Uncommon Knowledge
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The 2024 NBA Draft concluded this week and many NBA teams added core pieces to the future of their respective organizations.
Each season there are some teams that walk away very happy with the guys that they drafted while others are left reflecting on what could have been. Nobody knows what any of these players will become but there are always teams that did worse than others, at least on a surface level. Here are the three biggest losers from the 2024 NBA Draft.
Read more: Mavericks Send Key Role Player to Pistons in Massive Post NBA Draft Trade
3. Brooklyn Nets
Somehow the Nets made it on the list without making any draft picks. Rather, they make the cut here for what they didn’t do. Brooklyn traded away franchise player Mikal Brides before the draft, so there was talk about them having a firesale on other veteran players. Brooklyn completed no trades for any of them but time may tell if they deal them away. Maybe the Nets are waiting to see which players are available after contract options become finalized. But nonetheless, it was a disappointing draft for Brooklyn.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
Despite having future Hall of Famers Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster, Milwaukee opted to go with long-term projects in this draft. In the first round, the Bucks selected Al Johnson. Johnson has some great upside down the line, but this is a win-now team so this pick doesn’t do much to help the Bucks heading into next season. In the second round, the Bucks took Tyler Smith out of the G-League.
Last season, he averaged 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. Smith could be a decent pick for Milwaukee but again, he is a high-upside player who likely won’t contribute right away. Milwaukee had a chance to add more impact to the team for next season but decided to go a strange route instead.
1. Detroit Pistons
It’s been rough sledding for the Pistons of late. After a frustrating season that saw them finish in last place, Detroit landed the No. 5 pick in the draft instead of the No. 1. With this pick, Detroit selected forward Ron Holland II. While the Holland pick isn’t awful, this may have been a reach. Leading up to the draft, there was a lot of talk about the young wing falling, but the Pistons grabbed him within the top five. He shot 24 percent from beyond the three-point line in the G-League last season, so he will need to improve in that department.
Read more: 2024 NBA Draft Results: All 58 Picks of the First and Second Rounds
In the second round, the Pistons took Bobi Klintman. While Klintman may be a long-term play for the Pistons, this pick was a little strange. Both picks are banking on the promise of potential but both also have some questions. It wasn’t a terrible draft for the Pistons, but it lands them as the biggest loser from the two-day event.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.