NBA Draft Rumors: Polarizing prospect expected to officially enter 2024 draft class

NBA Draft Rumors: One of the most polarizing collegiate prospects is expected to officially join the 2024 NBA Draft class.

The 2024 NBA Draft may still be four months away but there are already some interesting storylines that are developing heading into the pre-draft season. And one revolves around where exactly Zach Edey, the standout Purdue senior center, will be taken.

Over the past two seasons, the 7-foot-4 Edey has averaged at least 22 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks per game on 61 percent shooting from the field. He's been a true difference-maker for the Boilermakers but the question remains, will his skill set transfer to the NBA level? We should get the answer to that question soon enough.

According to Purdue head coach Matt Painter, the expectation is that this will be Edey's final season with the Boilermakers, making way for him to declare for the NBA Draft. Because of the pandemic in 2019, Edey still technically has one more year of eligibility but the belief is that he will bypass that for the NBA. This is a move that likely makes the most sense for the senior center, but his future is far from a guarantee at the next level.

Where will Zach Edey be drafted in the 2024 NBA Draft?

Even as he's taken college basketball by storm each of the past two seasons, it's difficult to predict whether his skill set is going to translate to the NBA level. At 7-foot-4, there are legitimate questions as to whether he'll be able to survive on the floor on a consistent basis on the defensive end of the floor.

Edey's lack of lateral quickness and overall speed could put him against the 8-ball as he makes the jump to the NBA. Even on the offensive end of the floor, his skill set and scoring prowess are far from a guarantee at the next level.

And those are all questions that could prevent him from being a lottery pick. Before the official pre-draft process begins, Edey is considered to be a late first-round or a second-round pick. Where Edey ends up being drafted will largely depend on his pre-draft and individual workouts. Even then, Edey may not be considered to have a high ceiling and that could keep him from being a high draft pick.

At the same time, just because Edey isn't a high draft pick doesn't necessarily mean that he can't be a productive NBA player. In the course of NBA history, there have been many prospects who have not been drafted high but still had long, productive careers. Edey could fall into that category even if he isn't a high-draft pick. Either way, we should find out soon as he prepares to make the jump to the next level.