Andre Jackson doesn’t score a lot, but he does everything else. He was everywhere for UConn during the Huskies’ title run, setting up teammates, defending the opposition’s best player, and making every hustle play in between. He processes the game at a high level and understands how to influence winning without dominating possessions.
Sidy Cissoko made important strides over the course of the G-League season. A versatile wing defender and potential connective playmaker, he would be a sensible investment for the Hornets, who are facing a shortage of quality wings at the moment.
A former top 2024 recruit who reclassified to 2023 and joined South Carolina as a 17-year-old, GG Jackson is one of the more divisive prospects in the draft. On one hand, he’s an elite 6-foot-8 athlete who can create his own looks off the dribble. On the other hand, he was wildly inefficient for the Gamecocks and he needs good team infrastructure more than most prospects. The Jazz can provide that infrastructure and they can afford a big upside swing with their third first-round pick.
The Pacers have openly admitted they don’t want “five new kids” in the organization next year, but Noah Clowney is an appropriate late-round flier. At 6-foot-10, he’s a versatile defensive anchor and one of the youngest players on the board. If he can progress as a shooter, there’s considerable potential in the Clowney-Myles Turner pairing up front.
Leonard Miller has a long way to go developmentally, but he was extremely productive in the G-League as an athletic 6-foot-11 forward with intriguing ball skills and valuable defensive versatility. The Clippers have been patient with draft picks in the past and could take the upside swing to finish round one.