5 Kentucky players included in ESPN's 2024 mock draft

The NBA Draft has come and gone with two Kentucky players hearing their names called. Both Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace were one-and-done products in Lexington. All signs point to the Wildcats having more than that in 2024.

Mock drafts are hitting the worldwide web at a rapid pace and ESPN issued a two-round swing on Saturday. Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo made some early projections for every pick. Six Kentucky players were taken off the board with three going in the first round.

Round One

• No. 5: Justin Edwards (Oklahoma City Thunder)
• No. 7: DJ Wagner (San Antonio Spurs)
• No. 23: Ugonna Onyenso (Miami Heat)

Round Two

• No. 32: Aaron Bradshaw (New York Knicks)
• No. 36: Robert Dillingham (Utah Jazz)

Not surprisingly, both Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner are coming off the board in the top 10. That was expected. Each will be in the running for the top college prospect in this haul, but early signs point to this being a flawed draft class.

Edwards has an interesting case as a tall, shot-making wing, having held down a lofty ranking for much of his high school career, but he’s not reputed as much of a playmaker, and he’ll turn 20 in December, making him a year older than most of the players in the freshman class. His Kentucky teammate, Wagner, brings excellent scoring chops in the backcourt, but is still undersized for a combo and wired to score more than distribute, the type of profile that historically tends to slip a bit as teams parse through the prospects.

Jeremy Woo, ESPN

What is surprising is that Aaron Bradshaw fell into the second round. Early in the process, there could be some concern about the big man’s foot injury that is keeping the diaper dandy out of GLOBL Jam in July.

Regardless, Kentucky’s No. 1 overall recruiting class will provide a real talent upgrade in Lexington. The return of Ugonna Onyenso also gives John Calipari a rim-protecting big who professional scouts and evaluators seem to be high on.

The 2024 NBA Draft could be a busy night for Kentucky basketball.

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