NBA Mock Draft 1.0
Which Prospects are Rising? Which are Falling?
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Photo: Hoops Hype
Now that the NCAA tournament is winding down, Draft Nation has compiled its first NBA Mock Draft for the 2024 Draft. Here are our top 30 prospects that we project in the first round as of today. The draft order will change after the draft lottery so check back for more information about the NBA Draft prospects on www.draftnation.com
1- Detroit Pistons- F/C- Alexandre Sarr, Perth Wildcats
The Pistons go after the unique talent who can play the 4 or 5 position and bring a tough, physical game to assist youngsters Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.
2- Washington Wizards- SG/SF- Zaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg-en-Bresse
The Wizards add a big wing who a lot of experts have as the #1 player in this draft class. He has an accurate outside shot and can play a versatile defense, two things Washington needs.
3- Charlotte Hornets- PG/SG- Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
A pure sharp shooter who gives the Hornets some flexibility on how they run their offense. Injuries hampered their backcourt all year, so Sheppard will be a welcome addition.
4- San Antonio Spurs- SF- Matas Buzelis, G-League Ignite
The Spurs will be excited to add a 6’10” wing who can dribble, drive and shoot. Buzelis along with Wembanyama will be matchup nightmares for opponents.
5- Portland Trail Blazers- PG- Nikola Topic´, KK Crvena Zvezda
The Trail Blazers can’t pass on Topic´as he falls to them at #5. He will add a 6’6” body to the Blazers backcourt that can move around with 2023 #1 Scoot Henderson.
6- Toronto Raptors- SF- Ron Holland, G-League Ignite
The Raptors get one of the most explosive players in the draft, but also a player who may take some time to find his game. The upside of Holland is worth the risk for the rebuilding Raptors.
7- Memphis Grizzlies- SG/SF- Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
The Grizzlies add one of the high risers from this NCAA season. Knecht is as pro ready as any other prospect in this class. He will be a productive player from the opening tip for Memphis.
8- Utah Jazz- C- Donovan Clingan, UConn
The Jazz lack a pure center and they will not hesitate to take the 7’2” Clingan. He is a disrupter on the defensive side of the court. Illinois was 0-19 in contested shots against Clingan in their Elite Eight matchup this season.
9- Houston Rockets (via BRK) - PG- Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Fred VanVleet has done a solid job seizing control of the reins at point guard but the team cannot pass on the talented Dillingham. Even though he came off the bench a majority of the season for Kentucky, he showed enough flash and the ability to take over games for the Rockets to bite at #9.
10- Atlanta Hawks- SG- Stephon Castle, UConn
With rumors swirling that Trae Young could be moved, the Hawks take the 6’6” shooting guard Castle. He stood out as a freshman on a loaded UConn team. He will bring some intensity to a rather bland Hawks lineup.
11- Chicago Bulls- PG/SG- Devin Carter, Providence
Chicago adds the most consistent player to come out of a talented Big East. Carter plays a relentless game on both sides of the ball and the Bulls can use some backcourt depth.
12- Oklahoma City Thunder (via HOU)- SG/SF- Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
The Thunder help out their two-guard position by selecting Walter. Walter has an enormous ceiling but can be inconsistent at times.
13- Portland Trail Blazers (via GS)- C- Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Portland already added to their backcourt depth with the selection of Topic´and now add a mobile big man to help out at the center position. Ware plays the post position well and reminds people of big man Jarrett Allen.
14- New Orleans Pelicans (via LAL)- PG- Isaiah Collier, USC
Collier suffered an early season injury which caused his draft stock to slip a bit. He is an electric guard who can fly and has the ability to become a productive two-way starting guard in the NBA.
15- Miami Heat- PG- Jared McCain, Duke
McCain improved his stock as much as any other prospect did during the NCAA Tournament. He scored 30 or more points twice and has a willingness to rebound from the guard position. He will help Miami’s backcourt which has been riddled with injuries and questions.
16- Philadelphia 76ers- PF- Bobi Klintman, Sweden
The 76ers add a developmental player with a ton of upside. At 6’10” and a good shooter, Klintman needs to refine everything else, but is well worth the wait.
17- Toronto Raptors (via IND)- C- Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Filipowski improved as a sophomore for the Blue Devils. He led the team in scoring and rebounding and at 7’0” showed some versatility on offense. He needs to get stronger but has some definite upside.
18- Atlanta Hawks (via SAC)- SF/PF- Cody Williams, Colorado
After taking Castle with the 10th pick, the Hawks get some help for their frontcourt with Cody Williams. He can play three positions (SF,PF, SG) and will be a nice depth piece to the Hawks at #18.
19- Cleveland Cavaliers- SG/SF- Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
The Cavaliers get some help on the wing with the selection of Shannon. Shannon had a strong tournament and was averaging 28 points a game until N.C. State held him to 8 points in the Elite Eight. Shannon is an older player who should give the Cavaliers some instant production.
20- Phoenix Suns- SG/SF- Kyshawn George, Miami, Fla.
The Suns add a wing with ball handling skills who was very productive at times in the offensive end for the Hurricanes. He can struggle defensively and lacks the top speed in one-on-one matchups.
21- New Orleans Pelicans- PF- Tyler Smith, G-League Ignite
The Pelicans selected PG- Isaiah Collier at #14 and now add a 6’11” big man who has gotten stronger as his season in the G-League went along. He has athleticism and showed improvement shooting from outside.
22- New York Knicks- PG- Carlton “Bub” Carrington, Pitt
One of the fastest risers in this year’s class, Carrington was not even in the top-100 of his own recruiting class. He led the Panthers in assists and showed that he could play off-guard as well. With the selection of Carrington, New York secures some quality depth to play behind Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo.
23- Orlando Magic- SG/SF- Johnny Furphy, Kansas
The Magic take a chance on a young guard with good handles who may not have instant production in the NBA. His shooting is NBA quality but he needs to improve his overall game. He might have improved his draft stock by choosing to stay in college for another season but he does go here to the Magic in late round one.
24- Milwaukee Bucks- SF/PF- Tristan Da Silva, Colorado
The Bucks add a strong shooter to their rotation with the selection of Da Silva. He had a productive year for the Buffaloes, averaging 16.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
25- New York Knicks (via DAL)- SF/PF- Tidjane Salaun, France
The Knicks may have the steal of the draft here with Salaun. His draft stock has been all over the board and some experts love his shooting mechanics and his consistent release.
26- Washington Wizards (via LAC)- C- Zach Edey, Purdue
The Wizards fans should be delighted in this pick. The Wizards possibly get the draft’s best player at #2 with Risacher and then select the NCAA Tournament darling Zach Edey with their 2nd pick. The Wizards need a center and could be a perfect scenario for Edey to join the league without a ton of pressure to win on day one.
27- Utah Jazz (via OKC)- SG- Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
The Jazz already grabbed their big man at #8 and now add to their backcourt with Hunter Sallis. He began his career at Gonzaga but had his best season in 2023-2024 for Wake Forest. He averaged 18.3 points per game and shot over 40% from 3-point range
28- Minnesota Timberwolves- SG/SF- Kevin McCullar, Jr., Kansas
The Timberwolves select McCullar who will add a scorer to their rotation. He struggled with a late season injury but that couldn’t stain a very productive season for McCullar. He improved his game all over and averaged 18.3 points and 6 rebounds per contest.
29- Denver Nuggets- SF/PF- Jaylon Tyson, California
The Nuggets draft a nice role player at #29 who can produce in their rotation in 2024. Tyson averaged 19.6 points a game for California and has an offensive mentality that should play well in the NBA.
30- Boston Celtics- C- Ulrich Chomche, NBA Africa Academy
The Celtics end the first round taking a chance on a project with some upside. Chomche is a 6 '11' ' rim protector, who is always active in shot blocking. He has shown moments of explosion on offense but will probably need a year or two to get stronger.
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