Welcome to the 2024 NBA Draft Guide! This is the fifth anniversary of the Draft Guide, and it’s bigger and better than ever, letting you in on everything you need to know about the key players in this draft class.
Every year, the goal is simple: Try to come up with the most comprehensive document for fans and the industry as a whole. I want it to be basic enough for an NBA fan who has never watched any of these players to get a feel for them, but also detailed enough for an NBA executive to see a prospect through a slightly different lens.
This is a labor of love each year. Much like last year, there are 75 players in this guide. The profiles are more detailed, even if this class has not engendered much excitement across the league.
Evaluators are down on this class. The top end is considered poor by a normal draft’s standards due to the absence of a surefire superstar. For the first time doing this, I do not have a Tier 1 or Tier 2 player in a draft class, and I’m not usually stingy with those grades. In the first four years of this draft guide, I ranked 16 players within those top two tiers. In the last two years alone, I ranked nine. That this year’s group lacks any Tier 1 or 2 prospects doesn’t mean that zero All-Stars will emerge from this class. Undoubtedly, several will. However, teams have much less certainty at the top than they’ve had in previous years, which makes those high picks less valuable.
Even with the relative lack of talent compared to past years, I’m still thrilled for this year’s draft and excited for you to read this year’s guide. I can’t emphasize enough: This is a team effort that involves copious man hours from The Athletic’s editors, design staff, graphics department and social media staff. It’s a sprawling effort, and I couldn’t be more grateful for everyone who puts in long hours to make this possible.
I hope you enjoy!
Click the link below to download, using the password: Dr@ft2024
(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic. Photos: Simon Sturzaker / Getty Images, Andy Lyons / Getty Images, Michael Reaves / Getty Images.)