Kentucky
Kentucky basketball 2024 NBA mock drafts: Where are Wildcats players projected to be picked?
The order has been set for the 2024 NBA Draft, with the draft lottery taking place on Sunday. And, despite Kentucky basketball’s early exit from the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the draft could still prove fruitful for several Wildcats.
While the Wildcats likely don’t have a player in the early contention for the No. 1 overall pick ― which goes to the Atlanta Hawks, despite having the second-lowest odds to land it ― it could be a good June 26 for UK fans watching the action unfold at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
REQUIRED READING: Former Kentucky coach John Calipari speaks on ending at Kentucky and leaving for Arkansas
A mock draft published right after the lottery show on Sunday by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo has two Kentucky players picked in the top four, while USA TODAY’s For the Win writer Bryan Kalbrosky has three Wildcats picked in the lottery.
Australian big man Alex Sarr is the early favorite to go No. 1 overall early in the process. Kentucky sharpshooter Reed Sheppard is projected to go No. 3 in a couple of mock drafts, while teammate Rob Dillingham joins him in Texas with the San Antonio Spurs at No. 4 in an ESPN mock draft and even as high as No. 3 in another.
Here’s a look at where Kentucky players are expected to be selected in the 2024 NBA Draft:
Kentucky basketball 2024 NBA mock draft
ESPN and USA TODAY have Sheppard landing with an up-and-coming young team in the Houston Rockets. The Rockets drew the No. 3 pick despite finishing the season at 41-41, with a late-season run getting them into contention for a potential NBA play-in game.
Houston has a strong young nucleus led by Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets could emphasize adding some shooting for their young nucleus this offseason, which makes Sheppard the perfect fit.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds on 53.6% field goal shooting and 52.1% from 3-point range, earning USBWA and NABC Freshman of the Year honors.
“The Rockets turned the page on their rebuild by hiring coach Ime Udoka and making a splash in free agency last summer. Houston could look at plug-and-play options with this pick considering the youthful roster construction. Shooting will likely be a priority this summer, and the dynamic shot-making versatility of Sheppard — who made over 50% of his 3s this season — could be attractive with this pick, along with his feel for the game and defensive instincts. Expect Donovan Clingan to get a look here as well if the front office feels he can play heavy minutes alongside Alperen Sengun in a multi-big men lineups.” — Givony
Mock drafts
At 6-foot-3, Dillingham could be undersized for the NBA. But SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell still has him going as high as No. 3 to the Houston Rockets after a strong freshman season. Dillingham averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds on 47.5% shooting from the field and 44.4% shooting from 3-point range. He would also be a good addition to a young team seeking a quick turnaround.
“Dillingham is an impossibly shifty shot creator for himself and others thanks to his deep shooting range, soft touch, and tremendous vision as a passer. The 6’2 guard has the best handle in the class with the ability to link dribble-crossovers, change direction, and get off a good look at the rim against bigger defenders. He’s the rare guard prospect whose shooting ability feels equally dangerous off the dribble and off the catch: Dillingham can punish unders with deep pull-ups, and also has a fantastic feel for relocating around the three-point line to knock down spot-ups.”
Mock drafts
REQUIRED READING: Former Kentucky coach John Calipari speaks on ending at Kentucky and leaving for Arkansas
ESPN and FTW also agree that Justin Edwards was the final Kentucky player selected in the first round. The 6-foot-7 forward is projected to the Washington Wizards at No. 26. Edwards averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman, not quite living up to his billing as the No. 3 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports’ Composite rankiings.
“Edwards did not have the season many expected at Kentucky but is still worthy of consideration in this area of the draft at 6-7 with some perimeter shooting acumen and upside to grow into after one season in college. The Wizards could look to bolster their wing depth, which would make Edwards a candidate to get drafted late in the first round.” — Givony
Mock drafts
- ESPN: No. 26 to the Washington Wizards
- USA Today FTW: No. 26 to the Washington Wizards
- The Athletic: No. 47 (second round) to the Orlando Magic
- Yahoo Sports: No. 48 (second round) to the Orlando Magic
- The Ringer: No. 53 (second round) to the Detroit Pistons
Of the six previously mentioned mocks, only The Athletic and NBA Draft Net have Kentucky senior guard Antonio Reeves being picked. The NBA draft-dedicated site has Reeves going No. 38 to the New York Knicks, while The Athletic author Sam Vecenie has Reeves selected as the No. 44 overall pick, going off the board in the second round to the Houston Rockets. Reeves averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 51.2% shooting and 44.7% shooting from 3.
The Brooklyn Nets have developed their teams through a number of strategies over the decades, and their front office has put together considerable success through the NBA draft. Many of the franchise’s best players have joined the Nets either by being selected directly in the annual draft or through trades made on that day.
Moreover, it is not only the star players who have been acquired by the Nets through the draft. Several prominent alumni have been selected by the team each offseason during this annual event, with certain colleges being more prominently represented than others. An analysis of the players from different schools reveals that both prestigious programs and smaller institutions have contributed top talent to the Nets’ roster over the years.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at every player who has been drafted by the Nets out of Kentucky State University.
Gerald Cunningham – forward
Draft year and position: fifth round (first pick, 89th overall), 1977 NBA Draft
Seasons at Kentucky State University:
Seasons played with Nets: did not make the team
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
The best shooter in college basketball will, in fact, stay in college basketball — and Kentucky is ready to make its final push.
Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic has withdrawn from the 2026 NBA Draft and will play somewhere at his current level in 2026-27. That’s not expected to be back in Ames, as Cyclone coach T.J. Otzelberger made clear, saying that if the 6-8 forward doesn’t make the jump to the pros, “it’s important that he’s able to find a landing spot at a college that fits what he’s looking for.”
Could Lexington be that final destination? The perimeter sniper already said he’s got respect for the Wildcats and Mark Pope, watching his programs closely since his time at BYU when they competed against each other in the Big 12.
In his eyes, he could be the piece Kentucky was missing this past season in the program’s Round of 32 exit, led by Momcilovic’s 20 points and five rebounds in the Cyclones’ 82-63 victory in St. Louis.
“I think Kentucky would be a good fit,” Momcilovic told the Herald-Leader’s Ben Roberts last week at the NBA Draft Combine. “I obviously went against Pope at BYU his first year (in the Big 12), and I loved how his team played. I think we went 1-1 against them, but they killed us at their place, because they fly the ball up the court and shoot 3s. I really like the way they play.
“And obviously, Kentucky last year, he didn’t have enough shooters around him to really coach, I feel like, the way he wanted. But I think — if I were to choose Kentucky — that would be a good fit for me. I feel like I’d be a great player for him, and he’d be a good coach for me.”
Momcilovic averaged a career-high 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 30.5 minutes per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field, 48.7 percent from three and 87.8 percent at the line. He knocked down 260 3-pointers, good for 3.7 makes on 7.5 attempts per contest.
The former four-star recruit has been Kentucky’s dream portal target all offseason. Now, he’s officially a free agent, pulling out of the draft ahead of the withdrawal deadline.
On Tuesday, head coach Mark Pope revealed that there will likely be no summer trip for the 2026-27 Wildcats.
“We’re probably a lean towards not going right now,” Pope told Darrell Bird of Cats Pause.
The NCAA recently adopted a proposal that will allow schools to take summer tours every year after the rules previously limited schools to one trip every four years. Even if it ended up being somewhere close by, this would’ve been a great experience for the Cats to get some exhibition games in, especially with the roster overhaul they’re going through.
Oh well. The good news is UK will still have plenty of summer practices to develop and build chemistry.
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