Who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?
The Atlanta Hawks will officially be on the clock when the two-day NBA draft kicks off next week. But even as the event nears, there remains a mystery around which prospect will hear his name called first.
The latest consensus mock draft from NBA.com featured a split decision at No. 1 between French prospects Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr. And what the Hawks decide to do with the top pick is far from the only intriguing draft storyline this year.
How will the San Antonio Spurs use their pair of top eight picks as they build around reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama? Where will Purdue center Zach Edey land after two straight national player of the year campaigns? Which team will take Bronny James? And could the USC guard’s landing spot have an impact on LeBron James‘ impending free-agent decision?
Before those questions and more are answered, here’s everything to know about the 2024 NBA Draft:
The first round of the NBA draft takes place on Wednesday, June 26, followed by the second round on Thursday, June 27.
Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, in Brooklyn, New York, will host the first round of the draft.
The event will then move to ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in Manhattan for the second round.
Round 1 begins at 8 p.m. ET, while Round 2 starts at 4 p.m. ET.
ABC and ESPN will broadcast the first round of the draft. The second round will be shown on ESPN.
The draft will be available to stream on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
The NBA draft features two rounds.
There are typically 60 picks — 30 first-rounders, 30 second-rounders — in the NBA draft, but there will be 58 selections this year. That’s because the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns were each docked a second-round pick over tampering violations.
The Atlanta Hawks will pick first overall after winning last month’s draft lottery. Atlanta, which had just a 3% chance of winning the No. 1 pick, moved up nine spots in the order.
Here’s a full look at the two-round draft order:
First round
1. Atlanta Hawks
2. Washington Wizards
3. Houston Rockets (from Brooklyn)
4. San Antonio Spurs
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Charlotte Hornets
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto)
9. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Utah Jazz
11. Chicago Bulls
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Houston)
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Portland Trail Blazers (from Golden State via Boston and Memphis)
15. Miami Heat
16. Philadelphia 76ers
17. Los Angeles Lakers
18. Orlando Magic
19. Toronto Raptors (from Indiana)
20. Cleveland Cavaliers
21. New Orleans Pelicans (from Milwaukee)
22. Phoenix Suns
23. Milwaukee Bucks (from New Orleans)
24. New York Knicks (from Dallas)
25. New York Knicks
26. Washington Wizards (from LA Clippers via Dallas and Oklahoma City)
27. Minnesota Timberwolves
28. Denver Nuggets
29. Utah Jazz (from Oklahoma City via Toronto and Indiana)
30. Boston Celtics
Second round
31. Toronto Raptors (from Detroit via New York and LA Clippers)
32. Utah Jazz (from Washington via Detroit and Brooklyn)
33. Milwaukee Bucks (from Portland via Sacramento)
34. Portland Trail Blazers (from Charlotte via Denver, Oklahoma City and New Orleans)
35. San Antonio Spurs
36. Indiana Pacers (from Toronto via Philadelphia, LA Clippers and Memphis)
37. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis via Los Angeles Lakers, Washington and Oklahoma City)
38. New York Knicks (from Utah)
39. Memphis Grizzlies (from Brooklyn via Houston)
40. Portland Trail Blazers (from Atlanta)
41. Philadelphia 76ers (from Chicago via Boston, San Antonio and New Orleans)
42. Charlotte Hornets (from Houston via Oklahoma City)
43. Miami Heat
44. Houston Rockets (from Golden State via Atlanta)
45. Sacramento Kings
46. Los Angeles Clippers (from Indiana via Memphis and Milwaukee)
47. Orlando Magic
48. San Antonio Spurs (from Los Angeles Lakers via Memphis)
49. Indiana Pacers (from Cleveland)
50. Indiana Pacers (from New Orleans)
51. Washington Wizards (from Phoenix)
52. Golden State Warriors (from Milwaukee via Indiana)
53. Detroit Pistons (from New York via Philadelphia and Charlotte)
54. Boston Celtics (from Dallas via Sacramento)
55. Los Angeles Lakers (from LA Clippers)
56. Denver Nuggets (from Minnesota via Oklahoma City)
57. Memphis Grizzlies (from Oklahoma City via Houston and Atlanta)
58. Dallas Mavericks (from Boston via Charlotte)
Here’s a look at some of the top prospects in this year’s class:
Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Perth Wildcats (Australia)
Sarr, 19, is one of a few international prospects projected to go early in the lottery. The 7-1 French big man made 24 National Basketball League appearances for the Perth Wildcats in 2023-24, averaging 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 17.2 minutes per game. Sarr, who made 52% of his field goals, shot an encouraging 71.4% from the line, albeit on just 56 attempts.
“An impact player on defense who’s been growing into a larger role at the other end,” NBA.com’s Ben Couch said of Sarr. “Should offer immediate complementary help with the potential for more.”
Alex Sarr comes from a family of professional basketball players, and now it’s his turn as he heads into the 2024 NBA Draft as the projected No. 1 pick.
Zaccharie Risacher, G/F, JL Bourg-en-Bresse (France)
Risacher, a 19-year-old Frenchman, logged 65 total appearances with French club JL Bourg-en-Bresse in 2023-24. The 6-8 wing averaged 11.0 points and 3.9 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game, shooting 47% from the field, 38.7% from 3 and 70.7% at the line.
“Looks the part and has all the two-way ability to deliver on that potential,” NBA.com’s Ben Couch said of Risacher. “The floor is high, but so is the ceiling. What will he reach?”
Zaccharie Risacher is a projected top-two pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and is the son of an Olympian and French Hall of Famer.
Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky
Sheppard earned SEC Rookie of the Year honors in 2023-24, posting 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game for the Wildcats. The 6-3 guard was very efficient as a shooter, making over half of his field goal attempts (53.6%) and 3-point shots (52.1%).
Profile of Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
Clingan was a national champion in each of his two seasons at UConn. After coming off the bench as a freshman, the 7-2 Clingan averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game last season. He shot 63.9% from the field as a sophomore, but was just a 58.3% shooter at the line.
Profile of UConn center Donovan Clingan ahead of the 2024 NBA Draf
Stephon Castle, G, UConn
Castle was among the new faces who helped the Huskies win their second straight title this past season. The 6-6 Big East Freshman of the Year posted 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Castle was a 47.2% shooter overall, but connected on just 26.7% of his 75 3-point attempts.
After shining during UConn’s NCAA title run, Stephon Castle is ready to make a splash in the NBA.
Nikola Topic, G, KK Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
Topic, who won’t turn 19 until August, was diagnosed with a partially torn ACL earlier this month at the NBA draft combine in Italy. He logged 23 appearances for Serbian clubs in 2023-24, averaging 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 27.8 minutes per game. The 6-6 Serbian guard shot 49.8% from the field and 87.8% at the line, while making 30.6% of his 3s.
“A tall guard with a deft passing touch and the ability to create opportunities for himself and others, the upside play here is a bet that the knee is stable and the outside shot comes around,” NBA.com’s Ben Couch said of Topic.
Despite a torn ACL, Serbian guard Nikola Topic is poised to be a top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite
Buzelis, who was the No. 5 recruit coming out of high school, played for the G League Ignite in the team’s final season of existence. The 6-10 forward averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, but didn’t shoot it as well as expected. Buzelis shot 44.5 from the field, but just 27.3% from deep and 67.9% from the line.
Forward Matas Buzelis is hoping his time with the G League Ignite will propel him to the next level at the 2024 NBA Draft.
Dalton Knecht, G/F, Tennessee
The 23-year-old Knecht is among the older prospects in this year’s draft. He played two seasons at the junior college level and two seasons with Northern Colorado before putting together a consensus All-American campaign with the Vols in 2023-24. The 6-6 Tennessee wing racked up 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from 3, en route to being named SEC Player of the Year.
The SEC Player of the Year, Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht, is primed to be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite
Holland, who was the No. 2 recruit coming out of high school, put up 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game for the Ignite last season. The 6-6 wing shot 46% from the field and 72.8% from the line, but struggled from deep (24%).
Forward Ron Holland is one of the most buzzed-about players in the 2024 NBA Draft.
