The 2024 NBA draft class certainly hasn’t been considered ‘star-studded’ (although next year shows great promise). In today’s superstar-heavy NBA though, almost every team at least has one franchise guy. In an NBA draft class such as this one, projected high-end role players as rookies should be extremely valuable. This is especially true given the amount of teams in both conferences that fancy themselves contenders, or playoff-caliber teams.
Certain picks like Alex Sarr may receive high usage as rookies, but they’ll be slightly more than role players and won’t play for playoff-caliber teams.
With that said, let’s look at the top NBA rookies that project to be effective role players.
NBA Rookies Projection: 10 Key Role Players
1) Zaccharie Risacher: Atlanta Hawks, 1st Overall Pick
It’s unusual to see a number one pick as a projected role player, but this isn’t your usual draft. The Hawks obtained the number one overall pick with only a three percent chance to do so. The Hawks have made the ‘play-in’ game or playoffs the last four years in a row. In a draft class that lacks top-end talent, Zaccharie Risacher was taken as the best blend of high floor and high upside. He projects as someone who could become an effective ‘3-and-D’ wing early but also shows flashes of primary playmaking and shot-creation.
In it’s current state, the Hawks roster can be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. The lineup is still filled with proven veteran players such as Trae Young, De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Clint Capela. That doesn’t even include the young, semi-proven talent such as Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. Now, the Hawks roster staying this way is certainly up in the air. For now however, Risacher could be an elite role player on the wing for this squad and help the Hawks to a playoff berth. Risacher just needs to shoot the three-ball at a high clip and effectively guard multiple positions defensively.
2) Reed Sheppard: Houston Rockets, 3rd Overall Pick
Unlike Risacher, there aren’t many (if any at all) who expect Reed Sheppard to eventually take over a franchise. Sheppard was specifically drafted to be an elite role player, and he was one of the best NBA rookies in Summer League. This was Houston’s fourth top-four pick in as many years. Their roster is filled with young talent but also has some veteran players. They are on the borderline of competing in the West, so taking Sheppard was a great move.
He is far and away the best pure shooter in this draft and does a lot outside of just shooting. He also averaged 2.5 steals and 4.5 assists per game this season as he was one of Kentucky’s primary playmakers. Sheppard will provide great spacing and secondary playmaking for Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson. Sheppard is ready to be an elite role player from day one.
3) Stephon Castle: San Antonio Spurs, 4th Overall Pick
The Spurs may not be contenders, but everyone can see that Victor Wembanyama’s outstanding rookie season has moved their timeline up tremendously. The Spurs also acquired veteran point guard Chris Paul to complement a solid roster on paper. Their biggest need was at the point guard position, and while Paul addresses that as a veteran, Stephon Castle addresses it in the present and future.
Castle is a tall lead guard at six-foot-six. His physical tools allow him to be either a point guard with good size or a wing with good ball-handling ability. Castle’s defensive excellence in college was also well noted. He was consistently tasked with shutting down the opposition’s best guard or wing. The Spurs’ defense should be very versatile with his addition alongside Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, and of course Wembanyama. Castle has also shown that he may be further along offensively than previously believed. He looked comfortable operating an offense in Summer League. Castle and the entire Spurs season will be something to monitor closely.
4) Rob Dillingham: Minnesota Timberwolves, 8th Overall Pick
A surprise trade saw Minnesota move up to number eight to select Rob Dillingham. His size and defense can cause concern, but Minnesota has the infrastructure to cover his weaknesses. There would be great defenders all around him with the Timberwolves. This means Dillingham will be in a specific role for a team that’s a legitimate championship contender. It’s also a role that suits him best as he will likely be an injection of scoring and playmaking off the bench.
Dillingham is a twitchy scorer who plays with a lot of flash. He showed this great offensive ability with a 25-point performance in Summer League. The major concern for Dillingham coming into the season was exactly what role he could fill at the next level. Was he a ‘spark-off-the-bench’ microwave scorer? Can he play true point guard? Dillingham answered these questions by mostly proving he can succeed at whatever role is needed. He’s been able to dish out assists, handle point guard responsibility, or even become an explosive scorer when needed. This is exactly what the Timberwolves are looking for off the bench behind veteran Mike Conley.
5) Zach Edey: Memphis Grizzlies, 9th Overall Pick
Zach Edey took the Summer League by storm with his lone full game in Salt Lake City. Edey put up 14 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks that included a buzzer-beater tip-in to go into overtime. Edey’s performance helped sway a lot of fans to see his potential with the Grizzlies. As one of the more polarizing NBA rookies, he should easily make this list of role players as he will have a defined path to success.
While the Grizzlies had a bad season last year, it was mostly due to the suspension and season-ending injury of star player Ja Morant. Morant should be back and an overall healthy Grizzlies roster should be primed for playoff contention. Edey will only be asked to be a superstar in his role. That is he will be a frontcourt anchor on both ends blocking shots, setting screens, and catching lob dunks. These jobs are made even easier considering his frontcourt partner will be former DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr.
6) Kel’el Ware: Miami Heat, 15th Overall Pick
Kel’el Ware officially starts the run on high-end role players in the late teens as you will see on this list. He was another standout performer in Summer League joining Sheppard as an All-Summer League first-team player. Ware eased a lot of concerns about his fit next to franchise center Bam Adebayo. Standing at seven-foot-one and containing elite athleticism for his size, Ware shines on the defensive end blocking shots as well as a lob-dunk finisher. He also showed very promising flashes of three-point shooting in summer league which bodes really well for lineup versatility.
Ware clearly possesses NBA traits, and Heat culture will groom him into an elite role player.
7) Jared McCain: Philadelphia 76ers, 16th Overall Pick
After the splash signing of Paul George, Jared McCain’s significance as a role player is even more important. This was a popularly projected pick to the 76ers and for good reason. McCain is a solid connector guard and was a consistent performer throughout the year. What really contributed to McCain’s rise was his three-point shooting combined with solid perimeter defense. He shot 41.4 percent from deep on just under six attempts per game. McCain’s ability as a ‘3-and-D’ connector guard draws comparisons to Donte DiVincenzo and Sixers own, De’Anthony Melton. Both are either a little taller or have more length than McCain, but the roles and playstyles are very similar.
McCain will be an immediate contributing piece behind Tyrese Maxey for a contending 76ers team.
8) Dalton Knecht: Los Angeles Lakers, 17th Overall Pick
At pick 17, we continue the trend of projected contributors in this range with Dalton Knecht. New coach JJ Redick and Lakers fans were thrilled to see Knecht fall to pick 17. Knecht put up big-game performances seemingly every night as he took the college world by storm. He’s a six-foot-six wing who’s a great perimeter shooter and also goes for big dunks when given a runway. His movement shooting ability sprinkled in with highlight dunks is very similar to a later-career Terrence Ross.
Knecht has also shown value as a cutter making him a great off-ball role player. Currently, Knecht isn’t the best lateral mover on defense, but there’s reason to believe he will be serviceable. He should provide quality scoring and shooting on the wing for the Lakers. On a veteran roster with some young talent, Knecht fits the Lakers’ superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis perfectly.
9) Tristan Da Silva: Orlando Magic, 18th Overall Pick
Tristan Da Silva was at the top of our list of the most underrated performers in the NBA summer league. It most likely earned him quality minutes in a support role with a quickly ascending Magic squad. Da Silva is a combo-forward who plays the game the right way and does a lot of things well. At six-foot-nine, he shot 39.5 percent from the perimeter in college and was a solid team defender. It was no secret the Magic would value shooting in this draft, and Da Silva can do just that.
In three summer league games, Da Silva shot the three ball at 59 percent on 17 total attempts, good for an average of 5.7 per game. He also averaged 17.7 points per game at 61 percent from the field. The Magic have to be very encouraged with his performances. He looks like he’s ready to be an NBA contributor at either forward spot from day one.
10) Ryan Dunn: Phoenix Suns, 29th Overall Pick
While the Suns still need to address the point guard position, Ryan Dunn was a perfect pick for their roster. Dunn always has been projected as an elite role player defensively but would need an offensive lineup to cover his deficiencies on that end. Well, the Suns have Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal on the roster. The Suns have the stars who can put the ball in the basket. They now need to surround those stars with elite role players, especially ones who can defend.
There’s no better defender in this class than Dunn. He’s an easy projection on an NBA rookies list of role players because of this specialty. He can be a defensive ace for the Suns from day one. Dunn’s a six-foot-eight forward with elite mobility and athleticism. If he proves he can become at least decent offensively, he will be a steal. This is especially true considering how much the Suns need their role players to be financially feasible. Nothing’s better for contending teams financially than rookie contracts.
