2024 NBA draft lottery: Atlanta Hawks win No. 1 pick
The Atlanta Hawks on Sunday won the right to select the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft on June 27. Defying the odds, Atlanta entered the 2024 draft lottery with only a 3% chance to land the top pick.
The Washington Wizards, the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs rounded out the top four.
The Hawks finished 36-46 last season, making the play-in tournament but failing to advance in the postseason. They ranked fifth in the league in points per game (118.3) but struggled mightily on the defensive end. Atlanta allowed 120.6 points a contest, the NBA's second-worst mark.
This will be the fourth No. 1 pick in team history, the first since it drafted David Thompson out of N.C. State in 1975. Whoever is chosen will join a young core that includes guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
The 2024 NBA draft is regarded as one of the worst in recent memory. Most prognosticators do not see a superstar-level talent among the pool of prospects, but there are many players with potential to help turn around a franchise.
One option is Alex Sarr, a forward/center for the Perth Wildcats who stands at 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-4½-inch wingspan and 9-foot-2½-inch standing reach. JL Bourg forward Zaccharie Risacher, UConn center Donovan Clingan, Crvena Zvezda guard Nikola Topic, G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis and Kentucky guard Robert Dillingham are also in the mix.
Full NBA draft lottery order
1. Atlanta Hawks
2. Washington Wizards
3. Houston Rockets
4. San Antonio Spurs
7. Portland Blazers
8. San Antonio Spurs
10. Utah Jazz
11. Chicago Bulls
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Portland Trail Blazers
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
