The 2024 NBA Draft is inching closer and closer as the NBA Finals begin to wind down. The Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, and the rest of the NBA need to be ready to spring into action.
This year’s draft class is anything but certain, as a wide variety of prospects could fall into any range. There is no Victor Wembanyama this year. No Zion Williamson. No Anthony Davis.
Instead, there’s a collection of solid prospects, most of whom have a chance to be the best player from this draft class. That’s a scary concept for teams at the top.
Here is version one of Wiz of Awes’ NBA Mock Draft, including a surprise at pick two and a shocking trade in the top 10.
2024 NBA Mock Draft: Wizards shock at pick No. 2, Bulls trade into top 5
1. Alex Sarr, France | Atlanta Hawks
A bunch of different outlets have mocked this pick, and most people believe that Alex Sarr has the highest upside in the draft. His defensive talent alone warrants this selection.
2. Reed Sheppard, Kentucky | Washington Wizards
This is where things get spicy immediately. Most places have Zacharie Risacher in this spot, but Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard has all the tools to be an NBA-caliber starting guard right away and the potential to be much more down the road.
His defensive talent at the position is masked by some gambles and his undersized stature, but in reality, he has the skills to be an impact defender in the league.
But perhaps most notably, his offensive skillset will help a team win right now. He’s an elite three-point shooter, and though he didn’t get many opportunities with the Wildcats, his ability to shoot off the dribble leaves a lot of positivity to be had about his shot creation potential.
Sheppard has been widely mocked to go around the 3-6 range, but he might just be the best player in this draft class.
3. TRADE | Trail Blazers trade Malcolm Brogdon, two future first-round picks to Rockets for No. 3, Jae’Sean Tate, and Jock Landale
Trail Blazers select Zacharie Risacher, France
With many people expecting Zacharie Risacher to go second overall, the Portland Trail Blazers would jump at the chance to snag him at three here, all without giving up the fourth overall pick.
And since the Rockets are supposedly open to trading his pick as a means to help them win now, this deal makes sense, as they would get a guy who they were reportedly interested in last summer in Malcolm Brogdon.
The Rockets also trade out of the first round completely, avoiding having to take another young player they would have to develop, who would usurp the playing time of their already young core.
Brogdon’s ball handling and shooting would pair nicely with the rest of the talent Houston has on the roster as they look to push for the postseason.
4. Stephon Castle, UConn | San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama is already in place, and the San Antonio Spurs need point guard help. Stephon Castle has the tools to be a great NBA player, but the Spurs will have to help him put it together if they want him to be their point guard of the future.
5. Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite | Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons just wrapped up a disastrous season, and bringing in a guy with some of the highest upside in the class would be a win. That’s what Matas Buzelis provides.
6. TRADE | Bulls trade No. 11, future first-round pick to Hornets for No. 6
Bulls select Donovan Clingan, UConn
Unless the Charlotte Hornets are in love with a prospect at pick six, moving back to nine and banking a first-round pick in a potentially-better class would be worth it, especially considering the outlook of the Chicago Bulls’ future.
Meanwhile, the Bulls would get a nice young center to pair with Coby White. Chicago is one of the teams that was reportedly interested in trading up to draft Clingan, and in this hypothetical, that’s exactly what they’d do.
7. Ron Holland, G League Ignite | Portland Trail Blazers
After trading up to snag Zacharie Risacher, the Trail Blazers would follow up the move by grabbing one of the more raw prospects in the class. This is a complete upside swing for Portland, but in this draft, why not?
8. Dalton Knecht, Tennessee | San Antonio Spurs
Just a few picks after grabbing Stephon Castle in hopes of him being their point guard of the future, the Spurs would get a guy who is ready to contribute to winning now. Dalton Knecht is an NBA-caliber shooter and scorer, and he hasn’t even played a minute yet.
9. Devin Carter, Providence | Memphis Grizzlies
Like the Bulls, the Memphis Grizzlies are supposedly interested in trading up for Clingan. However, in this mock, they’d grab Devin Carter instead—a defensive-minded guard who would get to study behind Marcus Smart.
10. Nikola Topic, Serbia | Utah Jazz
The recent news of Nikola Topic’s ACL injury have hurt his draft stock, but the Utah Jazz are in a place where they should be willing to take a chance on his upside.
11. Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor | Charlotte Hornets (from trade with Bulls)
Though there are some clear improvements Ja’Kobe Walter will have to make to be as effective on the NBA stage, he has the outline of a solid scorer, and his defense and leadership are already good enough to compete at the highest level.
12. Cody Williams, Colorado | Oklahoma City Thunder
Adding another wing to the mix makes sense for an Oklahoma City Thunder team that could always use more shooting an defense. Plus, drafting Jalen Williams' brother, Cody Williams, is too fun to pass up.
13. Tristan Da Silva, Colorado | Sacramento Kings
Back-to-back Buffaloes in the NBA Draft? Absolutely. The Sacramento Kings want to win now, and Tristan Da Silva’s shooting with size would help them do that.
14. Jared McCain, Duke | Portland Trail Blazers
Scoot Henderson is the point guard in Portland, but Jared McCain’s shooting would give him a ton of space to work. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led the Dallas Mavericks to the Finals as an elite backcourt duo, can Henderson and McCain do the same for the Blazers? (Kidding… unless?)
15. Rob Dillingham, Kentucky | Miami Heat
A little bit of a slip for Rob Dillingham here, but he would land in a great spot. The Miami Heat can develop talent, and Dillingham sure is talented.
16. TRADE | Hornets trade Seth Curry, Vasilije Micic, two future second-round picks to 76ers for No. 16
Hornets select Tijane Salaun
Another guy who fell a bit based on recent projections, Tidjane Salaun is an extremely raw prospect with tons of upside. The Hornets could take a swing on him by trading into the draft.
Meanwhile, while the 76ers could benefit from bringing on a cost-controlled rookie, this draft is volatile. Instead, they would snag a dependable shooter (and fimilar face) in Seth Curry, and a quality backup point guard in Vasilije Micic.
17. Tyler Kolek, Marquette | Los Angeles Lakers
Tyler Kolek can shoot the ball, he’s a solid defender, and he can playmake. He’s a college veteran who can do a little bit of everything and should be able to help the Los Angeles Lakers win.
18. Pacome Dadiet, France | Orlando Magic
This would be a risky pick for the Orlando Magic, and they may be better off trading for win-now players, but Pacome Dadiet is big, he can shoot, and he has the potential to combine those things into a solid role in the league. That’s just all very theoretical right now.
19. Carlton Carrington, Pittsburgh | Toronto Raptors
A solid shot creator, Carlton Carrington needs to improve his three-point shooting and defense at the NBA level. That said, he can get buckets, and the Toronto Raptors need some buckets.
20. Jaylon Tyson, California | Cleveland Cavaliers
A bit undersized for the forward-type prospect the Cleveland Cavaliers should undoubtedly be looking for, Jaylon Tyson still fits the mold of a potential 3-and-D wing who could play off of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.
21. Daron Holmes II, Dayton | New Orleans Pelicans
Though he may not be the perfect big-man pairing for Zion Williamson, Daron Holmes II would be a nice bench guy for the New Orleans Pelicans with his interior presence. And if his shot continues to show improvement, he could be even more.
22. Kyle Filipowski, Duke | Phoenix Suns
Behind Jusuf Nurkic, and sometimes even including him, the Phoenix Suns’ center depth was brutal last year. Kyle Filipowski projects ro be a solid, multi-tooled big guy who could fit in nicely for a Suns team looking to win right away.
23. Isaiah Collier, USC | Milwaukee Bucks
Bringing in Isaiah Collier would give the Milwaukee Bucks another guy who can attack, handle the ball, and defend. Him and Andre Jackson would combine to form quite the explosive young duo.
24. TRADE | Bulls trade Alex Caruso, Torrey Craig, Second-round pick to Knicks for Bojan Bogdanovic, No. 24, No. 25, Future first-round pick
Bulls select Kyshawn George, Miami
This is the draft of the Chicago Bulls. They’ve been too stagnant for too long, and it’s time for them to turn it around.
They’d trade in to grab a couple of prospects, starting with Kyshawn George. The Miami product is a big wing at 6-foot-7, can shoot the ball well, and projects to be a solid creator at the NBA level.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks would trade out of the first round, instead choosing to snag another player Tom Thibodeau can trust in Alex Caruso.
25. Kel’el Ware, Indiana | Chicago Bulls (via trade with Knicks)
Can Donovan Clingan and Kel’el Ware play together? It probably wouldn’t look amazing. But the Bulls need talent, and Ware has a ton of upside on both ends of the court. If he progresses well, this could be a steal.
26. Zach Edey, Purdue | Washington Wizards
Who knows what Zach Edey will look like at the NBA level? The Washington Wizards can afford to find out. They don’t have any certainty at the center spot, and if even a small part of Edey’s college success translates, it would be a win for Washington.
27. Johnny Furphy, Kansas | Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have an incredible defense, so why not target some offense? Johnny Furphy’s three-point shooting could theoretically give Minnesota’s offense a boost.
28. Harrison Ingram, North Carolina | Denver Nuggets
Harrison Ingram is a great rebounder for his size, and if his shooting improves, he could be a valuable rotation player. The Denver Nuggets have done a great job of finding win-now pieces, and Ingram could be the latest.
29. Yves Missi, Baylor | Utah Jazz
As the Utah Jazz look to add talent to their roster, Yves Missi’s defensive potential would be worth taking a chance on. His athleticism would give them a different look from Walker Kessler.
30. Bobi Klintman, NBL | Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics don’t need much, so taking an upside swing here makes some sense. Bobi Klintman has the outline of a solid 3-and-D forward. He’s almost 6-foot-9, can switch on defense, and is extremely versatile.
Notable players left out
Tyler Smith of the G League Ignite should get some first-round love. He’s a big forward who can shoot the ball, but he needs to work on his defense.
Baylor Scheierman out of Creighton could easily go in the first round. He’s a bit older, but at 6-foot-6, his shooting is an NBA-ready tool.
Ryan Dunn of Virgina could turn some first-round heads with his defense-first playstyle and overall hustle.