1. Atlanta Hawks – Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg
With the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the Atlanta Hawks select… Risacher.
He may not be as sexy as past number-one picks, but he may not be getting the love he deserves on a national scale. He is 6’10, has shown he can shoot, moves well, and is athletic enough to be a good defensive player.
Assuming Atlanta doesn’t blow it up, Risacher slots into the Hawks’ starting lineup alongside Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Jalen Johnson, and others very well.
2. Washington Wizards – Alex Sarr, F/C, Perth
The Washington Wizards are a basketball wasteland as it stands today. Bilal Coulibaly was better than expected as a rookie, but outside of him, there isn’t much to smile about.
Enter Sarr. Sarr may be hypothetical right now, but if he works out he could have the highest ceiling of any player in this class.
Sarr and Coulibaly is something to start at a minimum, and Washington needs something to get excited about.
3. Houston Rockets – Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky
Houston is reaping the rewards of the James Harden trade here, and it will pick Sheppard hoping he can be its next franchise point guard.
Sheppard is by far the best shooter in this class, and he also has shown some potential as a solid defender, he is an elite ball mover as well.
Sheppard is undersized, but he checks every other box, and with Houston hunting for stars, he could have to step in as the Rockets starting point guard if Fred Vanvleet is used as outgoing salary.
4. San Antonio Spurs – Stephon Castle, G/F, UConn
San Antonio has Victor Wembenyama, and everything else is gravy.
Regardless, Castle, who wants to play point guard in the NBA, projects to be an elite perimeter defender and is a good passer, something that the Spurs were without all of last season.
Castle has a long way to go as a shooter, but he does everything else well, and if the three-ball comes along, he could be the best player in this class.
5. Detroit Pistons – Matas Buzelis, F, G-League Ignite
For the third consecutive season, the Detroit Pistons are picking fifth overall. The last two drafts have netted them Ausar Thompson and Jaden Ivey, both of who have shown flashes of being really good player.
Next up is the 6’9 Buzelis, who, like Castle, has a lot in his game that is good, but his shooting struggles are concerning.
Buzelis shows elite flashes off the dribble and is solid defensively, but he has some stuff to figure out if he wants to be as elite as many once thought he could be.
6. Charlotte Hornets – Dalton Knecht, G/F, Tennessee
Knecht was arguably the second-best player in college basketball last season.
He went through spurts where he was unstoppable offensively, and he was a good passer when called upon. Knecht’s struggles are on the defensive side of the ball, but he is a great athlete, so he could develop in that area.
The ability to bring Knecht and Brandon Miller together alongside Lamelo Ball is something the Hornets should not, and I believe will not, pass on.
7. Portland Trailblazers – Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
I think Clingan will probably go before this, but with no trades allowed in this format, I will say he falls to seven and becomes Portland’s big man of the future.
Portland is a team that could go in multiple directions, but it has been linked to Clingan throughout the predraft process.
Clingan is interesting as a defensive anchor and a passer, but he leaves a lot to be desired as a shooter from the free-throw line and from deep. With Clingan, the positives overwhelm the negatives, and Portland could be getting a steal at seven.
8. San Antonio Spurs – Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet
One of the most mysterious figures of the draft joins Castle in San Antonio.
Salaun, who is reported to be extremely close with Wembenyama, could eventually do nearly everything at a passable level, but right now he is a work in progress.
Salaun may never come together, but if he does, he, Castle, and Wembenyama could form an elite defensive trio that would give the best in the west fits for years to come.
9. Memphis Grizzlies – Cody Williams, F, Colorado
Jalen’s brother isn’t going to make it to twelve.
Williams’s elite defensive upside and flashes of greatness from three are too much for Memphis to pass on, and instead of joining his brother, he goes to one of OKC’s biggest rivals of the 2010s.
Williams is unlikely to make a difference in year one for Memphis, but as Marcus Smart ages, someone is going to have to step up as a defensive difference-maker on the perimeter, and I think Williams has the best chance of anyone other than Devin Carter to do so.
10.Utah Jazz – Nikola Topic, G/F, KK Crvena Zvezda/Red Star
Topic comes with significant injury risk, but if he can stay healthy, he could be Utah’s lead guard of the future.
Prior to a partial ACL tear, Topic was seen as someone who could be the first player off the board, but consistent knee issues have knocked him down the board. If the health checks out Utah could be getting a massive steal, but that is a major if.
Topic may be the best pure passer in the draft, and he brings elite size to the point guard position. Josh Giddey has been a comp for Topic throughout the process, and if Utah lands someone as good as Giddey with the tenth pick in this draft, I think it would go home happy.
11. Chicago Bulls – Devin Carter, G, Providence
Chicago is hard to read.
Most would take its trading of Alex Caruso for Giddey as a sign a rebuild is coming, but apparently, the Bulls still want to compete.
If Carter can do anything, it’s compete. He is a demon on defense, progressing as a jump-shooter, and has an unlimited motor. No matter what, I think Carter is a sleeper in this class, and he could become the center of the Bulls’ rebuild if they pick him here.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Carlton “Bub” Carrington, G, Pittsburgh
Conventional thinking would eliminate OKC from choosing a guard, but Sam Presti isn’t conventional.
Carrington shares a lot of similarities to former OKC guard Tre Mann, but he has a lot more passing feel than Mann ever did, and he’s bigger. Carrington is 6’5 and may be the best pull-up shooter in the draft.
His shooting from three needs some work, and it’s not the pick I would make, but there is a lot of smoke from good sources saying he is under serious consideration.
13. Sacramento Kings – Ron Holland, G/F, G-League Ignite
Holland would’ve been my pick for OKC, but I believe he will slide right past them to the Kings.
Potentially the most talented player in the class, Holland had a rough year in the G-League in multiple facets, but his motor never turned off and he showed flashes of being a good creator. He is a miserable shooter, so that’s tough, but he does most other things well.
Holland could bust out of the league, but he could also pop and be one of the best players in the class.
14. Portland Trailblazers – Ja’Kobe Walter, G/F, Baylor
After adding Clingan earlier in the lottery, Portland looks to add some perimeter talent to compliment Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.
Walter had a similar season to fellow former Baylor Bear Keyonte George in his one year in Waco. He struggled to create at times, but he showed enough flashes that I don’t think he should fall out of the lottery.
Most things in Portland are unsure, and Walter falls into that category as well, but to me, his talent is more worth a shot than anyone else remaining at this point in the draft.
15. Miami Heat – Tristan da Silva, F, Colorado
16. Philadelphia 76ers – Jared McCain, G, Duke
17. Los Angeles Lakers – Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky
Possibly the most talented individual creator in the class, Dillingham’s small stature cripples him from becoming worthy of a lottery pick in my opinion.
That being said, if he somehow works out at 6’1, 165 pounds, he could be a lesser version of Trae Young down the line, and the Lakers need creation talent.
Dillingham probably won’t work out, but for a team who looks likely to use its second-rounder on Lebron James’ son, someone who could contribute sometime soon, or someone who could turn into something special, and Dillingham is certainly the latter.
18. Orlando Magic – Isaiah Collier, G, USC
19. Toronto Raptors – Kyshawn George, F, Miami
20. Cleveland Cavaliers – Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia
21. New Orleans Pelicans – Johnny Furphy, F, Kansas
22. Phoenix Suns – Yves Missi, C, Baylor
23. Milwaukee Bucks – Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana
24. New York Knicks- Baylor Scheierman, G/F, Creighton
25. New York Knicks – Zach Edey, C, Purdue
After a league-altering deal that saw New York send five first-round picks and a first-round pick swap to Brooklyn for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks need to hit on these picks to sure up a bench that looks light right now.
Scheierman and Edey are both plug-and-play role guys who could help New York right away, and Edey’s ability to play big minutes fits well with Tom Thibodeau’s system.
It remains to be seen if these guys would be able to make a difference in year one, but both of them fit well with a Knicks team that needs cheap bench players for the next few years.
26. Washington Wizards – Tyler Smith, F/C, G-League Ignite
27. Minnesota Timberwolves – Terrence Shannon Jr., G/F, Illinois
One of the best players in college basketball, Shannon Jr. had to clear his name after a serious legal issue, but with that put in the rearview, he could be very valuable for a team looking for a scoring punch in the first round.
Shannon is aggressive in attacking the rim and has a decent outside shot, and he could be the bench spark Minnesota was looking for when it signed Shake Milton last summer.
Minnesota getting Shannon Jr. would be good for both sides and would be frustrating for OKC fans everywhere.
28. Denver Nuggets – DaRon Holmes II, F/C, Dayton
One of OKC Twitter’s favorites, Holmes has been rumored to have a promise from Denver for weeks.
His range may start with OKC at 12, but I would not be surprised to see him fall to the end of the first.
