2024 NBA mock draft roundup: Latest projections show consensus at No. 1 and No. 2 overall
The 2024 NCAA Tournament is set for the Sweet 16 round this week with plenty of future NBA draft picks competing for a national championship. March Madness will wrap up by April 8 in Glendale, Arizona, six days before the end of the NBA regular season.
With the end of the regular season, non-playoff teams can turn their focus to the 2024 NBA Draft. There's no Victor Wembanyama-like prospect this year but plenty of prospects can be impact starters quickly. Multiple international prospects are at the top of the draft, including Australian center Alex Sarr and French forward Zaccharie Risacher.
The draft order will not be set until the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery May 12. Using the projections from the current NBA standings, here's how the top five selections look via experts at USA Today, ESPN, and Bleacher Report.
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No. 1 overall (projected to the Detroit Pistons)
USA Today: Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg (France)
"Has the scoring ability, size, length, quickness and athleticism teams are seeking in today’s NBA. Quick release on catch-and-shoots, is able to create off the dribble and runs the court well."
ESPN: Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg (France)
"When looking at the very flat talent curve in this draft class -- not much separates the top prospects from each other -- Risacher represents a reasonable mix of both safety tied to his skill set, and upside tied to his age, which should have a good deal of appeal."
Bleacher Report: Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg (France)
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No. 2 overall (projected to the Washington Wizards)
USA Today: Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Perth (Australia)
"A strong defender and shot-blocker who plays with force on both ends; has good hands, uses his body well and though he doesn’t have the prettiest shot, he gets it to go in."
ESPN: Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Perth (Australia)
"Sarr lacks the star power typically sought after in a top pick, but he offers some intrinsically modern traits that NBA teams covet in bigs. Mobile, athletic 7-footers almost always receive patience from teams and opportunities to succeed. The way Sarr runs the floor, moves defensively and flashes competent shooting is a pretty solid elevator pitch in a draft like this, where the hierarchy is very much in the eye of the beholder."
Bleacher Report: Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Perth (Australia),
No. 3 overall (projected to the San Antonio Spurs)
USA Today: Nikola Topić, G, KK Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
"The Serbian point guard, who has been sidelined with a knee injury, has great size for his position; loves to drive to the rim and can finish with either hand; can shoot the 3 but will need to improve his percentage. Strong passer, not flashy, but sees the court and can make the right pass."
ESPN: Rob Dillingham, PG, Kentucky
"In a draft stacked with imperfect upside bets, there is a case for Dillingham and his creative ability as a home-run selection, hoping he develops into a player capable of shouldering heavy usage and running quality offense."
Bleacher Report: Rob Dillingham, PG, Kentucky
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No. 4 overall (projected to the Charlotte Hornets)
USA Today: Cody Williams, F, Colorado
"Williams’ perimeter defense and scoring ability make him a prime candidate for a top-five pick. Can get to the rim with ease, and finishes with power although listed at 6-8, 190 lbs. Has 3-point range, and his mid-range game is solid at the college level."
ESPN: Nikola Topić, G, KK Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
"His size and playmaking ability ultimately help set him apart, but with his eventual return date likely in late March or early April, teams also will hope to have opportunities to learn more about him in the pre-draft process."
Bleacher Report: Nikola Topić, G, KK Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
No. 5 overall (projected to the Portland Trail Blazers)
USA Today: Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite
"Good leaping ability, surprises with his dunks, soft shooting touch, plays through contact."
ESPN: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
"Clingan is hitting his stride at the right time for UConn, moving better and looking more like the dominant interior presence on both ends of the floor that NBA teams expected to see from the sophomore before his slew of injuries."
Bleacher Report: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
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NBA mock drafts: Top prospects in 2024
All three mock drafts are in agreement about the top two selections, Risacher and Sarr, who bring different skill sets to the table.
Risacher is a much improved shooter this season - up to 44.9% from three-point range compared to 33.3% last season - and has a 6-foot-10 wingspan at 6 feet, 8 inches tall. Sarr has great defensive potential with an even bigger wingspan (7 feet, 4 inches) in addition to great athleticism and solid playmaking.
After that duo, the consensus is gone. Dillingham, Topić, Sheppard, Buzelis, and Williams are all among the top prospects across different rankings. With no clear cut favorite, it'll likely be down to team needs in an order that won't be finalized until May 12.
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Purdue center Zach Edey's draft projection
Edey's already won Sporting News College Basketball Player of the Year honors as the Boilermakers are through to the Sweet 16 in March Madness. His size alone would make him an outlier in the NBA; he's listed at 7-foot-3 or 7-foot-4, either of which would make him one of the four tallest players in the league, with a 7-foot-11 wingspan (second only to Wembanyama). He's listed at 300 pounds and would be the heaviest player in the league as well.
He's a dominant presence in the paint averaging 24.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. He leads the nation in advanced metrics like player efficiency rating (39.7), win shares (9.4), and box plus/minus (16.7). He showed some growth off-ball while playing for the Canadian team last summer, acting more as a screener than Purdue asks. But he can be exposed on defense when drawn away from the basket and could be a target on that end in the NBA.
That difference on each end makes it tough to predict Edey's future come draft day. USA Today experts project Edey going No. 26 overall to the Wizards. ESPN and Bleacher Report, by contrast, project him going No. 14 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans (via the Los Angeles Lakers).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA mock drafts 2024: Predictions for top-5 picks and Zach Edey
