Draft Order NBA: 2024 NBA Draft Order Round 1: 1. Atlanta Hawks: Zaccharie Risacher, SF, JL Bourg, 2. Washington Wizards: Alexandre Sarr, C, Perth Wildcats, 3. Houston Rockets (from Brooklyn Nets): Reed Sheppard, SG, Kentucky, 4. San Antonio Spurs: Stephon Castle, PG, Connecticut, 5. Detroit Pistons: Ron Holland, SF, Ignite (NBA G-League), 6. Charlotte Hornets: Tidjane Salaun, SF, Cholet Basket, 7. Portland Trailblazers: Donovan Clingan, C, Connecticut, 8. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Toronto Raptors): Rob Dillingham, PG, Kentucky, 9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C, Purdue, 10. Utah Jazz: Cody Williams, SF, Colorado, 11. Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis, SF, Ignite (NBA G-League), 12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Houston Rockets): Nikola Topic, PG, Mega Bemax, 13. Sacramento Kings: Devin Carter, PG, Providence, 14. Washington Wizards (from Golden State Warriors): Carlton Carrington, PG, Pittsburgh, 15. Miami Heat: Kel'el Ware, C, Indiana, 16. Philadelphia 76ers: Jared McCain, PG, Duke, 17. Los Angeles Lakers: Dalton Knecht, SF, Tennessee, 18. Orlando Magic: Tristan da Silva, PF, Colorado, 19. Toronto Raptors (from Indiana Pacers): Ja'Kobe Walter, SG, Baylor, 20. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jaylon Tyson, SF, California, 21. New Orleans Pelicans (from Milwaukee Bucks): Yves Missi, C, Baylor, 22. Denver Nuggets (from Phoenix Suns): DaRon Holmes II, PF, Dayton, 23. Milwaukee Bucks (from New Orleans Pelicans): A.J. Johnson, SG, Illawarra Hawks, 24. New York Knicks (from Dallas Mavericks): Kyshawn George, SG, Miami FL, 25. New York Knicks: Pacome Dadiet, SG, France, 26. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Los Angeles Clippers): Dillon Jones, SF, Weber State, 27. Minnesota Timberwolves: Terrance Shannon Jr., SG, Illinois, 28. Phoenix Suns (from Denver Nuggets): Ryan Dunn, SF, Virginia, 29. Utah Jazz (from Oklahoma City Thunder): Isaiah Collier, PG, USC, 30. Boston Celtics: Baylor Scheierman, SF, Creighton

















2024 NBA Draft Results




Round 1 Picks 1-15



The 2024 NBA Draft is one of the weaker drafts in recent memory. It feels more wide open than any NBA Draft this decade.



Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Last Updated: June 26, 2024.


  1. Atlanta Hawks: Zaccharie Risacher, SF, JL Bourg B- Grade

    The Atlanta Hawks have Trae Young their 2018 first round pick at point guard whose an asset on offense and a liability on defense, Dejountae Murray at shooting guard whose the best defending guard on Atlanta, De'Andre Hunter the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft at small forward who led Virginia to a National Title in College Basketball, Jalen Johnson your 2021 first round pick at power forward replacing John Collins your 2016 first round pick, Clint Capela at center, Bogdan Bogdanovic as a sixth man who can start at both shooting guard or small forward if either Murray or Hunter is injured, and impending RFA Saddiq Bey who started 52 games for Atlanta at both small forward and power forward when Murray, Hunter, or Johnson was injured. Onyeka Okongwu showed ability to play off the bench at both power forward and center, but he's more of a effective bench player. Atlanta had my second best player AZaccharie Risacher as their top prospect, but he could also end up being Atlanta's fourth best small forward. This is an A grade in terms of value and a D+ grade in terms of team need which averages out to a B-.


    The 6-9 204 lb Zaccharie Risacher is the best defender, three point shooter, passer, and blocker outside fo Alexander Sarr. He's not as complete as the Sarr, but checks most boxes with him being the only potential blue chip player outside of Sarr with both French players having the floors of day 1 starters, the ceilings of blue chip players, and a realistic middle ground of becoming All Star players down the road. Zaccharie Risacher had 10.1 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, and 0.9 assists per game on JL Bourg in 2023-2024. The kicker is that both Sarr and Risacher would start out as bench players and be eased into bigger roles down the road with Atlanta having Capella while Washington has three forwards averaging over 10 points a game with two of those forwards being first round picks in the 2020 and 2021 NBA Drafts.


    Zaccharie Risacher can defend against the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, and the 3 at small forward in short range situations. You want to see him defend more in medium range and long range shot situations too, but Risacher's defensive play is good enough to make him my second best player in the 2024 NBA Draft. Zaccharie Risacher is one player besides Alexandre Sarr that can make a shot from short range, medium range, or long range.


  2. Washington Wizards: Alexandre Sarr, C, Perth Wildcats A+ Grade

    Washington currently has Malcolm Brogdon or Tyus Jones at point guard, Jordan Poole at shooting guard after being a backup on Golden State, Corey Kispert their 2021 first round pick at small forward, Kyle Kuzma at power forward, and Alexandre Sarr at center. Washington finally has a good starting five and if nobody stands out next year you can reload in a much stronger 2025 NBA Draft.


    I had Alexandre Sarr as my first overall pick back in October of 2023 after watching tape of prospects heading into the College Baskeball Season. I still like Sarr the most among every prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft and he's the favorite at -190 over Risacher at +165 to go first overall in a much weaker draft while also addressing the biggest long-term need for the Atlanta Hawks with the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Dominique Wilkins saw Alexandre Sarr in person and called him a special player that I see a becoming a Generation Z version of myself down the road. Meanwhile the Atlanta Hawks front office hasn't even brought in Alexandre Sarr who played on Overtime Elite in Atlanta before going to the Perth Wildcats in Australia overseas.


    The 7-1 217 lb Alexandre Sarr is a big with the versatility to play the 4 at power forward or the 5 at center. Alexandre Sarr began playing Basketball at the age of 4 in Bordeaux, France before playing in Atlanta for a year before going to Overtime Elite and the NBL for a year. He can defend the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, the 3 at small forward, the 4 at power forward, and the 5 at center. He defends well and can hit shots from short range, medium range, or long range. Sarr is a good dunker too and played with the Perth Wildcats this season after playing with Overtime Elite prior to the 2024 NBA Draft. He's also the son of former Senegalese pro basketball player Massar Sarr as well as the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder backup center Olivier Sarr.


    Around Halloween in 2023, I said that Alexandre Sarr is the closest thing the 2024 NBA Draft has to Victor Wembanyama being blown away by his 2022-2023 tape with Overtime Elite. He led the Perth Wildcats to a win over his former team Overtime Elite in September of 2023, and wasn't the consensus number one pick in most NBA Mock Drafts until December of 2023 because on November 10, 2023, I was the only person in the country who had Sarr going first overall at the time upon the release of my first 2024 NBA Mock Draft. Sarr compared himself to Cleveland Cavaliers power forward/center Evan Mobley and Los Angeles Lakers power forward/center Anthony Davis who was mainly a power forward coming out of Kentucky in the 2012 NBA Draft, so the floor is Evan Mobley and the ceiling is Anthony Davis which is enough of a reason to pick him first overall with Michigan State power forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. the fourth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft being an ideal middle ground for Alexandre Sarr.


    Sarr may be a Goodwill version of Wemby that cannot be exchanged at Walmart's Customer Service area when returning products. He checked off every box on tape on Overtime Elite by posting 11.1 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per in 2022-2023 despite getting a limited volume on the Perth Wildcats in the NBL. Alexandre Sarr had 9.4 points per game, 0.9 assists per game, and 4.3 rebounds per game, but he only averaged 17.3 minutes per game off the bench in 27 games with the Perth Wildcats in 2023-2024. The regression from Overtime Elite to the Perth Wildcats is slightly concerning, but the Washington Wizards needed a center to round out of the starting five. The dribbling is decent, but not always effective. His jump shot is promising, but it's not a consistent weapon in his three point game yet.



  3. Houston Rockets: Reed Sheppard, SG, Kentucky A+ Grade

    Houston moved up from 4 to 3 with the Brooklyn Nets 2024 first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Houston has Freddy VanVleet at point guard, Jalen Green who was drafted second overall behind Cade Cunningham the 2021 NBA Draft at shooting guard, Dillon Brooks at small forward, Jabari Smith Jr. their third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft at power forward, and Alperen Senguin at center after Houston took this top 10 player on my board in the 2021 NBA Draft with the sixteenth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Houston drafted Amen Thompson, a point guard out of Overtime Elite fourth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, but he's only averaging 6.7 points per game so far. Houston has Cam Whitmore their second 2023 first round pick as the backup small forward, Tari Eason a second 2022 first round pick as the backup power forward and Steven Adams who they got at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline as the backup center. A backup shooting guard is the lone need on the Houston Rockets. Kentucky shooting guard Reed Sheppard doesn't just fill a need, he's also the best available player on the board at 3 and Houston can draft him to be the backup shooting guard to Jalen Green. He can also compete for a starting spot with Amen Thompson in 2025 if Houston moves on from starting poing guard Freddy VanVleet who has a club option in 2025 when both Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, Houston's two 2021 first round picks at shooting guard and center become RFA's after next season.


    Kentucky combo guard Reed Sheppard was the biggest riser in NBA Mocks as neither Wes Langley, Brian Bayless who had the most accurate 2023 NBA Mock Draft supplanting my NBA Mock Draft streak of having the most accurate NBA Mock Draft from 2017-2022, nor myself had Reed Sheppard in the top 3 back in November. The crazy thing is by the time the 2024 NCAA Men's March Madness Tournament started, Sheppard was considered the best College Basketball Player in the 2024 NBA Draft despite Oakland knocking out Kentucky in the second round of the 2024 Men's Basketball Tournament in the round of 64 with Oakland shocking the entire College Basketball World at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. Ironically, the Pittsburgh Panthers play all of their main sports outside of football in the Oakland region of Pittsburgh.


    The 6-2 187 lb Reed Sheppard has an identical shooting form to Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry. Reed Sheppard is also versatile enough to play the 1 at point guard or the 2 at shooting guard. Reed Sheppard has the short range, medium range, long range, playmaking you want from a passer, the ability to steal the basketball, the ability to rebound the basketball, and the ability to block at will. Reed Sheppard's 42 inch vertical was the biggest vertical at the 2024 NBA Combine.


    Reed Sheppard had 12.5 points per game, 4.5 assists per game, 4.1 rebounds per game, 2.5 steals per game, 0.7 blocks per game, a 53.6% field goal percentage, a 52.1% three point percentage, and a 83.1% free throw percentage in his lone season at Kentucky in 2023-2024. Reed Sheppard has the basketball IQ to dominate offensively and high point the basketball on defense whether it be by blocking, rebounding, or stealing. The one thing he will need to work on besides performing better in the playoffs after his bad Tournament game against Oakland is his ability to defend the 1 or the 2 by contesting shots using his wingspan and body to defend other players. If Sheppard can refine that area of his game, he's got a chance to be special down the road as both Wes Langley and my friend Bryan Luis have raved about his ability.


    John Calipari's track record with recruiting and developing players speaks for itself. He's had more success with guards and bigs than forwards if you look at his entire coaching history. Marcus Camby was the first player he coached to make the NBA at Massachusetts also known as UMass.


    Derrick Rose was the first special point guard John Calipari coached at Memphis before making the jump to Kentucky as Derrick Rose was the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Rose got Memphis to a NCAA Championship where they lost to Kansas before the NCAA vacated that.


    Other number one picks that John Calipari coached during his tenure at Kentucky include John Wall a point guard in the 2010 NBA Draft, Anthony Davis the first pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Karl Anthony-Towns who went first overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. Two of those three number one picks under Calipari were bigs with Wall being the lone guard to go first overall despite not winning anything at Kentucky.


    Other guards that John Calipari developed at Kentucky that have had success in the NBA include Devin Booker the Phoneix Suns 2015 first round pick, who I mocked tenth overall to the Miami Heat back in 2015. I mocked Jamal Murray to Minnesota fifth overall in 2016. Taking Dunn over Murray was a horrible move for the franchise at the time looking back on it now, but Minnesota ended up getting Anthony Edwards in 2020 with Jamal Murray being another really good guard that John Calipari coached whose translated well to the NBA as the Denver Nuggets drafted Jamal Murray to compliment Nikola Jokic in the 2016 NBA Draft. De'Aaron Fox, who I mocked to Sacramentoin 2017 has been as good as advertised on the Sacramento Kings. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a player that I said would be a better defender in the NBA than Trae Young when mocking him to the Los Angeles Clippers at 11 with the Detroit Pistons 2018 first round pick which the Clippers owned that year. Trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was a young and emerging star at point guard along with another veteran and five first round picks for Paul George backfired tremendously which is why I'm never a fan of trading away players you just drafted as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke out with the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season. The Miami Heat drafted another Kentucky point guard Tyler Herro thirteenth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft and he's been a great sixth man in the NBA. Tyrese Maxey went to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020 NBA Draft and is now a regular starter on the Philadelphia 76ers. Shaedon Sharpe, who was drafted by Portland in the 2022 NBA Draft had 15.7 points per game this past season playing 33 minutes in 25 starts before a season ending injury, and may break out next year. Cason Wallace was Oklahoma City's 2023 first round pick as a backup to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. John Calipari's track record with guards speaks for itself, but his two Final 4 teams at Kentucky had Davis and Anthony-Towns as the catalysts even his Memphis team with Derrick Rose and UMass Final 4 team had Camby on it at power forward and Kentucky hasn't recruited the quality of bigs they used to which is a huge reason I believe Kentucky opted to move on from John Calipari with the one-and-done rule becoming outdated in College Basketball. Reed Sheppard seems like the final guard in the John Calipari pipeline at Kentucky that will be a first round draft pick with John Calipari having a first round pick at guard every year from 2015 to 2024 over the past decade with Sheppard being the first of two first round guards in the 2024 NBA Draft.


    Reed Sheppard will probably start out as the backup shooting guard to Jalen Green this season. Jalen Green and Alperen Senguin are both getting extended once they become RFA's in 2025 and if both get 5 year extensions, those two 2021 first round picks that the Houston Rockets hit on would be on the Houston Rockets until 2030. Freddy VanVleet has a club option and if Houston opts not to excersize it, Amen Thompson the fourth pick in last years draft and Reed Sheppard would be competing for the starting point guard job in 2025 if Houston wants to trade VanVleet before he becomes a UFA in 2026. There's also the possibility that Houston develops both Sheppard along with Thompson for the next two seasons with those two competing for the point guard job in 2026 if Houston keeps VanVleet until his contract expires. If Reed Sheppard wins that competition versus Amen Thompson who went fourth overall in a much stronger draft, he could be starting at point guard by 2025 or 2026. At the very worst, he's a viable combo guard off the bench who dominates offensively, but needs to work on taking up space when contesting shots on defense despite a smaller wingspan.


    Houston has their entire starting five locked up until 2026. Hitting on the third pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and getting a future starting point guard in either Amen Thompson or Reed Sheppard if you move on from Freddy VanVleet allows you to have a good starting five until 2027 when small forward Dillon Brooks becomes a UFA. The rebuild for the Houston Rockets is almost done, as I believe with Reed Sheppard, the Houston Rockets will be a playoff team this upcoming season with 10 quality players both in the starting five as well as five quality bench players too.


  4. San Antonio Spurs: Stephon Castle, PG, Connecticut A+ Grade

    San Antonio moved up from 5 to 4 in the 2024 NBA Draft following the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery. San Antonio has a playoff caliber starting five when everyone is healthy with Tre Jones a 2020 second round pick at point guard, Devin Vasell a 2020 first round pick at shooting guard, Keldon Johnson a 2019 first round pick at small forward, Jeremy Sochan a 2022 first round pick at power forward, and Victor Wembanyama a 2023 first round pick at center. Zach Collins is a good sixth man.


    There's three superstar players that can average 20 points a game in this starting lineup in Victor Wembanyama whose going to be the face of this team for the next two decades after posting 21.4 points per game in 71 starts as the number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Devin Vassell a player that I loved in the 2020 NBA Draft that fell outside of the top 10 posted 19.5 points per game in 62 starts and it is as clear as daylight he's the biggest superstar on the Spurs outside of Wembanyama as well as the second big time impact player. Keldon Johnson went from 12 points per game in his first season starting as a sophomore, to 17 points per game in 72 games in his third NBA season, to leading the San Antonio Spurs with 22 points per game in 2022-2023 to having 15.7 points per game in 27 starts this past season. Johnson has ability to be a superstar, but the constant injuries make him a star with the ability to be a superstar when he's healthy. Jeremy Sochan averaged 11.6 points per game in his first year as a starting power forward in the NBA, and he also led the San Antonio Spurs with 73 games started. Getting a point guard that will be an upgrade over Tre Jones is a big priority.


    Tre Jones is 24 entering a contract year despite having two good seasons as San Antonio's 2020 second round pick where he had 12 points per game in 2022-2023 and 10 points per game in 2023-2024. I'm cool with letting Tre Jones finish up his rookie contract, but the grim reality is Stephon Castle or Nikola Topic would be upgrades over Tre Jones. Stephon Castle is the more complete guard of those two point guards, but neither guy is an All Star caliber point guard.


    The 6-6 215 lb Stephon Castle is a combo guard that is versatile enough to play point guard at the 1 and shooting guard at the 2. Stephon Castle had the short range, medium range, long range, and passing to be a high end starter at point guard in the NBA. He needed to develop his defense in College to be a top 5 pick at Connecticut and he did that which is why he gets the edge over Nikola Topic at 4 for the San Antonio Spurs who reportedly love Stephon Castle.


    Stephon Castle, the 2023-2024 Big East Freshman of the Year had 11.1 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, 2.9 assists per game, a 47.2% field goal percentage, a 26.7% three point percentage, and a 75.5% free throw percentage in his lone season at Connecticut in 2023-2024 Stephon Castle does need to add more shooting power and velocity with his shot, but San Antonio Spurs second year shooting coach Jimmy Baron did a good job making sure every starter on the Spurs averaged over 10 points per game in his first year. Stephon Castle can start out as a point guard, but could also be a backup point guard or shooting guard if he needs to be eased in. There's no depth behind Tre Jones or Devin Vassell at guard on the San Antonio Spurs, plus there's also the possibility that Castle beats out Tre Jones outright for the starting point guard job right out of the gate in training camp and if that happens, the San Antonio Spurs would not just have five quality scorers in their starting five, but five quality starters on defense as well which we know the San Antonio Spurs are big proponents of.


    Stephon Castle seems like he will have better chemistry with Victor Wembanyama than Nikola Topic. Castle is also a gold medalist according to Joey. Topic is also recovering from a partially torn ACL and had multiple re-aggrevating injuries on his left knee. Castle only interviewed with three teams in the top 10 Washington, San Antonio, and Utah expecting the team that drafts him to make him a day 1 starter at point guard refusing to interview with every other team. Only two of those three teams reportedly fell in love with Castle during the interview process leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft and those two teams were San Antonio and Utah. Charlotte would love the idea of drafting Castle as a shooting guard, but Castle refused to interview him since he's hell bent on playing point guard in the NBA. If San Antonio were to pass on Castle, there's a chance he could fall further than expected, but with Topic's durability concerns and recent medicals, something tells me San Antonio will want a player with Stephon Castle's Championship pedigree.



  5. Detroit Pistons: Ron Holland, SF, Ignite (NBA G-League) A Grade

    Detroit has their starting five with Cade Cunningham their first pick in the 2021 NBA Draft at point guard, Jaden Ivey at shooting guard the fifth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Ausar Thompson the fifth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft at small forward, Isaiah Stewart at power forward, and Jalen Duren a second 2022 first round pick at center. Everyone except Ausar Thompson scored over 10 points per game. Detroit goes with Ron Holland who was my number two player back in November to push Ausar Thompson for that small forward job.


    The 6-8 206 lb Ron Holland is versatile enough to play both the 3 at small forward and the 4 at power forward. Holland got 36 points against the Perth Wildcats while Sarr got 24 points despite Sarr winning against Iginite. Both players can hit shots from short range, medium range, and long range on tape. Holland can generate assists. I think Holland can defend effectively, but I'd like to see more game film where he is playing defense as well as offense for content creators on Youtube going forward. Holland has gotten double digit rebounds in games and Holland feels like the most complete player that can pass, shoot, block, rebound, and steal at the NBA level outside of Alexandre Sarr which is why I mocked him at 2 back in November, but the constant fouling this past season causes Ron Holland to drop to 5.


    Ron Holland added 6 lbs of muscle since the joining Ignite which will not exist next season. Ron Holland had 20.6 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists per game, 2.5 steals per game, a 44.3% field goal percentage, a 24% three point percentage, and a 75.7% free throw percentage in all 29 games he started in 2023-2024. Ron Holland also failed to answer questions about his defense because he can high point the basketball and get rebounds, but I haven't seen game film of Holland contesting shots consistently against small forwards and power forwards. He also averaged 3 turnovers a game and had 3 fouls a game in 18/29 of the games he started in from November 10, 2023 the day I released my first 2024 NBA Mock Draft to January 31, 2024. Those are the only games Ron Holland played this season in that time span. Holland has potential to be a blue chip player, but numerous questions have many dropping Holland in mock drafts to the point where I now view him as an All Star at best assuming he fixes his weaknesses in the NBA.


  6. Charlotte Hornets: Tidjane Salaun, SF, Cholet Basket C Grade

    The Charlotte Hornets have LaMelo Ball their 2020 first round pick at point guard, Brandon Miller their second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft at small forward, Grant Williams at power forward, and Mark Williams a 2022 first round pick at center. Outside of Brandon Miller, nobody else in this starting five started more than 22 games with LaMelo Ball, Grant Williams, and Mark Williams all starting 22 or fewer games with Grant Williams only starting 19 games despite these guys all having high point totals.


    The 6-10 217 lb Tidjane Salaun has the short range, medium range, and long range shooting that you want from a small forward. Some have called him the French Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that feels like a massive exxageration since shooting and scoring are the two biggest strengths of the game.


    Tidjane Salaun had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals per game in 2023-2024. Tidjane Salaun needs to improve his defense and ability to generate assists despite dominating as a scorer. He does a nice job of stealing the basketball and high pointing the ball, but that's the only other trait that stands out. He will be a decent backup small forward to Brandon Miller, but Charlotte needed a starting shooting guard after moving Terry Rozier at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline and there were 7 other players ahead of Salaun on my board which is why Charlotte got a C grade.



  7. Portland Trail Blazers: Donovan Clingan, C, Connecticut A Grade

    Portland has Scoot Henderson their third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft at point guard, Anfernee Simmons their 2020 first round pick at shooting guard, Deni Avdija at small forward, Jerami Grant remains at power forward, and DeAndre Ayton enters year two as Portland's center with two years left on his contract. Shaedon Sharpe, Portland's 2022 first round pick took over at small forward after playing both point guard as well as shooting guard at Kentucky as he should be the sixth man at all three of those positions. Portland also drafted Donovan Clingan at 7 who will be a good backup to DeAndre Ayton.


    The 7-2 265 lb Donovan Clingan gives the Charlotte Hornets more center depth behind Mark Williams. Donovan Clingan came off the bench as a freshman on Connecticut's Title team in 2022-2023. Donovan Clingan had 13 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, 2.5 blocks per game, 1.5 assists per game, a 63.9% field goal percentage, a 25% three point percentage, and a 58.3% free throw percentage in his first year as a starter leading Connecticut to a second consecutive National Title, this time as the starting center in 2023-2024.


    Donovan Clingan has the short range, medium range, long range, passing, rebounding, and shot blocking you want. He provides insurance for DeAndre Ayton at center.


  8. Minnesota Timberwolves: Rob Dillingham, PG, Kentucky A Grade

    Minnesota has Mike Conley Jr. at point guard, Anthony Edwards their number one pick in the 2020 NBA Draft at shooting guard, Jaden McDaniels at small forward, Karl-Anthony Towns their number one pick in the 2015 NBA Draft at power forward, and Rudy Gobert at center. Minnesota traded a 2030 and 2031 first round pick to San Antonio with a 2030 pick swap and 2031 first round pick for Rob Dillingham.


    The 6-1 163 lb Rob Dillingham is a combo guard like Reed Sheppard and Stephon Castle. He mainly played point guard while Reed Sheppard played shooting guard at Kentucky last year. Rob Dillingham would be the tenth guard coached by John Calipari at Kentucky to be drafted in the first round dating back to 2015, the eighth guard coached by Calipari to be drafted in the lottery, and the third guard to be drafted in the top 10 with De'Aaron Fox and Reed Sheppard probably being the only top 5 picks among a group of great Kentucky guards which included both Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Calipari also had the MVP of the 2023 McDonalds All American Game D.J. Wagner, but Wagner transferred to Arkansas with Coach Calipari rather than entering the 2024 NBA Draft.


    Rob Dillingham has the short range, medium range, long range, passing, and athleticism you covet from a combo guard. His big weakness is his defense and that seems to be the recurring theme with a lot of these recent one-and-done teams. As good as some Calipari's guards have been, none of them defended like Booker, Murray, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when he was eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft. The last five years, Kentucky focused more on offensively gifted guards that were highly ranked recruits more so than defense and that's a big reason Kenutcky lost in the round of 64 during March Madness in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 the past five years.


    Both Rob Dillingham and Nikola Topic are both projects defensively to the point where they could become liabilities if a coaching staff doesn't develop their defense. Dillingham is the better mid range shooter and that's what separates him from Topic when taking the medicals of Topic into account here.


    Rob Dillingham had 15.2 points per game, 3.9 assists per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, 1 steal per game, a 47.5% field goal percentage, a 44.4% three point percentage, and a 79.6% free throw percentage in his lone season at Kentucky in 2023-2024. Trae Young was an elite scorer at Oklahoma, but was a project defensively in College. Young's defense looked really bad in the play in tournament, but that may have been due to Young coming off an injury or him playing the 2 at shooting guard against the Bulls instead of the 1 his usual position where Murray played.


    Minnnesota will have the perfect mentor to Rob Dillingham in Mike Conley Jr. Mike Conley Jr. will put Rob Dillingham in the perfect position to be his successor.



  9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C, Purdue A+ Grade

    Memphis has Ja Morant their 2019 first round pick drafted second overall behind Zion Williamson at point guard, Marcus Smart at shooting guard, Desmond Bane moving from shooting guard to small forward, Jaren Jackson Jr. their fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft at power forward, and Zach Edey at center. You still have GG Jackson last years second round pick off the bench as a sixth man for depth.


    Memphis drafts the back-to-back James Naismith Award winner to be their starting center at 10. The 7-3 300 lb Zach Edey had 22.3 points per game and 12.9 rebounds per game in 2022 while winning the James Naismith Award for the top player in College Basketball. Zach Edey had 25.2 points per game which was most in the country, 12.2 rebounds per game which was third in the country, 2.2 blocks per game, 2 assists per game, a 62.3% field goal percentage, a 50% three point percentage going 1/2 on three point shots, and a 71.1% free throw percentage as a senior guiding Purdue to the 2024 NCAA Men's Championship game where Connecticut repeated against Purdue.


    Zach Edey has the short range, medium range, long range as he's hit three point shots in practice, the passing, the rebounding, the shot blocking. He can defend against the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, the 3 at small forward, the 4 at power forward, and the 5 at center. Sometimes he will ocassionally daydream and get beat on a play defensively by having lapses, but this only happens 1 or 2 times a game not enough to where it could be a question mark at the NBA level. Zach Edey had the fourth best agility time and the second best sprint time among all bigs at power forward and center at the 2024 NBA Combine. Edey outperformed both Alexandre Sarr and Donovan Clingan the two best centers in the 2024 NBA Draft that are locks for the top 10.


  10. Utah Jazz: Cody Williams, SF, Colorado A- Grade

    The Utah Jazz have Jordan Clarkson at point guard, Collin Sexton at shooting guard, Lauri Markannen is a viable small forward, John Collins at power forward. The Utah Jazz have Markannen in a contract year with Clarkson, Sexton, and Collins being UFA's in 2026. Walker Kessler regressed since his rookie year. Utah is going for value with Cody Williams and giving Walker Kessler one more year, so I guess this isn't a bad pick with Williams being my third best player on the board and no more centers worth drafting at 10.


    The 6-8 185 lb Cody Williams could be a player who ends up being a starter for the Chicago Bulls at small forward down the road as well as the ideal successor for DeMar DeRozan even if he comes back. Cody Wiliams has the short range, medium range, long range, passing, and defense you want. Cody Williams can defend the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, and the 3 at small forward.


    Cody Williams had 11.9 points per game, 3 rebounds per game, 1.6 assists per game, a 55.2% field goal percentage, a 41.5% three point percentage, and a 71.4% free throw percentage as a true freshman in 2023-2024. Cody Williams helped Colorado get past the round of 68 against Boise State and the round of 64 against Florida after guiding Colorado to the 2024 PAC 12 Championship where Oregon beat Colorado to win the PAC 12 in Basketball.



  11. Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis, SF, Ignite (NBA G-League) A+ Grade

    Lonzo Ball cannot stay healthy, but he could return to full health at some point in 2024-2025 and when he does he will be the starting point guard, but for now, Chicago Coby White at point guard, Josh Giddey at shooting guard, Zach LaVine at small forward, P.J. Williams at power forward, and Nikola Vucevic at center. DeMar DeRozan is a UFA and wants a 3-year deal with $40-million a year with Chicago offering DeRozan $40-million a year. DeRozan also said he was tired of losing in his postgame press conference. Chicago can give DeRozan a two year deal, but a three year deal may put Chicago over the luxury tax. Matas Buzelis is a steal at 11.


    The 6-10 209 lb Matas Buzelis had the short range, medium range, long range, passing, ability to defend the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, the 3 at small forward, and the 4 at power forward. Heading into the Fall, Matas Buzelis checked off every box except three point shooting which is why I thought it was kind of ridiculous that he was in consideration to go first overall in this crap shoot of a draft class. Now that Buzelis has fixed his three point shooting, you can't really argue with the thought process of him going to Chicago at 11.


  12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nikola Topic, PG, Mega Bemax A Grade

    Oklahoma City acquired this pick from Houston. Oklahoma City has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at point guard, Alex Caruso at shooting guard in a contract year, Luguentz Dort at small forward, Jalen Williams at power forward their second 2022 first round pick in the lottery, and Chet Holmgren at center who was drafted second overall in the 2022 NBA Draft playing his first full rookie season where Oklahoma City was the number one seed in the Western Conference. Cason Wallace, who Oklahoma City drafted tenth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft is the backup point guard to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing all 82 games off the bench and starting 13 as a rookie. Now you add Nikola Topic to challenge Cason Wallace and if you believe he can play the two at shooting guard this is a great pick.


    Nikola Topic was once projected to go as high as fourth to San Antonio. Two knee injuries happened leading up to this years NBA Draft. One caused him to miss four months. The second left knee injury led to a partially torn ACL. I think the medicals with his left knee cause him to drop out of the top 10. There was also a rumor that a team took Topic off their board because he's on the spectrum. I don't care if Topic is or isn't on the spectrum as someone who is on the spectrum myself. Can he play and what is his character off the court? Those are the questions NBA teams should be asking with Topic following a partially torn ACL that ended his season. Portland can let Nikola Topic recover from his injury and next season, he will be the backup point guard to Scoot Henderson when Malcolm Brogdon becomes a UFA.


    The 6-7 203 lb Nikola Topic had 18.4 points per game, 7.1 assists per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game. Nikola Topic is a player that can generate 7-11 assists a game with his passing, playmaking, and vision. He's a great facilitator. Some beleive he's a low end starter at point guard that graded out as an 85/99 the lowest grade you would give an NBA starter like Alex Caruso on the Chicago Bulls while Joey the co host of my podcast compared Topic to Luka Doncic without getting into the specifics of why that is.


    I saw flashes of Luka as a three point shooter, but that's about it. Luka was way more refined as a shooter coming out of Real Madrid having the short range, medium range, and long range to succeed in the NBA while Topic only has the short range and long range despite hitting under 30 percent of his three point shots. He doesn't defend well at all, but Nikola Topic might work out and if he or Cason Wallace can move to shooting guard you can reload at the 2 if you don't want to extend Caruso.



  13. Sacramento Kings: Devin Carter, PG, Providence A Grade

    The Sacramento Kings have De'Aaron Fox at point guard after drafting him fifth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, Kevin Huerter at shooting guard, Harrison Barnes at small foward, Keegan Murray at power forward, and Domantas Sabonis at center. Malik Monk averaged over 15 points a game off the bench, but started 0 games at shooting guard. Malik Monk got a four year extension, so he will not be hitting the market and will remain a complimentary guard option to DeAaron Fox which pretty much eliminates the possibility of Sacramento drafting a guard at 13 unless they want to groom a successor behind DeAaron Fox whose a 2027 UFA.


    The 6-2 195 lb Devin Carter gives the Sacramento Kings depth at point guard and he's the perfect backup to De'Aaron Fox. Devin Carter has the shooting to be a viable backup to Carter.


    Devin Carter has the short range making 65% of his shots in the paint, the medium range making 3 out of every 4 free throws, and long range you covet as he made 11 three pointers on 100 shot attempts. He's also got the passing and rebounding you want from a point guard. His mid range game does need refinement only making 29 percent of his shots from medium range in Providence despite a strong free throw game, but you can't put too much stock into this since Devin Carter only took 12% of his shots from medium range at Providence. He's playmaking is a question mark and needs to be more consistent, but it's not a liability. He's a better decision maker than Jared McCann who I also considered here. Devin Carter can defend against the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, the 3 at small forward, the 4 at power forward, and the 5 at center.


    Devin Carter had 19.7 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, 3.6 assists per game, a 47.3% field goal percentage, a 37.7% three point percentage, and a 74.9% free throw percentage during his junior season at Providence in 2023-2024. Devin Carter finally broke out as a three point shooter this season which is the biggest reason he's catapulted into the first round. His floor is a bench player, but his ceiling is a High end starter that could potentially makes an 1st or 2nd team All Defense team at the end of the year once he reaches his peak if you remain patient with him for the duration of his rookie contract.


  14. Washington Wizards: Carlton Carrington, PG, Pittsburgh C Grade

    Washington can go with the best player available here by taking a player I had considered at 30 in October before ultimately leaving him at 30. Carlton Carrington also nicknamed "Bub" Carrington was a point guard that displayed the short range, medium range, long range, passing, ability to defend the 1 at point guard and the ability to defend the 2 at shooting guard. He's got refine his decision making and defense to a degree, but learning under a veteran like Jrue Holliday puts Carlton Carrington in the perfect position to be the Washington Wizards point guard of the future down the road.


    The 6-5 190 lb Carlton Carrington had 13.8 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 4.1 assists per game. a 41.2% field goal percentage, a 32.2% three point percentage, and a 78.5% free throw percentage as a true freshman at Pittsburgh in 2023-2024. Carlton Carrington's floor is a bench player, but his ceiling is a high end starter. Honestly Carlton Carrington reminds me of D'Angelo Russell, but he also shows flashes of Marcus Smart with a lower floor and higher ceiling. If he can learn under Tyus Jones and Malcom Brogdon for a few years he has a much greater chance of reaching his ceiling than his floor becoming an high end starter in Washington.



  15. Miami Heat: Kel'el Ware, C, Indiana B- Grade

    The Miami Heat have Terry Rozier at point guard, Tyler Herro at shooting guard, Jimmy Butler at small forward, and Bam Adeboyo at center. Miami also has some quality bench players like Duncan Robinson who can play shooting guard and small forward as he can start with Butler when you play Butler at power forward, Jaime Jaquez Jr. a former UCLA shooting guard, and Caleb Martin a backup small forward. Miami started Nikola Jovic their 2022 first round pick first round at power forward, but he averaged less points per game than his backup power forward Kevin Love.


    The 7-0 242 lb Kel'el Ware had 15.9 points per game, 9.9 rebounds per game, 1.5 assists per game, 1.9 blocks per game, 0.6 steals per game, a 58.6% field goal percentage, a 42.5% three point percentage, and a 63.4% free throw percentage as a sophomore after transferring from Oregon to Indiana in 2023-2024. Kel'el Ware has the short range, medium range, and long range you want as a shooter. He is great at defending, high pointing the basketball, and using his athleticism to wow NBA scouts.


    The big knock on Kel'el Ware is he's not physically imposing as a defender. Kel'el Ware could possibly develop into Miami's future starting power forward if he develops more physicality even though his main position is center with him starting out as a backup center to Bam Adeboyo.











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