Trades have been rife in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, but despite league-wide rumors of veterans potentially moving teams, only Deni Avdija and Malcolm Brogdon will be wearing new uniforms after Wednesday night’s events. A total of six first-round picks ultimately changed hands in the first 30 picks (Thursday’s second round begins at 4 p.m. ET). The most notable deal was Minnesota’s swap of a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a top-one protected 2030 first-round pick for San Antonio’s No. 8 pick and the right to select Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Dillingham was being pursued by Detroit with the fifth pick, San Antonio with the eighth, Utah with the 10th and Miami with the 15th pick, according to sources. Rumors circulated among league sources that both the Heat and Timberwolves were considering trading Memphis up to ninth and ahead of the Jazz in a trade. The Timberwolves were one step ahead in trading their only remaining first-round pick to acquire Dillingham. Minnesota will have a 2032 first-round pick available once the draft is over.
The stakes are high that Dillingham will develop into the perfect running mate for Anthony Edwards in Minnesota’s backcourt after veteran table-setter Mike Conley aged out of the Timberwolves’ championship game. Dillingham stands 6-foot-1 and weighs just 164 pounds, and many teams have concerns about his size and defensive ability. But Dillingham’s physical characteristics are very similar to those of Clippers guard Vaughn Hyland, whom Minnesota president Tim Connelly drafted while leading the Denver Nuggets. And if any roster can make up for Dillingham’s shortcomings defending the position, it’s this pesky, tall Timberwolves unit that boasted the league’s best defense in the 2023-24 regular season. Minnesota made it through all of that effort while finishing 27th in the draft. The Timberwolves could acquire Illinois senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr., a microwave scorer who sources said was being considered as high as Chicago at No. 11.
Where University of Connecticut center Donovan Clingan landed was perhaps the most intriguing backstory to emerge at the top of the first round. Executives from rival teams thought Clingan was a likely No. 1 pick for Atlanta, but then Clingan interviewed with San Antonio over Zoom last weekend, Clingan confirmed to Yahoo Sports during a media availability on Tuesday in Manhattan.
All of this put Houston in a position to receive trade inquiries from various teams for the No. 3 pick, most notably the Portland Trail Blazers, who held the No. 7 pick, and the Memphis Grizzlies, who entered the draft with the No. 9 pick. But once it became clear that Reed Shepard was Houston’s pick, sources said the Rockets didn’t give the team much of an opportunity to trade that slot, as Houston has long had its sights on Shepard, a Kentucky guard who shot 52.1 percent from 3-point range last season.
After Clingan’s former point guard with the Huskies, Stephon Castle, proved to be San Antonio’s No. 4 pick, there was speculation around the league that Detroit would just trade Clingan to the highest bidder, but the Pistons bet big on G League Ignite guard Ron Holland, which was perhaps the biggest surprise of the entire draft and put Charlotte in a strong position to face off against both the Blazers and Grizzlies.
With Charlotte holding the pick, the Hornets discussed trading down from No. 6 with both Portland and Memphis, according to sources. The Trail Blazers appeared to be the Hornets’ preferred partner, and a significant number of league executives believed San Antonio was targeting 6-foot-9 forward Tijan Salaou at No. 8. The French prospect shares an agent with Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, and it was ultimately felt that Memphis’ No. 9 pick wasn’t worth the gamble for Charlotte. So the Hornets got their desired player in Salaou, and Portland got Clingan.
Blazers’ Big Night
Portland must be excited to acquire Clingan without sacrificing future draft capital. The Blazers have been pursuing the 7-footer who helped lead the University of Connecticut to a national championship this entire pre-draft cycle. While Portland’s frontcourt already features Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams, and there are questions about depth, many scouts and NBA talent evaluators believe Clingan not only has incredible size and fluidity, but also the intangibles that make him All-Defensive.
The deal to acquire Avdija was also interesting, as the Blazers traded Broggon to acquire the 23-year-old forward below the luxury tax threshold. Trading Broggon’s $22.5 million salary next season for Avdija’s new four-year, $55 million contract, which starts in 2024-25, would put Portland about $1 million below the luxury tax. While the Blazers expect to be interested in making a playoff appearance next season, this was not a roster that any front office would feel was worth the tax. Avdija is also a developing defender who has drawn interest from various championship contenders, to the point that Washington has told interested teams it would take two first-round picks to part ways with the Israeli forward. Avdija’s new contract is viewed as a valuable contract by team strategists, especially if he can continue to develop in his fifth NBA season.
But the cost of saving that money and acquiring an up-and-coming player was certainly steep: Not only did Portland give Washington the 14th pick, which became Pittsburgh native Bub Carrington, but the Blazers also sent a first-round pick in 2029, plus second-round picks in 2028 and 2030. It was a substantial return for the Wizards, and Washington’s new front office, led by Michael Winger, has performed a thorough surgery on the team’s roster and assets.
What’s next for Washington?
League sources believe the Wizards could find trade value for Brogdon this season, but how long he remains on Washington’s roster could put veteran point guard Tyus Jones in an odd position. Jones will be an unrestricted free agent and is expected to sign for a little less than Brogdon’s amount next season. The Magic could actually make the rumors of league-wide interest in Jones come true, but they’d also have to consider that Jalen Suggs is also due a big salary.
Washington gained some serious draft capital after trading Bradley Beal to the Suns last summer. Acquiring a first-round draft pick at the trade deadline in exchange for Daniel Gafford was a win. The big takeaway from the Wizards’ paperwork was getting two picks in exchange for Avdija. Perhaps Kyle Kuzma will also follow the veterans out. Sources say Sacramento was in some sort of framework to acquire Kuzma and swap their 13th pick for Washington’s 26th pick. If the amount the Wizards paid for Avdija is any indication, Washington’s price for Kuzma will only continue to rise.
Plenty of second-round picks
So many second-round picks were traded on Wednesday that it was almost impossible to count them all. Denver traded three second-round picks, including the player they had at No. 56 in Thursday’s draft, to move up six spots, from 28th to 22nd, to select center Darron Holmes II from Dayton via Phoenix, sources said. A few slots later, Oklahoma City traded five second-round picks between 2025 and 2027 to New York and moved up to the tail end of the first round to acquire Weber State’s Dillon Jones, sources said.
That sets the tone for Day 2 of the NBA Draft on Thursday, with the Toronto Raptors back in action at No. 31. It’ll be interesting to see if any teams are willing to spend a future No. 2 pick more on either of the final two names left in the Green Room — Duke’s Kyle Filipovsky and Kansas’ Johnny Furphy. Another top prospect still available that league insiders believe could prompt a team to make a trade early in the second round is former G League Ignite center Tyler Smith.
