5 exciting sleeper prospects Grizzlies could snatch up in 2024 NBA Draft

Kyle Filipowski

Amid the hype around college players, there are unquestionably dark horse players who seemingly slip through the cracks and end up outshining their peers who may be drafted far ahead of them.

Perfectly encapsulating this is former Duke big Kyle Filipowski, a natural 7-foot center who saw a mix of success this past season as the Blue Devils didn't reach their championship aspirations but still fought fiercely.

Filipowski, who is projected to be drafted somewhere in the last third of the first round, will be an undoubtedly intriguing target for teams looking to stock up on frontcourt players in a draft that is chock full of them.

The 20-year-old former ACC Rookie of the Year from the 2022-2023 season has averaged 15.8 points per game to go along with 8.6 rebounds and will be looking to add his talents to a team that wants to size up but not sacrifice on the offensive end.

Despite being a relatively middle-ground shooter (only averaging 71.8 percent from the free-throw line and 31.4 percent from long-range in his career), Filipowski has shown flashes of greatness and potential as a future NBA player.

Where a fair amount of the disconnect around Filipowski in the draft comes both from the surgery he underwent on his hip which is never ideal for a player who hasn't even begun an NBA career, as well as the skyrocketing stock of other members of the draft class who could potentially fill up the majority of the first round.

With that being said, the big man could be a viable piece in beefing up the Grizzlies frontcourt to best compliment the stars they already have on the court and push the team's championship hopes further.