Zach Edey's range is wide leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft, one of the reasons why the former Purdue star refused an invitation to the green room at Barclays Center. As June 26th fast approaches, though, Edey and his camp have at least developed a good idea of his draft-night floor.
The 7'4 giant is unlikely to get past the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 20 overall pick of the draft, according to Krysten Peek of Yahoo! Sports. She also reports Edey's “realistic” draft range is anywhere from the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 14 and New York Knicks at No. 25.
Meanwhile, Edey is also receiving interest from teams behind the San Antonio Spurs in the back half of the lottery, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN's DraftExpress. Currently mocked by ESPN to be selected by the Miami Heat with the 16th overall pick, Edey is also being considered by teams selecting in front of and behind the Heat.
The NCAA's two-time defending National Player of the Year, Edey has been busy on the workout circuit during the pre-draft process. He's conducted sessions with the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers among others, per reports, with more stops to come over the next few days.
ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel has Edey coming off the board at No. 17 in both of his latest mock drafts, with the Lakers selecting him in one and Los Angeles trading the pick to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso in the other.
Zach Edey's intriguing, questionable NBA fit
Mayne no prospect in the 2024 draft has sparked as much debate about his viability at the next level than Edey. One of the most productive players in the history of college basketball, he ended his storied career with the Boilermakers by leading them to the championship game of the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to back-to-back title-winners Connecticut.
Don't blame Edey for Purdue falling just short of its championship goal, though. The senior scored 37 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on 15-of-25 shooting in his highly anticipated battle with Huskies counterpart and potential No. 1 overall pick Donovan Clingan, proving his back-to-basket prowess in college is poised to translate to the next level.
The problem for Edey is that no NBA team will be making him the focal point of its offense. That primary offensive role is reserved for all-time talents at center like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. While there's hope among optimists Edey will eventually be able to stretch the floor to the three-point line, a crucial development for his ability to fit within the team concept offensively, that's hardly a guarantee.
It's not like defenses respect bigs with the long-range acumen of Jonas Valanciunas, either. For Edey's team to really achieve five-out spacing with him on the court, he'll have to be much more like Myles Turner as a three-point shooter than Valanciunas, a tough ask of a player who attempted all of two triples during his four-season stay at Purdue.
Still, offense isn't where the most questions about Edey's translation to the pro game lie. The other side of the ball looms largest for his NBA fate, the league's increasing reliance on space and skill making it more difficult than ever for plodding centers to keep up defensively.
Edey moves better than most 300-pounders, but certainly shouldn't be tasked with switching onto perimeter players and hedging pick-and-rolls in the NBA. He'll almost surely be tethered to the paint, relegated to drop coverage in ball-screen situations with the hope penetrators are hesitant to challenge him at the rim due to his cartoonish size.
Scheme versatility on defense has never been more paramount in the modern NBA, though, a reality laid bare throughout the just-completed playoffs. Unless Edey is an efficient post scorer, threatening three-point shooters and scrapes his peak as a Brook Lopez-like deterrent at the rim, don't be surprised if he's destined to come off the bench throughout his career—hardly the optimal outcome for a lottery pick, especially at center.
Keep your ear to the ground on rumors about Edey as the 2024 draft draws closer and closer. His draft position and fit with his next team are among the most fascinating aspects of a draft that could be full of them.
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