3 most surprising picks (Dalton Knecht!) from the 2024 NBA Draft's first round

The 2024 NBA Draft may have felt a bit underwhelming this year.

Up until the last few days, it didn’t seem like there was a consensus No. 1 option for the Atlanta Hawks. There were also a ton of foreign prospects who casual NBA fans may not have been as familiar with — as evidenced by three French players going in the top six.

Yet that also meant handicapping this draft was as tough as ever. With teams spanning the globe to search for young talent, and few leaks impacting the big board in the run up to the draft, the first round proved surprisingly entertaining.

These were the three most shocking picks on the night.

Detroit Pistons select Ron Holland at No. 5

Holland was the first big surprise of the night as Detroit took a small forward many draft analysts expected to slide after having him as high as No. 3 in earlier mocks.

At BetMGM, Holland was +1600 to go No. 5 while Matas Buzelis was considered the favorite here at -135.

Charlotte Hornets select Tidjane Salaun at No. 6

Dalton Knecht was the favorite to go No. 6 at +170. A long way down the board was Salaun at +2500. As far as the odds go, this may have been the biggest shock of the night.

Los Angeles Lakers select Dalton Knecht at No. 17

The surprise here isn’t that the Lakers reached for Knecht, it’s that he fell to them. The Tennessee sharpshooter was considered a lock to go in the lottery. At BetMGM, Knecht was -800.

Instead the 23-year-old lands in Los Angeles.