2024 NBA MOCK DRAFT 2.0: TRAIL BLAZERS ADD VERSATILITY AT TOP OF DRAFT

With the conclusion of the play-in tournament, the 14 teams that will be involved in the 2024 NBA lottery are officially set. There are still a few more weeks until the lottery takes place along with the NBA combine, which could be more important with no prospect clearly in the driver’s seat to be the No. 1 overall pick.

Here’s a look at a potential lottery outcome for the 2024 NBA Draft and a prediction of how the 14 picks will shape up with this as the draft order.

1. Portland Trail Blazers - Alex Sarr, Perth Wildcats

The Trail Blazers are overflowing with young guards, although they might want to move some salaries there to create flexibility down the line. That likely takes Stephon Castle and Nikola Topic out of the running here. I think Portland goes with Sarr, who is a versatile defensive prospect that can develop his offensive game without much pressure to be a scorer right off the bat. Also, Jerami Grant would be a good player for Sarr to study and learn from.

2. Washington Wizards - Stephon Castle, UConn

The Wizards cannot let Jordan Poole run this offense as a point guard, and Tyus Jones is going to be a trade candidate. Castle might actually help Poole on both ends of the floor, as he covers for the guard defensively while taking away some of the pressures of being a creator. Washington is in the early stages of what feels like a long rebuild, but Castle would be a good starting point. If his three-point shooting comes around, he could end up being the best player in this class.

3. Detroit Pistons - Matas Buzelis, Lithuania

Buzelis would give the Pistons a nice frontcourt combination with Jalen Duren. The combo forward could use Duren as defensive cover, while also adding some creation skills to take pressure of Cade Cunningham. The Pistons are probably going to continue struggling but Buzelis has good potential as a secondary ball handler and floor spacer. If his recent three-point shooting is real, he’ll be an immediate contributor.

4. Houston Rockets (via Nets) - Dalton Knecht, Tennessee

The Rockets finished .500 this season and believe they are a few pieces away from being a regular playoff contender. Knecht might not have the upside of most prospects due to his age but he’s able to provide immediate scoring. The Rockets can plug him in right away as a bench scorer, and Houston has enough good defensive pieces to cover for Knecht being a constant target for opponents on that end of the floor.

5. Charlotte Hornets - Nikola Topic, Serbia

I believe the Hornets will think about adding another wing in this spot, and Topic does fit the bill. He won’t have to worry about being a scorer with Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball in the fold, and his ability to operate an offense could actually make both those players more efficient. Defense is still going to be an issue but the Hornets would be well served adding more offensive pieces around Miller after the rookie season he had.

6. San Antonio Spurs - Reed Sheppard, Kentucky

Malaki Branham hasn’t quite panned out in San Antonio, and Blake Wesley is probably going to be in the G League soon. Jeremy Sochan isn’t a point guard, so the Spurs will end that experiment. Pairing Sheppard with scorers like Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson will make this offense more efficient, and the potential pick-and-roll between Sheppard and Victor Wembanyama should make Gregg Popovich excited. Sheppard bombed in the NCAA tournament but would be a great fit here.

7. San Antonio Spurs (via Raptors) - Zaccharie Risacher, France

The Spurs have one of the best development systems in the league when it comes to perimeter shooting, so Risacher might be the international prospect worth grabbing here. San Antonio hasn’t quite gotten results recently but there’s a baseline for success here even if the overall numbers are underwhelming. Risacher won’t have as much responsibility with the likes of Wembanyama and Vassell in the lineup, so he will likely get more open looks from deep which will help his percentage.

8. Memphis Grizzlies - Donovan Clingan, UConn

After dealing Xavier Tillman and Steven Adams, the Grizzlies suddenly could use another option on the interior. Clingan could be an intriguing fit next to Jaren Jackson Jr., especially defensively. The UConn center has shown he can run the floor too, which will be important on a team that has built its offense around Ja Morant.

9. Utah Jazz - Rob Dillingham, Kentucky

The Jazz will likely move Keyonte George to the shooting guard spot, opening up Dillingham to run this offense. He’s a good three-point shooter and can attack the basket too, which will open up opportunities for Utah’s other perimeter threats. Dillingham’s defense will need some improvement and he’ll have to answer questions about his size but the offensive upside is tremendous.

10. Atlanta Hawks - Ron Holland, G League Ignite

We’ll see what the Hawks end up doing with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, with a draft day trade being possible. Atlanta has had some success developing wing players like De’Andre Hunter and Jalen Johnson, so Holland does make sense. He had a mixed season with Ignite but will immediately be a solid defensive presence which head coach Quin Snyder will appreciate.

11. Chicago Bulls - Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor

There’s a lot for the Bulls to navigate this offseason, with point guard being a priority. I do think the front office likes Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu as options there, so Walter makes sense as a combo guard. He did not shoot the ball during the regular season but the potential was on display in the NCAA tournament loss to Clemson. Walter can crack the rotation right away due to his defense and has good offensive upside as a 20-year old. If the Bulls bring back DeMar DeRozan, Walter will benefit from his presence.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Rockets) - Cody Williams, Colorado

The draft board has fallen in a way which allows the Thunder to draft Jalen Williams’ brother and hope he can pan out the same way. Oklahoma City knows what it needs to do to round Williams into an impact player, and there will be some support for him with his brother as a starter. Even though the Thunder captured the No. 1 seed and might be looking for more immediate help, they have plenty of first-round picks and usually stick to their development plan instead of chasing something. They can take their time with Williams.

13. Sacramento Kings - Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas

The Kings might lose Malik Monk in free agency, which means they’re likely going to add someone with the ability to hit from the perimeter. McCullar Jr. struggled as a shooter so he might not be the obvious choice, but he’ll help on the defensive end right away. The Kings will want immediate impact players around De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, so I think McCullar Jr. is the pick here as long as his health checks out.

14. Portland Trail Blazers (via Warriors) - Tristan Da Silva, Colorado

After adding Sarr with the No. 1 pick, the Trail Blazers continue to build frontcourt depth with Da Silva. The Buffaloes forward shot the triple at a 39.5% clip on 4.8 attempts per game, providing some important floor-spacing ability for Portland. His defensive chops will need some work but pairing him with Sarr is intriguing. That duo could become part of Portland’s frontcourt of the future, and will likely play together off the bench as rookies.

2024-04-22T13:09:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd