2024 NBA Draft: Top Three Destinations For Zach Edey

These three destinations would best suit the former Purdue big man.

Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) is guarded by Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) during the Men's NCAA national championship game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 8, 2024. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY

After four years of college basketball dominance, Zach Edey enters this year’s 2024 NBA Draft as one of the event’s most polarizing prospects. While opinions range on his value and upside, there’s no doubting the uniqueness of the profile and skillset the two-time National Player of the Year brings to the big leagues. Certain teams, particularly these three, are far better equipped than others to get the most out of Edey’s talents.

Washington Wizards

It may be too ambitious for the Wizards to take Edey with the second overall pick, but given how much sense it makes, they could pull the trigger. Loaded up with young prospects on the wing such as Deni Avdija and Bilal Coulibaly, they lack similar depth at the center position. Also, they don’t have an offensive engine to create advantages for their offense. With Edey on the squad, they could build a big team with length on defense and distribute hefty touches to Edey to generate offense from the interior. 

Oklahoma City Thunder

Already one of the best teams in the Western Conference, the Thunder have a few holes to patch up before reaching true contender status. One of these holes is their lack of rebounding. Having averaged 12.2 rebounds per game last season, the 7-foot-4 300-pound Edey helps a good amount in this area. Offensively, he’d fix a lot of the Thunder’s deficiencies in the screening department. With the No. 12 overall pick, Oklahoma City sits in prime position to take Edey off the draft boards and place next to Chet Holmgren in the frontcourt.

Orlando Magic

Last season, the Magic exceeded the expectations of many, riding the backs of their elite defense to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. All season, they relied on a center rotation of Goga Bitadze and Wendell Carter Jr. While those two had their moments, the offensively-starved Magic would benefit from a long-term piece at the center position. Edey brings the two-way upside to be that dominant piece alongside Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs. 

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.