What are the biggest NBA Draft needs for each team? Assessing all 30 young cores

With the NBA Draft just a day away, teams will soon have the opportunity to add new pieces to their rosters. While much of the focus will be on the new pros, there should be consideration made by each team for the players they already have who are in the developmental stages of their career.

This is a look at each team through the lens of the players that finished the 2023-24 season on the roster either on a standard contract or a two-way contract (2W). That player was either drafted in 2021, 2022 or 2023, or went undrafted in one of those three draft cycles, whether that team drafted them or not. No players who four years ago were two years away from being two years away. This will also identify which players are possible 2024 free agents (FA).

Let’s get into it, starting with the 2024 NBA champions.

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics

2021 draft: PG Jaden Springer, C Neemias Queta (FA)
2022 draft: PG JD Davison (2W, FA)
2023 draft: SF Jordan Walsh
Undrafted since 2021: SG Sam Hauser (FA), SF Drew Peterson (2W)

2024 draft picks: 30, 54

Analysis: Hauser was an outstanding find for the Celtics in 2021, emerging as a rotation piece by consistently shooting better than 40 percent from 3. Queta did well to get promoted from a two-way contract this season, but he’s the only developmental big.

Draft need: Boston could stand to add another big forward with skills outside of the paint.

Brooklyn Nets

2021 draft: SG Keon Johnson (2W, FA), SG Cam Thomas, C Day’Ron Sharpe
2022 draft: N/A
2023 draft: PF Noah Clowney, SF Dariq Whitehead, PF Jalen Wilson
Undrafted since 2021: C Trendon Watford (FA), PG Jacob Gilyard (2W, FA), SF Jaylen Martin (2W)

2024 draft picks: None

Analysis: Thomas has outplayed his draft slot, going from the No. 27 pick to a 20-point scorer in three years. Sharpe, then eventually Clowney, became second-unit bigs that could complement each other, with Clowney showing that his jumper was ready. Whitehead only played 24 minutes in what was basically a redshirt season.

Draft need: The Nets don’t have a single draft pick, but they could prioritize the top undrafted point guards.

New York Knicks

2021 draft: PG Miles McBride, C Jericho Sims (FA)
2022 draft: N/A
2023 draft: N/A
Undrafted since 2021: PF Jacob Toppin (2W, FA), PG Duane Washington Jr. (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 24, 25, 38

Analysis: McBride got an extension in December as a former second-round pick, then broke through as a rotation piece after going from sub-30 percent on 3s his first two seasons to a 41 percent 3-point shooter this season. New York doesn’t have any other young pieces outside of McBride under contract yet, but it can bolster that part of its roster with three top-40 picks.

Draft need: Getting at least one disruptive wing defender should be a priority for the Knicks’ young core.

Philadelphia 76ers

2021 draft: N/A
2022 draft: N/A
2023 draft: N/A
Undrafted since 2021: SG Ricky Council IV, PG Terquavion Smith

2024 draft picks: 16, 41

Analysis: The 76ers were the only team in the entire league that did not have a single player selected from the last three drafts end the season. Council shot reasonably well and earned a promotion from a two-way contract.

Draft need: Both Council and Smith are set to be on the roster next season, so Philadelphia could look to bolster the two forward spots in the draft.

Toronto Raptors

2021 draft: PF Scottie Barnes
2022 draft: PF Ochai Agbaji
2023 draft: SF Gradey Dick
Undrafted since 2021: PG Javon Freeman-Liberty, C Malik Williams (FA), C Jontay Porter (2W, banned), PF Mouhamadou Gueye (2W), PG DJ Carton (2W)

2024 draft picks: 19, 31

Analysis: Barnes was the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year and is now an All-Star. He will enter next season and his prime as the focal point of the Raptors after the midseason trades of forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. Dick and Agbaji were second-unit forwards last season, though it would make a lot more sense for the Raptors to figure out what they’re doing with Gary Trent Jr. and Bruce Brown so that they can open up more minutes on the wing.

Draft need: Toronto should use the draft to add size and ballhandling.

Central Division

Chicago Bulls

2021 draft: SG Ayo Dosunmu, SF Josh Giddey
2022 draft: SF Dalen Terry
2023 draft: PF Julian Phillips
Undrafted since 2021: SG Onuralp Bitim, SF Henri Drell (2W, FA), C Adama Sanogo (2W, FA), SG Andrew Funk (2W)

2024 draft picks: 11

Analysis: Dosunmu has been an outstanding draft pick as a versatile guard who has made 50.4 percent from the field through three seasons. This team has otherwise been inept at finding young contributors, especially given their uninspiring position in the Eastern Conference.

Draft need: There are no developmental point guards on the roster. Taking a swing on pass-first big guard Josh Giddey in a trade with Oklahoma City that sent Alex Caruso to the Thunder could address that depending on how the Bulls use him. Especially after the trade, a lottery pick on a big that can be in the rotation next season may make more roster sense.

Cleveland Cavaliers

2021 draft: PF Evan Mobley
2022 draft: PF Isaiah Mobley (2W, FA)
2023 draft: SF Emoni Bates (2W, FA)
Undrafted since 2021: PG Craig Porter Jr., C Pete Nance (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 20

Analysis: Mobley has emerged as an all-league defender, but the combination of injuries, a guard-heavy offense and his fit next to center Jarrett Allen has kept Mobley from breaking out as a true star. Perhaps Mobley will develop into a primary offensive threat under Cleveland’s new head coach.

Draft need: Porter got promoted from a two-way contract, but Cleveland could use another developmental guard to go with him.

Detroit Pistons

2021 draft: PG Cade Cunningham, SG Quentin Grimes
2022 draft: SG Jaden Ivey, C Jalen Duren
2023 draft: SF Ausar Thompson, PG Marcus Sasser
Undrafted since 2021: PF Stanley Umude (FA), PF Tosan Evbuomwan (2W), SF Jared Rhoden (2W, FA), SG Buddy Boeheim (2W)

2024 draft picks: 5, 53

Analysis: The Pistons were the only team in the East where the majority of their end-of-season roster was made up of players who were a part of the last three draft cycles. It showed. Cunningham, Ivey, Thompson and Duren are already starters. Sasser is a rotation piece as a shooter on a roster bereft of it. Grimes makes sense with this young core, but he had a nightmare of a third season and needs to regain his health and shooting confidence (missed 24 of 28 3s after midseason trade from New York).

Draft need: There’s already a surplus of young talent in Detroit, but there’s room for the best shooting big available in the lottery.

Indiana Pacers

2021 draft: C Isaiah Jackson
2022 draft: SF Bennedict Mathurin, SG Andrew Nembhard, SF Kendall Brown (FA)
2023 draft: PF Jarace Walker, SG Ben Sheppard, PG Isaiah Wong (2W, FA)
Undrafted since 2021: C Oscar Tshiebwe (2W, FA), SG Quenton Jackson (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 36, 49, 50

Analysis: Indiana’s best postseason in a decade provided an interesting lens for their developmental core. Nembhard had already outperformed his second-round draft slot as a starter, and then he showed more of an offensive ceiling in All-Star Tyrese Haliburton’s absence. The Pacers made the conference finals without Mathurin (shoulder), the team’s best generator of free throws. Sheppard was better in the playoffs than the regular season, while Jackson was more reliable than fellow backup center Jalen Smith. Walker didn’t see the light of day, especially after Indiana acquired Siakam; his pathway for playing time depends on Siakam and Obi Toppin’s next contracts.

Draft need: The only position Indiana doesn’t have a recent first-round pick at is point guard.

Milwaukee Bucks

2021 draft: N/A
2022 draft: SF MarJon Beauchamp, PG TyTy Washington Jr. (2W), SG Ryan Rollins (2W)
2023 draft: SG Andre Jackson Jr., SF Chris Livingston
Undrafted since 2021: PG AJ Green, SF Jaylin Galloway (2W)

2024 draft picks: 23, 33

Analysis: There’s nothing to write home about here, as the Bucks are the oldest team in the East with no young players in the rotation. Beauchamp lost playing time after Doc Rivers became the head coach, and Jackson seemed to pass Beauchamp in the pecking order in the postseason.

Draft need: There are no developmental bigs to even pretend to discuss, so that should be a target with Milwaukee’s first-round pick.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks

2021 draft: PF Jalen Johnson
2022 draft: SF AJ Griffin
2023 draft: PG Kobe Bufkin, PF Mouhamed Gueye, SF Seth Lundy (2W, FA)
Undrafted since 2021: N/A

2024 draft picks: 1

Analysis: Johnson was outstanding this past season while taking the starting power forward spot; the only thing he didn’t do was stay healthy. That’s the only positive about Atlanta’s young core. First-round picks Griffin and Bufkin were both held under 200 minutes last season, while Gueye and Lundy didn’t reach 100 minutes.

Draft need: Whoever Atlanta adds with the top pick in the draft will require the team to rethink how they view their current rotation.

Charlotte Hornets

2021 draft: SG Tre Mann, PF JT Thor (FA)
2022 draft: C Mark Williams, SG Bryce McGowens
2023 draft: SF Brandon Miller, PG Nick Smith Jr., PG Amari Bailey (2W, FA)
Undrafted since 2021: SF Leaky Black (2W)

2024 draft picks: 6, 42

Analysis: Miller shot it well as a rookie, and he is established as a building block in Charlotte. Mann was productive once he got to play following a midseason trade from Oklahoma City, showing much improved shooting and playmaking while being disruptive and active defensively. Williams secured the starting center job, but injured his back in December and never returned. Smith and Bailey rarely played, especially after the All-Star break. Perhaps Smith gets more chances under new head coach Charles Lee, but Mann’s emergence likely blocks that.

Draft need: The Hornets need more defenders with size and that could be how they add to the young core in the lottery.

(Photo of Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Sam Navarro / USA Today)

Miami Heat

2021 draft: N/A
2022 draft: PF Nikola Jović
2023 draft: PF Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Undrafted since 2021: C Orlando Robinson, SF Jamal Cain (2W, FA), PF Cole Swider (2W, FA), PG Alondes Williams (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 15, 43

Analysis: Jović emerged as a starter, although his role was limited to splashing 3s (39.9 percent) around Miami’s ball-dominant starters. Jaquez was an outstanding non-lottery first-round rookie, showing a lot of the same qualities as Jimmy Butler at a similar age. Robinson is a worthwhile project with more skill than you see from most undrafted centers.

Draft need: Miami went to great lengths to paper over their backup point guard situation. That should probably be a target for their first-round pick.

Orlando Magic

2021 draft: SG Jalen Suggs, SF Franz Wagner
2022 draft: PF Paolo Banchero, SF Caleb Houstan
2023 draft: PG Anthony Black, SG Jett Howard
Undrafted since 2021: N/A

2024 draft picks: 18, 47

Analysis: Orlando was the youngest team in the Eastern Conference to make the playoffs, and the Magic did it with some of the worst shooting in the league, which should be under consideration for how they add to the roster. But Banchero was an All-Star in his second season, and he and Scottie Barnes are the only All-Stars from the last three draft classes so far. Suggs and Wagner are both impact starters. Houstan played any time there was an injury to the forwards. Black started more games than any guard not named Suggs on the roster, but he was given as little responsibility as possible. Howard (67 minutes) was mothballed as a lottery pick.

Draft need: The Magic could use a developmental center at some point in the draft.

Washington Wizards

2021 draft: SG Corey Kispert, PG Jared Butler
2022 draft: PG Johnny Davis, PF Patrick Baldwin Jr.
2023 draft: SF Bilal Coulibaly, C Tristan Vukčević (FA)
Undrafted since 2021: C Eugene Omoruyi, SF Justin Champagnie (2W), SG Jules Bernard (2W)

2024 draft picks: 2, 26, 51

Analysis: None of Washington’s starters are in the developmental stages of their career. That should probably change with the No. 2 pick. Kispert and Coulibaly are solid rotation pieces that complement each other at the wing. The same can’t be said for Davis, a top-10 pick who hasn’t shown any confidence as a scorer, shooter or ballhandler.

Draft need: A big makes a lot of sense for the worst rebounding team in the league.

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets

2021 draft: n/a
2022 draft: SF Christian Braun, PF Peyton Watson
2023 draft: SG Julian Strawther, PG Jalen Pickett, PF Hunter Tyson
Undrafted since 2021: PG Collin Gillespie (2W), C Jay Huff (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 28, 56

Analysis: Braun and Watson were necessary rotation pieces for Denver in their second seasons, but neither were difference-makers by time the playoffs hit. None of last season’s rookies came close to making a case to be in the rotation despite underwhelming veteran options ahead of them.

Draft need: It’s time for the Nuggets to find another developmental center.

Minnesota Timberwolves

2021 draft: C Luka Garza (FA)
2022 draft: SG Wendell Moore Jr., SF Josh Minott
2023 draft: PF Leonard Miller, SG Jaylen Clark (2W)
Undrafted since 2021: PG Daishen Nix (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 27, 37

Analysis: Few teams relied less on their developmental core than Minnesota. Even TJ Warren, at 125 minutes, played more minutes than each of the six players listed above for the Timberwolves. Moore is the lone first round pick, but he has played 20 minutes in a game once in his entire career.

Draft need: Minnesota has invested heavily in bigs, but this draft may be a good spot to find a young point guard.

Oklahoma City Thunder

2021 draft: SF Aaron Wiggins (FA)
2022 draft: C Chet Holmgren, PF Ousmane Dieng, PF Jalen Williams, C Jaylin Williams
2023 draft: PG Cason Wallace, SF Keyontae Johnson (2W, FA)
Undrafted since 2021: PG Adam Flagler (2W), C Olivier Sarr (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 12

Analysis: The youngest team in the playoffs also happened to be the top seed in the West. Jalen Williams, Holmgren and Josh Giddey (since traded to the Bulls) were all starters, with Wallace serving as the sixth man as a rookie. Jaylin Williams and Wiggins were in the second unit as well. Dieng has yet to find his way, but he’s only 21 years old and could be given a chance to be the backup power forward next season.

Draft need: Wiggins is a free agent and Giddey was benched in the playoffs, foreshadowing a trade that sent him to Chicago for win-now piece Alex Caruso. The Thunder could use their lottery pick to add another wing to the core.

(Photo of Scoot Henderson: Troy Wayrynen / USA Today)

Portland Trail Blazers

2021 draft: SF Dalano Banton (FA)
2022 draft: SG Shaedon Sharpe, PF Jabari Walker
2023 draft: PG Scoot Henderson, PF Kris Murray, SG Rayan Rupert, SF Toumani Camara
Undrafted since 2021: SF Justin Minaya (2W, FA), C Ibou Badji (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 7, 14, 34, 40

Analysis: Portland was a mess last season, as their top young players either missed a lot of time with injury (Sharpe played only 32 games) or underperformed (Henderson failed to make an All-Rookie team as the third-overall pick). It wasn’t all bad. Camara was the 52nd pick in the draft and spent the entire summer with the Phoenix Suns before getting thrown into the Damian Lillard trade; only Walker played more games than Camara, who wound up starting 49 games. Banton came over in a midseason trade and wound up playing nearly 30 minutes per game. Rupert was the best 3-point shooter of all the young players, though Portland was the least accurate 3-point shooting team in the league. Murray was a first-round pick, but he was behind Walker and Camara as a rookie.

Draft need: A wing that can shoot and a developmental center could be targets for a Portland team that has multiple lottery picks.

Utah Jazz

2021 draft: PG Jason Preston (2W)
2022 draft: C Walker Kessler
2023 draft: PF Taylor Hendricks, PG Keyonte George, SF Brice Sensabaugh
Undrafted since 2021: C Kenneth Lofton Jr., SG Johnny Juzang (2W), PF Micah Potter (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 10, 29, 32

Analysis: The Jazz just finished the first lottery in their rebuild, so the young players haven’t quite emerged yet. Kessler wasn’t compatible with John Collins and lost his starting job as a result. Hendricks is the kind of rangy power forward every team would want, although he has a lot to learn about defending as a pro. George was the starting point guard for a bottom-five assist-turnover ratio team; an accomplishment for a non-lottery rookie, but one that laid bare George’s need to improve his efficiency. Sensabaugh played 16 minutes before the All-Star break, then struggled when given 20 minutes a night after the break. Lofton has skills and a feel for the game and at least belongs on a NBA roster if he is in shape.

Draft need: Getting defensive-minded perimeter players should be a priority for Utah’s young core.

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors

2021 draft: PF Jonathan Kuminga, SF Moses Moody, C Usman Garuba (2W, FA)
2022 draft: SF Gui Santos
2023 draft: SG Brandin Podziemski, C Trayce Jackson-Davis
Undrafted since 2021: PG Lester Quiñones

2024 draft picks: 52

Analysis: Kuminga became a starter last season and emerged as Golden State’s top interior scorer. The 2023 draft class was great as Podziemski earned All-Rookie honors as a non-lottery first-round pick and Jackson-Davis was the team’s best rim protector. Moody is a former lottery pick who can shoot and has been under-utilized by the Warriors.

Draft need: Golden State had two of the oldest point guards in the league last season in Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, so that could be a target for development in the second round.

LA Clippers

2021 draft: C Kai Jones, PG Bones Hyland, SG Brandon Boston Jr.
2022 draft: C Moussa Diabaté (2W, FA)
2023 draft: PF Kobe Brown, SF Jordan Miller (2W)
Undrafted since 2021: N/A

2024 draft picks: 46

Analysis: Once the Clippers figured out how they needed to play in December, there was no time for young players on the NBA’s oldest team. They had their chances, though. Hyland was the backup point guard until the James Harden trade and eventually Russell Westbrook’s move to the second unit. Boston was set back by quadriceps tendinopathy and had a forgettable season. Brown got the first shot at replacing an ineffective P.J. Tucker, but he couldn’t score and eventually was passed in the rotation by Amir Coffey. Diabaté got the first crack at replacing an injured Mason Plumlee in November, but his lack of readiness necessitated the move to get Daniel Theis. Jones didn’t join the team until the last weekend of the regular season, and he did not appear in any NBA games.

Draft need: The Clippers waived 2021 San Antonio Spurs lottery pick Joshua Primo to add Jones, so the team seems far more likely to look for a combo guard with size than another young big in the second round.

Los Angeles Lakers

2021 Draft: N/A
2022 Draft: SG Max Christie (FA)
2023 Draft: PG Jalen Hood-Schifino, SF Maxwell Lewis
Undrafted since 2021: SG Austin Reaves, C Colin Castleton (2W, FA)

2024 Draft picks: 17, 55

Analysis: Reaves is the best undrafted free agent from the last three drafts, emerging as a starter for a playoff team due to his strong offensive efficiency. Christie is an accurate shooter but he was stuck behind every veteran wing on the team. Los Angeles got next to nothing from its rookie class last season. Hood-Schifino was drafted with D’Angelo Russell’s uncertain future in mind, but now the Lakers could still be in the market for a developmental guard.

Draft need: Los Angeles should also target a developmental big.

Phoenix Suns

2021 draft: N/A
2022 draft: PF David Roddy
2023 draft: N/A
Undrafted since 2021: N/A

2024 draft picks: 22

Analysis: The Suns have made it clear since exiting the lottery in 2021 that they had zero interest in developing young talent. Roddy played all of 66 minutes for the Suns following a midseason trade from Memphis, and he was the only player from the last three draft cycles to appear in a game all season for Phoenix. The Suns were the only team in the league without multiple players from the last three draft cycles on the roster at the end of the season. That could change now that the Suns have a G League affiliate once again.

Draft need: Phoenix could use the draft for a defensive-minded point guard, a position the team punted on last season.

Sacramento Kings

2021 draft: PG Davion Mitchell, SG Chris Duarte, SF Kessler Edwards (FA)
2022 draft: PF Keegan Murray
2023 draft: SG Colby Jones, PF Jalen Slawson (2W, FA)
Undrafted since 2021: SF Keon Ellis

2024 draft picks: 13, 45

Analysis: Murray showed some improvement as a second-year starter, though his rebounding still isn’t impressive. Ellis, undrafted in 2022, was promoted from a two-way contract in February while passing Mitchell, Duarte, Edwards and Jones for rotation minutes. That’s a great accomplishment for Ellis, but quite disappointing for 2021 lottery picks Mitchell and Duarte in particular.

Draft need: Sacramento needs a wing defender who can play next season, and they need to add a developmental center at some point.

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks

2021 draft: SF Greg Brown III (2W, FA)
2022 draft: PG Jaden Hardy
2023 draft: C Dereck Lively II, PF Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Undrafted since 2021: SG AJ Lawson, PF Alex Fudge (2W), PG Brandon Williams (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 58

Analysis: There wasn’t a more impactful 2023 draft pick in the postseason than Lively. Only Derrick Jones Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. played in more games than Hardy, though the competition for minutes was fierce with Dante Exum. Prosper struggled to shoot when the season began, then Dallas upgraded at his position by adding P.J. Washington. Lawson was promoted from a two-way contract in March.

Draft need: The defending Western Conference champs could target a small forward with the draft’s final pick.

(Photo of Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr.: Darren Yamashita / USA Today)

Houston Rockets

2021 draft: SG Jalen Green, C Alperen Şengün
2022 draft: PF Jabari Smith Jr., PF Tari Eason
2023 draft: SG Amen Thompson, SF Cam Whitmore
Undrafted since 2021: SF Nate Williams (2W, FA), PF Jermaine Samuels (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 3, 44

Analysis: Houston got to .500 while starting Green, Şengün and Smith. Thompson, Eason and Whitmore all were in the rotation. Now, the Rockets get to add to that core with the third pick.

Draft need: Houston still needs to get easier shots, so a point guard could be worth adding to the developmental core. A vertical threat center would be under consider as well.

Memphis Grizzlies

2021 draft: SF Ziaire Williams, PF Santi Aldama
2022 draft: PF Jake LaRavia, SF Vince Williams Jr.
2023 draft: SF GG Jackson II
Undrafted since 2021: SG Jordan Goodwin (2W, FA), PG Scotty Pippen Jr. (2W), C Trey Jemison (2W)

2024 draft picks: 9, 39, 57

Analysis: Vince Williams Jr. and Jackson were highlights, as both were promoted from two-way contracts this winter. Jackson was an All-Rookie selection. The last time Memphis used a lottery pick, they used it on Ziaire Williams, but his field goal percentage dropped under 40 percent last season. LaRavia got to play after the All-Star break, and while he is disruptive with a clean jump shot, he has struggled to score overall.

Draft need: Aldama started plenty of games next to Jaren Jackson Jr. Goodwin, Pippen and Jemison were all worthwhile fliers on two-way contracts. Memphis could add to their respective position, starting with a center in the lottery.

New Orleans Pelicans

2021 draft: SF Trey Murphy III, PF Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (FA), SG Herbert Jones
2022 draft: SG Dyson Daniels, PF EJ Liddell
2023 draft: SG Jordan Hawkins
Undrafted since 2021: PG Jose Alvarado (FA), SG Dereon Seabron (2W, FA)

2024 draft picks: 21

Analysis: Jones was the only non-center to make the NBA All-Defensive team; he’s been an excellent second-round selection while nailing down a starting job. Murphy starts whenever Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson are out of the lineup, and he adds shooting and athleticism. Daniels and Hawkins play the same position, and though they complement each other from a skill-set perspective, there aren’t many minutes available. Alvarado has been a ball-hawk ever since he went undrafted in 2022.

Draft need: Liddell made one shot all season and Robinson-Earl is a free agent, so New Orleans could target a big in the first round.

San Antonio Spurs

2021 draft: C Charles Bassey, PF Sandro Mamukelashvili (FA), PF RaiQuan Gray (2W)
2022 draft: PF Jeremy Sochan, SG Malaki Branham, PG Blake Wesley
2023 draft: C Victor Wembanyama, SF Sidy Cissoko
Undrafted since 2021: SF Julian Champagnie, C Dominick Barlow (FA), SG David Duke Jr. (2W, FA), PG Jamaree Bouyea (2W)

2024 draft picks: 4, 8, 35, 48

Analysis: The Spurs ended the season with 12 out of 18 players being in the last three draft cycles, the most of any team in the league. It all starts with Wembanyama, the Rookie of the Year and 2023 top overall pick. Wembanyama led the league in blocks and will be an awards fixture for the next decade. Out of all of the young players, Sochan is the only other lottery pick, and San Antonio spent most of his second season playing him out of position at point guard. Branham and Wesley were fellow first-round picks from 2022 that have been adequate in the backcourt. Champagnie is one of the few undrafted players from the last three years to earn a starting job.

Draft need: This lottery is a chance for San Antonio to add a point guard and small forward to the rotation, but the Spurs may need to start finding new homes for the surplus of young players that finished last season on the roster.

(Top photo of the 2023 NBA Draft: Kostas Lymperopoulos / NBAE via Getty Images)