CHICAGO — Every year at the NBA Draft Combine, a couple players emerge onto the scene and shoot up draft boards, either into the first round or the lottery, with how well they played in front of over 100 NBA scouts and executives. Last year it was Santa Clara guard Brandin Podziemski, who was one of the toughest players during the two days of 5-on-5 scrimmages. The Golden State Warriors selected Podziemski with the 19th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The year before that it was Jalen Williams, who shot up all the way to the lottery when the Oklahoma City Thunder selected the 6-foot-5 wing with the 12th overall pick.
This year will be no different, and with it being such a wide open draft, there’s room for multiple players to really help their draft stock at the combine through shooting drills, scrimmages and pro days. Players that are already projected in the lottery and considered first-round locks will elect to sit out for the scrimmages and possibly the drills. This has been a strategy for agents for years to avoid injury and possibly negative exposure in front of so many scouts and decision-makers, and the high-profile players will only participate in measurements and team interviews.
Here’s a look at seven players who could help their draft stock the most this week at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine.
Bronny James, USC
All eyes will be on James during the combine. The oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was one of 78 players invited to the combine after averaging 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per game in his one year at USC. It will be interesting to see if he elects to play in the 5-on-5 scrimmages and opts in for his media availability. Teams will conduct interviews with him all week long with some most likely scheduling future visits for workouts at their facilities.
Bronny declared for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility and won’t have to make a decision on whether he wants to stay in the draft until the early entrant withdrawal deadline on June 16. The 6-foot-2 guard has looked great in predraft workouts leading up to the combine, working out with other Klutch clients Rob Dillingham and KJ Simpson. Bronny is by no means a finished product but he has the foundation to be a productive roleplaying guard at the NBA level with how well he can shoot the 3-ball, his quick decision making and the way he can defend the perimeter.
AJ Johnson, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
This will be the first time the majority of NBA personnel will be able to see Johnson in person after he decommitted from Texas and decided to play one season overseas for the Hawks in Australia’s National Basketball League. The 6-7 guard screams potential with his length and two-way play at the rim and shot creation from 3-point range. He’ll need to add some weight and muscle to his frame, but Johnson is a player that could surprise a lot of people during the combine playing against prospects his own age instead of grown men in the NBL.
Christie is one of the buzziest names coming into the combine with his combination of size and 3-point shooting. The 6-6 wing is the younger brother of Max Christie, who was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Cam shot 40% from deep on four attempts per game during his freshman year at Minnesota and has the 3-and-D prototype that teams look for in young prospects. Right now Christie is a projected mid-second-round pick but could play his way into first-round consideration with consistent shooting, smart shot selection and defending the perimeter well during scrimmage play.
The 6-8 sophomore forward played great in the frontcourt alongside Donovan Clingan and held his own when he was tasked with defending players much stronger and bigger in the paint. During the NCAA championship game, Karaban had to guard 7-4 center Zach Edey at times and was effective in forcing turnovers and not letting Edey establish position deep in the paint. He has a pick-and-pop game that extends to 3-point range and still has a lot of room to grow after averaging 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds at UConn this year.
Trentyn Flowers, Adelaide 36ers (Australia)
Like Johnson, Flowers was one of the youngest players in the NBL this year and saw limited minutes on the court. The 6-9 guard was originally committed to Louisville before deciding last summer to make the jump to the NBL. He averaged 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.4 minutes and couldn’t really find an offensive rhythm playing for the 36ers. Flowers has been working out with former Louisville assistant Nolan Smith since returning to the states. He looks visibly stronger and his shot has improved with his footwork and release.
The 7-foot senior center originally from the Netherlands could end up being one of the most productive centers during the combine with his action off the pick-and-roll and his ability to step out and guard the perimeter. Post has great hands, catching passes in traffic and connecting on lobs, and runs the floor well for his size. He’s still flying under the radar as an NBA prospect, but he could really come away with some positive feedback from teams and end up hearing his name called in June. Post averaged 17 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 blocks last season for the Eagles.
The 6-5 guard was a completely different player this year after transferring from Gonzaga for his junior season. One of the best guards in the ACC, Sallis is so quick with the ball in his hands and can score in a variety of ways. He has the ability to get hot and recognizes the holes in the defense or mismatches and attacks the gaps. Sallis is projected as an early-to-mid second-round pick right now and could sneak into the first with how well he plays in Chicago and how unpredictable this draft is, particularly at the guard position.
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