Just How Bad is the 2024 NBA Draft? And What Should the Hawks Do? | The Bill Simmons Podcast 

Hawks will draft a QB

Nikola Jokic was 41st. The scouts know nothing.

“I don’t know that that happens, because I’ve only been a man” was delivered so perfectly 😂 thanks for the good laugh

I never understood this rush to trash a bunch of young players before they've even played a minute of professional basketball. This year's MVP was a second round pick and so were the players who finished 3rd and 5th.

I love how Russillo sneaks in the self deprecating jab at himself getting arrested, and it took Bill a second to get it These two are great together

This podcast has a trend of undervaluing European prospects trust me this draft is not gonna be the worst of all time it might be the worst since 2020 but people also said that draft would suck and now it has tons of good players stars and role players.

I love this whole side conversation about headline titles 😂😂😂

That Dejounte Murray trade looks terrible now. 2025 1st and a 2026 swap not to mention a 2027 1st.. That 2025 and 2026 drafts are really good as well... Looks like Wemby will have a great team to play with in the future thanks to ATL.

when Russillo says "seriously Bill..." he means business

Sarr is gonna be a good player. Not generational, just good

I have 0 clue who's is this draft but I hope they can turn into hidden gems, we love those stories i.e. Giannis draft class

Everyone also thought the 2020 draft class was weak. Now we have some of the brightest young stars from that class...ANTMAN, MAXEY, BALL, Haliburton, Bane, Vassell, Jaden McDaniels.....fringe stars like Deni Avdija, and some great role players like Isiah Joe, Payton Pritchard, Cole Anthony, Obi Toppin, Okoro, Nesmith, Josh Green, Saddiq Bey, Quickley

So according to the pundits, this will be a NBA draft 'recession year'. However, I've always been a believer, that in every NBA draft there's a future All Star level player that nobody can see coming.

Masai Ujiri bidding against himself with that Poeltl for top 6 protected 1st rounder...what a disaster of a trade

I remember before the 2020 draft, people also said the draft class was weak and yet it still produced Anthony Edwards and Haliburton. Even the 2013 draft had Giannis and Gobert. I like how the "insiders" Russillo contacted just deflected the responsibilities to the draft class, they're obviously saving their own behinds.

Sarr is being underrated because he’s a tall French center following directly after Wemby.

In a similar terrible draft, Giannis went no 15. The Spurs will draft Nikola Topic and in two years every scout watching only the NCAA for americans will look like an idiot again.

Saying it’s a bad draft is a cop out for talent evaluators because they don’t wanna admit it’s a crapshoot of certain players determination and skill

Many Americans were low on Doncic, we Europeans told them they were wrong, it took a few months for them to realize. Many Americans thought Wembanyama was comparable to Holmgren or even Bol Bol (!) and was not a sure thing, thought it was possible Scoot Anderson got picked over him. Some doubted him at the start of the season. Many Americans still think "Euros are soft" and Jokic, Doncic, Giannis, Gobert are overrated in some way or some other. Many Americans think their team lost several times recently on the world's stage (FIBA but also Olympic Games) because they did not send an absolute top team, not because others made progress. Now they're doing it again. There are no US top prospects, so they say the draft will be one of the worst ever. OK, Risacher is not going to be a MVP candidate but he is a well-rounded professional guy who would make a perfect lieutenant next to a great player. I hope he's not taken first but goes to San Antonio alongside Victor, they would be perfect together. Sarr has the tools to be a great talent. Topic could also be a all-star faster than you think. Do not think this is the 2000 NBA draft... you guys are annoying doing that.

Maybe the reason these teams that are drafting in lottery every year is bc their player evaluation is this bad lmao ,” cam johnson for number 1 pick” might be the worst eval ive ever heard in the history of basketball

Brunson - Divencenzo - Bridges - Anunoby - Hartenstein would be a sick lineup.

The idea that there will be ZERO all stars in a draft of 60 players just doesn't make sense to me There will be a talent that everyone misses. Maybe not as good as Giannis, Jokic etc but there is always someone!

This type of draft is when organization’s know whether or not their scouts deserve their jobs. This is now about scouting for raw talent, potential, and character. Other than probably the Nuggets, OKC, and few other teams, a majority of the leagues scouting departments are lazy with regard to scouting or highlight watching.

It’s so tough to have you guys comment on the draft when you don’t watch a minute of college basketball. Lots of these guys can help NBA teams right now. A few of them are going to be All Stars.

Hawks won't have the choice of elite #1 prospects such as Zion, Andrew Wiggins, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, Ayton, etc.

Bill claims Trae and Murray clearly hated playing together. Those guys just did a podcast telling everyone that they enjoy playing together.

SA isn’t giving those picks back. No way, no day.

Sarr reminds me a lot of Evan Mobley. Similar size, defense first prospect that has intriguing skills on offense.

Bill sounds more uninformed as ever 😂

Sheppard looks like the real deal. Scouting reports reading “not that athletic” when he had a top 5 very is hilarious. “He does have sneaky athleticism though” 😂😂😂

Hawks, Lakers, Suns or Lakers, Suns, Hornets work though you are trading stars to suit the situation that either suits the players or the team. They are wild though they work thanks to trade machines.

There are all-stars in every draft. Let's be serious, here. One of the last times someone called a draft terrible Giannis came out of it. Is it bad because there is no one guy everyone presumes will be a star? Maybe. But odds are there will be some VERY good players from this draft, there always are.

Imagine making hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to cover sports and you can't take a few minutes to watch some videos online to get an idea of the prospects in the NBA draft. Alexander Sarr is a 7-1 guy with a 7-5 wingspan who can move. He's a good defender now and is projected as a bigger Jaren Jackson Jr. That guy is going top 3 in most drafts. The Hawks should keep the pick, keep Young and DJ, and trade Capella. They just need a little defense to get a top 6 seed. If Sarr develops offensively then you have a superstar. Sarr isn't Wemby but he's a #1 overall guy on potential.

If anything this is the most interesting draft to make comp's, it's actually interesting to get perspective on these guys

So this draft is all-time bad and next year's draft has potential to be great but the Raptors made out WORSE by conveying the 8th pick THIS DRAFT and now controlling all their future picks, including next hears 1st. Odd take Bill

NBA analysts also said that the Anthony Edwards draft was a weak draft and the Anthony Davis draft was a weak draft..... You can check the old youtube videos in 2020

Russillo landing the plane on the Julie Ertz story had me clapping in my car

This draft is like picking randomly from a deck of cards where Aces are future all-stars and Kings and Queens are solid role players. It's better to be in a position like the Spurs and Blazers who each have two lottery picks than to have a pick in the top three. It increases their odds of finding someone who turns out to be good in the future.

lol this guy Ryen says this is the worst draft then goes on saying he hasn’t even done much research into the draft 😂

As a Lakers fan it's frustrating that the clueless front office thinks the 17th pick in THIS draft is worth something. They are so clueless.

All these GM who texted you back should be fired. There's no clear consensus on the draft order so they're scared like sheeps. They actually have to do their homeworks and they don't know how. "How can I choose my pick if I can't trust ESPN ?" they thought. Alex Sarr would be a top 5 in any draft from past 10 years. The Thompson's twins went 4th and 5th and they can't shoot. Anthony Black is no where to seen and went 6th. There's no top 3 potential franchise player, yes, but that draft doesn't start at 8th or 10th. They're incompetent. And they're cowards.

Maybe if media pundits start talking and showing us who in draft instead of talking about Bronny every two seconds,oh I get it since Bronny stinks every body else does too🤷🏾‍♂️

Just find guys who can help you win. Even in good drafts that’s hard to do.

Love it guys great show wish it was longer

My team gets the #1 picking in an upset but gets a trash draft

Never judge the draft this early.

Wait, Bill said, “The Number One pick has been traded three times, in 1990, in 1993, and in 2017.” Didn’t Utah trade the Number One pick in the 1979 NBA Draft (which became Magic Johnson) for Gail Goodrich? 🤔🤷🏻‍♂️

The #1 pick was traded in 2014 which was andre wiggins to timbs.. where does bill get his stats?

I don't think this is a weak draft, I also don't think it's going to have a superstar especially maybe possibility Alex Sarr who I believe will go to the hawks with the 1st pick, and I think there will be a hidden gem or two in this draft, that hardly anyone is talking about Tidjuane Salaun possibility, or I like Tristan Da Silva out of Colorado , who I think the Bulls should select at 11, over what mock drafts have them taking Isaiah Collier when they've already have got Coby White, Ayo Dosumnu, Lonzo Ball if he's ready to play again, Alex Caruso possibility, they need a forward to me, or a backup big. I think Sarr with Trae and Murray would be interesting, I think the Hawks will go from 25th to around 15th defensively within the first year,

What about Andrew Wiggins & Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State Warriors) for the #1 Pick in the Draft from Atlanta Hawks?

3 years from now there will be a few studs from this class that everyone thought was sooo weak just like the 2013 class and how everyone said the 2020 class was weak

They don’t really need Sheppard but they should trade the pick to another team that really needs a PG

The monthly every small market team should trade it's best player to a large market conversation.

Never liked players having to be interviewed after getting drafted, agree with Bill

Magic Johnson was kinda traded. I don't understand the old free agency situation but new Orleans had to give up some firsts to sign gail Goodrich and one of those picks was magic Johnson (according to bball ref)

That's great news for Blazers trading with the Hawks though! They got a whole bunch of 4th/5th guys to unload for Sarr.

In a game that featured carmelo and lebron’s 2025 sons a kid (brayden burries) who is a 6’5 4 star guard just like bryce had 40 points and wasnt mentioned but bryce ( 8 points ) and kiyan (17 points ) were because of the name attached.

Trae and Dejounte literally did an interview a day ago talking about how much they enjoy playing together. John Collins and Kevin Heurter have been mid since leaving Trae and both were in trade rumors last season. These two idiots need better sources.

“We wouldn’t have been able to go 29-53 without him” 😂😂

The media called the 2020 nba draft bad also

Thats what everyone said about the 2013 draft.... and they were kinda right. Anthony Bennett was a bust. But lurking in the middle of the draft was Giannis. Who's gonna be this year's Giannis and who's gonna be this year's Antony Bennett?

Every front office person down-plays the draft, obviously. Why would anyone reveal their true thoughts ahead of any potential negotiations? The narrative put out there about this draft being weak started months ago - it's exactly what teams outside of top 3-4 picks wants you to believe.

Ryen and his tangents 🤣🤣🤣

I've seen recent stories about Durant trade scenarios that didn't use his name in the headline..referred to him as an all-star or by his contract amount

the ringer headlines change constantly.

Only possible options I trade Randle and picks for is Bridges or AD. Otherwise Knicks should run it back while adding some vets/ late picks for depth and re-sign Hartenstein and OG

Is it possible to trade this years #1 for the lakers future first and one of this years? They got that trade exception and would probably be ok without Murray or young. There is a way for them to avoid this pick and get one for next years draft.

The only players the hawks should consider trading is CC Bogdan or AJ, CC and Bogdan definitely

“Bad Drafts” are good. Do some scouting find a Diamond in the rough. This draft will have more players that end up better later in the draft than earlier.

I’ve come up with a 3 team trade idea that I love for this draft, mostly because I’d love to see Wemby paired up with Sarr for a hyper athletic, twin towers defense. The trade is: Spurs get: Trae Young #1 pick Hawks get: #2 pick #8 pick ‘25 ATL pick ‘27 ATL pick Zack Collins Devonte Graham Wizards get: #4 pick ‘30 DAL pick or ‘25 CHI pick Sidy Cissoko

There are all stars in every draft multiple they just have to trust there scouting and get the right guy

Haha yeah those press headlines !!!! Haha that’s crazy. The stars they talk about you never heard of. It’s crazy.

The whole "250 mln player doesn't go to Lakers" headline is written like this because the writers of the piece knew they had exactly enough content for a headline and nobody would click on the article if they put it all there.

Nobody can predict the future. That alone should be more concerning. I’d be looking to buy low here

A couple of these teams are going to get lucky. A few of these players are going to be impactful. Just my opinion

Bill morphing into nick dipaolo 😂

Sarr, Topic and Knecht look interesting. For sure there will be all stars coming from this draft

The 1st overall pick will get 4yr 58mil contract. This will be the 1st time $ will be a consideration when teams consider trading for #1 pick.

There’s a good video you could make for this draft tho. Guys slip thru the cracks all the time in the draft. Kawhi Giannis jokic etc maybe there’s one of those guys in this draft Make a video trying yo identify some possible candidates

Bill saying Bridges to Knocks just because the Villanova connection

Last time the draft was this underwhelming Bucks got Giannis and Cavs Drafted Anthony Bennet no one knows who to Draft back in 2013 the top 5 Pick was Bennet, Oladipo, Otto Porter, Cody Zeller and Alex Len. Notable names on that draft Giannis, CJ McCollum, Gobert , and KCP those guy were drafted pick 10 and above except for KCP

He said the clippers would hang up if they got offered the #1 for Terrance Mann 😂😂😂

To Russilos point about fame and headline. When there was a shooting at Drakes house the headline was “Shooting at Drakes mansion. Victim: Not Drake”

Great way to end the clip lol

12:37 How do Knicks get Mikal Bridges? By being patient for another season. Mikal will have to decline the contract extension and ask for a trade to NY to make it happen and even then, it won't happen until the end of next season. BTW, I predict Nets' 2024 pick jumping from the theoretical 9th to 3rd will haunt them for many years, they really need to get some picks back.

As an Atlanta fan, the Hawks will just run it back with Trae and Sarr

"I heard this draft will be bad"..yet no work done on your part is a joke. There have been no less then 3 Allstars in every draft since the 70s.

Absolutely NO to Young in Orlando!

Poeltl trade was batsht crazy

Scouts actually have to do there job .. ? Wow tuff draft

There'll be very good players in this draft. All stars. History..

Hey Ryen with an E has all the info!

I always feel bad for teams that finally get the number 1 pick and it's in a draft like this one. Ant, Paulo, Wemby, then you get the top pick and you'll be lucky to get anything more than a rotation player, and you have to pay them as the #1 pick.

I personally think when u come off a draft getting a potentially generational player (wemby) the next few drafts are gonna kinda be considered weak which is kinda unfair but I get it

Derrick white is a beast but im definitely not giving up the no 1 pick for him as a hawks fan lmaoo, and u telling me Boston couldn’t do something with sarr with all the talent they have 😂

I believe the other reason with the headline titles is to bring traffic to the site.

I honestly remember when they brought up Mia Hamm, Nomar garciaparra names same level. Which this is fair.

Jokic, Giannis, Steph Curry, Brunson, Butler, Kawhi, SGA, Maxey.......... .... All 7th and above...

This is the shorties draft at least 10 guys 6'3" or under. Since few project to being great points or combos they'll hope for a Lou Williams type sub. And 9 will wash out in 3 years or less.

Who are some of the names?