NBA Draft Notes: Ryan Dunn, Hawks, Zach Edey, Wizards

Virginia’s Ryan Dunn has declared for the NBA Draft.

“I had an amazing two years at UVA,” Dunn said in a statement (via ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “I’m focused on the next step in my life now. I got really good feedback from the NBA and am ready for the next level. I am all in.”

Dunn entered the 2023-24 campaign as a potential lottery pick, though as Givony notes the 6-foot-8 forward’s game didn’t progress as many NBA scouts had hoped.

He played only 13 minutes per game as a freshman but entered his sophomore season projected as a potential lottery pick due to his defensive versatility and physical attributes — he has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and outstanding athletic ability.

Dunn’s outside shooting did not progress as much as some hoped this season — he hit just 7 of his 35 3-pointers and 53% of his free throw attempts, something he says he knows will be a major focal point moving forward during the pre-draft process.

Dunn is the No. 31 prospect on ESPN’s Big Board.

Projecting Where Zach Edey Lands

Zach Edey will likely hear his name called in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, though the national title game against UConn didn’t do him any favors, as ESPN’s Jeremy Woo write.

Still, the UConn game served as a reminder that certain elements of the game will constantly test Edey’s mobility and ability to dictate flow of play on the interior, rather than react. How he holds up in that regard, particularly on defense, may be the ultimate determinant of his eventual NBA role.

Edey sits at No. 14 on ESPN’s Big Board.