2024 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Full two-round projections, French prospect soars
By Austin McGee
Picks 15-20
15. Miami Heat - Isaiah Collier, USC
The first post-lottery selection, Isaiah Collier, is a divisive prospect. Collier came to USC as ESPN's top-ranked prospect. However, his lone season in Southern California didn't go as planned. On an individual level, however, Collier performed quite well. The 6-foot-3 floor general averaged 16.3 points and 4.3 dimes per game.
Collier's downhill attacking style of play will fit well with the Miami Heat. The Heat lack a dynamic perimeter athlete such as Collier whose strong frame and dynamic handle make attacking the rim easy.
16. Philadelphia 76ers - Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor
Baylor's Ja'Kobe Walter passes the eye test, but his efficiency left much to be desired in his lone season in Waco. Walter measured 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan at the NBA Combine. Despite the elite physical profile, Walter's best attribute—scoring—was done so with great inefficiency.
Walter shot only 37.6 from the floor and 34.1 percent from deep. Although his percentages weren't up to par, he's a confident shooter with great mechanics thus eliminating future doubts. The Philadelphia 76ers draft strategy is likely the best player available, and that's what they'll get with Walter at 16.
17. Los Angeles Lakers - Zach Edey, Purdue
Finally, the most accomplished collegian in recent memory hears his name called. Hulking Purdue big man Zach Edey is a two-time AP Player of the Year who most recently dropped 37 points on a projected top-5 pick.
Does this pick feel a bit gimmicky because it's the Los Angeles Lakers? Yes. But Edey is a good player, he's just unique. At 7-foot-4 and 300 pounds, the old-school big man is best flanked by perimeter shooting and agile defenders. The Lakers have several capable reserve forwards who'd make up for Edey's lack of footspeed on the perimeter.
18. Orlando Magic - Jared McCain, Duke
If the playoffs were any indication, the Orlando Magic need shooting. In seven games this postseason, the Magic held the Cleveland Cavaliers to a remarkable 95.9 points per game. On the flip side, Orlando averaged just 100.3 points and knocked down a measly 30.9 percent of their 3-pointers.
Duke's Jared McCain isn't a number-one scoring threat, as he's more of a spot-up shooter. But that's what Orlando needs to surround up-and-coming stars, Paolo Banchero and Frantz Wagner. Banchero was the only consistent contributor to shoot above 40.0 percent from three in the postseason.
19. Toronto Raptors - Kel'el Ware, Indiana
Indiana sophomore Kel'el Ware is another prospect whose name is scattered across the board—he comes in a bit lower than he'd fall on my hypothetical big board in this mock draft. The 7-foot center possesses a modern big man's game. He averaged 1.9 blocks and shot 42.5 percent from beyond the arc.
While Ware is a new-school center, he's also an adept scorer in the post. The Raptors could use an offensive big man like Ware. Already set with a rim-protecting big, Jakob Poeltl, Ware could jumpstart the second unit and take the former Utes' place down the road.
20. Cleveland Cavaliers - Kyshawn George, Miami
Miami's Kyshawn George was absent in the first mock draft. However, in this iteration, George falls to Cleveland at 20. The 6-foot-7 wing is an intriguing talent. Although he averaged a mere 7.6 points per game, he displayed a keen passing acumen and knocked down his triples at a 40.8 percent mark.