NBA Draft 2011: Future Outlook for Enes Kanter and the Kentucky Draftees

Last night may not go down as the greatest night in the history of Kentucky basketball, but it is one that should be remembered for a long time in the Bluegrass State.

Although not as talented as last year's crop of players, Kentucky's 2011 draft class was chock full of intriguing stories. From Enes Kanter finally being freed to Josh Harrellson's journey from the dog house to the penthouse, there was no shortage of drama this time around.

Alas, the journey has finally come to a close, and a new chapter is beginning.

Now that each of Kentucky's departures have found new homes, it is time to start looking towards the future.

Today, we take a look at each of the Wildcats' draftees and examine their future outlooks on their new teams.

Enes Kanter (No.3, Utah Jazz)

The Jazz took a huge step forward in rebuilding the franchise when they selected Kanter and Alec Burks in the first round.

The biggest problem they have now is the logjam they have at the four and five spots. At power forward, they currently have Derrick Favors and Paul Millsap, and at center they have Kanter, Mehmet Okur and Al Jefferson.

Odds are they want to make Favors and Kanter their starters of the future down low. This would seem to be a solid decision. Favors provides a ton of athleticism and defensive ability, while Kanter provides a legitimate scoring threat.

I would look for the Jazz to try and deal either Okur or Jefferson. Both should drum up a lot of interest. Okur has an expiring contract after the upcoming season, so he could provide some cap relief to a team, and Jefferson is considered one of the premier young centers in the league.

Regardless, the future looks bright for Utah with youngsters Kanter, Burks, Favors, and Gordon Hayward. Add in a top-level point guard, and the Jazz fans suddenly have something to be excited about.

Brandon Knight (No. 8, Detroit Pistons)

Knight’s guarded-yet-confident attitude likely caused him to fall a bit in the draft. Usually that is a bad thing money-wise, but a positive thing situation-wise. In this case, I’m not so sure.

Most of the teams in top 10 are bad, but have a lot of young potential. Unfortunately, the Pistons are a group of over-the-hill role players with very few great, young prospects.

Tayshaun Prince and Tracy McGrady are likely gone as free agents, while guys like Richard Hamilton and Ben Wallace are on their last legs as professionals.

The good news is that the Pistons have a few promising young players like Greg Monroe, Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye, and Rodney Stuckey, but none of them stand out as future stars in the league.

Knight should be able to come in and earn a starting spot pretty early in the season, and the combination of him and Ben Gordon should make for a formidable back-court.

Nevertheless, the Pistons are a few years and a couple of good drafts away from building a core of players that will be able to compete for the long haul. Until then, Knight may have to deal with some considerable adversity. Hopefully he becomes a better player because of it.

Josh Harrellson (No. 45, New York Knicks)

Many people may have been surprised at this selection, but Harrellson is actually walking into an ideal situation. It is never easy for a second rounder to come in and contribute, or often to make a roster, but Harrellson finds himself in great position to do just that.

The additions of Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Chauncey Billups meant that the Knicks would be instant contenders. It also meant that their roster would be pretty bare beyond those three positions.

This is good news for Harrellson, as the only other center on the roster is Ronny Turiaf, who isn’t exactly a superstar in his own right. The Knicks will likely bring in another veteran center, but with them being strapped for cap space, they're probably not going to go crazy.

Due to their lack of depth, Harrellson should almost assuredly make the Knicks’ roster and, depending on who they may decide to bring in at center during free agency, he could see a substantial amount of playing time.

With both Carmelo and Amar'e on the roster, the Knicks’ big men will not be asked to do much scoring-wise besides hit open looks. Their main responsibilities will be rebounding and playing solid defense. Now, if that’s not a role perfectly designed for Harrellson, then I don’t know what it is.

DeAndre Liggins (No. 53, Orlando Magic)

Unlike Harrellson, Liggins will have a slightly tougher job in trying to make a roster and gain considerable playing time.

If he does make the roster, he will have to compete with guys like Gilbert Arenas, J.J. Redick, Quentin Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark for playing time.

The good news for Liggins is that he can play two positions (shooting guard and small forward) and he has his own niche as a defender.

It is highly doubtful that he will ever become an everyday starter, but his defensive abilities will allow him to make the roster and see some spot minutes early on.

Long term, I expect him to find a role similar to what DeShawn Stevenson had with the Dallas Mavericks this season. He will be trusted to contain the opponents' best wings and expected to knock down open shots on the perimeter.

The only thing that is particularly concerning is Orlando's roster stability. The Magic have had a lot of turnover in their personnel recently and, with some mediocre results, it appears that more change is on the horizon. The hope is that Liggins can quickly establish himself as an invaluable asset to the team to avoid becoming another journeyman.