Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham were projected to be lottery picks this summer, but they are now ‘under consideration’ for the first pick in the draft.
The NBA Draft lottery has passed, and as the NBA Combine concludes in Chicago, all attention is focused on the Atlanta Hawks and their potential match for two Kentucky guards.
The Hawks won the lottery last weekend and were awarded the first choice in the 2024 NBA Draft this summer. Now the question is: who will they take?
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports that a pair of Kentucky prospects are ‘under consideration’ for the #1 choice.
Givony named five players who will be in the mix for the Hawks, including Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham.
While Sheppard drew attention this week at the combine, Dillingham did not measure as well and suffered an injury early on that sidelined him for the rest of the week.
Both players are locked in as top-10 picks, but this is the first time you’re getting a sense of the core group of guys at or near the top.
While the Hawks still retain point guard Trae Young, there have been suggestions in recent weeks that with their #1 overall choice, they may trade Young and begin a complete rebuild. If that’s the case, getting a guard would be a major priority.
Most mock drafts have Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham going anywhere from picks 3 to 8, so Givony’s suggestion of the two as potential top picks is surprising. Most mocks also have Sheppard as the first member of the partnership to come off the board.
Both players are coming off outstanding freshmen seasons at Kentucky, and in a draft class that has been branded as ‘historically awful’ by several observers, the potential to continue advancing up the selection boards is definitely there.
Individual workouts are next for each, and this is when both athletes will most likely shine.
Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, and Donovan Clingan were among the other players listed alongside Sheppard and Dillingham as potential top contenders.
