Hello all! The 2023 NBA Draft is in the rear view mirror. Now is time to turn out attention to the 2024 class, since the draft community never rests! There is no Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson in this class. That is not to say it is a weak class, though it is not great. The top of the field is just extremely wide open. There are upwards of ten prospects who could be considered top one through three guys at this point. It will be fun to see who differentiates themselves between the college guys, the G-League guys and the European prospects.

Welcome to my first extended crack at the 2024 Draft. The draft order is based on post-NBA Draft pre-free agency team rankings, with a lottery generator thrown in because it is my website and I can do what I want. Number in parenthesis is the top four teams original draft positions.

Please check out my College Basketball Prospect Pages for tons and tons and tons of draft prospects.

Pick	Team	Player	H/W	Analysis
1	Washington Wizards (1)	SF Zaccharie Risacher, France – 6’9, 200 lbs	5.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.4 apg	The Wizards are finally embracing a true rebuild and are the odds-on favorites to have the worst record in the NBA next season. They will simply draft the best player available. But who will that be? There are half a dozen, if not more, candidates for this spot right now. After four French players were taken in the 2023 draft, including two of the top seven picks, I will go with a fellow countryman for that spot right now. Zaccharie Risacher is everything you look for in a modern wing. He can score, is a fantastic playmaker and has strong defensive potential.
2	Chicago Bulls (6)	PG Isaiah Collier, Fr, USC – 6’3, 190 lbs	N/A	Reality is staring at the Chicago Bulls, and that is that Lonzo Ball may never play basketball again. It is hard to win in the NBA without strong point guard play, and the Bulls luck out by landing a top three pick with the chance to add the best pure point guard prospect in the past couple of seasons. All eyes will be on Bronny James at USC, but Isaiah Collier is the true prospect on that team. He can attack the rim on offense, and already knows how to set up his teammates. If his jump shot continues to develop, he could be an All Star.
3	Indiana Pacers (7)	SF Ron Holland, G-League – 6’8, 195 lbs	N/A	Ron Holland was the top 2023 recruit according to many websites. After originally committing to Texas, he will be the latest players to use the G-League’s Ignite as a springboard to the NBA. He would instantly become the most talented player on the Pacers roster. While Holland does not have a single standout skill to hang his hat on, he is a great scorer and always busts his tail, and could be a dynamic presence without having to have constant plays called for him on offense.
4	San Antonio Spurs (4)	PG Tyrese Proctor, So, Duke – 6’5, 175 lbs	9.4 ppg, 3.3 apg, 3.1 rpg	The Spurs landed their newest generational big man, and what better way to develop him than drafting his pick and roll partner? Tyrese Proctor is the rare non-freshman to land in the top five. He has great size and true point guard skills, and his shot should continue to develop. Duke is absolutely loaded and Proctor has the keys to the offense, which should prepare him quite well for a move to the NBA.
5	Oklahoma City Thunder	SF Cody Williams, Fr, Colorado – 6’8, 190 lbs	N/A	From HOU Yes, this pick swap is the result of the Russell Westbrook trade that took place seemingly thirty years ago. What a coup for the Thunder. And another yes, Cody Williams is the younger brother of current Oklahoma City wing Jalen Williams. Cody is a supremely talented scorer who shot up prospect ranking lists as a high school senior. His slashing and shooting ability could make the Thunder offense even more dangerous than it already is.
6	Detroit Pistons	SF Matas Buzelis, G-League – 6’9, 190 lbs	N/A	The Pistons, seemingly an endless top five drafting team, are still rebuilding. They have a nice collection of talent, but have not put it all together yet. Matas Buzelis is the type of player that would be a nice fit with any team style. He is a very good shooter with length. He is not the best athlete but has a ton of basketball experience playing all over the place.
7	Charlotte Hornets	SF Justin Edwards, Fr, Kentucky – 6’7, 180 lbs	N/A	I see the top seven players in this mock as real possibilities to be drafted first overall at this point. Charlotte lands the last player standing from this tier in Justin Edwards. Edwards is not flashy but is a very consistent scorer, who can knock down jump shots as well as attack the rim. His age (20 on draft day) may limit his upside in the minds of some scouts, but he will fit right in with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller as scorers on this Hornets squad.
8	Houston Rockets	PG DJ Wagner, Fr, Kentucky ‘ 6’3, 165 lbs	N/A	From BKN The last thing the Rockets need is another ball dominant scorer, but here we are. DJ Wagner is definitely more of a scorer than distributor at this point in his development, but I like his potential as a two-way point guard. I do not think he will be a black hole on offense. He will have to develop his point guard skills, because he is too skinny to hold up as a two guard.
9	Portland Trail Blazers	C Donovan Clingan, So, Connecticut	6.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg	Even though Damian Lillard has never requested a trade, analysits and media continue to completely obsess over Damian Lillard trade talk. It is beyond exhausting and speaks to the sad state of basketball coverage these days. Moving on, Portland should be focused on rebuilding with a potential great back court of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Donovan Clingan would be a great center to throw in there. Big men are still in demand, especially if they can block shots and knock down jumpers. Do you think teams would take Walker Kessler in the lottery if they had the chance?
10	Orlando Magic	SG Stephon Castle, Fr, Connecticut	N/A	Orlando has a ton of guards on the roster who are capable ball handlers and/or shooters, but Stephon Castle has the ability to be both. He has good size for the shooting guard position, and can create his own offense, which is something the Magic guards have struggled to do in recent years.
11	New Orleans Pelicans	PF Izan Almansa, G-League/Spain – 6’10, 216 lbs	N/A	It is a sad fact for the Pelicans to digest, but they simply cannot count on Zion Williams to hold down the power forward position anymore. It is time to draft insurance. This draft could be big on international talent. Izan Almansa will join the G-League’s Ignite by the way of Spain. He has great length and a 7’1 wing span, and offers nice pick and pop ability on offense.
12	Oklahoma City Thunder	C Aday Mara, Spain – 7’3, 243 lbs	5.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg 0.9 bpg	From UTA The Thunder have three lottery picks in this mock draft, and none of them originally belonged to the team. Expect this team to be a major player, and to draft some projects who could pay off big time. Aday Mara has amazing size, and is not a complete stiff on the court. He is a bit mechanical on offense, but with proper development, could be a double double machine and quality starting center.
13	Minnesota Timberwolves	SG Ja’Kobe Walter, Fr, Baylor – 6’5, 180 lbs	N/A	Other than Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves lack players who are adept at creating their own offense. Ja’Kobe Walter, like Keyonte George before him, is a Baylor recruit who can really get after things offensively. He should make for a fine sixth man in Minnesota who could start in a pinch.
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	SG Thierry Darlan, Senegal/G-League – 6’6, 195 lbs	N/A	From LAC Yet another non-American prospect heading to the Ignite, Thierry Darlan has arrived courtesy of the NBA Academy in Africa. He is from a country known for developing defensive big men, but he is an athletic wing scorer. He has strong defensive potential as well, and could wind up as a lottery pick with continued development. The Thunder are a deep team and may continue kicking the can down the road with some of their draft picks.
15	Atlanta Hawks	C Alexandre Sarr, France – 7’1, 217 lbs	N/A	Something is in the water over there in France. They are growing some freaks of nature, with Alexandre Sarr the most recent example. The lanky 7’1 center is a great defefnder as expected, but has the ability to be a threat on offense as well. The Hawks are re-tooling around their guards, and may need some defense in the front court if they move Clint Capela.
16	San Antonio Spurs	C Kyle Filipowski, So, Duke – 7’0, 230 lbs	15.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.8 bpg	From TOR The Spurs have talked about not wanting Victor Wembanyama to play center full time. Kyle Filipowski would be a great player to add to the roster. He is not flashy, but is a solid scorer and rebounder, and athletic enough to not be a liability on defense.
17	New York Knicks	SG Trey Alexander, Jr, Creighton – 6’4, 180 lbs	13.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.6 apg	From DAL Trey Alexander could have been a late first round pick in 2023, but chose to return to Creighton to further develop his game. He has a great chance to land in the late lottery in 2024. He is one of the better shooters in college and is adding some point guard skills to his repertoire. He has enough experience to help the veteran Knicks right away.
18	New York Knicks	C Aaron Bradshaw, Fr, Kentucky – 7’0, 210 lbs	N/A	If it was not for a foot injury, Aaron Bradshaw might be a lottery pick. Lower extremity injuries for big men are always terrifying, so we will take a wait and see approach. If healthy, he is the latest in a long line of lanky, defensive minded Kentucky big men. He will not get any run initially in New York, but could develop into a Mitchell Robinson type.
19	Atlanta Hawks	SF Bobi Klintman, Sweden – 6’10, 225 lbs	5.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.8 apg	From SAC Bobi Klintman’s journey has been unique, to say the least. He withdrew from the 2023 draft too late to return to Wake Forest, and will play overseas in preparation for the 2024 draft. He has a bit of a young Giannis Antetokounmpo in his game.. He is long, athletic and has a developing jump shot. A huge project to be sure, but a team like the Hawks, with multiple first round draft picks, could have a nice development guy on their hands.
20	Miami Heat	PG Judah Mintz, So, Syracuse – 6’3, 172 lbs	16.3 ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.3 rpg	The Heat have done a tremendous job of developing undrafted talent, but that comes at a cost, as a few of those players may sign nice contracts elsewhere. Judah Mintz is a solid point guard who can create his own points and run the offense as well. If he can improve an average jump shot, he could be a lottery pick in 2024.
21	Boston Celtics	SG Riley Kugel, So, Florida – 6’5, 207 lbs	9.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.0 apg	From GS Riley Kugel is a pleasing player to watch. He is a very good scorer and shooter, and could shoot up draft boards as the focal point of Florida’s offense as a sophomore. Every team could use bench scoring, including Boston.
22	Indiana Pacers	C Kel’el Ware, So, Indiana – 7’0, 210 lbs	6.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg	From OKC Kel’el Ware had a disappointing freshman season at Oregon, but landed in a nice place to rebuild his value in Indiana. I still believe he is a first round talent, thanks to his length, ability to run the floor, block shots and set screens on the pick and role. He also has decent range on his jump shot. With more consistency he could be a starting center in the NBA, and the eventual replacement for Myles Turner in Indiana.
23	Los Angeles Lakers	SG Bronny James, Fr, USC – 6’3, 190 lbs	N/A	I am already tired of talking about Bronny James, and this is my first analysis of the year. LeBron James and ESPN are already putting so much unfair pressure on the poor kid. In actuality, he is a decent defensive prospect that lacks a true position on offense. He needs to develop his point guard skills but will struggle to do that playing alongside Isaiah Collier. If his name was Bronny Jones he would be a second round prospect, but someone will talk themselves into taking him in the first round. I will just mock him to the Lakers and call it a day.
24	Cleveland Cavaliers	SF Omaha Biliew, Fr, Iowa State – 6’8, 210 lbs	N/A	Small forward is the lone weak spot in Cleveland’s starting linuep. They will not land an immediate starter here, obviously, but Omaha Biliew could develop into a Jae Crowder type. He is tough, can get to the basket and has strong defensive potential. He could be a nice piece playing alongside Cleveland’s ball dominant guards.
25	Phoenix Suns	C Adem Bona, So, UCLA – 6’10, 235 lbs	7.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.7 bpg	Adem Bona is exactly the type of player a star studded team like the Suns needs. He does not need to score to be effective. He may be the strongest player in college basketball and one of it’s best defenders. He may never score beyond put backs and layups, but could have a Robert Williams-like impact on the glass and in the paint.
26	Memphis Grizzlies	SF Mark Mitchell, So, Duke – 6’8, 220 lbs	9.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.2 apg	Duke had three freshmen who could have been first round picks return for their second season, making the Blue Devils quite experienced for today’s college basketball landscape. Mark Mitchell started as a freshman and hit 35% from three. He has nice size and a solid shooting stroke, which will be his calling card in the NBA.
27	Philadelphia 76ers	PF Trevon Brazile, Jr, Arkansas – 6;10, 212 lbs	11.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.2 bpg	Trevon Brazile would probably have been a first round pick in 2023 if not for a serious injury. If he can successfully recover, he will be sought after thanks to nice length and a stretch four offensive game. Philadelphia has a weak bench, especially along the front court.
28	Milwaukee Bucks	PF Trevor Booker, Fr, Michigan State – 6’10, 205 lbs	N/A	Trevor Booker was the top 2023 recruit very early on in the process, but has struggled to develop his game past put backs and rebounds. Still, he is a lanky, willing rebounder and defender and energy guy who could help a second unit and spell Milwaukee’s starters.
29	Denver Nuggets	C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Sr, Creighton – 7’1, 260 lbs	15.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.1 bpg	Denver is going with the strategy of drafting upperclassmen who can contribute immediately. It is hard to identify who will emerge from that group this far in advance, but I am a fan of Ryan Kalkbrenner. He is a solid defender with enough offensive game to keep defenses honest, and can spell Nikola Jokic for 10 to 15 minutes per night.
30	Boston Celtics	SF Mackenzie Mgbako, Fr, Indiana – 6’8, 210 lbs	N/A	WIth the last pick in the first round, Boston goes with young shooter Mackenzie Mgbako. It is all about shooting with Mgbako. He is tall with a great release point. He is a talented all around player and could end up going much higher than this.