More NBA Mock Drafts have Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard as lottery picks

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Kentucky’s top two bench players continue to hold firm as projected lottery picks in this summer’s draft.

With All-Star Weekend officially in the books, we’re now a little over four months away from the 2024 NBA Draft, which has been expanded to a two-day event (June 26-27). On Tuesday morning, both ESPN and The Athletic released updated mock drafts.

As has been the case for the last few months, both Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard were mentioned as top 14 picks by the two outlets, with one even tabbing Dillingham as the third overall selection. The freshmen guards don’t typically start for Kentucky but have been putting up impressive numbers in limited time. Dillingham is averaging 14.7 points, three rebounds, and four assists in 23.3 minutes per game while Sheppard is averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.6 steals in 28.4 minutes per outing.

Additionally, freshman DJ Wagner was tabbed as a late first-round pick by ESPN while The Athletic has him going early in the second round. Another Kentucky freshman, Justin Edwards, is perceived as a late-second-round pick by both publications while sophomore Ugonna Onyenso snuck into the middle of the second round in ESPN’s mock.

ESPN Mock Draft

3) Rob Dillingham –> San Antonio Spurs
12) Reed Sheppard –> Chicago Bulls
27) DJ Wagner –> Washington Wizards (via Los Angeles Clippers)
38) Ugonna Onyenso –> Memphis Grizzlies
51) Justin Edwards –> Indiana Pacers (via Milwaukee Bucks)

The Athletic Mock Draft

11) Reed Sheppard –> Chicago Bulls
14) Rob Dillingham –> New Orleans Pelicans (via Los Angeles Lakers)
32) DJ Wagner –> Utah Jazz (via Washington Wizards)
52) Justin Edwards –> Detroit Pistons (via New York Knicks)

Nowhere to be found was fifth-year senior Antonio Reeves, who is leading Kentucky in scoring and is in contention for an All-American bid. Freshman Aaron Bradshaw was once widely viewed as a lock to go in the 2024 NBA Draft, but his name was also nowhere to be found in either mock drafts. Bradshaw’s playing time has been cut over recent weeks in favor of Onyenso.

A couple of key dates to keep an eye on once the college basketball season comes to a close are April 27 and June 16. The first is the NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline (11:59 p.m. EST) and the second is the NBA Draft Early Entry Entrant Withdrawal Deadline (5:00 p.m. EST).