NBA mock draft 2024: Perfect picks for every team

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder in the 2024 NBA Draft. An entire draft cycle has come and gone without the emergence of a clear No. 1 overall prospect. This is the type of draft bound to cause massive disagree on individual boards for executives even within the same team.

A few storylines have emerged. Three young French players — Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, and Tidjane Salaun — each become earmarked as lottery picks, with Sarr and Risacher each reportedly earning heavy consideration for the top overall pick. Kentucky guards Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard zoomed past their more highly-touted teammates to become likely top-10 selections. The G League Ignite had such a bad year that the NBA shut the program down permanently, and all of their ballyhooed prospects have slipped since our earliest projections.

With so much disagreement running through this class, I took a crack at the pick I would make for every team. Let’s jump into it.

1 Atlanta Hawks – Alex Sarr, C/F, Perth Wildcats (France)

Taking Sarr with the No. 1 pick makes sense for the Hawks both in terms of team fit and best available talent. Sarr has the highest upside of any player in the draft thanks to his world-class physical tools: at 7’1 with a nearly 7’5 wingspan, he’s an outstanding run-and-jump athlete who burns rubber in the open floor and makes plays above the rim on both ends. Sarr is far riskier than a typical No. 1 overall pick because he doesn’t offer much offensive creation ability. He’s a play-finisher at his core, but thankfully the Hawks have a brilliant playmaking point guard in Trae Young to set him up. Sarr’s defensive ceiling is immense, and he’s exactly the type of player you want cleaning up Young’s mistakes. Young is only 25 years old and is just now beginning his prime. A trio of Sarr, Young, and Jalen Johnson is a great young foundation, and I like the fit of young center Onyeka Okongwu next to Sarr in the short-term for his ability to play out of the roll more skillfully. There are no great choices at No. 1 in this draft, but Sarr is the best one.

2. Washington Wizards – Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite

The Wizards are so far away from contention that they shouldn’t consider present day roster fit with this pick. Washington needs the player with the highest long-term ceiling, and to me that’s G League Ignite forward Ron Holland. Holland was the front-runner to go No. 1 overall at the start of the season, but an inefficient year with the Ignite filled with losing now has him dropping out of the top-10 in some projections. NBA teams are overthinking it way too much if that happens: Holland’s athleticism, high-motor, youth, and two-way upside makes him one of the very best prospects in this class. Holland was overmatched in a high-usage role for the Ignite playing against pros, but he still had some tremendous flashes. He’s an elite downhill rim attacker who nearly led the G League in steals this season. The big question for Holland will be his jump shot, which remains a work in progress to put it kindly. Still, Holland’s elite burst, knack for grabbing 50/50 balls, and long-term potential for secondary shot creation makes him the most talented player on the board.

3. Houston Rockets – Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky

The Rockets feel like the perfect team to make Sheppard the best version of himself in the NBA. The Kentucky guard was absurdly efficient in his freshman season, but he’s undersized and isn’t a natural on-ball creator. Fortunately, the Rockets get plenty of creation out of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jalen Green, and Sheppard is the ideal type of role player to put around them. Sheppard is an incredible three-point shooter — 52 percent from deep — and that will work well for a Rockets team that finished No. 23 in three-point percentage this season. Sheppard also had a ridiculous 70 percent true shooting mark with Kentucky, so if he’s shooting the ball it’s probably going in. Sheppard isn’t really a point guard and he’s going to be below the typical NBA threshold for both size and athleticism, but he’s so skilled that he’s worth taking at this pick.

4. San Antonio Spurs – Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg (France)

The Spurs have the league’s best franchise cornerstone in Victor Wembanyama, and two top-10 picks (No. 4 and No. 8) which gives them incredible flexibility in this spot. San Antonio certainly needs a shot creator, but there’s so many good point guards available — Nikola Topic, Isaiah Collier, and Rob Dillingham — that they can go for another position here and still fill that need with their next pick. Risacher isn’t someone I’ve viewed as a legitimate top-5 prospect because of his lack of creation ability, but next to Wemby he could simply run the floor, hit shots, and provide some defensive ball pressure. Risacher’s three-point shot ran a little more hot-and-cold this season than teams would have liked, but as long as he shoots it, he should be a fine fit around Wembanyama.

5. Detroit Pistons – Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky

This pick came down to the Dillingham and Matas Buzelis. While Buzelis is a better positional fit on the roster, Dillingham answers Detroit’s two biggest skill questions with his shooting and playmaking. The Kentucky freshman is an electric offensive player, capable of burning the opposing defense whether he’s on or off the ball. He’s a deadly three-point shooter with real NBA range and shot versatility, and he’s excellent relocating off the ball to continue stressing the defense. Dillingham is also a very good playmaker with the ball in his hands, using a tight handle and the threat of his pull-up to set up scoring chances for himself and his teammates. He’s just very small and very weak, struggling to play through contact at both ends. The Pistons have plenty of big, physical players to help insulate Dillingham defensively, and his creation ability could finally make their offense sing.

6. Charlotte Hornets – Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite

This pick came down to Castle vs. Buzelis, and either player would be a nice connective piece between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. I’ll go with Buzelis because he’s bigger, offers more rim protection, and to me has a better shooting projection. Buzelis is really mobile for a 6’10 forward, and he showed surprising toughness as an interior defender at the rim this season. His offense was far behind where it was anticipated to be, mostly because he struggled to shoot from deep after encouraging shooting numbers in high school. If the shot bounces back, Buzelis has enough creativity and vision to attack titled defenses off the bounce. He’ll obviously need to get stronger, but he’s a good replacement for Miles Bridges around the Hornets’ young stars.

7. Portland Trail Blazers – Donovan Clingan, C, UConn

Clingan was super impactful for on both of UConn’s back-to-back national championship runs. He has elite size and length at 7’2 with a 7’7 wingspan, and projects as an excellent rim protector in the league. Clingan impressed with his passing ability this season, and the Blazers already have a several great athletes on the roster who could buzz around him for handoffs and cuts. I do worry about Clingan’s scoring given his lack of vertical pop around the basket. It’s fair to question his conditioning, too, as he only played half the available minutes for UConn this season. Ultimately, the Blazers don’t need another guard or questionable backcourt shooter, and Clingan’s easy translation as a shot blocker is worth adding.

8. San Antonio Spurs – Nikola Topic, G, Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)

Topic suffered a devastating ACL injury last month, and now could be set to miss his entire rookie season as he recovers. Before the injury, he spent time as the No. 1 player on our board for his combination of downhill rim attacking, finishing, and playmaking. Topic vs. Collier is a tough call at this point after the injury, but Topic gets the edge for his excellent production against grown men in the Adriatic League. Topic’s defensive concerns don’t worry me as much next to Wembanyama.

9. Memphis Grizzlies – Stephen Castle, G, UConn

The Grizzlies are hoping to spring back into contention next season with the return of Ja Morant, and Castle is the type of player who fits well around their incumbent superstar. Castle might see himself as a point guard in the NBA, but he’s at his best as a defensive stopper who can play a more connective role on offense. The Grizzlies have a great young core in place with Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and the emergence of GG Jackson. Castle is sort of player who can fit seamlessly between them by fighting for loose balls, creating havoc defensively, and hitting the glass. He just needs to get to work fixing that jump shot.

10. Utah Jazz – Isaiah Collier, G, USC

Collier is one of the best creation bets in this class as a bruising downhill guard with tons of speed and good passing vision. USC’s team context devoid of shooters and lob threats didn’t put Collier in the best position to succeed, but his tape is still filled with some tantalizing flashes. It’s possible some of the turnover issues he showed in college will be mitigated by superior spacing and athleticism around him. He definitely needs to work on his shot, which should start with his 67 percent free throw percentile for someone who gets to the line a lot. Still, Collier’s strength, speed, and shiftiness as a ball handler combined with his vision gives him a chance to eventually be an offensive engine the backcourt some day.

11. Chicago Bulls – Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite

The Bulls should be hoping that one of the 10 players taken above them in this mock falls on draft night. If it doesn’t happen, there’s four players I like for this pick: Ignite forward Tyler Smith, Indiana center Kel’el Ware, Baylor center Yves Missi, and Providence guard Devin Carter. Smith gets the nod here because he’s a knockdown shooter who measured 6’9 barefoot and also had a ton of dunks this season. Smith was really the one Ignite player to exceeded expectations this season, showing off deep range, a quick trigger, and tough shot-making ability. He needs to improve his ball handling and defensive awareness to hit his highest outcomes, but it’s hard to find players this big who can shoot this well.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Cody Williams, F, Colorado

As the younger brother of Thunder star Jalen Williams, there’s no better place to stop Cody Williams’ fall in the draft. The younger Williams badly needs to add strength to his sub 180-pound frame, but he otherwise has great tools for an NBA wing. With a 7’1 wingspan and impressive open floor attacking ability, Williams is the type of long and mobile wing the NBA always covets. He’s a really good finisher, shot the ball well on low volume, and flashed some nice passing ability when the got the chance. He’s just painfully skinny and still needs to do serious work tightening up his handle. I worry about Williams’ lack of shooting volume, but Chip Engelland is the right man to fix that. If Jalen wants to play with his little bro, this pick makes perfect sense.

13. Sacramento Kings – Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet (France)

This is a spot for an upside swing. Salaun is super young (turns 19 in Aug.), absolutely gigantic for a forward, seems to play with a high motor, and has some potential to develop as a shooter. He’s still very raw at this point and needs patient development, but the long-term payoff could be worth it for a team like the Kings that could use a ceiling raiser. I like his ability to hit the glass and contribute as a “garbage man” while his skill level develops.

14. Portland Trail Blazers – Dalton Knecht, F, Tennessee

It’s wild to think Knecht is the same age as Jalen Williams, the OKC Thunder wing who spent three years in college and now two years in the NBA. Knecht took a long path to get to this point that involved two seasons of JUCO ball and two years at Northern Colorado, but his production and talent was impossible to deny at Tennessee. He’s one of the best shooters in the class with an easy three-point stroke and real shot versatility. He also has a good frame and enough athletic ability to attack a closeout. He’s going to be a bad defender, and he’ll turn 24 years old as a rookie, but his high volume, highly accurate shooting would be a nice fit around Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: JAN 04 UConn at Providence

15. Miami Heat – Devin Carter, G, Providence

Carter just screams Heat Culture, and not just because his father, former NBA guard Anthony Carter, helped develop Max Strus and Gabe Vincent as a former player development coach in Miami. Carter was always a tenacious on-ball defender, but he blossomed as a shooter in his junior year at Providence. He showcased enough volume (more than 11 three-pointers attempted per 100 possessions) and shot versatility to make you believe he wasn’t just a one-year wonder as a shooter. With long arms, a strong chest, and major leaping ability, he’ll be a defensive pest from day one while also adding another perimeter scorer.

16. Philadelphia 76ers – DaRon Holmes II, C/F, Dayton

Holmes was one of the very best players in college basketball as a junior at Dayton by making serious improvements as a shooter, passer, and ball handler. He’s an interesting fit next to Joel Embiid because he could give the Sixers backup five minutes while also providing another big body to play next to the one-time MVP. Holmes is a bit undersized for a center at 6’9 barefoot with a 7-foot wingspan, but he’s a really smart roller, good passer, and powerful finisher with above the rim leaping ability. His college production was so incredible that it feels foolish to discount his NBA translation.

17. Los Angeles Lakers – Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana

The Lakers could really go in any direction here, but I like Ware or Yves Missi for the best overall players on the board. Ware gets the edge for increased shooting ability after hitting 42 percent of his threes on low volume this year at Indiana. Ware looks the part of a lottery pick as a long, athletic center oozing with natural gifts. He doesn’t always make multiple efforts or fight through contact, and that often leaves scouts wanting more out of him. Still, his intersection of size, leaping, and shooting potential is hard to find this late in a weak draft. He could be an interesting fit backing up or playing alongside Anthony Davis.

18. Orlando Magic – Jared McCain, G, Duke

McCain is one of the best shooters in this class, and that makes him a nice fit for a Magic team that desperately needs shooting. The Duke freshman hit 41.4 percent of his threes this year, and caught fire from deep in the NCAA tournament. While he’s not a natural shot creator off the dribble, he could play well off Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and provide them with floor spacing.

19. Toronto Raptors – Yves Missi, C, Baylor

The Raptors need high upside talent as they start a rebuild around Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, and Missi is the highest upside pick left on the board to me. Missi just started playing the game a few years ago, but it’s hard to find bigs this fluid athletically. He’s going to protect the rim defensively, and slam home feeds from the dunkers spot and off lobs to start his career. He also showed some comfort attacking the rim off the dribble. With a late pick in a weak draft, getting someone as big and athletic as Missi would be a nice value.

20. Cleveland Cavaliers – Ja’Kobe Walter, G/F, Baylor

Walter was projected as a lottery pick for much of the season and could go much higher than this. The 6’5 guard is an off-ball scorer who can space the floor with his jump shot, and defend bigger guards. His jumper ran hot-and-cold this year, and his inability to create separation off the bounce against college defenders limits his upside. Still, every team is looking for players like Walter who can make an impact without needing to hold the ball, and this would be a nice value if he falls this far.

21. New Orleans Pelicans – Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke

Filipowski will probably go much higher than this, but it would be a nice bit of luck for the Pelicans if he he was still available at this point. Duke’s sophomore center is one of the most skilled big men in the class: a great decision-maker as a passer, a capable three-point shooter, and a tough interior scorer. He lacks ideal length and speed for an NBA big man, but if his shot develops, he could give New Orleans a big man who can space the floor and get the ball to Zion Williamson and company.

22. Phoenix Suns – Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette

I’ll buy the vision of Kolek as a tough lead guard who can play on- and off-the-ball while getting the rock to Phoenix’s many perimeter stars. The Suns will likely look to shop this pick, but Kolek is a player who could give them competent point guard play on a cost controlled contract if they decide to keep it.

23. Milwaukee Bucks – Tristan da Silva, F, Colorado

Tristan da Silva brings a combination of size and shooting that would fit the Bucks like a glove. He hit 38.6 percent of his threes and 78.6 percent of his free throws during a productive four-year career at Colorado. He has good size measuring at 6’8 barefoot, but he struggles to play physically on both ends. Fortunately the Bucks have plenty of physicality in the starting lineup, allowing someone like da Silva to simply spot up and hit shots.

24. New York Knicks – Zach Edey, C, Purdue

I’ve already written a long scouting report on Edey, but here’s the cliff notes: he’s absolutely massive (7’4 barefoot, 7’10 wingspan, 300 pounds), he’s in great shape and plays with a high motor, and he was one of the most productive college players of all-time. Given Mitchell Robinson’s lack of durability and Isaiah Hartenstein’s impending free agency, Edey has a case both as the fit and best available talent at this point in the draft. His incredible offensive rebounding, skilled interior scoring, and unparalleled size and production makes him an easy bet to take at this point.

25. New York Knicks – Jaylon Tyson, G/F, Cal

Tyson is a well-rounded offensive wing who shined as he moved into a primary role for Cal this season. After shooting 40 percent from three as a sophomore at Texas Tech, Tyson transferred to Cal and saw a huge spike in usage. While his three-point percentage dipped to 36 percent, he showed more volume and more shot versatility with defenses keyed in on him. He’s a good ball handler for his size with decent passing flashes, giving him the ability to impact the game off the ball while also running secondary pick-and-rolls. He’s the type of player who can fit in a variety of offensive roles, and that’s nice for a Knicks team with an already deep roster.

26. Washington Wizards – Bub Carrington, G, Pitt

Carrington is a skilled pull-up shooter with excellent size for a guard, and that gives him some of the highest upside of any player still available. He looks much more comfortable shooting off the bounce than on spot-ups, and he didn’t score very efficiently (53 percent true shooting) in part because he mostly lived off a diet of tough shots. Still, his ability to create his own look and shoot over the top of pro defenders makes him a nice developmental guard in the Wizards’ backcourt.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves – Pacome Dadiet, F, Ulm (France)

Dadiet has an intriguing combination of size and athleticism, and he put up efficient scoring numbers at a super young age this season for German league team Ulm. Not turning 19 until July, Dadiet shot 35.8 percent from three and finished with 61.9 percent true shooting. He’s mostly an off-ball player right now who will try to make an impact on cuts and spot-ups while also hitting the glass. He’s an enticing long-term bet at this point in the draft.

28. Denver Nuggets – Johnny Furphy, F, Kansas

Furphy’s rise to NBA radars has been remarkable. He went from a little known prospect in Australia to a Kansas commit to a potential first round pick all in less than a year’s time. It’s easy to see what scouts like about him: Furphy has good athletic tools as a 6’8 wing, he scored efficiently, and he shot the ball solidly from three (35 percent). He needs a patient approach from the team trying to develop him because this is all happening so quickly.

29. Utah Jazz – Kyshawn George, F, Miami

George wasn’t expected to be a one-and-one, but he caught the attention of NBA scouts for his shooting ability as a long 6’8 wing. George is not an overwhelming athlete and struggled to score efficiently inside the arc while taking most of his field goals from three-point range. He did show something as a passer when given the opportunity, which might be an untapped area of upside. Tall shooters are a pretty good bet at this point in the draft, and the Jazz are in a position to take a patient approach with a long-term bet on George.

30. Boston Celtics – Izan Almansa, C/F, G League Ignite

It might be best to hand-wave this past season for the Ignite prospects with such a terrible team context and so much losing. Before he signed with the G League, Almansa looked like one of Europe’s most productive prospects with three FIBA MVP awards in youth competitions to his name. A tad over 6’9 barefoot with a 7’1 wingspan, Almansa is a capable DHO trigger man who can also play with power inside. He’s a tad small for a center and he’s not the best athlete, but he still has enough size and smarts to find a pathway to a productivity in the NBA.