The next wave of NBA talent is ready to take center stage.
The 2024 NBA Draft’s two days of action begin on Wednesday, with the Atlanta Hawks set to make the No. 1 overall selection for the first time in the post-1985 Draft lottery era.
While there is no generational prospect in the mold of Victor Wembanyama at the top of this year’s class, there is still plenty of talent primed to make an impact in the world’s best professional league.
For the first time in the history of the current format – which began in 1989 – the Draft will be held across two days, following in the footsteps of the US’ three other major sports leagues, which hold their drafts across multiple days.
First round picks will hear their names called at the Brooklyn Nets’ Barclays Center on Wednesday night with the second round taking place at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios the following day on June 27.
The first round of the draft will be broadcast from 8 p.m. ET on both ABC and ESPN, while the second round begins at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.
With basketball continuing to grow on a global scale, teams are increasingly turning their attention to overseas prospects, with the NBA’s consensus mock draft suggesting that at least four of the 14 lottery picks could be from outside the US.
It appears that a Frenchman will be first off the board for the second year running, though unlike the 2023 draft, there is more than one player in the mix.
Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr have both been linked with the No. 1 pick leading up to the Draft, with mock drafts swinging in Risacher’s favor in recent days.
Risacher spent last season with French club JL Bourg-en-Bresse of France’s LNB Élite league and could develop into an elite ‘three-and-D’ small forward for the Hawks if selected first overall. With a six-foot-eight frame and a long wingspan, he is expected to make an impact on the defensive end immediately, an area where rookies typically struggle.
Meanwhile, Sarr – who played for the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League – could begin the season as the starting center for the Washington Wizards, who own the No. 2 overall pick.
Reports speculate that the Hawks are leaning towards Risacher after Sarr declined a pre-draft workout with the team. Sarr clarified that his camp advised him to take the decision, saying that being drafted is the priority but that he still wants to be the No. 1 pick.
Forward Matas Buzelis – born in Chicago but of Lithuanian heritage – has also been touted as a potential top-five selection. The 19-year-old’s blend of height, ball-handling ability, playmaking and shooting upside means that he fits the archetype of the modern NBA wing.
Buzelis raised eyebrows earlier this year when he challenged Risacher to a one-on-one matchup.
“Of course, I want to see him one-on-one,” Buzelis told Lithuanian outlet Basket News in March. “He just doesn’t want to do that with me. His agent will not do that with me, and I know he won’t. It’s a business decision.
“My advantage is that I have everything over him.”
Buzelis followed up by stating that he “respects” Risacher as a player but doubled down on his comments the day before the draft.
“He just doesn’t want to see me. I’m just going to keep it real with everybody,” he said with a smile on his face.
Serbian point guard Nikola Topić is another name to keep an eye on, though he was recently diagnosed with a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which could affect his draft stock. Another Frenchman, Tidjane Salaün, could potentially find his way into the lottery or even the top 10.
Despite the influx of talent from abroad in recent years and a perceived drop in star power in men’s college basketball compared to previous seasons, there are still plenty of skilled NBA-ready players at the collegiate level.
While Risacher and Sarr are heavily predicted go at one and two, former Kentucky sharpshooter Reed Sheppard has a strong case to be selected just behind them.
A late-season surge in scoring by the combo guard turned the heads of NBA scouts, who have seemingly taken note of his ability to perform on the offensive end as well as stifle opponents on the other side of the ball. Listed around six-foot-two, Sheppard is often credited for playing bigger than his size.
Towering UConn center Donovan Clingan has also received pre-draft plaudits and has drawn comparisons to four-time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert. Expected to have an impact as a dominating interior presence from day one in the league, it is unlikely to see Clingan fall out of the top 10.
Reigning two-time consensus national player of the year Zach Edey is another player who can be a game-changer in the paint. The seven-foot-four, 300-pound center is the tallest player in Big Ten conference history and his seemingly unstoppable post presence and footwork made him one of the most dominant players in college, though there are concerns about his skillset not translating to the NBA.
Wings Stephon Castle, Cody Williams and Dalton Knecht are all candidates to fill out the top 10, while Ron Holland II remains an intriguing prospect. He chose to play for the NBA’s developmental G-League Ignite team – alongside Buzelis – instead of attending college.
Bronny James, son of NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James is expected to go towards the end of the second round, possibly at No. 55 to the Los Angeles Lakers where he could team up with his father.
Teams are able to trade picks on draft night. The Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers have each lost a second-round pick due to a league penalty, meaning that there will be 58 selections made rather than the usual 60.
First round
1. Atlanta Hawks
2. Washington Wizards
3. Houston Rockets (via Brooklyn Nets)
4. San Antonio Spurs
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Charlotte Hornets
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)
9. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Utah Jazz
11. Chicago Bulls
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Houston Rockets)
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Portland Trail Blazers (via Golden State Warriors via Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies)
15. Miami Heat
16. Philadelphia 76ers
17. Los Angeles Lakers
18. Orlando Magic
19. Toronto Raptors (via Indiana Pacers)
20. Cleveland Cavaliers
21. New Orleans Pelicans (via Milwaukee Bucks)
22. Phoenix Suns
23. Milwaukee Bucks (via New Orleans Pelicans)
24. New York Knicks (via Dallas Mavericks)
25. New York Knicks
26. Washington Wizards (via LA Clippers via Dallas Mavericks and OKC Thunder)
27. Minnesota Timberwolves
28. Denver Nuggets
29. Utah Jazz (via OKC Thunder via Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers)
30. Boston Celtics
Second round
31. Toronto Raptors (via Detroit Pistons via New York Knicks and LA Clippers)
32. Utah Jazz (via Washington Wizards via Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets)
33. Milwaukee Bucks (via Portland Trail Blazers via Sacramento Kings)
34. Portland Trail Blazers (via Charlotte Hornets via Denver Nuggets, OKC Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans)
35. San Antonio Spurs
36. Indiana Pacers (via Toronto Raptors via Philadelphia 76ers, LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies)
37. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Memphis Grizzlies via LA Lakers, Washington Wizards and OKC Thunder)
38. New York Knicks (via Utah Jazz)
39. Memphis Grizzlies (via Brooklyn Nets via Houston Rockets)
40. Portland Trail Blazers (via Atlanta Hawks)
41. Philadelphia 76ers (via Chicago Bulls via Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans)
42. Charlotte Hornets (via Houston Rockets via OKC Thunder)
43. Miami Heat
44. Houston Rockets (via Golden State Warriors via Atlanta Hawks)
45. Sacramento Kings
46. Los Angeles Clippers (via Indiana Pacers via Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks)
47. Orlando Magic
48. San Antonio Spurs (via LA Lakers via Memphis Grizzlies)
49. Indiana Pacers (via Cleveland Cavaliers)
50. Indiana Pacers (via New Orleans Pelicans)
51. Washington Wizards (via Phoenix Suns)
52. Golden State Warriors (via Milwaukee Bucks via Indiana Pacers)
53. Detroit Pistons (via New York Knicks via Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets)
54. Boston Celtics (via Dallas Mavericks via Sacramento Kings)
55. Los Angeles Lakers (via LA Clippers)
56. Denver Nuggets (via Minnesota Timberwolves via OKC Thunder)
57. Memphis Grizzlies (via OKC Thunder via Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks)
58. Dallas Mavericks (via Boston Celtics via Charlotte Hornets)