Ranking the Top Five Draft Steals in the 2024 NBA Draft

Think about it. We have Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Reed Sheppard, Zach Edey, Ron Holland, Cody Williams, Matas Buzelis, and many other talents just to mention. This says a lot about the loaded talent who are slated to take on the big stage this 2024-25 season. The Summer League itself was proof of a bigger stride for these rookies, and most of them managed to put up a show despite some jitters about playing a bigger game. This just proves that there are definitely a lot of talents in the latest draft class who are expected to make waves. If you are not convinced, only two of the top 10 picks are considered to be steals on this list, which further proves how you can expect raw talents who are expected to cook in the NBA soon.

Tyler Kolek was definitely not even on the radar for many teams to begin with, and no one has certainly heard of him until the Summer League was over. He was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the New York Knicks, and yet he has shown a strong potential to be a promising playmaker for the team in just a few games. For context, Kolek averaged 7.3 assists in three games to just 1.3 turnovers in that stretch, which says a lot about his impressive playmaking skill that can be utilized by the Knicks as long as they can squeeze him into their rotation, which makes him quite a steal in the second round.

At this point, we all know that Dalton Knecht is quite a player to watch for his impressive scoring finesse. The Los Angeles Lakers missed out on a big steal last season, and they made sure not to make the same mistake again when they brought in the Tennessee product. Knecht led the Lakers to a promising run in the Summer League, averaging 21.1 points per game while shooting 39.1% from three in just seven attempts per contest. Lakers head coach JJ Redick can easily find a way to fit in a movement and spot-up shooter like him, which should generate easy looks for Los Angeles in the long run.

Fresh off a promising year with USC, Isaiah Collier comes in as a great steal in the late draft considering that he was expected to be the no. 1 pick for this year’s draft. There are rumors that Jordan Clarkson may be on his way out of the Jazz this season, and that should open up some chances for Collier to shine bright when the season begins. Collier has had a spectacular campaign in his previous college run, averaging 6.5 points, 4.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. He also shot 48.1% from the field and 33.8% from three, which says a lot about his efficiency and how well he can fit with the Jazz roster in just a snap, which definitely helps his case as a huge draft steal.

Stephon Castle landing with the San Antonio Spurs is considered a steal not because they are getting a point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama, but because they have a certified bucket-getter to add to the wing of the squad. It is already expected that Chris Paul will call the shots for plays for the team, but Wemby is going to need a lot of shooters around him if he will win more games than the previous season. Castle averaged 17.3 points and 4.0 assists per game in the Summer League, which hints at his impressive volume shooting and playmaking, which could easily his learning curve heading into the 2024-25 season with the Spurs.

Selected no. 7 by the Portland Trail Blazers, Donovan Clingan has been quite outstanding in Las Vegas, and he has shown why the Blazers selected him for his size and rim protection. So far, the UConn product has shown impressive strides by leading the Summer League in rebounds (12.3 per game) and blocks (4.3 per game). These are all impressive numbers that can be translatable in the regular season – should he be given the same minutes as he had in the Summer League. Still, he could well suffice as a backup big man to Deandre Ayton, and possibly take over Robert Williams III’s spot in the rotation should he get some promising performances in the 2024-25 season.

Believe it or not, Bronny James looks more like a draft steal than a bust at this point given how well he has blended with the squad in the Summer League. James was quite the supporting player who could well manage to hold his own on both ends of the floor, averaging 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and one assist in Las Vegas. His defensive abilities are quite the shades of his father’s own iconic defensive peak, which makes him a massive pickup for the Lakers – a guard with some bulky build that weighs the same as Wembanyama, now that is going to be quite a good comparison to look out for.

Let’s be clear here, OKC would not have gotten Nikola Topic had it not been for his ACL injury that will see him redshirted for the rest of the 2024-25 season. An all-around player who has an extreme potential on the court, the Serbian guard averaged 18.6 points, 6.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and shooting 52% from the field and 29% from three, which are all quite superb stats from his previous season. He can definitely contribute as a backup to Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, and his sit for the whole season can benefit him well at this point. The last time OKC had a redshirt player? Chet Holmgren was setting rookie records in the next season after that quiet 2023 season.