Last year’s Kentucky Mr. Basketball is officially off to the NBA after a one-year run in Lexington that netted him national and conference Freshman of the Year honors, with London native Reed Sheppard likely going in the lottery of this year’s NBA Draft.
The 19-year-old guard out of North Laurel High School excelled in his lone season under John Calipari at UK, averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 assists per game to go with a player efficiency rating of 23.6 and 4.5 win shares in 33 games with the team.
Now, Sheppard is almost a lock to go in the lottery of this year’s draft, with NBA experts picking the former four-star prospect to go anywhere from No. 2 to No. 8 overall in June’s two-round event, leading to a wide range in possible next team destinations in 2024.
BetKentucky.com, thinking with our Kentucky sports betting mindset, broke down some hypothetical odds on which NBA team will wind up picking Sheppard in this year’s NBA Draft, combined with what a handful of basketball experts say about the teenager’s pro destination.
Reed Sheppard NBA Draft Projection Odds: Landing Spots
*Subject to change, last updated on May 14th
Right now, our top spots for Sheppard to land in 2024 are the Memphis Grizzlies, who come in at +400 after landing the ninth pick in the NBA Draft lottery, while the Portland Trail Blazers (+450), Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz (+500 each), Houston Rockets (+700) and San Antonio Spurs (+900) round out the rest.
As far as draft order is concerned, Houston likely would have the best shot at landing Sheppard, with the No. 3 pick in the first round (from the Brooklyn Nets), while the Hornets (No. 6), Trail Blazers (No. 7), Grizzlies (No. 9) and Jazz (No. 10) are next up.
The Spurs are an interesting case study, with the No. 4 and 8 picks in the lottery, meaning they could either take Sheppard if Houston passes on him or wait to see if Charlotte and Portland do the same at No. 6 and 7.
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Reed Sheppard NBA Mock Draft: Where Do Experts Have Him?
A team of NBA Draft insiders have Sheppard going anywhere from No. 3 to No. 10 in next month’s event, with Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report and Jonathan Givony of ESPN giving the former Kentucky star the highest draft slot (to the Rockets at No. 3), while NBA Draft Room gives him the lowest landing spot (No. 10 to the Jazz).
In between, you’ll find him going to the Detroit Pistons at No. 4 (via NBADraft.net), No. 6 to the Hornets (Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer), No. 7 to the Trail Blazers (Kyle Boone of CBS Sports), or No. 9 to the Grizzlies (Tankathon and Ricky O’Donnell of SBNation.com).
Whichever NBA team picks Sheppard in June is getting one of the nation’s best scorers and a solid presence in a team’s lineup, with GMs lining up to get their hands on the former Kentucky Wildcat in 2024.
Stick with BetKentucky.com for sports betting updates and our expert reviews of the best Kentucky sportsbook apps.
Q/As:
After Sheppard officially announced his entry in the 2024 NBA Draft, most mock drafts have him going in the lottery – including our Top 8 mock drafts above and the current odds.
Yes. On April 18th, the Kentucky freshman guard Reed Sheppard decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the 2024 NBA Draft. “I’m going all-in,” Sheppard said, as he prepares to go in the lottery of the 1st round.
According to the official Kentucky athletics website, the freshman guard out of London, KY comes in at a height of 6’3”.
Sheppard attended North Laurel High School in London, KY where he grew up and was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball after averaging 22.5 points, 8.5 assists and 8.4 rebounds per game as a senior.
Yes. Reed Sheppard’s father, Jeff Sheppard, is a former Kentucky college basketball player and was the Most Outstanding Player for the 1998 NCAA Tournament. He later played for the Atlanta Hawks during his time in the NBA.
Author
Christopher Boan is a staff writer for BetKentucky.com. He has covered sports and sports betting for more than seven years and has worked for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
