A new composite ranking system will shake up how upcoming NBA Draft prospects are evaluated from a medical perspective ahead of the draft this June.
The composite rankings, combined with a panel of expert opinions, are used to determine which teams are permitted to “access NBA combine medical, biomechanical testing, and functional movement information” ahead of the draft, according to ESPN.
Alex Sarr, the projected No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, was designated with the No. 1 overall ranking from the system, which means that only teams in the Top 10 will be allowed to view his restricted combine data.
Sarr is in a tier of his own at the top.
The second tier of players fall under the same restrictive category, but their data will be viewed only by teams in the Top 15 of the draft. The second tier of players includes Matas Buzelis (G League), Stephon Castle (UConn), Donovan Clingan (UConn), Zaccharie Risacher, and Nikola Topic.
And, finally, comes the third tier. This is where Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht lands, along with a pair of prospects from Kentucky. The third tier of players will only have their data accessed by teams in the Top 25 of the draft. Tier three includes Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, and the G League’s Ron Holland.
According to ESPN’s last NBA mock draft from mid-April, experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have the former Tennessee Vol as a Top 10 draft pick. Knecht lands at No. 9 overall to the Houston Rockets (via Brooklyn Nets) in ESPN’s latest projection.
“Shooting will likely be a priority for Houston this summer, and the dynamic perimeter game of the nearly 23-year-old Knecht — who made 40% of his 3s this season — could be attractive with this pick,” Givony wrote.
Knecht was one of 78 players invited to the NBA Combine last week, which will take place from May 12 to May 19 in Chicago, Illinois.
The 2024 NBA Draft will take place from June 26 to June 27 in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
