jon hoefling and jack mckessy, usa today
·4 min read
30 picks down, 28 to go. The second round of the 2024 NBA draft is tonight, and there is still a multitude of talented producers ripe for the picking, none more intriguing than USC guard Bronny James.
The Prince who was promised is still on the board, and likely will be for a long time tonight, with most experts predicting him to go 55th to the Los Angeles Lakers, just four picks from the end of the draft. Of course, with LeBron James' free agency looming large, there is still a chance that another team jumps the Lakers and selects Bronny James in an effort to convince the King to join their squad.
Outside of Bronny, other players that are drawing a lot of attention include Johnny Furphy, Kyle Filipowski and Tyler Kolek. But with several shocking moments in Round 1, such as Zach Edey going in the top ten, French stars being taken left and right, Dalton Knecht falling to 17, and Matas Buzelis falling outside the top ten, the second round could be even more shocking. Here is where experts believe they will fall tonight.
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NBA draft: second round predictions:
Bronny James landing spots
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic: Los Angeles Lakers, No. 55 overall
Vecenie writes: "James has potential as a defender and shooter, but he struggles to handle the ball at a high enough level to play point guard at 6-foot-1. I have an Exhibit 10 grade on him and don’t see him as draftable, but the odds seem good that he’ll hear his name called."
Kyle Boone, CBS Sports: Los Angeles Lakers, No. 55 overall
Boone writes: "Los Angeles doubles up on the James family and brings in Bronny, LeBron's oldest son, with its second and final pick of the draft."
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN: Los Angeles Lakers, No. 55 overall
ESPN's experts continue to share in the consensus opinion that Bronny James will be the Lakers' pick at No. 55 overall. The Lakers selected Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Early second round projections (Picks 31-35)
The Athletic
No. 31, Toronto Raptors (via Detroit) - Johnny Furphy, Kansas
Vecenie writes: "The most surprising dropout in the first round, Furphy is ranked No. 26 on my board and was expected by most league sources to be taken somewhere in the top 23 selections. He’s a big wing at 6-foot-7 who can shoot it and puts pressure on the rim with aggressiveness."
No. 32, Utah Jazz (via Washington) - Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Vecenie writes: "Filipowski is the best player remaining on my board, a 6-foot-11 player with dribble-pass-shoot skills at the center position. Those players tend to be worth a large amount of value on the court offensively, and Filipowski was also productive in both years at Duke."
No. 33, Milwaukee Bucks (via Portland) - Oso Ighodaro, Marquette
No. 34, Portland Trail Blazers (via Charlotte) - Ajay Mitchell, UC Santa Barbara
No. 35, San Antonio Spurs - Tyler Kolek, Marquette
CBS Sports
No. 31, Toronto Raptors (via Detroit) - Justin Edwards, Kentucky
No. 32, Utah Jazz (via Washington) - Bobi Klintman
No. 33, Milwaukee Bucks (via Portland) - Johnny Furphy, Kansas
Boone writes: "Furphy falling out of the first round on draft night was one of several surprises from the first day of the draft. He can shoot the ball -- he rated in the 98th percentile on spot-ups as a freshman at Kansas and hit 35.2% from 3-point range -- and he is only scratching the surface of his potential as a shooting guard who can attack closeouts and create."
No. 34, Portland Trail Blazers (via Charlotte) - Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Boone writes: "Portland continues its quest of reinforcing size this offseason by adding Filipowski here to go with No. 7 overall pick Donovan Clingan. Filipowski's a complementary piece to Clingan who can step out and shoot and could play the 4 or 5 in a number of lineup variations."
No. 35, San Antonio Spurs - Juan Núñez, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
ESPN
No. 31, Toronto Raptors (via Detroit) - Adem Bona, UCLA
No. 32, Utah Jazz (via Washington) - Kyle Filipowski, Duke
No. 33, Milwaukee Bucks (via Portland) - Johnny Furphy, Kansas
No. 34, Portland Trail Blazers (via Charlotte) - Cam Christie, Minnesota
No. 35, San Antonio Spurs - Tyler Kolek, Marquette
How to watch NBA draft second round:
Time:4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
TV:ESPN
Streaming:fubo TV
Stream the draft: Catch the second round of the 2024 NBA draft with a fubo TV subscription
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 NBA mock drafts: Projections for second round picks
