Nothing is set in stone until the 2024 NBA Draft gets underway, but we try and make sense of where we believe the likes of Zaccharie Risacher, Alexandre Sarr, Reed Sheppard, and other top prospects will fall in Odds Shark's official mock draft.
1. Atlanta Hawks - SF zaccharie risacher, JL bourg (LNB Pro A), france
In this day and age, teams need wing depth that can play multiple positions and do a multitude of things on the basketball court, avoiding one-dimensional archetypes. Zaccharie Risacher has an extremely diverse skillset, and the margins between he and fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr are extremely slim, so the Atlanta Hawks can't go wrong with either prospect.
Much hinges on the future of Trae Young and even Dejounte Murray should the franchise want to move on from their backcourt, and while Risacher's ceiling as a potential superstar isn't high, he's still one of the safer picks overall.
2. Washington Wizards - C Alexandre Sarr, Perth Wildcats (NBL), France
Atlanta has been unable to bring in Alexandre Sarr for a workout, and while there's still time for the two parties to get together, with the draft ever so close, it paints the picture of Sarr potentially falling to the Washington Wizards here. He presents tremendous defensive upside at his size and with his 7-foot-4 wingspan for a roster which ranked third from the bottom in points allowed per 100 possessions at 118.9. The Wizards are playing the long game, and can afford Sarr the wiggle room to learn and develop.
3. Houston Rockets (via Nets) - G Reed Shepphard, Kentucky
Despite ranking in the top half of the league in both 3-pointers made and attempted, the Houston Rockets were only converting shots from distance at a 35.2 percent clip, good enough for just 23rd overall. Reed Shepphard is viewed as the best shooter in this class, having made 52.1 percent of his 3-point attempts in his one-and-done campaign with Kentucky. He wouldn't be a defensive liability either, so Houston shouldn't hesitate to snag him.
4. San Antonio Spurs - PG Stephon Castle, UConn
ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo report that San Antonio "has demonstrated strong interest in Stephon Castle," especially considering the most glaring need in the lineup is at the point guard position. Castle is the type of foundational piece who can grow alongside Victor Wembanyama, and he's a standout defender in his own right. With two picks in the top eight, though, the Spurs could look to move away from this selection and grab a point guard with the No. 8 pick.
5. Detroit Pistons - F Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite
Most mock drafts you'll find around the web have Matas Buzelis pegged to be a member of the Detroit Pistons, who have an endless array of issues which a single pick won't address. Buzelis is explosive with the ball in his hand, but can work well off it as well. Size matters, and the 19-year-old prospect has it with a solid frame to build off of.
6. Charlotte Hornets - C Donovan Clingan, UConn
Clingan is built like a juggernaut at 7-foot-2 and 280 pounds coming off back-to-back national titles with the Huskies. Charlotte continues to be in the midst of a rebuild, and Clingan can be a huge part, literally and figuratively, of its long-term blueprint. Plug-and-play options have consistently filled the five spot, and beyond the franchise moving away from this pick, for someone oddsmakers have pegged to potentially go first overall, the Hornets would be ecstatic to see Clingan fall to them here.
7. Portland Trail Blazers - Ron Holland, G League Ignite
Ron Holland is full of energy, but that can often be to his detriment. His effort will never be in question, and with some further seasoning, could become a tremendous two-way player with better decision-making and a more efficient perimeter shot. There's going to be some hurdles along the way, but Rip City supporters can get behind a tandem of Holland and Scoot Henderson for the future.
8. San Antonio Spurs (via Raptors) - F Tidjane Salaun, Cholet (LNB Pro A), France
Despite being very raw, Tidjane Salaun could be looked back upon a decade from now as one of the major prizes of his class. The Spurs are reportedly considering a number of players at this position, but Salaun is familiar with Wembanyama, and if San Antonio takes a point guard fourth overall like its projected to do with Castle, then selecting a forward here makes sense, although he's going to take some time to develop.
9. Memphis Grizzlies - F Cody Williams, Colorado
A player like Cody Williams probably wouldn't have gone this early most years, but this class is a grab bag of prospects who could blow up into something greater than anticipated. Williams falls into that category of player, and he can develop in a Memphis Grizzlies system that would have undoubtedly been a contender had injuries not ravaged the roster.
10. Utah Jazz - G Nikola Topic, Crvena Zvezda (Serbian KLS), Serbia
It will be interesting to see whether or not the news that Nikola Topic is dealing with a partially torn ACL will hurt his stock. Either way, Topic is expected to make a full recovery, and he was projected to easily be a top-five pick before getting hurt. If he doesn't end up in the top 10, though, Topic could see himself falling fast.
11. Chicago Bulls - PG Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
The major red flag concerning Rob Dillingham is his lack of size at 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, which is why he's outside of the top 10 in this mock draft. On upside alone, he'd be much higher in the pecking order, as he's extremely quick with the rock and can be a fantastic change-of-pace guard when the moment calls.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (Via Rockets) - Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Dalton Knecht is game ready with a polished offensive repertoire, and while his ceiling isn't as high as others who will be drafted around him, Knecht can still get buckets. The Oklahoma City Thunder are ready to compete for a championship, and Knecht can become a rotation piece sooner than most players in their first year.
13. Sacramento Kings - PG Jared McCain, Duke
It never hurts to take the local boy who was born and raised in the city, but even without the Sacramento ties, Jared McCain is still seen as being one of the best pure scorers of this class, offering 3-point marksmanship and someone who can work well off picks to get in prime position for buckets.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (via Warriors) - PG Devin Carter, Providence
Being 22 years of age is considered old for a rookie, but that shouldn't hinder Devin Carter's stock too much. He's an insane athlete, evident by some of his monster numbers at the combine, and he's exceptional at forcing turnovers leading to transition points for his side.
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15. Miami Heat - F Tristan da silva, Colorado
Other than Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat lack two-way wings who can make plays on one end and get back and defend the other. Tristan Da Silva is 23 years old and can enter a rotation immediately as an Erik Spoelstra favorite who can buy into what the head coach is selling.
16. Philadelphia 76ers - C Kel'el Ware, Indiana
Watching Dereck Lively II in this year's postseason run for the Dallas Mavericks offers flashes of what someone like Kel'el Ware can be in time. Ware is already a better shooter than Lively II is, and can be insurance for the inevitable Joel Embiid injury with his physical profile in the City of Brotherly Love.
17. Los Angeles Lakers - G/F Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor
Ja'Kobe Walter's freshman year at Baylor was a roller coaster of up and down production. Scouts could see the makings of a player who could evolve into a serviceable rotation piece on a contending team, but anything beyond that will require some fine-tuning.
18. Orlando Magic - G/F Johnny Furphy, Kansas
Shooters will always have a job in the Association as they're a valued commodity. Johnny Furphy converted 35.2 percent of his 3.8 3-point attempts per game, and that number should only go up. He'll keep defenders honest, at the very least, but Furphy will need to get bigger to avoid being a defensive liability in his own right.
19. Toronto Raptors (via Pacers) - SG Kyshawn George, Florida
The Scottie Barnes era north of the border has begun, and the Toronto Raptors' front office of Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster needs to surround their All-Star with pieces who can compliment his game. Kyshawn George fits the mold of someone Toronto would admire with his size at the two spot who can immediately improve the team's woeful 3-point shooting.
20. Cleveland Cavaliers - PG Carlton Carrington, Pittsburgh
The future of former All-Star Darius Garland is in question coming off a lacklustre playoff run, and who knows what Donovan Mitchell's future holds with the franchise. Carlton Carrington is necessary guard depth for the Cleveland Cavaliers, although he may turn out to be more of a combo and less of a pure point guard in the years ahead.
21. New Orleans Pelicans (via Bucks) - PG Isaiah Collier, USC
This is quite the drop for Isaiah Collier, who went to USC as the No. 1-ranked recruit coming out of high school. At least should he go to the New Orleans Pelicans, Collier would end up in a situation where the young team he's on has championship aspirations, and nothing motivates a player more than being overlooked. This could be one of the more noteworthy steals.
22. Phoenix Suns - C Zach Edey, Purdue
The back-to-back national college player of the year going in the bottom-third of the first round still feels right. Zach Edey has a refined post game and will always have to be accounted for as a 7-foot-4 giant, but he's slow-footed and the pace of the modern game may blitz him off the floor. The Phoenix Suns need size and lots of it, though.
23. Milwaukee Bucks (via Pelicans) - F/C Kyle Filipowski, Duke
This is probably as high as Kyle Filipowski will go, as some mock drafts have him falling into the second round. He doesn't do one thing particularly well, as his shooting was supposed to be his bread and butter, but you can't teach seven feet (or just under), and Filipowski still has good instincts and is teachable in the right system that can mold him.
24. New York Knicks (via Mavericks) - F Bobi Klintman, Cairns Taipans
With back-to-back picks late in the first round, the New York Knicks can either package the two selections to move up, or use at least one of them on someone like Bobi Klintman who has long-term upside but likely won't be a contributor right away.
25. New York Knicks - PF Tyler Smith, G League Ignite
Precious Achiuwa was seeing postseason minutes for the New York Knicks due to missing players, and Tyler Smith would perhaps be seen as an upgrade over whatever he was offering. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and the tools to be an above-average defender, Smith will be a hit with the Madison Square Garden faithful.
26. Washington Wizards - C Yves Missi, Baylor
Yves Missi is as true blue of a center as it gets, as he lives in the paint area and has zero outside game to speak of. He'll protect the rim and get up for lobs, and the Wizards are arguably the best spot for him as he could see minutes almost instantly.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves - PG Tyler Kolek, Marquette
Tyler Kolek evokes visions of Peyton Pritchard out in Beantown. He's tough as nails for his size, and won't take plays off, making the most of his opportunities. Kolek won't surpass veteran Mike Conley on the depth chart, but he could push his way into steady backup minutes through sheer effort alone.
28. Denver Nuggets - C DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
ESPN's Justin Woo reports that DaRon Holmes' camp has "recently canceled several workouts, raising strong suspicions that he has secured a guarantee in the back part of the first round." The former champion Denver Nuggets make sense for Holmes, as there isn't much size or depth behind three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic at the moment.
29. Utah Jazz (Via Thunder) - G AJ Johnson, Illawarra Hawks (NBL), USA
The draft combine did wonders for AJ Johnson's stock, especially coming off his performance in the five-on-five drills. This is a pick for the future, and of the players hovering around this range, Johnson could turn out to be the strongest of them all down the road.
30. Boston Celtics - SG Baylor Scheierman,
The Boston Celtics are loaded at the wing, so taking some insurance in the form of Baylor Scheirman who can get hot in a hurry and will always compete isn't too much of a gamble for the best team in the league.
