toronto will wind up fielding "offers from a team that has a player still rated in the lottery on their board."
Regardless of what the Raptors do, the top of this round could fill up the transaction log, as Vecenie relayed that "several picks in the top 10 of the second round were thought to be available overnight."
Timberwolves Eyeing Draft-and-Stash Point Guard?
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The Minnesota Timberwolves came into the draft without a clear-cut succession plan at point guard. Mike Conley will turn 37 in October, so even if the Wolves are focused on the present, they have to start preparing for the future, too.
Minnesota made a major move on the floor general front already by trading up to No. 8 to take Kentucky lead guard Rob Dillingham. The latest Wolves rumblings indicate they could double-up at the position.
Spanish point guard Juan Nunez, who played for Ratiopharm Ulm, has been "connected throughout the predraft process" to the Timberwolves, per Vecenie. The draft expert also opined Minnesota might be considering a stash candidate with the No. 37 pick since it already added two players in the first round (Dillingham and No. 27 pick Terrence Shannon Jr.).
Nunez's physical tools are limited, but B/R's Jonathan Wasserman wrote that "NBA teams will have him on their radar for his crafty playmaking and elite passing skills." Nunez thinks and sees the game at a very high level, and Minnesota might want to invest now and see what he becomes later.
Lakers Likely to Land Bronny James at No. 55?
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If mock projections are right, it could take a while for Bronny James Watch to be resolved.
He is, perhaps, the most interesting second-round pick in the history of the draft. It's not only the legacy factor; it's also the chance that his father could see the pair as a package deal. If LeBron really wants to play with Bronny, this is the chance to make hoops history.
That potentially puts plenty of dream-big suitors in play, though mock drafters remain convinced James will ultimately land with the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 55. That's how Vecenie mocked it, and it reads the same on the latest mocks from B/R's Jonathan Wasserman and ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo.
"Sources who represent opposing teams across the league" believe this is how Bronny's draft story will end, Vecenie relayed. It certainly feels the likeliest outcome. But it obviously isn't the only way this could play out, creating a fascinating storyline to track throughout perhaps most of the second round.
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