Re-Drafting Zach Edey, Stephon Castle and the 2024 NBA Rookie Class (2025)

Dan FavaleApr 21, 2025

All the usual mulligan festivities apply. Sort of. Players will be selected without regard for their fits on teams that owned said pick. This is more about (re-)picking the best name available.

Here's the twist: With only one campaign under their belts, players cannot solely be chosen based on what they've already done. Rest assured, first-year performances will inform the order to come. But nobody here has even 2,500 total minutes on their resume.

Since the ultimate goal is to select the player we want for the rest of their career, this exercise will take some liberties, often eschewing 2024-25 returns in favor of longer-term upside and, in some cases, pre-draft impressions that still warrant indulging, even if this past year didn't validate them.

1. Atlanta Hawks: Stephon Castle

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Original Pick: Zaccharie Risacher

Stephon Castle's Original Draft Position: No. 4

Anyone completely dismissing Stephon Castle's inefficiency from the floor needs to lower the magnification on their rose-colored goggles. He barely rated as an above-average finisher at the rim and was a demonstrative net-negative from everywhere else on the floor.

At the same time, the list of recent high-minutes rookies to post a true shooting percentage south of 53 on 25-plus usage includes guys like Paolo Banchero, Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards. Onset inefficiency is not a death knell.

Dinging Castle for his spotty shooting in the Rookie of the Year discussion is fair game. Penalizing him over the longer term goes too far. The defense can already be stifling, and the live-dribble playmaking is closer to lead- than off-guard material.

Castle has a lower floor than many names to come if the jumper never comes along. But in a draft class heavy on low-ceiling players, we'll invest the No. 1 pick in someone with a plausible path to stardom.

2. Washington Wizards: Alex Sarr

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Original Pick: Alex Sarr

Alex Sarr's Original Draft Position: No. 2

Alex Sarr has a stronger No. 1 overall re-draft case than most will think. Though his offensive efficiency verges on terrifying, particularly when it comes to catching and finishing around the basket, he deserves time and space to get stronger and, of course, feature on versions of the Washington Wizards with players better suited to delivering him the ball.

Look beyond that, and you'll appreciate the extended pockets in which the 7-footer delivered defensive disruption, grab-and-go chops, plenty of playmaking and operable stretch from the floor.

To that end, here is every player to clear 100 made threes, 100 assists and 100 blocks as a rookie: Sarr, Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama.

3. Houston Rockets: Zaccharie Risacher

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Original Pick: Reed Sheppard

Zaccharie Risacher's Original Draft Position: No. 1

Go ahead and move Zaccharie Risacher above Alex Sarr. Or even Stephon Castle. You won't catch flak from me.

Where Castle and Sarr are bets on star upside, Risacher is an investment in safety. He did not have the cleanest start to his career, but he returned from a January adductor injury with a vengeance, showcasing his touch from the outside, floor navigation in transition and the half-court, bandwidth to tackle some tougher defensive assignments and even some layered decision-making on drives.

Stardom doesn't appear to be in the cards for the 20-year-old. He'll need to generate more of his own looks and chisel out better separation when he does to reach that peak.

We shouldn't rule it out. And even if we do, his median outcome is that of a highly useful top-of-the-rotation player. That's intriguing enough, for now, to slot him in front of higher-reward dice rolls like Jared McCain and Reed Sheppard.

4. San Antonio Spurs: Jared McCain

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Original Pick: Stephon Castle

Jared McCain's Original Draft Position: No. 16

Jared McCain was tracking towardrunawayRookie of the Year honors before a left knee injury prematurely ended his season. He would have a stronger case over any of the three in front of him if he played more. But the 23 games in which he appeared more than proved his utility as a shot-maker.

It remains to be seen whether he can function as a central facilitator. At only 6'2", he poses all sorts of challenges, on both ends of the floor, if he can't.

Still, the 20-year-old's scoring armory scales to both spot-up and from-scratch situations, incorporates pretty much every level of the court and opens up all sorts of downhill playmaking opportunities. He wound up finishing 2024-25 in the 87th percentile of drive-assist points created per 75 possessions,according to BBall-Index.

5. Detroit Pistons: Reed Sheppard

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Original Pick: Ron Holland II

Reed Sheppard's Original Draft Position: No. 3

Yours truly left Reed Sheppard at No. 3 in our first re-draft exercise. Plenty of people were mad. Those same loud-typers will likely remain angry now.

Sheppard has seldom turned heads while earning sporadic playing time with the Houston Rockets. But cracking the regular rotation of the second-best team in the West as a rookie is, er, really ridiculously hard.

This Rockets regime also has a track record of gradually bringing along (most of) its kids. That approach has worked out quite well for Amen Thompson. And Alperen Şengün (who, let's face it, was brought along too slowly).

For now, G-League detonations coupled with the flashes of tantalizing on-ball separation and off-ball gravity alongside the grown-ups are enough to hold out hope for Sheppard to follow an All-Star trajectory.

6. Charlotte Hornets: Matas Buzelis

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Original Pick: Tidjane Salaun

Matas Buzelis' Original Draft Position: No. 11

Matas Buzelis closed his rookie season the same way he began it (once the Chicago Bulls inserted him into the regular rotation): delivering approximately six to 77 moments per game that suggest he never should have dropped outside the top 10.

Finishing around the rim remains a concern, but it's far from damning when considering how many of his looks near the hoop came off his own design. While Buzelis may not be the most stable ball-handler right now, he has flickers of brilliance—changes of directions, spins through traffic, standout passes, the whole nine.

Whether he warrants heavy on-ball usage on a good team remains to be seen. If it turns out he doesn't, he'll be just fine. His off-ball movement and shooting is ahead of his pre-draft impressions, and his defensive activity is encouraging—particularly around the basket.

7. Portland Trail Blazers: Zach Edey

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Original Pick: Donovan Clingan

Zach Edey's Original Draft Position: No. 9

Bumping up Zach Edey to Donovan Clingan's initial spot invites debate between the two. So, let's have one!

If we're playing a game right now, rolling with Clingan makes sense. He feels like more imposing force around the bucket, and his screens seem to connect harder.

Yet, while the near term is debatable, the bigger picture undeniably favors Edey. He will be every bit the deterrent and screener Clingan is now, if he's not already. Plus, the three-point dabbling, standstill passing, floor-running, half-court mobility away from the basket and interior scoring—Edey scored more unassisted two-pointers than Alex Sarr, per PBP Stats—all favor the 7'4" behemoth.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (via San Antonio): Donovan Clingan

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Original Pick: Rob Dillingham

Donovan Clingan's Original Draft Position: No. 7

Skeptics will believe Donovan Clingan's lackluster finishing and passing as well as finite range and plodding mobility are limitations not worth looking past. The way he leverages his enormity begs to differ.

Clingan's offensive utility should improve as he gets to play alongside better playmakers and floor-spacers. He is already a pancaking screener and the kind of rim protector who not only stops shots, but dissuades opponents from ever taking them.

The 7'2" skyscraper wrapped his rookie campaign placing above the 95th percentile in both BBall Index's screening talent and overall rim deterrence metrics. Among everyone to log at least 1,000 minutes this season, Kristaps Porziņģis and Victor Wembanyama are the only other players to do the same.

9. Memphis Grizzlies: Jaylen Wells

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Original Pick: Zach Edey

Jaylen Wells' Original Draft Position: No. 39

Jaylen Wells shouldered an outsized defensive burden for a team that flirted with 50 victories. That is absurd, even when factoring in the Memphis Grizzlies' midseason tailspin.

Equally ridiculous: His importance crystallized even further after he suffered a fractured right wrist, on top of a facial laceration and concussion, that prematurely ended his season. Memphis immediately needed to juice the workloads for Scotty Pippen Jr. and Vince Williams Jr. as the result of his absences.

Some of Wells' sheen eroded over time. He shot under 30 percent from three after Feb. 1, undermining his plug-and-play skill set. Though he showed a dab of driving and live-dribble acumen, it wasn't enough to hint at pinnacle much loftier than a premier three-and-D weapon.

Know what, though? That's OK! Wells shouldered a top-five defensive workload, according to BBall Index, and often held his own. That is the kind of efficacy capable of elevating a contender's rotation.

10. Utah Jazz: Kel'el Ware

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Original Pick: Cody Williams

Kel'el Ware's Original Draft Position: No. 15

Hoops heads everywhere are smitten with Kel'el Ware. I must confess to being lower than consensus, though even I can't deny the appeal of someone with his physical tools and fluidity.

Bleacher Report's own Grant Hughes ended up selling me on a top-10 inclusion when he wrote the following:

"Kel'el Ware became a starting-lineup fixture in late January, and he's been one of the season's most productive rookies ever since. As a starter, Ware averaged a double-double and shot 53.5 percent from the field. Even more impressively, the Miami Heat won the minutes with their rookie center on the court over the course of the entire season, posting aplus-1.0 net ratingacross over 2,600 possessions.

"Defensively, Ware needs to improve his timing and anticipation. But there's a lot to like about a big man with his size, athleticism and floor-spacing potential."

Sustaining a league-average-or-better clip from deep feels like it'll be Ware's swing development. If he becomes even a three-alarm fire threat on triples, he'll have top-five mystique as a matchup nightmare at either frontcourt slot.

11. Chicago Bulls: Nikola Topic

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Original Pick: Matas Buzelis

Nikola Topić's Original Draft Position: No. 12

A left ACL injury sidelined Nikola Topić for the entire season, making this a curious selection on its face. But there is not enough can’t-miss kaboom potential in the coming do-overs to displace the 19-year-old from the lottery.

Bub Carrington, Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier, Yves Missi and Ron Holland II are all justifiable possibilities. None of their best-case outcomes pop enough to pass on the Serbian mystery box. So like the Oklahoma City Thunder before me, I will (continue to) take the longer view.

There is a distinctly Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderian cadence to the way Topić plays on the ball. He definitely doesn't have the same highest-gear athleticism, but his probing is surgical, and he can carve out enough defensive separation that translates to shot generation for both himself and others.

Three-point shooting and lateral mobility on the less-glamorous end will be swing skills. If he hits on one or both, do not be surprised if slotting him at No. 11 ends up seeming low a year or two from now.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Bub Carrington

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Original Pick: Nikola Topić

Bub Carrington’s Original Draft Position: No. 14

Great positional size and visible feel headline Bub Carrington's most intriguing attributes. Time will tell whether he can actually run the offense, but there is a poise and patience on the ball that allows him to reach his preferred spots and let plays develop for others.

Scant rim pressure is a real problem. And it isn't immediately clear whether he has the on- or off-ball thrust to meaningfully increase it.

Carrington makes up for some of it with a good shooting stroke. His overall three-point clip could be higher—and it will be. He has flashed a comfort level launching off the catch as well as dribbling his way into jumpers.

Futz with his calendar splits, and you can find protected stretches of higher efficiency. He still closed the year drilling 49.4 percent of his pull-up twos and 35.4 percent of his pull-up threes. Building upon these clips while sustaining a higher level of overall scoring aggression will determine whether this placement is too ambitious—or not optimistic enough.

13. Sacramento King: Ron Holland II

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Original Pick: Devin Carter

Ron Holland’s Original Draft Position: No. 5

Offensive limitations have a tendency to take center stage when talking about Ron Holland II. That makes some sense. Developing into more of a threat as a set jump-shooter will be critical, otherwise including him in lineups where he is neither the primary ball-handler nor playing beside a floor-spacing big.

Getting stuck on what Holland doesn’t yet do—and maybe won’t ever do—sells him short. He is already a pesky wing defender, with a nose for decision-making as a playmaker and scorer on the break. His efficiency from deep is an eyesore, but he has provided glimpses into his mid-range touch, providing hope that even the less-than-ideal version of himself won’t be a one-note scorer.

Moving Holland down eight spots can seem dramatic when compared to the number of dice rolls in front of him. This is still higher than he placed last time (No. 17).

If your argument for a more significant bump is that he gave head coach J.B. Bickerstaff enough reasons to keep him in the rotation for a legitimately good Detroit Pistons squad, well, here's the thing: I totally get it!

14. Washington Wizards (via Portland): Rob Dillingham

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Original Pick: Bub Carrington

Rob Dillingham's Original Draft Position: No. 8

You can use the Reed Sheppard logic to put Rob Dillingham closer to his initial eighth-overall slot. Wedging your way into the regular rotation of a contender as a rookie is beyond difficult, and for all the Minnesota Timberwolves' up-and-down theatrics, theirs is an urgent window, with little room to stomach the learning curve of a rookie floor general.

It would still have been nice to see Dillingham validate his reputation as a jittery shot-maker during his playing-time blips. But if you revisit many of his offensive possessions, the bigger-picture skeleton of his game remains intact.

Drives can be electric when he's given enough room. I have questions about his table-setting for others when breaking down set defenses, but there is a clear willingness to quickly get off the ball. And if it turns out he shouldn't be a primary initiator, he has the off-ball stroke to space as a complement.

Defensive concerns are going nowhere when he stands 6'1". Dillingham has shown some moxie and isn't someone who just dies on screens. He may nevertheless always be a pain point opposing offenses feel comfortable targeting.

That drags him down a bit relative to those already off the board. His knack for effectively toggling between scoring usages, though, warrants a lottery ticket.

15. Miami Heat: Kyle Filipowski

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Original Pick: Kel'el Ware

Kyke Filipowski’s Original Draft Position: No. 32

Excluding Kyle Filipowski from the first re-draft is perhaps my biggest miss. He hadn’t yet popped for the Utah Jazz, but that is definitely a whiff for which the “My bad” phrase exists.

Filipowski might so far be the best offensive player from this class. The shooting is dangerous, as is his movement away from the ball. But he has also dusted off a genuine half-court floor game along with a viable grab-and-go motor.

None of this, mind you, accounts for his most outlier skill. The passing jumps off the page, both when he’s diming up from standstills and deferring out of live dribbles.

Placing Filipowski just outside the lottery gets a little thorny when you consider his defensive limitations. He very clearly cannot play center, so unless he can sponge up reps as an oversized 3 (on a good team), his functionality maxes out at the 4.That’s inherently restrictive. But when Chet Holmgren is the only other rookie big to ever match Filipowski’s effective field-goal percentage while taking as many threes, it’s worth all of us taking notice.

16. Philadelphia 76ers: Isaiah Collier

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Original Pick: Jared McCain

Isaiah Collier's Original Position: No. 29

With every Isaiah Collier assist I rewatched as part of this exercise, I experienced a near-irresistible urge to put him in the top 10. The turnovers are a problem, but they seem mostly borne from inexperience, over-exuberance and attempting passes of which most would never dream, let alone dare.

Collier will tone down these warts. You do not place in the top 15 of assists on drives, while playing for this Utah Jazz team, by mistake. It should surprise no one if he one day ranks as one of the best five to eight pure passes in the game.

The efficiency away from the basket continues to be scary—and cannot be overlooked. Collier proved more efficient after the All-Star break and was more effective overall from the floor as a starter. But everything about his touch outside five or six feet is still a question mark. That detracts from his floor just as much as dynamic vision buoys his ceiling.

17. Los Angeles Lakers: Ajay Mitchell

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Original Pick: Dalton Knecht

Ajay Mitchell's Original Draft Position: No. 38

Ajay Mitchell received a lottery nod in the last re-draft. A braver version of myself would keep him in that territory. But he missed around three months with a toe injury, during which time others have emerged and extended their samples. There is also, in all likelihood, more limited upside to his offensive game than boom-or-bust picks such as the preceding Isaiah Collier.

Cracking the (early) rotation of a championship favorite, as a rookie, is nonetheless bonkers stuff.

The 22-year-old plays with the dials-all-go-to-11 defensive intensity. Yes, the Oklahoma City Thunder have insulated him against the toughest point-of-attack assignments. That's more so a function of their depth. Mitchell navigates screens like a whiz, is mostly excellent at contesting shots and will bust up plays as the helper.

Don't sleep on his offensive utility, either. Mitchell moves well without the ball, has drilledover 37 percentof his above-the-break treys and can dribble into pull-ups both off the catch and when working one-on-one.

18. Orlando Magic: Yves Missi

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Original Pick: Tristan Da Silva

Yves Missi's Original Draft Position: No. 21

Yves Missi solidified his nice-find status while the New Orleans Pelicans were banged up and then continued to reinforce it throughout the season.

Few players fight as hard on the offensive glass, though it would be nice if he did the same at the other end. His efficiency around the hoop and as the roll man is so-so, but that's a compliment when you look at the rotating and, oftentimes, deficient personnel around whom he played.

Figuring out how to navigate the floor alongside Zion Williamson, another non-spacer, is big-time. It doesn't matter if the Pelicans wind up trading their cornerstone. Missi's development next to him, as well as his underappreciated (and arguably under-explored) versatility in pick-and-roll coverage bodes well for his bandwidth to have an impact within all different types of lineups.

19. Toronto Raptors: Kyshawn George

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Original Pick: Ja'Kobe Walter

Kyshawn George's Original Draft Position: No. 24

Looking at Kyshawn George's numbers will not have you gushing. Watching his tape, on the other hand, is liable to leave you "Why isn't he higher?" smitten.

Boosting his stock even further requires stringing together longer stretches of shot-making. It also mandates generating more paint pressure, both on and off the ball.

Still, George offered snapshots of someone who can provide connective passing and create more separation off the dribble than you'd expect, even without getting all the way through the teeth of the defense. Take post-All-Star numbers with a metric ton of salt forever and always, but he converted 46.4 percent of his looks on drives and canned 37.2 percent of his catch-and-fire triples, all while tackling reasonably difficult defensive assignments.

20. Cleveland Cavaliers: Justin Edwards

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Original Pick: Jaylon Tyson

Justin Edwards' Original Draft Position:Undrafted

Here is what I wrote when sticking Justin Edwards at No. 15 in our All-Star-Weekend re-draft:

"HOT TAKE: A 6'8" wing who defends his butt off, knocks down threes, can hit the occasional mid-ranger and has enough of a handle to straight-line his way to the rim is valuable."

Not much has changed since, including my lame attempts at sarcasm, except for what a handful of players now in front of Edwards have accomplished. The fact that he fell entirely out of the June 2024 draft continues to look inexplicable.

21. New Orleans Pelicans: Ryan Dunn

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Original Pick: Yves Missi

Ryan Dunn's Original Draft Position: No. 28

Ryan Dunn's defense is exhaustive and genuinely spans four positions. That on its own is worth a borderline lottery appearance.

And look, not to pile on, but Dunn might already be higher if now-former Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer gave him more consistent opportunities throughout the year. His defense and sneaky presence on the offensive glass warranted a longer runway to develop.

In fairness to Budenhozler, despite a hot start from deep out of the gate, Dunn's offensive wheelhouse is very much to-be-determined. He'll have to expand his work as a screener, transition finisher and/or three-point marksman to alleviate one-way concerns.

22. Denver Nuggets (via Phoenix): Terrence Shannon Jr.

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Original Pick: DaRon Holmes II

Terrence Shannon's Original Draft Position: No. 27

If you are wondering how much weight a 210-minute post-All-Star break sample can have on these proceedings, allow me to introduce you to Terrence Shannon Jr.

Playing spot minutes looked good on the 24-year-old by the end of the season. He buried threes, displayed poise and patience when dribbling in the lane, put solid pressure on the basket and boasted a real aptitude for throwing not-so-obvious passes when navigating the heart defenses.

Shannon's own defense prevents me from overreacting any further. Someone with his 6'6" frame should be able to hold up better when guarding on the ball.

23. Milwaukee Bucks: Devin Carter

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Original Pick: AJ Johnson

Devin Carter's Original Draft Position: No. 13

Exhaustive defense floats Devin Carter's lottery-pick hopes. The 23-year-old gives off human-eclipse vibes and is also an excellent rebounder for his position.

It will be easier to place him higher, albeit not any higher than he was initially picked, if you believe the threes will start to fall. That is not a given, even when accounting for the shoulder injury he dealt with to start the year.

Combine this with some shaky screen navigation and a 6'2" frame that skews undersized, and there's more room for skepticism than before–though, to be clear, it is not nearly enough to give up hope that he delivers on 13th-overall equity.

24. Washington Wizards (via New York): Oso Ighodaro

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Original Pick: Kyshawn George

Oso Ighodaro's Original Draft Position: No. 40

Bigs who excel at decision-making in space open up a world of optionality. Oso Ighodaro unlocks these doors at both ends.

Connecting on screens comes surprisingly easy for someone with so much room to fill out, and both his vision and touch on the short roll can keep defenses tilted. This versatility translates to the other end, too. Ighodaro is difficult to exploit in the pick-and-roll and puts up more resistance than expected as a rim protector.

Justifying a higher re-draft placement than No. 24 isn't impossible. But it will ring a little hollow unless Ighodaro starts doing more on the glass and shedding the passivity that plagues him in the paint, where he's more likely to throw up a premature flip shot than attempt to finish at the basket with force.

25. New York Knicks: Dalton Knecht

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Original Pick: Pacome Dadiet

Dalton Knecht's Original Draft Position: No. 17

Nailing 37.6 percent of your threes and 59.4 percent of your twos while flying around the half-court is no joke. Even without expanding his live-dribble portfolio, Dalton Knecht is someone who can pump in buckets on the back of his sheer plug-and-playness.

Can he improve on defense? Or even be successfully hidden? And does his offensive ceiling stretch higher than a less-dynamic Tim Hardaway Jr.?

These are real questions. And unless they're answered in the affirmative, his initial placement near the top 15 will remain arguable.

26. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Washington): Tristan Da Silva

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Original Pick: Dillon Jones

Tristan Da Silva's Original Draft Position: No. 18

Someone standing 6'8" who has guarded up and down the positional spectrum for 1,600-plus minutes as a rookie should incite more re-draft excitement. Tristan Da Silva just doesn't evoke that kind of emotion.

Make no mistake, the reliability of his defense is beyond useful. But he struggles to hang with guys who can get downhill and benefits from playing on an Orlando Magic squad that, even when short-handed, can distribute his assignments accordingly.

There isn't much happening for Da Silva on offense, either. His three-point attempts don't fall at a high enough clip, and while he's a willing and active cutter, he's a suboptimal finisher. He belongs in an NBA rotation, to be sure. His steadiness deserves a first-round nod. But the (apparent) dearth of upside doesn't allow for an auto-top-20 inclusion.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaylon Tyson

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Original Pick: Terrence Shannon Jr.

Jaylon Tyson's Original Draft Position: No. 20

We would have more information on Jaylon Tyson if he entered the NBA with a Cleveland Cavaliers team that wasn't super deep and contending for a title. Even in limited playing time, though, his defensive energy and on-ball comfort validate the Cavs-era Caris LeVert comps.

Honing his spot-up touch will be critical for the long term. Tyson has outperformed expectations moving off the ball, but the spacing element is paramount to fitting inside a larger ecosystem that's not built around him.

28. Phoenix Suns (via Denver): Quinten Post

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Original Pick: Ryan Dunn

Quinten Post's Original Draft Position: No. 52

Quinten Post is going to appear on more than a handful of All-Rookie ballots. He did not make mine, but none of us should discount the tantalizing potential of a seven-footer drilling almost 41 percent of his threes while demonstrating genuine passing feel and subtly effective screening.

Limited tools on the defensive end currently submarine Post's appeal as a let's-get-freaky-and-slot-him-near-the-lottery wild card. If someone could promise us that he'd develop more foot speed in space, or that his surprisingly solid rim-protection numbers would hold firm independent of Draymond Green's generational helping hand, then it would absolutely be time to #gothere.

29. Utah Jazz: Cody Williams

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Original Pick: Isaiah Collier

Cody Williams' Original Draft Position: No. 10

Cody Williams has done little to reverse the pessimistic outlook implied by his rookie season since the first re-draft. Fortunately for him, insofar as plunging 19 spots can be fortunate, we are officially in hold-out-hope territory.

Transparency is important, so I will re-share that he finished atop my personal big board entering the 2024 draft. That level of belief looks like an all-time whiff now. You seldom feel Williams when he's on the floor, and he remains historically inefficient for someone with such a streamlined role.

Among every rookie to log at least 1,000 minutes, Rashad Vaughn is the only other to post a true shooting percentage below 42 on a sub-14 usage rate. He ended up lasting just three seasons in the NBA.

This doesn't mean Williams is destined to follow that path. There remains a fluidity and feel to some of his drives, there's no way he just forgot how to shoot, and beefing up should help eradicate his defensive flimsiness and offensive passivity.

30. Boston Celtics

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Original Pick: Baylor Scheierman

DaRon Holmes' Original Draft Position: No. 22

Jamal Shead, Cam Spencer, Jamison Battle, Ja'Kobe Walter, Johnny Furphy, Pelle Larsson, Jonathan Mogbo, Adem Bona, Tidjane Salaün, Tyler Kolek and Branden Carlson all earned consideration for this final spot. Bona is for the time being my toughest cut. He sort of plays like someone stripped healthy Robert Williams III of his playmaking. Check back with me five minutes from now, though. My tune may have changed.

With all due respect to the remaining candidates, the hold-out-hope train rolls onward to DaRon Holmes.

Achilles injuries should scare the ever-living hell out of us all. Especially when suffered by big men. But the initial scouting report on Holmes induces too much drooling. Consider what The Athletic's Sam Vecenie wrote just before last June's draft:

"Holmes had an outstanding season at Dayton, winning All-American honors by averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks while hitting 54.4 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3. He’s a versatile big who has a lot of answers for opponents’ ball-screen coverages. He can pick-and-pop, short roll to pass, short roll to finish himself or dive to the rim to catch a lob. Defensively, he’s a good shot blocker and has shown the potential to stay with guards for a couple of slides on the perimeter."

Personally, I'd rather fail attempting to hit on this exact player than succeed at landing someone with a much lower ceiling.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to theHardwood Knockspodcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report'sGrant Hughes.