2024 NBA Mock Draft: Final Mock 2 Rounds

Round 1 Picks 1-15

My final 2024 NBA Mock Draft is up. Find out who goes where in my final 2024 NBA Mock Draft.

Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Last Updated: June 26, 2024.

1. Atlanta Hawks: Alexandre Sarr, C, Perth Wildcats
   
   
   The Atlanta Hawks became the first NBA Play-In Tournament Team to win an NBA Draft Lottery. Atlanta moved up 9 spots from 10 to 1 in the 2024 NBA Draft following the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery. Unfortunately for them, this is the weakest NBA Draft in quite some time, but at least there are two players in this draft with the upside to be blue chip players although both of those two players in France will probably start off the bench this upcoming season.
   
   
   
   There are top 10 players in the 2025 NBA Draft would get picked ahead of pretty much every player in the 2024 NBA Draft which shows you why this years NBA Draft is a massive crapshoot as well as the weakest of the 2024 Drafts. The 2024 NBA Draft is weaker than the 2024 NFL Draft, weaker than the 2024 NHL Draft, weaker than the 2024 MLB Draft, weaker than the 2024 MLS Draft with first overall pick Tyrese Spicer making an impact on Toronto FC, weaker than the 2024 WNBA Draft which is arguably the best 2024 draft right now outside of the NFL which we won't know for certain with the NFL until tis Fall, weaker than the 2024 NWSL Draft where I handed out a record 53/57 A+ grades when watching the National Women's Soccer League draft live on television as a fan after doing research on Women's College Soccer players, and weaker than the 2024 PWHL Draft for professional womens hockey players which I read about in this years The Hockey News magazine headlined by Princeton forward Sarah Fuller. The 2024 NBA Draft is the worst of 8 different drafts I've read about and if you include the Athletes Unlimited Softball draft for Women's College Softball players as well as the PLL for Men's Lacrosse I would probably rank those 2024 draft classes ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft with Athletes Unlimited replacing the defunct National Fastpitch League as the main professional softball league since there was a batter/pitcher on Clemson's softball team that may be softballs version of Shohei Ohtani and Duke attacker Brennan O'Neill was the World Lacrosse Championshp MVP over the past Summer as well as the only college player on Team USA for Lacrossse.
   
   
   
   That's the arguement for the NBA having potentially the worst number one pick among all 10 professional sports. Still, the Atlanta Hawks won the NBA Draft Lottery for the first time in team history since the NBA Draft Lottery was introduced in 1984. Atlanta only had the number one pick on one other occassion in 1975 when they drafted David Thompson first overall who spurned the NBA to play with the Denver Nuggets in the ABA.
   
   
   
   The first time the Hawks drafted in the top 2 was 1956, the year my mom was born and also when the St. Louis Hawks traded the rights of Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics. St. Louis got Zelmo Beaty third overall in the 1962 NBA Draft. Atlanta's first top three pick after they relocated from St. Louis came in 1970 when the Atlanta Hawks drafted Pistol Pete Marovich third overall before thew New Orleans Jazz traded for his rights as an expansion team. Atlanta drafted their first bust third overall in the 1974 NBA Draft before drafting David Thompson first overall in 1975 who signed with the Denver Nuggets in the ABA rather than playing for Atlanta in the NBA. Atlanta took Dominique Wilkins third overall in 1982. Atlanta had the third pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, but traded the rights of Pau Gasol to the Vancouver Grizzlies, who relocated to Memphis following that NBA Draft. Four years later Atlanta drafted NBA Draft bust Marvin Williams second overall in 2005 before drafting Florida Gators center Al Horford third overall in the 2007 NBA Draft before getting the third pick once again eleven years later in the 2018 NBA Draft, but would go on to trade that third pick to the Dallas Mavericks for the fifth pick and a 2019 first round pick which turned into a top 5 pick. The Dallas Mavericks got Luka Doncic in that trade and the Atlanta Hawks got both Trae Young and De'Andre Hunter out of that trade. Atlanta made the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, but could not beat the Milwaukee Bucks with their best player Giannis Antetokounmpo injured and out for that series before the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Finals. Three years later, the Atlanta Hawks have the number one pick for the first time in nearly five decades forty nine years later while Luka Doncic got the Dallas Mavericks to the 2022 Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors and the 2024 NBA Finals where the Boston Celtics bested the Dallas Mavericks. If you want Celtics gear just click that Fanatics ad on the top of the site if you happen to be reading this on your desktop computer.
   
   
   
   Historically speaking, the Hawks have made some of the worst decisions in NBA Draft History during their time in both St. Louis and Atlanta. Trading the rights of Bill Russell away check, letting Pistol Pete Marovich go to an expansion team double check, allowing David Thompson to go to the ABA after you had the first pick in the 1975 NBA Draft triple check, trading the rights to Pau Gasol away with the third pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to the Vancouver Grizzlies who was the only Hall of Fame player in the 2001 NBA Draft to move down from 3 to 27 for Shareef Abdur Rahim the Vancouver Grizzlies best player in 2001 as well as Jamal Fucking Tinsley quadruple check, passing on Chris Paul for NBA Draft bust Marvin Williams fifth check even though Williams led North Carolina to an NCAA Title so you cannot fault the thought process entirely here, and trading Luka Doncic away whose made the 2022 Western Conference Finals and led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals. That's six checks for misses and only three checks for hits if you want to count Zelmo Beaty who spent his entire career on the St. Louis Hawks, Dominique Wilkins who spent the majority of his career on the Atlanta Hawks, and Al Horford who spent ten years on the Hawks before joining the Boston Celtics winning an NBA Championship this past season as All Time greats in Atlanta Hawks history.
   
   
   
   The Atlanta Hawks have Trae Young their 2018 first round pick at point guard whose an asset on offense and a liability on defense, Dejountae Murray at shooting guard whose the best defending guard on Atlanta, De'Andre Hunter the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft at small forward who led Virginia to a National Title in College Basketball, Jalen Johnson your 2021 first round pick at power forward replacing John Collins your 2016 first round pick, Clint Capela at center, Bogdan Bogdanovic as a sixth man who can start at both shooting guard or small forward if either Murray or Hunter is injured, and impending RFA Saddiq Bey who started 52 games for Atlanta at both small forward and power forward when Murray, Hunter, or Johnson was injured. Onyeka Okongwu showed ability to play off the bench at both power forward and center, but he's more of a effective bench player than a quality starter despite continuing to make strides as a 2020 first round pick. Last years first round pick Kobe Bufkin is the backup point guard to Trae Young. Drafting the best player in this draft in Alexandre Sarr makes the most sense for unless Atlanta fell in love with Connecticut center Donovan Clingan during pre-draft workouts. There are rumors about Atlanta breaking up this back court by trading Young and Murray away, but that's just stupid since Atlanta could easily rebound next season if everyone manages to stay healthy.
   
   
   
   Zaccharie Risacher also had a pre-draft workout with the Atlanta Hawks and impressed during that workout. He's the consensus number two player in the 2024 NBA Draft behind Alexandre Sarr, but some draft boards now have him at 1 with both Sarr and Risacher being two of the players from October that warranted blue chip grades heading into my first 2024 NBA Mock Draft in November. Trading down from 1 to 4 makes no sense for Atlanta unless you are guaranteed a center. Even if the San Antonio Spurs offered 4, 8, and a 2025 first for Risacher, there's no guarantee you get a center to develop behind Clint Capella in a contract year as Alexandre Sarr and Donovan Clingan could potentially go second and third overall to Washingoton and Houston if you traded down from 1 to 4. Houston needs a backup shooting guard, but they could also use a backup center if they want to move on from Steven Adams after this season. Houston is also open to moving the third pick for a player that could help them win now. Clingan should be there at 4, but there is an outside chance he goes third which is why trading the first pick away is too risky in my honest opinion.
   
   
   
   I guess you could settle for Zach Edey at 4 if you did choose trade down to 4 or you could draft Reed Sheppard to be Atlanta's future point guard if Trae Young wants to leave Atlanta to try to win an NBA Championship elsewhere when he becomes a 2027 UFA if Houston took Clingan over Sheppard at 3. Those don't sound like sexy options for the Atlanta Hawks and Alexandre Sarr made 21/25 three point shots from all five zones that you see players shoot from during the three point contest during 2024 NBA All Star weekend at the 2024 NBA Combine despite not working out privately with the Atlanta Hawks yet which is why all these rumors on the Atlanta Hawks passing on Sarr at 1 appear to be a smokescreen. It is blatantly obvious that Sarr is the top player in the 2024 NBA Draft as well as a potential position of need for the Atlanta Hawks in 2025 when Capella becomes a UFA even if Atlanta doesn't realize that yet.
   
   
   
   I had Alexandre Sarr as my first overall pick back in October of 2023 after watching tape of prospects heading into the College Baskeball Season. I still like Sarr the most among every prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft and he's the favorite at -190 over Risacher at +165 to go first overall in a much weaker draft while also addressing the biggest long-term need for the Atlanta Hawks with the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Dominique Wilkins saw Alexandre Sarr in person and called him a special player that I see a becoming a Generation Z version of myself down the road. Meanwhile the Atlanta Hawks front office hasn't even brought in Alexandre Sarr who played on Overtime Elite in Atlanta before going to the Perth Wildcats in Australia overseas.
   
   
   
   The 7-1 217 lb Alexandre Sarr is a big with the versatility to play the 4 at power forward or the 5 at center. Alexandre Sarr began playing Basketball at the age of 4 in Bordeaux, France before playing in Atlanta for a year before going to Overtime Elite and the NBL for a year. He can defend the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, the 3 at small forward, the 4 at power forward, and the 5 at center. He defends well and can hit shots from short range, medium range, or long range. Sarr is a good dunker too and played with the Perth Wildcats this season after playing with Overtime Elite prior to the 2024 NBA Draft. He's also the son of former Senegalese pro basketball player Massar Sarr as well as the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder backup center Olivier Sarr.
   
   
   
   Around Halloween in 2023, I said that Alexandre Sarr is the closest thing the 2024 NBA Draft has to Victor Wembanyama being blown away by his 2022-2023 tape with Overtime Elite which is based in Atlanta, Georgia where the Atlanta Hawks play. He led the Perth Wildcats to a win over his former team Overtime Elite in September of 2023, and wasn't the consensus number one pick in most NBA Mock Drafts until December of 2023 because on November 10, 2023, I was the only person in the country who had Sarr going first overall at the time upon the release of my first 2024 NBA Mock Draft. Sarr compared himself to Cleveland Cavaliers power forward/center Evan Mobley and Los Angeles Lakers power forward/center Anthony Davis who was mainly a power forward coming out of Kentucky in the 2012 NBA Draft, so the floor is Evan Mobley and the ceiling is Anthony Davis which is enough of a reason to pick him first overall with Michigan State power forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. the fourth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft being an ideal middle ground for Alexandre Sarr.
   
   
   
   Sarr may be a Goodwill version of Wemby that cannot be exchanged at Walmart's Customer Service area when returning products. He checked off every box on tape on Overtime Elite by posting 11.1 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per in 2022-2023 despite getting a limited volume on the Perth Wildcats in the NBL. Alexandre Sarr had 9.4 points per game, 0.9 assists per game, and 4.3 rebounds per game, but he only averaged 17.3 minutes per game off the bench in 27 games with the Perth Wildcats in 2023-2024. The regression from Overtime Elite to the Perth Wildcats is slightly concerning, but if he's developing under veteran Clint Capella as a rookie with Capella in a contract year, he should be ready to take over and make an impact by 2025 at the very latest if Atlanta is in contention and chooses to hold onto Capella to make a playoff run to the 2025 NBA Playoffs next season. The dribbling is decent, but not always effective. His jump shot is promising, but it's not a consistent weapon in his three point game yet.
   
   
   
   Atlanta would have a starting five of Trae Young at point guard, Dejountae Murray at shooting guard, De'Andre Hunter at small forward, Jalen Johnson at power forward, and Alexandre Sarr at center starting in 2025 or maybe as early as the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline if you move Clint Capella and aren't in contention for a top ten playoff spot. Atlanta would have a two year window to remain competitive with this starting five. As long as Trae Young wants to stay in Atlanta, you'd have to believe this will be a team with a two window to be competitive in the Eastern Conference once Sarr becomes a regular starter in 2025.
   
   
   
   With Sarr as a backup to Capella, I honestly believe the top six in the Eastern Conference when everyone is fully healthy next year goes as follows with the Boston Celtics at 1, the Milwaukee Bucks at 2, the Indiana Pacers at 3, the Cleveland at 4, the Atlanta Hawks at 5, and I'd give the Orlando Magic a landslide edge over the New York Knicks for that 6 spot unless the New York Knicks get a center that can average 10 points per game to complete their starting five since that's been the issue with the Knicks for three years now. Boston, Milwaukee, Indiana, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Orlando would be my top six for the Eastern Conference in that order for the 2025 NBA Playoffs if Atlanta does the smart thing by drafting Alexandre Sarr and develops him behind Capella next year.
   
   
   Previous Pick: Kel'el Ware, C, Indiana
   
   
2. Washington Wizards: Zaccharie Risacher, SF, JL Bourg
   
   
   Washington currently has Tyus Jones at point guard, Jordan Poole at shooting guard after being a backup on Golden State, Deni Avdija their 2020 first round pick starting at small forward, and Kyle Kuzma at power forward. You also have Corey Kispert, their 2021 first round pick atsmall forward. Washington reportedly loves both Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher and those two are the consensus top two players on the board leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft. I had blue chip grades on Alexandre Sarr, Ron Holland, and Risacher heading into November. Washington ended up staying at 2 after having the second worst record in the NBA this past season.
   
   
   
   Zaccharie Risacher having a strong season in France combined with Ron Holland's foul trouble with Holland having 3 fouls in 18 of his 29 NBA G-League games this past season now makes Risacher the overwhelming favorite to go second overall if Washington wants to go for value over need and if Washington goes for value over need, I see Kyle Kuzma, Washington's leading scorer who had 22.2 points per game following the departure of Bradley Beal who got moved to Phoenix getting moved for a veteran center in a trade package if Washington passes on need by taking a BPA like Risacher over a need like Donovan Clingan who ranks as low as sixth or seventh on some NBA Draft boards despite winning back-to-back National Championships at Connecticut.
   
   
   
   The 6-9 204 lb Zaccharie Risacher is the best defender, three point shooter, passer, and blocker outside fo Alexander Sarr. He's not as complete as the Sarr, but checks most boxes with him being the only potential blue chip player outside of Sarr with both French players having the floors of day 1 starters, the ceilings of blue chip players, and a realistic middle ground of becoming All Star players down the road. Zaccharie Risacher had 10.1 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, and 0.9 assists per game on JL Bourg in 2023-2024. The kicker is that both Sarr and Risacher would start out as bench players and be eased into bigger roles down the road with Atlanta having Capella while Washington has three forwards averaging over 10 points a game with two of those forwards being first round picks in the 2020 and 2021 NBA Drafts.
   
   
   
   Zaccharie Risacher can defend against the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, and the 3 at small forward in short range situations. You want to see him defend more in medium range and long range shot situations too, but Risacher's defensive play is good enough to make him my second best player in the 2024 NBA Draft. Zaccharie Risacher is one player besides Alexandre Sarr that can make a shot from short range, medium range, or long range. I think he's a better defender than Corey Kispert, but I'm not sure if he will score as much as Kispert off the bench.
   
   
   
   You can also try to tank for a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft as 247 Sports has 7 High School Basketball players with a max potential grade of 99/99 with that group featuring Cooper Flagg a combo forward that's the top recruit in High School Basketball headed to Duke, Airious "Ace" Bailey, nicknamed Ace Bailey is the number two player in High School Basketball as he impressed me just as much as Cooper Flagg did in the McDonalds All American game can play both shooting guard and small forward with his versatility and his heading to Rutgers, Dylan Harper the number three player in High School Basketball that can play both point guard and shooting guard is heading to Rutgers, Khaman Maluach a five star recruit at center is heading to Duke to take over for Kyle Filipowski at center, VJ Edgecombe is a ideal wing player with the versatility to play both shooting guard and small forward with Edgecombe the number five recruit heading to Baylor, Tre Johnson a pure shooting guard is the number six player in the country heading to Texas, and Jalil Bethea a shooting guard at Miami FL is the seventh and final player projected to have a max potential grade of 99/99. You also have three other International players like Nolan Traore the top point guard in the 2025 NBA Draft currently playing in France on Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball in the LBN league in France, Egor Demin the starting point guard on Real Madrid heading to BYU this Fall, and Hugo Gonzalez a shooting guard that's a complete guard on Real Madrid that complimented Egor Demin with Demin and Gonzalez being Real Madrid's two best players since Luka Doncic played there overseas.
   
   
   
   Washington doesn't have to trade their best players to get a center in the 2024 NBA Draft right now because the 2025 NBA Draft is much stronger than the 2024 NBA Draft. If the Wizards get Cooper Flagg, both Zaccharie Risarcher and Cooper Flagg would be day 1 starters. After that, trade options for the Washington Wizards would include Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert, and potentially future draft picks for a veteran center that will help the Washington Wizards win now to round out ther starting five depending on where the Wizards are picking in the 2025 NBA Draft.
   
   
   
   Washington would also have the luxury to take the best player on the board at point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, or center in 2025 and then trade Jones, Poole, Avdija, or Kuzma depending on where the Wizards are projected to pick in 2025. NBA Draft Net has the Washington Wizards picking second behind the Detroit Pistons in the 2025 NBA Draft, so in that scenario Cooper Flagg goes to Detroit to be their new starting small forward if Detroit cannot get strong play from Ausar Thompson or their top 5 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft at small forward with Flagg joining Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Williams at power forward, and Jalen Duran at center giving Detroit a starting five that would be lethal along with quality bench players including Ausar Thompson and the fifth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Washington would choosing between Ace Bailey as a shooting guard//small forward to replace Jordan Poole if they draft Risacher at 2 by going with the best available player over their biggest need or Nolan Traore a point guard out of France who would probably replace Tyus Jones as a day 1 starter. This would allow Washington to package either starting guard and Kuzma if they landed a top 2 pick for a veteran center. The other option is Washington can draft Khaman Maluach with that top 5 or 6 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft if Washington falls out of the top 4 following the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.
   
   
   Previous Pick: Ron Holland, SF, Ignite (NBA G-League)
   
   
   
   
3. Houston Rockets: Reed Sheppard, SG, Kentucky
   
   
   Houston moved up from 4 to 3 with the Brooklyn Nets 2024 first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Houston has Freddy VanVleet at point guard, Jalen Green who was drafted second overall behind Cade Cunningham the 2021 NBA Draft at shooting guard, Dillon Brooks at small forward, Jabari Smith Jr. their third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft at power forward, and Alperen Senguin at center after Houston took this top 10 player on my board in the 2021 NBA Draft with the sixteenth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Houston drafted Amen Thompson, a point guard out of Overtime Elite fourth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, but he's only averaging 6.7 points per game so far. Houston has Cam Whitmore their second 2023 first round pick as the backup small forward, Tari Eason a second 2022 first round pick as the backup power forward and Steven Adams who they got at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline as the backup center. A backup shooting guard is the lone need on the Houston Rockets. Kentucky shooting guard Reed Sheppard doesn't just fill a need, he's also the best available player on the board at 3 and Houston can draft him to be the backup shooting guard to Jalen Green. He can also compete for a starting spot with Amen Thompson in 2025 if Houston moves on from starting poing guard Freddy VanVleet who has a club option in 2025 when both Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, Houston's two 2021 first round picks at shooting guard and center become RFA's after next season.
   
   
   
   Kentucky combo guard Reed Sheppard was the biggest riser in NBA Mocks as neither Wes Langley, Brian Bayless who had the most accurate 2023 NBA Mock Draft supplanting my NBA Mock Draft streak of having the most accurate NBA Mock Draft from 2017-2022, nor myself had Reed Sheppard in the top 3 back in November. The crazy thing is by the time the 2024 NCAA Men's March Madness Tournament started, Sheppard was considered the best College Basketball Player in the 2024 NBA Draft despite Oakland knocking out Kentucky in the second round of the 2024 Men's Basketball Tournament in the round of 64 with Oakland shocking the entire College Basketball World at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. Ironically, the Pittsburgh Panthers play all of their main sports outside of football in the Oakland region of Pittsburgh.
   
   
   
   The 6-2 187 lb Reed Sheppard has an identical shooting form to Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry. Reed Sheppard is also versatile enough to play the 1 at point guard or the 2 at shooting guard. Reed Sheppard has the short range, medium range, long range, playmaking you want from a passer, the ability to steal the basketball, the ability to rebound the basketball, and the ability to block at will. Reed Sheppard's 42 inch vertical was the biggest vertical at the 2024 NBA Combine.
   
   
   
   Reed Sheppard had 12.5 points per game, 4.5 assists per game, 4.1 rebounds per game, 2.5 steals per game, 0.7 blocks per game, a 53.6% field goal percentage, a 52.1% three point percentage, and a 83.1% free throw percentage in his lone season at Kentucky in 2023-2024. Reed Sheppard has the basketball IQ to dominate offensively and high point the basketball on defense whether it be by blocking, rebounding, or stealing. The one thing he will need to work on besides performing better in the playoffs after his bad Tournament game against Oakland is his ability to defend the 1 or the 2 by contesting shots using his wingspan and body to defend other players. If Sheppard can refine that area of his game, he's got a chance to be special down the road as both Wes Langley and my friend Bryan Luis have raved about his ability.
   
   
   
   John Calipari's track record with recruiting and developing players speaks for itself. He's had more success with guards and bigs than forwards if you look at his entire coaching history. Marcus Camby was the first player he coached to make the NBA at Massachusetts also known as UMass.
   
   
   
   Derrick Rose was the first special point guard John Calipari coached at Memphis before making the jump to Kentucky as Derrick Rose was the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Rose got Memphis to a NCAA Championship where they lost to Kansas before the NCAA vacated that.
   
   
   
   Other number one picks that John Calipari coached during his tenure at Kentucky include John Wall a point guard in the 2010 NBA Draft, Anthony Davis the first pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Karl Anthony-Towns who went first overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. Two of those three number one picks under Calipari were bigs with Wall being the lone guard to go first overall despite not winning anything at Kentucky.
   
   
   
   Other guards that John Calipari developed at Kentucky that have had success in the NBA include Devin Booker the Phoneix Suns 2015 first round pick, who I mocked tenth overall to the Miami Heat back in 2015. I mocked Jamal Murray to Minnesota fifth overall in 2016. Taking Dunn over Murray was a horrible move for the franchise at the time looking back on it now, but Minnesota ended up getting Anthony Edwards in 2020 with Jamal Murray being another really good guard that John Calipari coached whose translated well to the NBA as the Denver Nuggets drafted Jamal Murray to compliment Nikola Jokic in the 2016 NBA Draft. De'Aaron Fox, who I mocked to Sacramentoin 2017 has been as good as advertised on the Sacramento Kings. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a player that I said would be a better defender in the NBA than Trae Young when mocking him to the Los Angeles Clippers at 11 with the Detroit Pistons 2018 first round pick which the Clippers owned that year. Trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was a young and emerging star at point guard along with another veteran and five first round picks for Paul George backfired tremendously which is why I'm never a fan of trading away players you just drafted as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke out with the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season. The Miami Heat drafted another Kentucky point guard Tyler Herro thirteenth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft and he's been a great sixth man in the NBA. Tyrese Maxey went to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020 NBA Draft and is now a regular starter on the Philadelphia 76ers. Shaedon Sharpe, who was drafted by Portland in the 2022 NBA Draft had 15.7 points per game this past season playing 33 minutes in 25 starts before a season ending injury, and may break out next year. Cason Wallace was Oklahoma City's 2023 first round pick as a backup to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. John Calipari's track record with guards speaks for itself, but his two Final 4 teams at Kentucky had Davis and Anthony-Towns as the catalysts even his Memphis team with Derrick Rose and UMass Final 4 team had Camby on it at power forward and Kentucky hasn't recruited the quality of bigs they used to which is a huge reason I believe Kentucky opted to move on from John Calipari with the one-and-done rule becoming outdated in College Basketball. Reed Sheppard seems like the final guard in the John Calipari pipeline at Kentucky that will be a first round draft pick with John Calipari having a first round pick at guard every year from 2015 to 2024 over the past decade with Sheppard being the first of two first round guards in the 2024 NBA Draft.
   
   
   
   Reed Sheppard will probably start out as the backup shooting guard to Jalen Green this season. Jalen Green and Alperen Senguin are both getting extended once they become RFA's in 2025 and if both get 5 year extensions, those two 2021 first round picks that the Houston Rockets hit on would be on the Houston Rockets until 2030. Freddy VanVleet has a club option and if Houston opts not to excersize it, Amen Thompson the fourth pick in last years draft and Reed Sheppard would be competing for the starting point guard job in 2025 if Houston wants to trade VanVleet before he becomes a UFA in 2026. There's also the possibility that Houston develops both Sheppard along with Thompson for the next two seasons with those two competing for the point guard job in 2026 if Houston keeps VanVleet until his contract expires. If Reed Sheppard wins that competition versus Amen Thompson who went fourth overall in a much stronger draft, he could be starting at point guard by 2025 or 2026. At the very worst, he's a viable combo guard off the bench who dominates offensively, but needs to work on taking up space when contesting shots on defense despite a smaller wingspan.
   
   
   
   Houston has their entire starting five locked up until 2026. Hitting on the third pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and getting a future starting point guard in either Amen Thompson or Reed Sheppard if you move on from Freddy VanVleet allows you to have a good starting five until 2027 when small forward Dillon Brooks becomes a UFA. The rebuild for the Houston Rockets is almost done, as I believe with Reed Sheppard, the Houston Rockets will be a playoff team this upcoming season with 10 quality players both in the starting five as well as five quality bench players too.
   
   
   
4. San Antonio Spurs: Stephon Castle, PG, Connecticut
   
   
   San Antonio moved up from 5 to 4 in the 2024 NBA Draft following the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery. San Antonio has a playoff caliber starting five when everyone is healthy with Tre Jones a 2020 second round pick at point guard, Devin Vasell a 2020 first round pick at shooting guard, Keldon Johnson a 2019 first round pick at small forward, Jeremy Sochan a 2022 first round pick at power forward, and Victor Wembanyama a 2023 first round pick at center. Zach Collins is a good sixth man.
   
   
   
   There's three superstar players that can average 20 points a game in this starting lineup in Victor Wembanyama whose going to be the face of this team for the next two decades after posting 21.4 points per game in 71 starts as the number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Devin Vassell a player that I loved in the 2020 NBA Draft that fell outside of the top 10 posted 19.5 points per game in 62 starts and it is as clear as daylight he's the biggest superstar on the Spurs outside of Wembanyama as well as the second big time impact player. Keldon Johnson went from 12 points per game in his first season starting as a sophomore, to 17 points per game in 72 games in his third NBA season, to leading the San Antonio Spurs with 22 points per game in 2022-2023 to having 15.7 points per game in 27 starts this past season. Johnson has ability to be a superstar, but the constant injuries make him a star with the ability to be a superstar when he's healthy. Jeremy Sochan averaged 11.6 points per game in his first year as a starting power forward in the NBA, and he also led the San Antonio Spurs with 73 games started. Getting a point guard that will be an upgrade over Tre Jones is a big priority.
   
   
   
   Tre Jones is 24 entering a contract year despite having two good seasons as San Antonio's 2020 second round pick where he had 12 points per game in 2022-2023 and 10 points per game in 2023-2024. I'm cool with letting Tre Jones finish up his rookie contract, but the grim reality is Stephon Castle or Nikola Topic would be upgrades over Tre Jones. Stephon Castle is the more complete guard of those two point guards, but neither guy is an All Star caliber point guard.
   
   
   
   The 6-6 215 lb Stephon Castle is a combo guard that is versatile enough to play point guard at the 1 and shooting guard at the 2. Stephon Castle had the short range, medium range, long range, and passing to be a high end starter at point guard in the NBA. He needed to develop his defense in College to be a top 5 pick at Connecticut and he did that which is why he gets the edge over Nikola Topic at 4 for the San Antonio Spurs who reportedly love Stephon Castle.
   
   
   
   Stephon Castle had 11.1 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, 2.9 assists per game, a 47.2% field goal percentage, a 26.7% three point percentage, and a 75.5% free throw percentage in his lone season at Connecticut in 2023-2024 Stephon Castle does need to add more shooting power and velocity with his shot, but San Antonio Spurs second year shooting coach Jimmy Baron did a good job making sure every starter on the Spurs averaged over 10 points per game in his first year. Stephon Castle can start out as a point guard, but could also be a backup point guard or shooting guard if he needs to be eased in. There's no depth behind Tre Jones or Devin Vassell at guard on the San Antonio Spurs, plus there's also the possibility that Castle beats out Tre Jones outright for the starting point guard job right out of the gate in training camp and if that happens, the San Antonio Spurs would not just have five quality scorers in their starting five, but five quality starters on defense as well which we know the San Antonio Spurs are big proponents of.
   
   
   
   Stephon Castle seems like he will have better chemistry with Victor Wembanyama than Nikola Topic. Topic is also recovering from a partially torn ACL and had multiple re-aggrevating injuries on his left knee. Castle only interviewed with three teams in the top 10 Washington, San Antonio, and Utah expecting the team that drafts him to make him a day 1 starter at point guard refusing to interview with every other team. Only two of those three teams reportedly fell in love with Castle during the interview process leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft and those two teams were San Antonio and Utah. Charlotte would love the idea of drafting Castle as a shooting guard, but Castle refused to interview him since he's hell bent on playing point guard in the NBA. If San Antonio were to pass on Castle, there's a chance he could fall further than expected, but with Topic's durability concerns and recent medicals, something tells me San Antonio will want a player with Stephon Castle's Championship pedigree.
   
   
   Previous Pick: Trey Alexander, SG, Creighton
   
   
   
   
5. Detroit Pistons: Matas Buzelis, SF, Ignite (NBA G-League)
   
   
   Detroit has their starting five with Cade Cunningham their first pick in the 2021 NBA Draft at point guard, Jaden Ivey at shooting guard the fifth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Ausar Thompson the fifth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft at small forward, Isaiah Stewart at power forward, and Jalen Duren a second 2022 first round pick at center. Everyone except Ausar Thompson scored over 10 points per game. I considered three players Isaiah Collier, Justin Edwards, and Matas Buzelis back in November when I did my first 2024 NBA Mock Draft before settling on Justin Edwards. Things are different now since Buzelis corrected his biggest weakness his three point shooting while Justin Edwards didn't improve in that respect making Buzelis the obvious pick for Detroit at 5 with his agent being the son of the Detroit Pistons President Of Basketball Operations.
   
   
   
   The 6-10 209 lb Matas Buzelis had the short range, medium range, long range, passing, ability to defend the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, the 3 at small forward, and the 4 at power forward. Heading into the Fall, Matas Buzelis checked off every box except three point shooting which is why I thought it was kind of ridiculous that he was in consideration to go first overall in this crap shoot of a draft class. Now that Buzelis has fixed his three point shooting, you can't really argue with the thought process of him being picked fifth overall to round out the top 5 if that's the route the Detroit Pistons want to go in.
   
   
   Previous Pick: Justin Edwards, SF, Kentucky
   
   
6. Charlotte Hornets: Donovan Clingan, C, Connecticut
   
   
   The Charlotte Hornets have LaMelo Ball their 2020 first round pick at point guard, Brandon Miller their second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft at small forward, Grant Williams at power forward, and Mark Williams a 2022 first round pick at center. Outside of Brandon Miller, nobody else in this starting five started more than 22 games with LaMelo Ball, Grant Williams, and Mark Williams all starting 22 or fewer games with Grant Williams only starting 19 games despite these guys all having high point totals.
   
   
   
   LaMelo Ball improved his points per game each year and Charlotte has already agreed to give LaMelo Ball a five year bird extension with Ball having 15.7 points per game in 31 starts as a rookie, 20.1 points per game in 75 starts in his sophomore season, 23.3 points per game in 36 starts in his third season, and 23.9 points per game this season in 22 starts. I got no problem with extending Ball, but $35 million a year for the next four years does feel like an overpay with LaMelo Ball's injury history and one has to wonder if his durability concerns are just as big as his older brothers with Lonzo Ball missing the last two seasons.
   
   
   
   Stephon Castle would be the perfect player for Charlotte to draft here at 6 as he's the only day 1 starter that Charlotte could pick since the Hornets need a point guard. I don't see Nikola Topic going sixth here even though he'd be a good backup to LaMelo Ball if Ball's injury history continues. Ron Holland and Donovan Clingan are the other two finalists outside of Stephon Castle here. I feel like Charlotte is going Donovan Clingan in a scenario unless Castle is available at 6 since Mark Williams has only started 36 games since being a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and bringing in Clingan would provide depth as well as light a fire under Mark Williams with Mark Williams having a buyout clause on his club option before he becomes a 2026 RFA.
   
   
   
   The 7-2 265 lb Donovan Clingan gives the Charlotte Hornets more center depth behind Mark Williams. Donovan Clingan came off the bench as a freshman on Connecticut's Title team in 2022-2023. Donovan Clingan had 13 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, 2.5 blocks per game, 1.5 assists per game, a 63.9% field goal percentage, a 25% three point percentage, and a 58.3% free throw percentage in his first year as a starter leading Connecticut to a second consecutive National Title, this time as the starting center in 2023-2024.
   
   
   
   Donovan Clingan has the short range, medium range, long range, passing, rebounding, and shot blocking you want. He provides insurance for Mark Wiliams at center and could potentially take his job if Williams cannot stay healthy this upcoming season.
   
   
   Previous Pick: Zaccharie Risacher, SF, JL Bourg
   
   
   
   
7. Portland Trail Blazers: Ron Holland, SF, Ignite (NBA G-League)
   
   
   Portland has Scoot Henderson their third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft at point guard, Anfernee Simmons their 2020 first round pick at shooting guard, Shaedon Sharpe, Portland's 2022 first round pick took over at small forward after playing both point guard as well as shooting guard at Kentucky, Jerami Grant remains at power forward, and DeAndre Ayton enters year two as Portland's center with two years left on his contract.
   
   
   
   Portland also has Malcolm Brogdon as the backup point guard even though his 15.7 points per game bested Henderson's 14 points per game, but Henderson played 7 more games than Brogdon with Henderson's 32 starts besting Brogdon's 25 due to Brodgon's injuries last year and Brogdon is making $22.1-million on the final year of his contract next year. If Portland isn't going to start Brogdon next year, I would think the Portland Trail Blazers would trade him if their confident with Scoot Henderson after drafting him third overall to replace Damian Lillard last year. Matisse Thybulle is the backup shooting guard. Jabari Walker is the backup small forward when Simmons is injured, but he hasn't taken the next step despite showing promise as a freshman at Colorado prior to the 2022 NBA Draft. The encouraging news with Walker is he improved his points pere game from 3.9 to 8.9 after getting 23 starts and playing in 72 games this season, but that reveals to me Walker is a bench player in the NBA despite showing the potential to be a starter at Colorado. Kris Murray your 2023 first round pick is the backup power forward. Doup Reath took the backup center job from Robert Williams III, the former Boston Celtics 2018 first round pick who only played 6 games off the bench starting 0 games.
   
   
   
   Portland's got a decent bench, but upgrades are still needed when you take injuries into account. Power forward Jerami Grant and center DeAndre Ayton were the only two guys to start over 50 games for Portland last year with the starters on Portland's front court being the two most durable starters.
   
   
   
   The three players that stand out to me here at 7 are Ron Holland, Dalton Knecht, and Zach Edey. Since Portland has three centers under contract, I'm going with Ron Holland despite the fact that there were reports that DeAndre Ayton was miserable when he first arrived in Portland by sleeping on water beds at a Matress Discounters that went out of business when he first got to Portland. Ron Holland was considered a blue chip player entering the season after winning three straight State Championships in High School Basketball, but he committed way too many fouls to warrant blue chip status which is why his draft stock has dropped a little bit since the beginning of the season. Portland did work out Dalton Knecht, the senior forward on Tennessee, but I'm giving them Ron Holland at 7. Whoever Portland passses on between those two probably heads to San Antonio at 8. Ron Holland is still 18 and Dalton Knecht is 23, and that five year age gap shows there's a massive gap in longevity between the two even though Knecht is ready to make an impact now if you need him now.
   
   
   
   The 6-8 206 lb Ron Holland is versatile enough to play both the 3 at small forward and the 4 at power forward. Holland got 36 points against the Perth Wildcats while Sarr got 24 points despite Sarr winning against Iginite. Both players can hit shots from short range, medium range, and long range on tape. Holland can generate assists. I think Holland can defend effectively, but I'd like to see more game film where he is playing defense as well as offense for content creators on Youtube going forward. Holland has gotten double digit rebounds in games and Holland feels like the most complete player that can pass, shoot, block, rebound, and steal at the NBA level outside of Alexandre Sarr which is why I mocked him at 2 back in November, but the constant fouling this past season causes Ron Holland to drop to 7.
   
   
   
   Ron Holland added 6 lbs of muscle since the joining Ignite which will not exist next season. Ron Holland had 20.6 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists per game, 2.5 steals per game, a 44.3% field goal percentage, a 24% three point percentage, and a 75.7% free throw percentage in all 29 games he started in 2023-2024. Ron Holland also failed to answer questions about his defense because he can high point the basketball and get rebounds, but I haven't seen game film of Holland contesting shots consistently against small forwards and power forwards. He also averaged 3 turnovers a game and had 3 fouls a game in 18/29 of the games he started in from November 10, 2023 the day I released my first 2024 NBA Mock Draft to January 31, 2024. Those are the only games Ron Holland played this season in that time span. Holland has potential to be a blue chip player, but numerous questions have many dropping Holland in mock drafts to the point where I now view him as an All Star at best assuming he fixes his weaknesses in the NBA.
   
   
   
   I think Portland could roll the dice on Ron Holland at 7 since they have a good starting five and would have the luxury to develop him into a starter since Holland would go to a situation where he'd start out on the bench by challenging Jabari Walker for that backup small forward role. He could also challenge Kris Murray, last years first round pick for the backup power forward job.
   
   
   
   Ron Holland most likely starts out as the backup small forward to Shaedon Sharpe in Portland. Ron Holland does have the highest ceiling of any player on the board at 7. You can also argue that Ron Holland is the biggest risk among any player in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery with questions in terms of defense, too many turnovers, and too many fouls despite his longevity.
   
   
   Previous Pick: Cody Williams, SF, Colorado
   
   
8. San Antonio Spurs: Dalton Knecht, SF, Tennessee
   
   
   San Antonio's starting small forward Keldon Johnson has never played all 82 games in his career and played under 30 games for the first time in his career despite having potential to be a superstar, the sixth man Zach Collins came in for some games when Johnson got injured and he didn't start more than 30 games either. One player with the versatility to play both small forward and shooting guard is the top senior in the 2024 NBA Draft. Tennessee small forward Dalton Knecht fits the bill here since he would be a bench player behind Devin Vassell at shooting guard as well as a bench player behind Keldon Johnson. Drafting Knecht would also allow you to move Zach Collins back to his natural role at power forward where he would come off the bench for Jeremy Sochan at power forward. You would also have depth at point guard if you draft a point guard at 4 like Stephon Castle and he ends up beating out Tre Jones for the starting point guard job. Castle is versatile enough to play both guard spots and he's the guy the Spurs reportedly love even though Nikola Topic interviewed well with the Spurs too.
   
   
   
   The 6-5 204 lb Dalton Knecht can play the 2 at shooting guard or the 3 at small forward on an NBA roster. He can hit shots from short range, medium range, or long range. I didn't see Dalton Knecht defend once on tape which is why I gave Ron Holland a landslide edge at 7, but San Antonio can draft whoever Portland passes on between those two as a backup to Keldon Johnson.
   
   
   
   Dalton Knecht had 20.2 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, and 1.8 assists per game, a 47.9% field goal percentage, a 38.1% three point percentage, a 77.1% free throw percentage, and took Tennessee to the Sweet 16 in the 2023 NCAA Men's March Madness Tournament where Tennessee lost to Creighton as a junior in 2022-2023. Dalton Knecht had 21.7 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 1.8 assists per game, a 45.8% field goal percentage, a 39.7% three point percentage, a 72.1% free throw percentage, and took Tennessee to the Elite 8 in the 2024 NCAA Men's March Madness Tournament as a senior where Tennessee lost to eventual runner up Purdue in 2023-2024.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Rob Dillingham, PG, Kentucky
   
   
   Memphis has Ja Morant their 2019 first round pick drafted second overall behind Zion Williamson at point guard, Marcus Smart at shooting guard, Desmond Bane moving from shootint guard to small forward, G.G. Jackson, the Memphis Grizzlies 2023 second round pick doing well enough to warrant starting at either small forward power forward, and Jaren Jackson Jr. your fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft doing just enough as a big to warrant making the transition from power to center. That starting five can get Memphis to the playoffs if everyone stays healthy, but outside of Jaren Jackson Jr. who led Memphis with 66 starts, nobody else in that starting five played more than 50 games with Desmond Bane having 42 starts. Ja Moran'ts season ending injury after his 25 game suspension along with multiple injuries in this lineup were the biggest reason the Memphis Grizzlies took a step back after getting the 2 seed.
   
   
   
   Memphis has a good starting five when everyone is healthy, but like a lot of the teams picking in the top 10 this year, they lack depth. Ja Morant is still the guy when healthy, but with multiple suspensions the last two years plus playing a career low 9 games you have reached a certain point where you need a backup for Morant. Even if he pulls a 180 and reverts to his peak form where the Memphis Grizzlies got the 2 seed when the Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals, you still need depth behind him in case he gets injured or suspended again after getting injured in game 1 against Golden State in the second round of that series.
   
   
   
   The 6-1 163 lb Rob Dillingham is a combo guard like Reed Sheppard and Stephon Castle. He mainly played point guard while Reed Sheppard played shooting guard at Kentucky last year. Rob Dillingham would be the tenth guard coached by John Calipari at Kentucky to be drafted in the first round dating back to 2015, the eighth guard coached by Calipari to be drafted in the lottery, and the third guard to be drafted in the top 10 with De'Aaron Fox and Reed Sheppard probably being the only top 5 picks among a group of great Kentucky guards which included both Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Calipari also had the MVP of the 2023 McDonalds All American Game D.J. Wagner, but Wagner transferred to Arkansas with Coach Calipari rather than entering the 2024 NBA Draft.
   
   
   
   Rob Dillingham has the short range, medium range, long range, passing, and athleticism you covet from a combo guard. His big weakness is his defense and that seems to be the recurring theme with a lot of these recent one-and-done teams. As good as some Calipari's guards have been, none of them defended like Booker, Murray, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when he was eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft. The last five years, Kentucky focused more on offensively gifted guards that were highly ranked recruits more so than defense and that's a big reason Kenutcky lost in the round of 64 during March Madness in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 the past five years.
   
   
   
   Both Rob Dillingham and Nikola Topic are both projects defensively to the point where they could become liabilities if a coaching staff doesn't develop their defense. Dillingham is the better mid range shooter and that's what separates him from Topic when taking the medicals of Topic into account here.
   
   
   
   Rob Dillingham had 15.2 points per game, 3.9 assists per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, 1 steal per game, a 47.5% field goal percentage, a 44.4% three point percentage, and a 79.6% free throw percentage in his lone season at Kentucky in 2023-2024. Trae Young was an elite scorer at Oklahoma, but was a project defensively in College. Young's defense looked really bad in the play in tournament, but that may have been due to Young coming off an injury or him playing the 2 at shooting guard against the Bulls instead of the 1 his usual position where Murray played.
   
   
   
   Having a player with a similar offensive profile to Trae Young as your backup point guard to Ja Morant isn't exactly the worst problem to have if you are confident in a starting five that features Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, G.G. Jackson, and Jaren Jackson Jr. with last years first round pick moving into a full-time starting role at power forward and Jaren Jackson Jr. moving to center. Memphis doesn't have any UFA's among that group until Smart becomes a UFA in 2026. Morant, Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. all averaged 20 points per game when in the lineup this past season. Dillingham gives you point guard depth behind Morant which is why I mocked him at 9.
   
   
   Previous Pick: Alexandre Sarr, C, Perth Wildcats
   
   
10. Utah Jazz: Zach Edey, C, Purdue
    
    
    The Utah Jazz have Jordan Clarkson at point guard, Collin Sexton at shooting guard, Lauri Markannen is a viable small forward, and John Collins at power forward. The Utah Jazz have Markannen in a contract year with Clarkson, Sexton, and Collins being UFA's in 2026. Walker Kessler regressed since his rookie year. Among the three centers projected to go in the first round after Alexandre Sarr and Donovan Clingan who fell from a top 5 prospect to number six after a bad 2024 NBA Combine, the only one of the three first round centers left on the board that looked good at the 2024 NBA Combine was Purdue center Zach Edey, so in this mock draft Danny Ainge makes a shock value pick as the Utah Jazz select Zach Edey tenth overall to round out the starting five where Edey actually gets an opportunity to compete with Walker Kessler for the starting center job.
    
    
    
    Utah is so close to becoming a playoff team. If the Utah Jazz can figure out their situation at center, this is a team that could play their way into the 2025 NBA Playoffs if everyone stays healthy next season.
    
    
    
    Utah drafts the back-to-back James Naismith Award winner to be their starting center at 10. The 7-3 300 lb Zach Edey had 22.3 points per game and 12.9 rebounds per game in 2022 while winning the James Naismith Award for the top player in College Basketball. Zach Edey had 25.2 points per game which was most in the country, 12.2 rebounds per game which was third in the country, 2.2 blocks per game, 2 assists per game, a 62.3% field goal percentage, a 50% three point percentage going 1/2 on three point shots, and a 71.1% free throw percentage as a senior guiding Purdue to the 2024 NCAA Men's Championship game where Connecticut repeated against Purdue.
    
    
    
    Zach Edey has the short range, medium range, long range as he's hit three point shots in practice, the passing, the rebounding, the shot blocking. He can defend against the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, the 3 at small forward, the 4 at power forward, and the 5 at center. Sometimes he will ocassionally daydream and get beat on a play defensively by having lapses, but this only happens 1 or 2 times a game not enough to where it could be a question mark at the NBA level. Zach Edey had the fourth best agility time and the second best sprint time among all bigs at power forward and center at the 2024 NBA Combine. Edey outperformed both Alexandre Sarr and Donovan Clingan the two best centers in the 2024 NBA Draft that are locks for the top 10.
    
    
    
    If both of those centers go in the top 6 like I'm projecting, I can see Danny Ainge selecting Zach Edey a lot earlier than most expect him to go as this is the first shock value pick in the top 10 of my 2024 NBA Mock Draft since I've heard Yao Ming as the ceiling comparison for Zach Edey which feels like a stretch to be honest, but I can see why that's a player comparison for Edey even though I don't quite agree with that.
    
    
    
    Zach Edey is a first round prospect with his draft value being all over the place. Tankathon has him at 29, my friend who likes the New Orleans Pelicans suggested New Orleans could draft Zach Edey at 21, one mock on ESPN had Edey as high as 2 to Washington, and I was considering him a pick earlier at 9 before I found out that Memphis only likes one center and that's Clingan who was off the board, which is why I mocked Dillingham at 9 before mocking Edey at 10.
    
    
    Previous Pick: Nikola Topic, PG, Mega Bemax
    
    
    
    
11. Chicago Bulls: Cody Williams, SF, Colorado
    
    
    Lonzo Ball cannot stay healthy, but he could return to full health at some point in 2024-2025. For now, Chicago Coby White at point guard, Josh Giddey at shooting guard, Zach LaVine at small forward, P.J. Williams at power forward, and Nikola Vucevic at center. DeMar DeRozan is a UFA and wants a 3-year deal with $40-million a year with Chicago offering DeRozan $40-million a year. DeRozan also said he was tired of losing in his postgame press conference. Chicago can give DeRozan a two year deal, but a three year deal may put Chicago over the luxury tax. Cody Williams could be a younger version of Paul George making him an ideal player for the Chicago Bulls to draft at 11 regardless of whether DeRozan stays or goes.
    
    
    
    The 6-8 185 lb Cody Williams could be a player who ends up being a starter for the Chicago Bulls at small forward down the road as well as the ideal successor for DeMar DeRozan even if he comes back. Cody Wiliams has the short range, medium range, long range, passing, and defense you want. Cody Williams can defend the 1 at point guard, the 2 at shooting guard, and the 3 at small forward.
    
    
    
    Cody Williams had 11.9 points per game, 3 rebounds per game, 1.6 assists per game, a 55.2% field goal percentage, a 41.5% three point percentage, and a 71.4% free throw percentage as a true freshman in 2023-2024. Cody Williams helped Colorado get past the round of 68 against Boise State and the round of 64 against Florida after guiding Colorado to the 2024 PAC 12 Championship where Oregon beat Colorado to win the PAC 12 in Basketball.
    
    
    Previous Pick: Isaiah Collier, PG, USC
    
    
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tristan da Silva, PF, Colorado
    
    
    Oklahoma City acquired this pick from Houston. Oklahoma City has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at point guard, Alex Caruso at shooting guard in a contract year, Luguentz Dort at small forward, Jalen Williams at power forward their second 2022 first round pick in the lottery, and Chet Holmgren at center who was drafted second overall in the 2022 NBA Draft playing his first full rookie season where Oklahoma City was the number one seed in the Western Conference. Cason Wallace, who Oklahoma City drafted tenth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft is the backup point guard to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing all 82 games off the bench and starting 13 as a rookie.
    
    
    
    Tristan da Silva has the versatility to play both the 3 at small forward and the 4 at power forward. Jalen Williams feels like more of a 3 at small forward despite playing the 4 at power forward. The same can be said with Luguentz Dort who feels like more of a 2 at shooting guard than a 3 at small forward. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren are the two star players on the Oklahoma City Thunder with Shai potentially in the superstar conversation after finishing second in MVP voting this past season, so those are your two untouchables that you do your best to keep in Oklahoma City as long as possible.
    
    
    
    Many Oklahoma City Thunder fans will make the case for keeping Jalen Williams until he becomes a UFA and other Thunder fans have made the same case with Giddey whose a nice scorer, but struggled on defense in this years NBA Playoffs. I got no problem with bringing both Williams as well as Giddey back when they become RFA's, but the reality is Oklahoma City will probably only be able to afford Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Chet Holmgren when every young player on this roster becomes a UFA on this extremely young team.
    
    
    
    That leaves Dort as the most expendable player in the Thunder's current starting five, but with his contract running through 2027, you don't have to trade him at this time. Oklahoma City can draft someone like Tristan da Silva here to develop for a year or two and when Dort enters a contract year in 2026 when guys like Holmgren and Williams both become RFA's, you can bring back both Holmgren along with Williams before trading Dort and making Tristan da Silva the other starting forward next to Jalen Williams. You can also move Dort in 2025 if Tristan da Silva does well enough as a rookie to take his job, but that feels very unilkely at this time considering that everyone in Oklahoma City's starting five had over 10 points per game despite Dort being the weak link only averaging 10.9 points per game at small forward when his natural position is shooting guard.
    
    
    
    The 6-8 220 lb Tristan da Silva is a combo forward that is versatile enough to play small forward at the 3 and power forward at the 4. Tristan da Silva played the 4 at power forward at Colorado to take pressure off of Cody Williams whose a natural 3 at point forward, but Tristan da Silva projects as more of a 3 at the NBA. Jalen Williams can play either small forward or power forward with his versatility and the same can be about Tristan da Silva whose brings more size than Jalen Williams whose only 6-5 211. Drafting Tristan da Silva at 12 allows you to play Jalen Williams at the 3 which is his natural position and it also allows you to move on from Dort if he declines after next season or in 2026 while allowing the Oklahoma City Thunder to maintain a majority of their young core.
    
    
    
    Tristan da Silva had 16 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 2.4 assists per game, a 49.3% field goal percentage, a 39.5% three point percentage, and a 83.1% free throw percentage as as senior in 2023-2024. Tristan da Silva has the short range, medium range, and long range you want in a shooter. He's a good rebounder and passer, but has question marks on defense.
    
    
    
    He's a competitive defender, but he lacks the athleticism and strength you want from an NBA forward that defends despite his best efforts. He's also not an ideal switch defender. He's got the offensive skill set to thrive in the NBA as a starter on Oklahoma City right now, but is raw defensively. Oklahoma City can play him off the bench and try to fix his defense this season and if Dort regresses this season, you can try starting him by 2025. Tristan da Silva could be ready to start with Jalen Williams by 2026 if you fix his defense and move Dort by the time Williams and Holmgren become RFA's.
    
    
    Previous Pick: Stephon Castle, PG, Connecticut
    
    
    
    
13. Sacramento Kings: Tidjane Salaun, SF, Cholet Basket
    
    
    The Sacramento Kings have De'Aaron Fox at point guard after drafting him fifth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, Kevin Huerter at shooting guard, Harrison Barnes at small foward, Keegan Murray at power forward, and Domantas Sabonis at center. Malik Monk averaged over 15 points a game off the bench, but started 0 games at shooting guard. Malik Monk got a four year extension, so he will not be hitting the market and will remain a complimentary guard option to DeAaron Fox which pretty much eliminates the possibility of Sacramento drafting a guard at 13.
    
    
    
    Sacramento does not have a UFA until 2026 when Fox, Huerter, and Barnes are all UFA's. Fox is the lone untouchable of those three which means logisitcally drafting a raw small forward with a high ceiling makes the most sense. One guy who could develop behind Harrison Barnes for a couple of years is French small forward Tidjane Salaun.
    
    
    
    The 6-10 217 lb Tidjane Salaun has the short range, medium range, and long range shooting that you want from a small forward. Some have called him the French Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that feels like a massive exxageration since shooting and scoring are the two biggest strengths of the game.
    
    
    
    Tidjane Salaun had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals per game in 2023-2024. Tidjane Salaun needs to improve his defense and ability to generate assists despite dominating as a scorer. He does a nice job of stealing the basketball and high pointing the ball, but that's the only other trait that stands out. Going to a team like Sacramento allows Tidjane Salaun to learn under Harrison Barnes for two years develop his defense in year 1 and develop him as a passer in year two so that he's ready when Barnes becomes a 2026 UFA.
    
    
    Previous Pick: Bronny James, SG, USC
    
    
14. Portland Trail Blazers: Nikola Topic, PG, Mega Bemax
    
    
    After Reed Sheppard, Stephon Castle, and Rob Dillingham there really isn't a guard at point guard or shooting guard that checks 9/10 boxes or shows potential to develop into an All Star player among the consensus lottery picks. Jared McCain struggles with his decision making as a passer, Devin Carter is not a good mid range shooter on Providence, and Nikola Topic needs to work on his mid range as well as his defense despite averaging more points per game than any point guard in the 2024 NBA Draft.
    
    
    
    Nikola Topic was once projected to go as high as fourth to San Antonio. Two knee injuries happened leading up to this years NBA Draft. One caused him to miss four months. The second left knee injury led to a partially torn ACL. I think the medicals with his left knee cause him to drop out of the top 10. There was also a rumor that a team took Topic off their board because he's on the spectrum. I don't care if Topic is or isn't on the spectrum as someone who is on the spectrum myself. Can he play and what is his character off the court? Those are the questions NBA teams should be asking with Topic following a partially torn ACL that ended his season. Portland can let Nikola Topic recover from his injury and next season, he will be the backup point guard to Scoot Henderson when Malcolm Brogdon becomes a UFA.
    
    
    
    The 6-7 203 lb Nikola Topic had 18.4 points per game, 7.1 assists per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game. Nikola Topic is a player that can generate 7-11 assists a game with his passing, playmaking, and vision. He's a great facilitator. Some beleive he's a low end starter at point guard that graded out as an 85/99 the lowest grade you would give an NBA starter like Alex Caruso on the Chicago Bulls while Joey the co host of my podcast compared Topic to Luka Doncic without getting into the specifics of why that is.
    
    
    
    I saw flashes of Luka as a three point shooter, but that's about it. Luka was way more refined as a shooter coming out of Real Madrid having the short range, medium range, and long range to succeed in the NBA while Topic only has the short range and long range despite hitting under 30 percent of his three point shots. He doesn't defend well at all, but Nikola Topic might work out as a backup point guard on the bench behind Scoot Henderson.
    
    
    Previous Pick: Aaron Bradshaw, C, Kentucky
    
    
    
    
15. Miami Heat: DaRon Holmes II, PF, Dayton
    
    
    The Miami Heat have Terry Rozier at point guard, Tyler Herro at shooting guard, Jimmy Butler at small forward, and Bam Adeboyo at center. Miami also has some quality bench players like Duncan Robinson who can play shooting guard and small forward as he can start with Butler when you play Butler at power forward, Jaime Jaquez Jr. a former UCLA shooting guard, and Caleb Martin a backup small forward. Miami started Nikola Jovic their 2022 first round pick first round at power forward, but he averaged less points per game than his backup power forward Kevin Love.
    
    
    
    When Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson were both healthy, Miami can start both forwards with Jimmy Butler moving to power forward, but Miami does need a true 4 at power forward because Jimmy Butler is better suited to play small forward. Miami's championship window will close for good unless they manage to find a starting power forward in the 2024 NBA Draft with this pick because Boston eliminated Miami pretty quickly after Jimmy Butler got injured at the end of the season. The only power forward that I can justify mocking here is Dayton power forward Daron Holmes II.
    
    
    
    The 6-9 235 lb DaRon Holmes II has the versatility to play both the 4 at power forward and the 5 at center. DaRon Holmes has the short range, medium range, long range, passing, and defending you want from a power forward at the NBA level. DaRon Holmes said he can do everything in an interview of him that I watched and I believe him after rewatching the tape.
    
    
    
    DaRon Holmes II had 20.4 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists per game, a 54.4% field goal percentage, a 38.6% three point percentage, and a 71.3% free throw percentage in 2023-2024. DaRon Holmes II could be the missing piece for a team needing a power forward to round out their starting five.
    
    
    Previous Pick: Ja'Kobe Walter, SG, Baylor