2024 NBA Draft Big Board: Full List
Full board with descriptions for my top 50. Hope you enjoy! There may be changes in the next 3 days.
Tier 1:
1. Nikola Topić
Height: 6'5.8" | Wingspan: 6'5.5" | Age: 18 | Lead Playmaker
I had him #1 on my board before his injury and wingspan measurement. He dipped for a little bit, going to #3, but now he’s back on top. I have some questions - but it’s hard to look past his production. It’s not often a player will flash so much raw production and be so efficient at it too - shooting 67.6% at the rim (which is around 70% of the volume of his shots). The doubt about his shot aren’t completely invalid, but his free throw percentage suggests it is more of a mechanics issue than anything related to his touch. As far as injuries go - that is a little scarier - I wonder why people don’t consider that this injury might significantly impact his on-court production, not just stash him away. ACL injuries aren’t the death sentence they used to be, but Topić is an extremely downhill player and while he doesn’t have the same vertical pop as the rest, a series of knee injuries earlier might impact his first step and ability to put pressure on the rim.
2a. Alex Sarr
Height: 7'0" | Wingspan: 7'4.3" | Age: 19 | Positionally Transcendent Big
Sarr isn’t my favorite prospect in recent years - I would have had another international guy in this spot if not for an injury and corrected wingspan. But Sarr does flash athletic upside and could develop into a better finisher and shooter given the right situation. If he can hit his stride, I think he does have All-Star potential. It would make sense to bet on him, given the lack of star talent at the top of this draft. I do wonder though - without the G-League Ignite games, would he be in this stratosphere of prospect? Or has there just not been suitable challengers to take away from those impressive performances?
2b. Reed Sheppard
Height: 6'2" | Wingspan: 6'3" | Age: 18 | Combo Guard
Reed had gaudy advanced numbers - his deflection, block, steal percentage were extremely high for his size - which suggests some feistiness. I’m starting to reconsider my own assessment of defense - Sheppard will struggle in a switchable game - so he will never be a “plus” defender. But as we’re seeing with players like Payton Pritchard, there are ways to make yourself valuable with quick and active hands. Given Sheppard’s unreal shooting numbers, I would feel confident in his production, and I think his ceiling is being underrated. On the high end, Mark Price might be a good comparison.
Tier 2:
4. Donovan Clingan
Height: 7'1.8" | Wingspan: 7'7" | Age: 20 | Defensive Big
If you want a safer bet to fit in as a defensive anchor, Clingan can offer that in spades. The questions about his shooting are valid - and he would have to have almost unheard of development in order to turn into a reliable shooter on any level. But as a lob threat and rim protector, you know what you’re getting with him.
5. Devin Carter
Height: 6'2" | Wingspan: 6'9" | Age: 22 | Lead Guard
Carter has gotten a lot of buzz recently, although he will not get picked this high. I just see a lot of upside and a higher floor than a lot of the other prospects in this tier. He has all-defense potential, a good shot, and has flashed playmaking potential. I just see a winning player. People are using their frameworks for a normal draft class in picking the players in this one. Who cares if two of the top five picks are shorter than 6’4? Carter has a 6’9 wingspan and elevated his team this year. The only questions about Carter come from his slow, steady, jumper - which we’ve seen doesn’t always mean anything bad. But in order to be a strong point of attack - I would feel more confident if his jumper had a quicker release and elevation point.
6. Ron Holland
Height: 6'7" | Wingspan: 6'11" | Age: 18 | Slashing Wing
Both of the Ignite players started rising for me in the last month or so - Holland had a bigger burden than he had to carry in high school (it’s usually the opposite) - and he definitely struggled - but let’s hold on here. How many 6’7” wings with elite athleticism and transition play can be grabbed in the late lottery of any draft? He’s a rare commodity in any draft - even if the shooting doesn’t come around - and by all accounts he is a hard worker and good leader who played winning basketball in high school. His defense is very good for his age - sometimes a bit overaggressive, which can be fixed. I would take him earlier than many of the mocks are putting him - but I would only choose him if I know what role he is going to play, which is the reasoning for him being in this tier.
7. Tidjane Salaun
Height: 6'9" | Wingspan: 7'2" | Age: 19 | Moldable Forward
Salaun is just intriguing, to say the least. If I were to draw what a basketball player looked like, framewise, I’m guessing it would look most like Salaun. His long arms and legs make him look like an alien, and he plays with utter ferocity. Can he play BASKETBALL though? That’s the real question. Betting on someone’s frame hasn’t always been good value - Thon Maker, Ousmane Dieng are good examples. But Salaun has enough defensive upside to keep him on the court while he’s in the NBA, and if his shot comes around (mechanics wise, it looks fine), he will be a great player. A big area of concern was his finishing - 54.7% at the rim - which is pretty bad for someone expected to play the dunker’s spot. Sometimes I feel like when a number is so bad it almost forces people to believe it would have to improve in some way. That’s how I felt about the Thompson Twin’s jumpshots last year. How could I forget? This isn’t about how well someone plays basketball - it’s about who would look cool playing basketball!
8. Matas Buzelis
Height: 6'9" | Wingspan: 6'10" | Age: 19 | Connective Playmaking Forward
Here’s a prospect I’ve been higher on recently. I’m starting to come around on what Buzelis’ role could be in the NBA. His help defense is impressive - and he has enough length where I can confidently say he could be a plus secondary rim protector. Even if his POA defense never comes around, which is probable given his lack of foot speed, there is enough to believe he could turn into a good shooter. In his senior year of high school, he turned into an elite shooter, and a rocky start with the Ignite this year tanked his numbers. He might be a good project for the right team that could value his connective playmaking and rim protection. The swing skill is his shooting - and I do think in time it will come around.Although, this graphic suggests a bit differently.
9. Zaccharie Risacher
Height: 6'9" | Wingspan: 6'10" | Age: 19 | 3&D Wing
Risacher is mocked way higher than this - it’s not all pessimism - he definitely has a modern frame and skillset, but I am doubtful of his production. I feel less confident about his shooting - based on the tape it seems like his footwork on his shot is a little inconsistent, and he has trouble with self-creation. As a catch-and-shoot threat, I think he could come around one day, but that would make him a complete project on offense. Defensively, he’s solid, but nothing like Holland or Salaun, so I have him lower. His athletic profile at the combine was also ghastly (credit Nick Kalinowski, @kalidrafts on Twitter).
Tier 3
10. Dalton Knecht
Height: 6'5" | Wingspan: 6'9" | Age: 23 | Combo Forward
Three-level scorer, older, questions about his defense remain. I was impressed with his shot-making and think it’s even a bit underrated - but I can’t imagine he gets the same development focus as younger players will, which puts him in this lower tier.
11. Stephon Castle
Height: 6'5.5" | Wingspan: 6'9" | Age: 19 | Playmaking Wing
Winning player who adjusted to a different role at UConn this year - but there are questions about him being a tweener and what position he is best suited for. He’s been angling to play point guard, but without a reliable jumpshot or elite playmaking, it’s a tough sell.
12. Jared McCain
Height: 6'2" | Wingspan: 6'3.5" | Age: 20 | Combo Guard
He seemed ready for the moment in the tournament this year - and he’s clearly an elite shooter. Could be an instant contributor for a team.
13. Kel’el Ware
Height: 7'0" | Wingspan: 7'4.5" | Age: 20 | Rim-Running Big
Athletic profile stands out and has good skillset on offense. Defensively could be a plus rim protector but will have trouble switching. There were questions about his character prior to his transfer to Indiana - not sure where to go with that.
14. Zach Edey
Height: 7'3.8" | Wingspan: 7'11" | Age: 22 | True Five
Could be good in lowered minutes - don’t know how valuable he can be if he can’t get down the floor on time - and that might just be beyond his reach of improvement. But as an instant post-offense hub, a role which he has thrived in for years now, he could be solid in less minutes. Improvement in shooting would skyrocket him up this board.
15. Bub Carrington
Height: 6'4" | Wingspan: 6'8" | Age: 18 | Lead Guard
Silky smooth youngster with a penchant to take and make difficult shots. He’ll need to improve shot selection and decision-making, but that could come with time. His three-point shooting leaves much to be desired and has never been a strong point - but given his touch - that could improve down the line.
16. Daron Holmes
Height: 6'9" | Wingspan: 7'0" | Age: 18 | Stretch Big
Holmes has been a sleeper pick for many people this year - the major question remains about his jumpshot. Is the improvement an outlier? His volume quadrupled and his percentage nearly doubled. It does look like there were mechanical changes to the shot, so maybe this is here to stay.
Tier 4:
17. Rob Dillingham
I have fears about Dillingham’s size - his offensive game is consistent - but the questions we had about whether he would succeed in college still apply to the NBA, even if he jumped cleanly through the first hoop. I think he would need a lot of offensive output to justify a selection in the top half of the lottery, and no amount of experience in college would help me mitigate those concerns.
18. Tyler Smith
Height: 6'9" | Wingspan: 7'1" | Age: 19 | Forward
Good frame, but questions about his self-creation, contact finishing, and defense put him below the lottery for me. He remains a tantalizing prospect and any team should swing on him should he reach the 20s. He’s still young enough that he could turn into a valuable player - not to mention, the G-League Ignite were a dumpster fire this year, so giving him benefit of the doubt on how he was utilized should be fair.
19. Ryan Dunn
Height: 6'6" | Wingspan: 7'2" | Age: 21 | Small Ball Center
Ryan Dunn is a defensive prospect unlike any other. Unfortunately, he is so abysmal on offense at the moment, and the questions about shooting aren’t so much mechanics or less experience, it’s just touch. He had an outlier amount of airballs from the free-throw line this year, which suggests there are just issues with shooting in general. Other players have had this combination before - Matisse Thybulle, Herb Jones come to mind - their defensive profiles were so touted out of college. Here are some Dunn stats (taken from The Strickland).
8/7/1/1.3/2.3 on 55/20/53 splits
9.6 offensive rebound percentage (OREB%)
5.5 average dBPM over two NCAA years
2.8 steal percentage (STL%), 10.5 block percentage (BLK%) averaged over two NCAA years
21% on C&S jumpers
67% at the rim
In my opinion, the odds of a Dunn offensive transformation are really slim - Herb Jones flashed offensive talent in college even during the COVID-19 season, while Dunn has remained largely stagnant besides his rim finishing. The question is just whether Dunn can play small-ball center, which I believe there might be hope. His rebounding, block, and steal percentages are off the charts, and his dBPM is superb. I am a big fan - most people put him in the second round with the same assessment of his offensive talent - but I think a team like the Knicks will swing for him. He is an opportunistic cutter and could play good minutes at the backup five.
20. Isaiah Collier
Height: 6'2" | Wingspan: 6'5" | Age: 19 | Lead Guard
Collier lacks shooting and has average athleticism, so how will he translate? He has one standout skill - his downhill speed and physicality is ridiculous - but I’m not sure if that’s enough to put him into the lottery. His defense is active, but there are moments of mental lapses and defensive breakdowns - so the team he’s on needs to help him stay focused.
21. Yves Missi
Height: 6'11" | Wingspan: 7'2" | Age: 19 | Rim-Running Big
A great rim-runner and potential defensive anchor who is still honing his raw talent into consistent basketball production. If his hacking and bad free-throw shooting doesn’t change, he will be unplayable.
Tier 5:
22. Ja’Kobe Walter
Height: 6'4" | Wingspan: 6'10" | Age: 19 | Wing
Great perimeter scorer - not sure if his defense is as good as touted. Struggles to move his feet laterally at times and also lacks the strength to shoulder hits from offensive players. That combo isn’t great - and his perimeter offense isn’t enough to warrant a lottery selection.
23. Tyler Kolek
Height: 6'1" | Wingspan: 6'3" | Age: 23 | Lead Guard
Beautiful passer and improved shooter. Defensively he has the normal “small white guy can’t guard anybody” stigma - but could find a contributing role in the league just based on his vision and shooting, which are valuable in a playoff setting. If there are any holes to point out in his offensive game, it would be the timing of his jumpshot, which can look stiff (but is still effective).
Tier 6:
24. Tristan Da Silva
Height: 6'8" | Wingspan: 6'10" | Age: 23 | Wing
Lacks vertical pop but is a great cutter, passer, and shooter. Might not ever get to stretch four or five, but might be a serviceable wing. His age puts him a little lower on these rankings.
25. Nikola Djurisic
Height: 6'7" | Wingspan: 6'8" | Age: 20 | Wing
A smooth shot-creator who improved steadily with Mega Basket over the course of the year. He’s an apt playmaker but has trouble with shooting despite good mechanics. Will need time to develop.
26. Cody Williams
Height: 6'6" | Wingspan: 7'1" | Age: 19 | Wing
A bit lower on Cody than the consensus - his lack of aggression scares me - and I don’t feel as though he had a singular skill that would translate super well to the next level. He just seemed…pretty okay? Which is good for a freshman, but I’m not sure if he wouldn’t do better staying another year at Colorado. Also, with his three point shooting - I recently saw someone label him as a sharpshooter. I think there needs to be a volume minimum in order to qualify as a sharpshooter.
27. Pacome Dadiet
Height: 6'8" | Wingspan: 6'9" | Age: 19 | Forward
A swing pick! Dadiet is a skilled combo forward with star potential - he can make shots off the dribble, off the catch, and has great vision in the open floor. He is a bit raw though - depending on his first two years, he could be an important part of the league, or out of there.
28. Kyle Filipowski
Height: 6'11" | Wingspan: 6'11" | Age: 20 | Forward/Center
A player that didn’t benefit much from skipping the draft last year, but remains an intriguing fit. He has a turnover problem - but his shooting potential, and good post play make him a good bet at #27.
Tier 6:
29. Cam Christie
Height: 6'5" | Wingspan: 6'8" | Age: 19 | Sharpshooting Guard
Max Christie’s brother developed into a great shooter this year, making a wide array of shots in the midrange and behind the arc. His complete lack of a driving game makes him more of a swing pick, despite shooting being reliable.
30. Juan Nunez
Height: 6'4" | Wingspan: 6'7" | Age: 20 | Lead Playmaker
No shooting, but great defender and unbelievable passer. Ricky Rubio reincarnated?
31. Johnny Furphy
Height: 6’7" | Wingspan: 6’8" | Age: 19 | Guard
Stay away if you’re picking in the teens!!! A “late-bloomer” who does not have enough of a track record. It’s easy to be impressed by his measurables but this is the wrong project to take on early in the draft. Can’t guard quicker players - the active defender label is wrong - in the NBA, teams will attack you if you don’t have the size or quickness. He has shown potential as a shooter and finisher, but I think people are fooling themselves with potential lottery talk.
32. Bobi Klintman
Height: 6'9" | Wingspan: 6'11" | Age: 21 | Forward
His frame is contributing to KOC putting him at #17 - I don’t see how below-average foot speed and a lack of shooting skills would make him such a good bet that high. In the 30s range though, it might be worth for a team to swing.
33. Ajay Mitchell
Height: 6'3" | Wingspan: 6'6" | Age: 22 | Guard
Is his three pointer real? If so, then this is a massive steal. Great defender with impressive finishing, playmaking. I feel like I should just move him up.
34. Kyshawn George
Height: 6'7" | Wingspan: 6'10" | Age: 20 | Wing
Good shotmaker who seems to have trouble with rim pressure. Not an elite shooter - but good tough shotmaker.
Tier 7:
35. Harrison Ingram
Height: 6'5" | Wingspan: 7'0" | Age: 21 | Forward
Potentially flukey shooter, but in a new system. Red flag but not a white one yet. Playmaker who could contribute to teams immediately - but will struggle if he doesn’t play in a scheme fit to his liking. GREAT WINGSPAN THOUGH.
36. Melvin Ajinça
Height: 6’7" | Wingspan: 6’7" | Age: 20 | Forward
Another Frenchman? Good shooter on high volume(check!), good defender(check!), creative scorer(check!). So what’s wrong with the guy? I’m afraid he might not be very good without the ball in his hands.
37. Jamal Shead
Height: 6’0" | Wingspan: 6’3" | Age: 21 | Guard (will make opponents’ life hell)
Here’s a fun one! I’m inclined to believe any player who has a move named after them has to at least be kinda good, and Shead’s jump-steal is up there. “The Shead” is a combination of elite defensive instincts with impressive physical tools. He’s not a good catch and shoot guy and I don’t know if his constant hounding and jumping will yield much in a league with bigger guys.
38. Terrence Shannon Jr.
Height: 6’6" | Wingspan: 6’9" | Age: 23 | Forward
The nearly 24 year old has been the UIUC basketball team for a couple years now - and is a streaky shooter and inconsistent defender. If he can put in more effort on defense, some team will want an attack dog.
39. Jonathan Mogbo
Height: 6’6" | Wingspan: 7’2" | Age: 22 | Forward/Center
Do-it-all player at forward size who struggles with shooting. Maybe worth a swing and a year in the G-League. Great wingspan. I actually would like for this guy to succeed.
40. Jaylon Tyson
Height: 6’5" | Wingspan: 6’8" | Age: 21 | Guard
I like him - but he didn’t do as well with a big workload - might be better as a role player. That might work well given his great catch and shoot percentage.
Tier 8:
41. Justin Edwards
Height: 6’6" | Wingspan: 6’10" | Age: 20 | Wing
Not sure if he’s a swing pick - usually the good high school recruits had some potential behind their rankings. Edwards was disappointing this year at Kentucky, but if his shooting ever develops, then he could be something special. His athletic profile is a bit overrated too though - he gained a lot of weight before his time at Kentucky and it showed in his stamina but also his movement.
42. Quinten Post
Height: 7'0" | Wingspan: 7'2.5" | Age: 24 | Stretch Big
Older stretch-five with a lot of potential within a system. Positive wingspan makes him an intriguing fit - he adds interior defense and coordination to a good frame and jumpshot. There are turnover questions though - and at 24 years old, he should be more of a finished product than a swing.
43. Trentyn Flowers
Height: 6'7" | Wingspan: 6'8" | Age: 19 | Wing
Decent shooter on low volume (and exclusively catch-and-shoot), so there are questions to be made about how much of a threat he will be. He does have playmaking potential, but currently most of his passes are off set plays - which gives me questions about his processing. It could definitely improve though.
44. KJ Simpson
Height: 6'0" | Wingspan: 6'4.5" | Age: 21 | Guard
A do-it-all small guard who has improved as a shooter this past season. He could be attacked on defense, but if his offense is as good as demonstrated, that might be a pathway into a rotation. Would bet against it though.
45. Isaiah Crawford
Height: 6'6" | Wingspan: 7'0" | Age: 22 | Wing
A senior this year at Louisiana Tech, Crawford has great measurables and demonstrated shotmaking ability. I could be underrating him here - but given the competition he was playing at - I feel like this is a fair place to think about taking a swing on him.
46. Ulrich Chomche
Height: 6'10" | Wingspan: 7'4" | Age: 18 | Big
Coming out of the NBA Academy in Cameroon, Chomche is the youngest player in the class with a massive wingspan. This could be a star. However, it depends on what teams are willing to invest time into helping him learn the game. He currently makes simple mistakes - defends with his hands, sets moving screens, and lacks positional awareness. He’s the types of pick that I love to think about - but I secretly fear. Hoping he makes it though - would be an awesome story.
47. Jalen Bridges
Height: 6'7" | Wingspan: 6'10" | Age: 23 | Wing
Prototypical 3 and D guy, without the 3? He has good free throw percentages and has demonstrated good touch, so I’m inclined to believe it will work out for him, but maybe too late.
48. Dillon Jones
Height: 6'4" | Wingspan: 6'11" | Age: 22 | Forward
Overpowers opponents on his way to the rim, which is unusual given his frame. However, mechanically, his shot is off and will require a lot of development. Honestly, what I’m realizing is that this class has so many 22 year olds - I don’t even know if it’s fair to call them relatively old. They’re like an acceptable age.
49. Baylor Scheierman
Height: 6'6" | Wingspan: 6'8" | Age: 23 | Wing
Older sharpshooter - shot 38% on 8 attempts a game from behind the arc. He’s an intriguing fit but will he crack a rotation without quick enough feet and poor defensive results? It’s possible, and we’ve seen other players of this type figure out how to do it.
50. Kevin McCullar
Height: 6'5" | Wingspan: 6'9" | Age: 23 | Wing
A fifth-year college player who only recently improved as a shooter. If the shooting is real, he could be a valuable 3 and D guy, but given his 29% from 3 for the first four years, I would want to see him at a higher level first.
Not on the Board:
Bronny James:
I’ll talk about Bronny too I guess. I hope he succeeds, but as of now, he’s not an NBA prospect. He never proved himself as a shooter in high school, and I feel like the defense has been overrated. He is active, but we haven’t seen enough of a sample size in which he routinely disrupted the other teams’ guards. It’s fair if a team wants to draft him in hopes of getting his dad, and then maybe Bronny would develop with minutes and elevated competition - but as of now, he’s just not cut out to be a valuable player. I just don’t see what skills would separate him and his size is actually an issue without a tight enough handle or playmaking capabilities. What is his offensive role? Maybe 3 and maybe D? Doesn’t make sense to me. Shame on you KOC.
Izan Almansa
Height: 6'9" | Wingspan: 7'1.25" | Age: 20 | Offensive Hub
I will take him out of here soon enough, as he withdrew his name recently, but I am a HUGE fan of Almansa. He is a winning player who can make plays and score well out of the post, with extraordinary touch. Defensively, I believe in his potential, even with slower feet, but I have some questions about his jumpshot. One more year of development could have him near the top of the lottery in 2025.