Following the conclusion of the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday, the league is now moving toward the start of free agency on Sunday. But some teams put themselves in a great position heading into the summer. Many teams feel good about the draft class they just selected but only a few really knocked it out of the park. Here are the three teams that improved the most from the draft.
Read more: 2024 NBA Draft: Winners, Losers, Biggest Surprises of First Round
3. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers drafted two players who could become staples in the lineup for years to come. First, they selected guard Jared McCain out of Duke in the first round. He shot 41.4 percent from beyond the three-point line last season and should help space the floor for the 76ers. Philadelphia then grabbed center Adem Bona out of UCLA in the second round. Bona is essentially an energizer when on the floor as he plays with a lot of heart. He can be an energy boost to the second unit of the 76ers, giving them another solid big man behind Joel Embiid.
Philadelphia will have an active offseason as they look to build the roster around Embiid and Tyrese Maxey using major cap space, but these two picks help the cause. The 76ers were clear winners from the two-day event this year.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
Heading into the draft, nobody expected that forward Dalton Knecht out of the University of Tennessee would be available for the Lakers at pick No. 17. Knecht was projected as a lottery pick in this draft class so the Lakers ran to the podium to select him with the pick. He is expected to compete for rotation minutes on this roster and give them a strong three-point shooter to work around. Knecht is a great scorer and will give a boost to the Lakers' offense this season.
In the second round, Los Angeles selected guard Bronny James out of USC with the No. 55 pick. The son of NBA legend LeBron James, the selection of Bronny has been a controversial one. While his first season with the Trojans wasn't great, he also was coming off a traumatic cardiac arrest experience just months before. He is a talented guard who is strong defensively and if given time to grow, he could become a solid role player. This pick also likely helps the Lakers bring back his dad which is priority No. 1 for Los Angeles this summer.
1. Utah Jazz
The Jazz added some real talent in this draft with three picks. First, they selected forward Cody Williams out of the University of Colorado with the No. 10 overall pick. The Jazz then drafted guard Isaiah Collier out of USC toward the end of the first round of the draft with the No. 29 selection. Finally, in the second round, the Jazz selected center Kyle Filipowski out of Duke with the No. 32 pick. Utah brought in three players that can compete for rotation minutes.
Read more: 2024 NBA Draft Results: All 58 Picks of the First and Second Rounds
Utah isn't likely to be a playoff team again this coming season so this will give each of these players a chance to grow fully. The Jazz may want to "tank" this coming year anyway so they can try to get in on the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. But for now, this was a home run draft for the Jazz as they look to build for the future.
About the writer
Matt Levine works as a contributing writer for Newsweek, covering multiple sports. He graduated in 2021 with a Master of ... Read more
