Marcus Bagley – F – Arizona St. – 6-foot-8 – 215lbs
If Marcus Bagley’s last name sounds familiar, that’s because his older brother Marvin Bagley is a big man and a former No. 2 overall pick who plays for the Detroit Pistons. Marcus is a forward that, just like his brother, has enticing athleticism though he is still a bit raw despite three years at Arizona State.
Bagley averaged 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists but struggled with efficiency shooting 31.8% and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Even his free throw shooting went into the tank as he sunk just 61.5% of his looks after knocking down 71.8% over his previous two seasons.
He only appeared in two games last season and had a devastating knee injury the year before.
Arizona State's Marcus Bagley (knee) has been fully cleared for all basketball related activities, per Bobby Hurley. Significant Pac-12 news.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 13, 2022
Former Top-40 recruit who only appeared in three games last season due to injury.
“Bagley’s fit as a 3-and-D forward who can space the floor, shoot off movement and display solid instincts as a team defender could make him an interesting long-term player to develop,” wrote ESPN Draft analyst Jonathan Givony in May of 2021.
As enticing as Bagley may be, his injury history could both make him an attractive second-round project, a priority-free agent or could very well be enough reason to pick someone else. The Hawks have had each of their last two first-round picks miss out on valuable developmental time due to injuries.
Still, as was the case with Omier, athleticism is enticing. It just takes one team to fall in love for a prospect to go from undrafted free agent to being drafted.