3 Projected Landing Spots for Kyle Filipowski in the 2024 NBA Draft
By Cem Yolbulan
We are three weeks away from the 2024 NBA Draft and Duke fans are excited to see where Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski end up. Despite two solid seasons with the Blue Devils, Filipowski has seen his draft stock fall over the last couple of months. Once considered a lottery pick, the talented big man is now expected to fall outside the lottery.
Admittedly, Filipowski is not the easiest fit for NBA teams. He is a smart and talented offensive player with a very intriguing and versatile skill set. However, the first thing teams expect from their centers in the NBA is rim protection and elite defense. Questions remain about Filipowski's ability to provide that at the highest levels. Therefore, which team ends up drafting him will be a huge factor in his success in the NBA. Let's try to project his potential landing spots in the draft.
Kyle Filipowski Projected NBA Draft Landing Spots
1. Phoenix Suns (#22)
There is a chance the Suns don't actually end up using this pick. Looking at their recent history, they might choose to move this selection on draft day because they don't have any other trade assets to improve the roster.
However, if they decide to keep it to bring in a cost-controlled young player, they will be hard-pressed to find a better fit than Filipowski.
The Suns are very limited in frontcourt depth. They started Jusuf Nurkic at center all season and had Drew Eubanks as his main backup. Yet, they had to resort to playing Kevin Durant at the five for extended stretches since they weren't getting much production from the position. It's clear that they need more talent and depth there.
Filipowski provides spacing for the Suns' stars to operate in. Having Filip's offensive versatility and skill set would make Phoenix a much more dangerous team offensively. Getting passing, dribbling, and scoring from your center makes things easier on the offensive end.