The Top Five Steals of the NBA Draft

All eyes may have been on the draft’s lottery picks, but teams continued to make savvy moves down the board, picking up top talent late in the first round and into the second.

The 2023 NBA draft has come and gone. And while this year’s draft will likely be remembered for Victor Wembanyama at the top, there were still plenty of opportunities for teams to add value working their way down the board that could have an impact both next year and beyond. We’re fresh off an NBA finals that showed the power of smart drafting, from Nikola Jokić starring to role players like Christian Braun pitching in with quality bench minutes. Who could be this year’s big steal? Here’s a look at five of my favorite selections from this year’s class.

Kobe Bufkin (first round, No. 15, Atlanta Hawks)

Bufkin was considered a likely lottery pick coming into draft night, but a few surprises in the back half of the lottery led him to drop to No. 15 and the Hawks. I’m bullish on the former Michigan guard. The tape from his final 10 or so college games (which coincided with Michigan’s best basketball of the season) was superb, showcasing the ability to play either guard spot, make threes and defend at a high level. He raises the level of competitiveness every time he steps on the floor, and there’s still plenty of upside here given he has yet to turn 20 years old. Bufkin falling to No. 15 was a great outcome for the Hawks, which add a potential long-term piece from outside the lottery.

Cam Whitmore (first round, No. 20, Houston Rockets)

One of the biggest stories of the day was Whitmore’s slide from being projected as high as No. 5 throughout the process all the way down to No. 20 with Houston. And while there are reportedly concerns about Whitmore’s medical records as well as how he performed in predraft workouts and interviews, the upside here is too much to overlook. Whitmore is among the most dynamic athletes in this draft class, with an incredible combination of power and explosiveness that will pop even at the NBA level. He needs to prove he can make quick decisions with the ball in his hands, but there’s a real path to Whitmore becoming a 20-point-per-game NBA scorer thanks to his ability to generate advantages off the bounce and finishing skill around the rim. Houston needed a fortuitous break like this after slipping out of the top three in the draft lottery and got an incredible boost in athleticism between Whitmore and Amen Thompson.

Nick Smith Jr. (first round, No. 27, Charlotte Hornets)

The Hornets passed on a second ballhandler to pair with LaMelo Ball at No. 2 to select Brandon Miller, then got one anyway at No. 27 with the immensely talented Smith out of Arkansas. It’s important to remember that college isn’t the only sample size that NBA teams evaluate from. Smith was very highly regarded coming into the college game as an explosive combo guard with major scoring upside. Teams in the late teens and early 20s seemed to focus on older, more pro-ready pieces, but Charlotte’s timeline allows them to take a shot at buying low on a player with Smith’s talent, a bet I believe will pay major dividends down the line.

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Andre Jackson (second round, No. 36, Milwaukee Bucks)

Arguably UConn’s most valuable player in its run to the NCAA national championship, Jackson landing with a winning organization like Milwaukee is a tremendous fit for both parties. While his shooting stroke is rough and may never substantially improve, Jackson impacts the game in so many ways thanks to his incredible athleticism, floor vision and defensive versatility. He makes up for that lack of shooting by being a tremendous cutter offensively, and new Bucks coach Adrian Griffin will be able to be creative with lineups thanks to Jackson’s multipositional impact. He’s an easy player to bet on finding his way in the league, and his toughness strikes me as exactly what Milwaukee needed after its shocking playoff exit to the Heat this spring.

Toumani Camara (second round, No. 52, Phoenix Suns)

After trading for Bradley Beal, the Suns’ current salary cap predicament means needing to find high-value pieces that can contribute on cheap contracts. Camara fits that mold perfectly. He was a guy multiple college coaches reached out to me during the season about to express how undervalued he was nationally, and strong performances at the Portsmouth Invitational and the NBA draft combine worked him into becoming a draft pick. He’s an excellent defender with the size and athleticism to guard multiple positions, plays with an impressive feel for the game and is emerging as a shooter. This is exactly the type of low-usage role player that could end up being an unsung hero for the Suns over the next few seasons.