Why there are only 58 picks in tonight's draft (2024)

The 2023 NBA Draft was full of intriguing storylines, trades and surprises. There was no surprise at No. 1, though, where Victor Wembanyama went to the Spurs.

The Athletic's team of NBA writers and insiders weighed in here with updates and analysis.

2023 NBA Draft results

First round

1. San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama, center (France)
2. Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller, forward (Alabama)
3. Portland Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson, guard (G League Ignite)
4. Houston Rockets: Amen Thompson, guard (Overtime Elite)
5. Detroit Pistons: Ausar Thompson, guard (Overtime Elite)
6. Orlando Magic: Anthony Black, guard/wing (Arkansas)
7. Washington Wizards (from Indiana): Bilal Coulibaly, wing (France)
8. Indiana Pacers (from Washington): Jarace Walker, forward (Houston)
9. Utah Jazz: Taylor Hendricks, forward (UCF)
10. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Dallas): Cason Wallace, guard (Kentucky)
11. Orlando Magic (from Chicago): Jett Howard, wing (Michigan)
12. Dallas Mavericks (from Oklahoma City): Dereck Lively II, center (Duke)
13. Toronto Raptors: Gradey Dick, wing (Kansas)
14. New Orleans Pelicans: Jordan Hawkins, wing (UConn)
15. Atlanta Hawks: Kobe Bufkin, guard (Michigan)
16. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota): Keyonte George, guard (Baylor)
17. Los Angeles Lakers: Jalen Hood-Schifino, guard (Indiana)
18. Miami Heat: Jaime Jaquez Jr., wing (UCLA)
19. Golden State Warriors: Brandin Podziemski, guard (Santa Clara)
20. Houston Rockets (from LA Clippers): Cam Whitmore, wing (Villanova)
21. Brooklyn Nets: Noah Clowney, forward (Alabama)
22. Brooklyn Nets (from Phoenix): Dariq Whitehead, wing (Duke)
23. Portland Trail Blazers (from New York): Kris Murray, wing (Iowa)
24. Dallas Mavericks (from Sacramento): Olivier-Maxence Prosper, wing (Marquette)
25. Detroit Pistons (from Memphis): Marcus Sasser, guard (Houston)
26. Indiana Pacers (from Cleveland): Ben Sheppard, guard (Belmont)
27. Charlotte Hornets (from Denver via NY, OKC): Nick Smith Jr., guard (Arkansas)
28. Utah Jazz (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn): Brice Sensabaugh, wing (Ohio State)
29. Denver Nuggets (from Indiana via Boston): Julian Strawther, guard (Gonzaga)
30. LA Clippers (from Milwaukee via Houston): Kobe Brown, wing (Missouri)

See below for results from the second round.

Required reading and viewing

• Victor Wembanyama is here: Can he and the Spurs be a ratings boon for the NBA?
• Brandon Miller was Hornets’ ‘favorite all along’ at No. 2, according to GM
• Scoot Henderson says Blazers are ‘best situation’ for him, but will that change?
• Who are the best undrafted players of the 2023 NBA Draft?

(Photo of Victor Wembanyama: Mike Lawrence / NBAE via Getty Images)

There are 60 draft selections in a typical NBA Draft, but there will be 58 in the 2023 draft due to two forfeitures.

• The Philadelphia 76ers were penalized a second-round pick due to tampering violations in their signings of Danuel House Jr. and P.J. Tucker in 2022. They also were penalized a 2024 second-round pick.
• The Chicago Bulls were docked a second-round pick for free-agency tampering violations from signing Lonzo Ball in 2020.

Victor Wembanyama is expected to be the No. 1 pick in tonight's NBA Draft.

Ten years ago, the top pick was Anthony Bennett out of UNLV. Twenty years ago? Some guy named LeBron James went from Akron, Ohio, to Cleveland. (Rumor has it, he's done OK with his career.)

Let's go even farther back. The No. 1 pick 30 years ago was Chris Webber. Forty years ago, it was a player who some are trying to compare Wemby to: the 7-foot-4 Ralph Sampson. (They literally see eye-to-eye, but their games are noticeably different.)

And then we have 50 years ago. Doug Collins was the No. 1 pick. He's gone on to be a coach, executive and analyst in the league.

Here's to Wemby's legacy still having legs in 2073.

The path to the NBA has drastically changed since the league's inception, and particularly since it raised the age minimum to 19 years in 2005. In years past, college was the most ideal option for American prospects before declaring for the NBA Draft.

In 2020, however, G League Ignite and the Overtime Elite opened up new pathways for elite high school talent. Each is a program where players train as professionals before becoming eligible to enter the NBA at 19. On Thursday, three of the top 10 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft are expected to come from the two new pipelines.

What are the two leagues and who are the draft prospects? Here's what you must know.

Each team will be given five minutes to make its selection in the first round and two minutes in the second round. For the first 30 picks, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will take the podium to read the names of players selected or trades that have taken place. In the second round, that duty is performed by NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum.

The order of the first 14 picks was chosen by lottery last month.

In all, 58 basketball players will hear their names called at this year’s NBA Draft.

It won’t reach the fever pitch they once highlighted Tim Tebow — nothing will ever top that — but get ready for a ton of Victor Wembanyama on the ESPN/ABC family of networks over the next couple of weeks. One of the features you’ll see tonight on ABC’s coverage is a Wembanyama sit-down with Good Morning America host Robin Roberts at a Paris cafe. (The interview took place around the Draft lottery.) The ESPN coverage tonight is more NBA-oriented (what the pick means for the team) while the ABC coverage emphasizes the human-interest elements of the players.

Upon the conclusion of the NBA Draft, ESPN will feature Wembanyama heavy during its Summer League coverage, “We will certainly cover — I don’t want to say every move — but we will certainly cover him throughout Summer League,” said Dave Roberts. ESPN’s Head of Event and Studio Production. “He’s going to be one of the most high-interest athletes to come into any sport."

The goal is simple every year: Produce the most comprehensive NBA Draft report for basketball fans and those who work within the game. I want it to be basic enough that an NBA fan who has never watched any of these players gets a feel for them but thorough enough that an NBA executive potentially learns something they might not have known.

This project gets a bit harder each year as my time continues to be split in different directions, from NBA and draft coverage to college basketball transfers to the Game Theory Podcast to on-camera responsibilities. Again, we dived deep on 75 players. But this year, the product is the longest it’s ever been at more than 130,000 words. It’s a labor of love and a prospect bible I truly love getting to share.

I’m thrilled about this year’s draft, almost as excited as I am for you to explore this guide. It’s a real team effort that involves copious hours from The Athletic’s editors, design staff, social media team and others. I couldn’t be more appreciative of everyone who makes this happen, and I hope you enjoy.

Read more here.

I would not overcomplicate this pick. As I mentioned in the team evaluation section, I firmly believe that the Hornets simply need more talented players. After Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson is the most talented player in this draft, in my opinion.

No matter where Henderson goes, he’s going to be an exceptionally hard problem to solve for defenses from the first day he hits the NBA. He is so well-rounded in ball screen actions. He can pull up. He can hit floaters. He can get all the way to the rim and finish with authority or touch. He can play slow or fast, and he can make high-level passing reads. On top of that, he’s going to force the action in transition and drive easy points that way. The jumper is a concern, but Henderson’s offensive skill set is so well-rounded for a teenager, on top of him being an elite athlete.

As for the popular thought that Henderson and Ball cannot co-exist: Not only do I not buy that view, but I actually think they have styles that are complementary.

Henderson is a power driver with the ability to finish at the rim while also possessing a strong midrange game. He’s a bit more score-first stylistically, though he also possesses the ability to make high-level passing reads out of ball-screen actions. He’s direct with the ball and pushes the action. Ball, on the other hand, is more of a finesse and skill player who thrives off pull-up 3s and layups. He’s unselfish, and is comfortable playing as a pass-first player when that decision is on the table.

Read more here.

Scoot Henderson’s season at G League Ignite wasn’t exactly dominant. In fact, statistically, it wasn’t any better than what he’d done a year earlier as a 17-year-old. Despite his impressive physical tools, Henderson repeatedly settled for pull-up 2s that he converted at a barely adequate rate, shooting just 46.5 percent on 2s in a league with basically no shot blockers. Opponents just went under screens against him and dared him to pull up.

Nonetheless, the tool set here is too enticing to ignore. Henderson is a big guard who can defend up positionally, especially with his superior length (a 6-9 wingspan, highly unusual for a 6-2 guard). While his scoring disappointed, he was a very effective distributor in the G League — almost too unselfish, actually.

It appeared, more than anything, that Henderson threw it into cruise control this year while he waited on the NBA. His extended pre-game workouts on game days and severely diminished steal rate both lent more credence to that idea; it wasn’t quite LaMelo Ball-in-Australia level, but other than the head-to-head matchup against Wembanyama in Las Vegas in October, you never felt like you were seeing him at his best.

Although we’ve been hearing his name for a while, Henderson is still one of the younger players in this draft at 19 years and 3 months and has an obvious development pathway if he can shoot more consistently from the perimeter. He made just 32.4 percent of his rare 3-point attempts and 76.4 percent of his free throws this past season, and there’s a danger that he gets “undered” to death as a pro and turns into Eric Bledsoe. Nonetheless, there is Derrick Rose-type upside here, especially if the shooting comes around.

(Photo: Getty Images)

We have officially hit the silly part of the NBA Draft process, with rumors flying and smoke screens being thrown around in every single call.

There is no drama at No. 1, where Victor Wembanyama will be selected first by the San Antonio Spurs. But real questions start at No. 2, where it remains hard to nail down what the Charlotte Hornets are thinking. The Trail Blazers at No. 3 also present some real questions, as Portland looks to weigh its future and its present with a relatively new front office and Damian Lillard. The Houston Rockets at No. 4 have a strong scouting department but also want to shift more into win-now territory. And at No. 5, the Detroit Pistons are armed with their two creators of the future — Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey — but still need a wing player and defensive help.

Additionally, it’s worth noting two factors leading to this draft being remarkably difficult to project right now. First, I have never experienced as much smoke-screening in the NBA Draft as I have heard this year. Typically, a number of lies told, or rumors spread like wildfire and become widely accepted. But this year has been all over the map. Second, a number of picks seem to be truly available for acquisition. In large part, it has to do with the number of teams that have multiple picks. The Pacers, Jazz and Hornets alone hold nearly one-quarter of the picks in this draft. There are 10 teams that hold over half of the selections in the draft following star trades over the last couple of years that have consolidated pick capital. There will be quite a bit of movement, which has led to confusion even for executives and agents on draft ranges for certain players.

Read my full mock draft here.

When he steps onto an NBA court, Victor Wembanyama will be among the tallest players in league history.

And sure, we’ve seen much of the offensive skill and overall agility the 19-year-old possesses in other prospects, but rarely if ever have they come in a package quite like that of the 7-foot-4 French phenom.

While scouts and hoops experts largely agree that Wembanyama is among the best prospects ever to enter the NBA Draft, there’s still the unknown of whether he’ll reach those sky-high expectations — and even a slight mystery regarding his actual height.

For our purposes, we’re going with 7-4 (and based on this photo with Wembanyama and fellow Frenchman, 7-1 Rudy Gobert, that seems about right). That’s Wembanyama’s listed height on his EuroBasket profile. Some outlets say 7-3; others go with 7-5. Wembanyama won’t be at this week’s Draft Combine with his French league season still ongoing, so we might not really know until he heads to the U.S.

But we do know, no matter the exact measurements, his immense size is a fun comparison with other big men (and small men) in NBA history. How does Wembanyama stack up with them and the league’s current players?

Read more here.

Bates’ talent is undeniable. He is tall, agile, quick, explosive and highly skilled. He averaged 19.2 points (on 33.0 percent 3-point shooting), 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists last season for the Eagles. He had four games where scored at least 30, including a dazzling 43-point eruption in a loss at Toledo. Bates was just 17 years old when he started his freshman season at Memphis, so he will be 19 on draft night. He has one of the highest ceilings in this draft.

Ah, but will he reach it? There are plenty of questions about Bates’ maturity, toughness and work ethic. His guilty plea in December to a misdemeanor gun charge did nothing to alleviate those concerns. It is critical that whatever team chooses him does its due diligence on Bates’ background, but given how young he is, it’s possible those issues could erode in time. If that happens, Bates offers a set of of physical gifts that can’t be acquired. I wouldn’t take him in the first round, but if he falls to the middle of the second or later, he’s well worth the risk.

Read more here.

(Photo: Mitchell Layton / Getty Images)

Here’s a guy who is built like an NFL linebacker, soars like an Olympic high jumper and drains feathery jumpers like an NBA guard. He landed at Kansas State last season and in short order led a previously moribund program to within a possession of making the Final Four. He averaged 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds and made 40.5 percent of his 3-point attempts. So why is he projected as a mid-second-round pick at best?

The answer, of course, is the frightening incident on Dec. 12, 2020, when Johnson collapsed due to a heart episode during a game against Florida State. He spent three days in a medically induced coma and made a full recovery, but it was two years before he was able to play in a competitive game again. Obviously, selecting Johnson would require a team to conduct its due diligence on his health, but his heart was monitored very closely last season, and he still played like an All-American. If that question can be answered, then Johnson is clearly a first-round talent. And you can’t discount the perspective and appreciation someone gains after going through that kind of experience.

Read more here.

(Photo: Ben Solomon / Getty Images)

Here’s another guy with an NBA-ready body and skill set who has shown a capacity to improve. As a freshman, Strawther played just 7.4 minutes per game for the Zags and averaged 3.4 points. Those numbers rose to 11.8 points in 26.8 minutes as a sophom*ore and 15.2 points in 31.2 minutes last season. His 3-point percentage and free throw percentage went up each year as well. That level of stick-to-it-tiveness is in increasingly short supply in today’s portalized era. Strawther could have left for a program where minutes and shots were more plentiful. He chose to remain in Spokane, work on his game and become a key cog in a winning program. That bodes well for his professional future.

As an athlete, Strawther isn’t going to remind anyone of Aaron Gordon, but he’s big, skilled and quick enough to be an effective NBA player. Not to mention that he has shown a knack for hitting big shots, none bigger than the deep 3 from the center court logo to beat UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen. Strawther hit a shot from almost the same spot earlier in the season to give the Zags a win at BYU. Those aren’t just big moments, they’re formative experiences, and Strawther will carry that confidence into the league, in turn benefiting whichever team is smart enough to draft him.

Read more here.

(Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)

I saw Bailey play in person early last season in Las Vegas, where the Bruins lost to Illinois and Baylor. I was struck by how uncomfortable Bailey looked shooting the ball, which was a problem considering his position was shooting guard. He had a combined six points on 2-of-10 shooting in the two games. It was early in the season, of course, and I knew he’d get better, but Bailey looked far from the one-and-done player he was projected to be coming out of high school. Over the ensuing weeks he had a couple of 19-point games against Pepperdine and Stanford, but when he went out with a foot injury in late December, it looked like Bailey was headed for a lost season.

As it turned out, the chance to watch from the bench for seven games did Bailey some good, because when he returned in late January, he was a different player. He scored a season-high 24 points in a Feb. 9 win at Oregon State, dropped 26 against Colorado in the Pac-12 tournament and averaged 17.3 points on 45.5 percent 3-point shooting over his last four games. He showed quickness, bounce and increasing confidence in his jump shot. Bailey went from averaging 9.5 points on 36.4 percent 3-point shooting in the 13 games before his injury to 12.5 points on 40.6 percent 3-point shooting in the 17 games afterward. Had Bailey returned to Westwood for his sophom*ore season, he would have most likely continued that ascent and played himself into the first round of the NBA Draft. Some lucky team is about to get him for a lot less money.

Read more here.

(Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

The NBA loves shooters and spacers, so Flagler will fit right into the league’s wide-open, analytics-driven offenses. He’s bigger than you think, and he has an ultra quick release and deep range that make him play even taller. I especially love that Flagler made the leap from playing for Presbyterian as a freshman to being a featured performer in one of the best programs in the Big 12. He is also coming off his best college season, averaging 15.6 points (on 40.0 percent 3-point shooting) to go along with 4.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds. Flagler is also a career 80.8 percent free throw shooter, and he was named first team all-conference in America’s toughest league.

Yet most draft boards have Flagler going at the end of the second round, if at all. That would be a big whiff. He’ll never make the All-Defense team in the NBA, but he’s good enough on that end not to get embarrassed, and his marksmanship from deep more than makes up for it. The rule of thumb in drafting used to be when in doubt, take size. Nowadays, it’s when in doubt, take shooting. Flagler is one of the top shooters in the draft.

Read more here.

(Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

During the first three minutes of the Huskies’ Final Four game against Miami, Sanogo stroked in two 3-pointers from the top of the key. They weren’t exactly works of art — Sanogo has a push set shot, and the Hurricanes had left him wide open for a reason — but they weren’t anomalies, either. Sanogo had attempted (and missed) just one 3-pointer during his first two seasons in Storrs, but as a junior he made 19 of his 52 attempts for a cool 36.5 percent. That doesn’t make him Stephen Curry, but it’s a pretty decent sample size that indicates this very strong big man with soft hands has the potential to knock down long-range shots at the next level.

And that is really the only question Sanogo is facing as he transitions to the league. Like a lot of big men, he could be vulnerable defending ball screens away from the basket, but Sanogo has also improved drastically in this regard. There is still a place in the NBA for the big, strong, rugged, warrior, old-school power forward. Dan Hurley says Sanogo works as hard and as intensely as any player he has ever coached, and that sense of purpose and professionalism leads me to believe that Sanogo will be a workmanlike power forward in the NBA for many years. There’s a reason Sanogo was the runaway choice for Most Outstanding Player during UConn’s dominant NCAA Tournament run. He’s really good, and he has a lot of room to get better.

Read more here.

(Photo: Mitchell Layton / Getty Images)