2024 NBA Mock Draft: French players go 1-2, Lakers pass on Bronny James in first round, Celtics take Duke star

Worst-case scenario for Sarr? A 7-foot, athletic, rim-running, shot-blocking big with playmaking upside who can finish lobs in the vein of Dereck Lively II. Best-case scenario? The shot continues to develop and now we’re talking about a truly special two-way player. One source I talked to said he believes Sarr can be a “franchise player” five or six years down the road, so the Hawks won’t hesitate to take him No. 1 in a draft sorely lacking high-ceiling prospects.

On film, Risacher stands out as possibly the best player in the draft because of his size, athleticism and varied skill set that seems perfectly tailored for the modern NBA. He’s stepped his game up considerably overseas as more attention has been sent his way, and the rebuilding Wizards are desperately looking for a potential franchise player to build around. It’s a big swing, but Washington could look to repeat the success they had with another French prospect, Bilal Coulibaly, whom they selected in last year’s lottery.

Do I think Castle is the third-best prospect in this class? No. However, the fit with the Rockets is too perfect to pass up. Ideally they’d like a better shooter here, but Castle’s versatility and defensive upside make him a perfect Ime Udoka player as Houston attempts to climb into the postseason picture. I could see Castle having a Josh Hart-like impact on winning from day one with plenty of other Rockets to run the show offensively.

The Spurs need a guard to run the show and, more importantly, deliver the ball to Victor Wembanyama in advantageous positions. Topic puts relentless pressure on the rim with his powerful frame and finishes at a high clip, which will open up passing angles to Wemby and the other Spurs — plus he’s an excellent pick-and-roll operator with great vision. Topic isn’t a floor spacer, but if he can get up to league-average as a 3-point shooter, we could be talking about a future All-Star.

Cade Cunningham needs a backcourt mate who can effectively space the floor, and that’s exactly what Sheppard does as the best 3-point shooter in the draft. He’s equally adept off the catch and off the dribble, landing in the 99th percentile in both areas during his only college season, per Synergy Sports. Sheppard may not be the best shot creator, but he’s more than capable of being a secondary playmaker and is an underrated defender who should be able to hold his own at the NBA level.

In theory, Buzelis is the perfect next piece for the Hornets, surrounding LaMelo Ball with a long, versatile connector alongside the lob-catching Mark Williams and floor-spacing Brandon Miller. In practice, Buzelis will need to improve his shooting significantly if he’s going to reach his ceiling, which could be a Franz Wagner type — a big playmaker who can also get out and finish in transition.

Williams is just solid in pretty much every area and looks like he should be able to play right away, with the room to grow into a much more prolific offensive player. He won’t rock the boat as Scoot Henderson takes the reins next season, and will fill much needed minutes on the wing with his 3-point shooting, playmaking upside and defensive potential.

The Spurs are going to be much better next season, and Clingan is just the type of known commodity who can come in and impact winning right away. As a backup to Victor Wembanyama (and possibly next to him in some Gregg Popovich lab-concocted super-gigantic lineups), the polished UConn product will provide shot-blocking, screen-setting, rebounding and finishing from the second he sets foot on the floor. Good luck scoring at the rim against San Antonio with at least one of these two monsters on the floor for all 48 minutes.

A bucket-getter with a sweet shooting stroke, Knecht is the perfect player to put next to Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. The 6-foot-5 wing is prolific movement shooter, which will add a new dimension to the Memphis offense. He’s also a great cutter who can attack closeouts and finish above the rim with his 6-foot-9 wingspan. Already 23 years old, Knecht’s NBA learning curve shouldn’t be too steep for a Grizzlies squad hoping to get back into the upper echelon of the Western Conference.

Salaun is shooting up draft boards thanks to his versatile skill set and NBA-ready, athletic frame. He doesn’t turn 19 until August, so this is clearly a long-term, upside play for Utah — but they’re certainly a team that can afford to be patient. One source who’s seen him play in France told me he thinks Salaun will eventually be a better finished product than countrymen Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher. The Jazz would love to be the beneficiaries of that kind of talent at No. 10.

Nobody’s quite clear on the Bulls’ direction moving forward, so they should just take the best prospect available — and here, that’s Dillingham. An electric three-level scorer, the Kentucky product measured quite small at the Combine (6-foot-1, 164 pounds), but could still thrive in a current NBA landscape that tends to limit defensive physicality. It’s hard not to see shades of Tyrese Maxey and Darius Garland when you watch Dillingham, but his lack of size could ultimately lower his ceiling.

The only thing really going against Carter as a prospect is his age (turned 22 in March), but his impressive performance at the combine certainly turned some heads. Owner of a 6-foot-9 wingspan, 42-inch vertical and a sturdy frame, he profiles as a potentially elite defensive prospect. He also averaged nearly 10 rebounds per 40 minutes last season at Providence, absolutely ridiculous for a 6-foot-2 guard and a clear indication of his high motor and basketball IQ. The difference-maker will be whether the 38% he shot from 3-point range last season can translate to the NBA. Either way, OKC will be glad to snatch him up at No. 12.

Not only is McCain an elite shooting prospect, but he also happens to be a Sacramento native. He should fit in perfectly as a movement shooter capable of running off of all those picks and dribble hand-offs from Domantas Sabonis, and McCain can capably serve as a secondary ball-handler when necessary. He’s also a deadly pull-up 3-point marksman, a good piece for a team that wants to play fast.

Holland has the talent of a top-five prospect, but his inefficiency and inconsistent shooting might put him more of the “development” category. That’s perfect for the Blazers, who aren’t slated to compete any time soon. Holland could be a plus defender very quickly and, while the offensive end might take some work, he’s an excellent shot creator — now it’s just a matter of making them a bit more often.

Once considered among the top players in the class, Collier’s stock took a considerable hit during his only season at USC. Now he could become an absolute steal for a team drafting in the teens, and Miami seems like the perfect place for a talented, hard-nosed player with a chip on his shoulder. Collier uses his speed and power to get to the rim and, consequently, to the free throw line. His shooting, decision-making and defense are the main question marks, but you can’t argue with the talent.

The Sixers are in win-now mode during Joel Embiid’s prime, and Da Silva is one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft with the size, frame and skill set to contribute immediately. He’s a great cutter who finishes creatively around the basket to make up for his lack of explosiveness, and he profiles as an average to above-average 3-point shooter. Defensively, his basketball IQ is constantly on display and he can guard multiple positions. Da Silva could easily step into a Philadelphia frontcourt rotation that lacks depth.

The Lakers may not keep this pick, but if they do it will be executed with a post-LeBron world in mind. Walter is an intriguing scorer who seems like a better shooter than his 34% mark last season at Baylor would suggest. It might take some time, but with his 6-foot-10 wingspan, he could develop into an elite defender in the vein of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — an archetype with which the Lakers are extremely familiar.

George is an Orlando Magic player if I’ve ever seen one, with size and skill to play and guard multiple positions. Most importantly, he was a knock-down shooter in his one season at Miami, particularly off the catch. He could serve as a floor-spacer in Orlando while he develops his ball-handling and playmaking skills — which I find incredibly intriguing.

Ware’s NBA fit jumps off the page (almost literally) when you watch his film. Lob threats/rim protectors like Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford have shown that players with Ware’s profile (and 7-foot-5 wingspan) can immediately contribute to winning. That’s his floor, but then you add in the fact that Ware shot 43% from 3-point range last season? This young man could be the steal of the draft, and he’ll pair nicely with Toronto’s young core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

If you’re selecting Furphy it’s because you believe in his potential, and his theoretical ceiling is nearly perfect for the Cavs as a 3-point shooter who can also get out and finish in transition. He’s also shown signs of being a solid defensive playmaker with steals and blocks, and he’ll have to contribute on that end if he’s going to stay on the court for the Cavs. Most likely he’ll spend most of his rookie year developing, and the benefits could be robust down the line.

Who knows what the Pelicans roster will look like come October, so they’ll likely just draft the best prospect available at No. 21. To me that’s Carrington (better known as Bub), who profiles as a heat-check bucket-getter with a deadly pull-up jumper who can also be a secondary playmaker (think Bones Hyland or Lou Williams, but bigger). He also doesn’t turn 19 until this summer, so he likely has plenty of room to develop — the most immediate area to address is his 3-point shooting.

Holmes just knows how to play basketball and he’ll be 22 by the time his rookie season starts, so he should be able to immediately slot into a Phoenix rotation that desperately needs low-cost, impact players. He plays much bigger than his 6-foot-9 frame, as a smart roller and finisher who can also pop out to 3-point range. Holmes isn’t going to create his own shot very often, but he’s the perfect player to put next to all of the Suns’ top-end scoring and playmaking.

The questions about Edey’s NBA fit are valid, but there’s no better player for him to learn from than Brook Lopez — and it doesn’t hurt that Milwaukee is a hop, skip and a jump from Purdue. In order to succeed, Edey will need to master the art of drop defense, which the Bucks have played for years with Lopez — a similarly slow-footed 7-plus-footer. Edey should block shots immediately, but the danger comes when he’s out in space against NBA-level speed and shot-making. His offensive role is a bit murky, but he should be able to get a few touches here and there in the post, where he dominated in college.

The Knicks were the second-best 3-point shooting team in the league last year, so they should happily jump at the chance to draft Scheierman, who was a marksman both off the catch and off the dribble at Creighton. He also displayed NBA range, which means there shouldn’t be much of an adjustment curve, and he’s shown flashes of some secondary playmaking ability. The question will be whether he can hold his own defensively enough to stay on the floor for Tom Thibodeau.

Some might not see Dunn as a first-rounder due to his total lack of offensive production in college, but he’s the type of game-changing defender who can immediately carve out an NBA role. The prototype for his development would be Herb Jones, who walked into the league as an excellent defender and has since developed into a 42% 3-point shooter. That might not be in Dunn’s future, but even if he’s more like Matisse Thybulle, he should be able to earn minutes on a contender.

Front office execs must love players like Missi, who have virtually no mystery to their game. He’s a rim-runner and shot-blocker who wasn’t foolish enough to even attempt a 3-pointer in his only season at Baylor. Instead he displayed the type of high motor that should get him a chance at minutes early in his career — particularly with the rebuilding Wizards.

Smith fits Minnesota’s intense craving for length (7-foot-1 wingspan), while also serving as a stretch big to learn from Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid. Defense will be the major issue for Smith, particularly on a team like the Timberwolves, but he could turn into an interesting piece down the line if and when the roster gets too expensive in Minnesota.

The Nuggets learned in their shortened playoff run that they need a little more help off their bench, and Tyson has the frame and experience to contribute right away. He might have been overextended a bit at Cal and got into the habit of overdribbling, but his role will be simplified at the NBA level, allowing him to shine as a big guard who puts pressure on the rim and can knock down the open 3-pointers created by Nikola Jokic and Co.