NBA teams had some tough decisions to make during the 2024 NBA draft. Now that the first-ever, two-day affair has wrapped up and the newest generation of basketball stars are headed to the league, hard decisions for team executives don’t stop here.
There are only 150 starting positions across 30 teams in the NBA, meaning the competition for coveted roster spots is ramping up. Some superstars are a lock in the starting five, while others will be jockeying for position following their team’s newest draftees. As the age-old saying goes — “Out with the old, in with the new.”
Here are three players who might be on notice ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season:
Portland Trailblazers’ Deandre Ayton
Ayton was looking for a fresh start in Portland after being traded to the Trailblazers in September following a tumultuous five seasons with the Phoenix Suns. But things have appeared to get more complicated after Portland used its No. 7 overall pick in the NBA draft to select a similar style player in Donovan Clingan out of the University of Connecticut. Both are 7-foot centers, with Clingan measuring in at 7-foot-2 and 282 pounds and Ayton at 7-foot and 250 pounds. Some NBA teams have thrived with two big men — the Minnesota Timberwolves, for example — but both Ayton and Clingan are not perimeter players. To make things more interesting, Portland owes Ayton $70 million over the next two seasons, according to Spotrac.com.
Sacramento Kings’ Kevin Huerter
The Kings drafted Devin Carter with the 13th overall pick, adding yet another guard to their lineup. All-Star De’Aaron Fox, who was named to the 2023 All-NBA Third Team, is Sacramento’s star point guard and isn’t going anywhere. Shooting guard Kevin Huerter also started last season with Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Malik Monk, Keon Ellis and Davion Mitchell all coming off the bench. The Kings traded Davion Mitchell to the Raptors on Thursday, along with Sasha Vezenkov and Jamal Shead (45th pick), for Jalen McDaniels, alleviating the backcourt backlog but not curing it.
Huerter may end up being the odd man out. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in March and was replaced in the starting lineup by Ellis, who played well down the stretch and provided a defensive boost. Huerter is under contract with the Kings for the next two seasons at nearly $35 million, per Spotrac.com.
Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen
Lauri Markkanen is the Jazz’s best player, but could Utah be foreshadowing his future on the team by drafting Kyle Filipowski, a potential replacement? The Jazz have got off to a promising start the last two seasons before fizzling out and missing the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference each time. Trade rumors surround Markkanen, the 2023 Most Improved Player, as the Jazz remain in limbo. Utah sits on a treasure trove of draft picks and selected Kyle Filipowski after he fell to the second round (No. 32), in addition to first-rounders Cody Williams (No. 10) and Isaiah Collier (No. 29). Filipowski is a big man that stretches the floor, similar to Markkanen. Filipowski said he even modeled his game after Markkanen. Is Utah preparing to let Markkanen go?
Contributing: Jeff Zillgitt and Lorenzo Reyes
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Veterans on notice after NBA draft: Deandre Ayton, Kevin Huerter