2024 NBA Mock Draft: Alex Sarr remains projected No. 1 to Hawks as international stars rise post-combine

Sarr’s name is written in pencil for now as Atlanta’s front office — which was preparing to pick somewhere closer to the teens than at No. 1 — does its due diligence and dives deep on who to snag here at No. 1. He’s a 7-footer with potential to be a defensive anchor and upside to grow into more, but Zaccharie Risacher could be in the mix here as well.

We’ll see what the Wizards do here at No. 2, but the early buzz emanating from Chicago during combine week was that they may be eyeing Risacher, thus the pick here. He’s a big wing who has improved as a shooter and is turning heads of late after scoring 28 last week for JL Bourg in a playoff game.

Clingan was one of the most impactful bigs in college basketball the last two seasons, and he helped key UConn’s title run this last postseason with a star turn as a defensive monster. He plays with great anticipation and his length affects how teams attack inside, making him an interesting if slightly out of the box pick for the Rockets here to pair next to Alperen Sengun.

Armed with picks Nos. 4 and 8, San Antonio is in a spot here with its first pick to take one of the Kentucky guards — Sheppard or Rob Dillingham — or international guard Nikola Topic. I’m going with the first player mentioned. Sheppard aced the testing at the Combine with a 42-inch max standing vertical that ranked tied for first. Paired with a stellar freshman season in which he displayed shooting and defensive potential, he could be a perfect plug-and-play for the Spurs’ backcourt to build around next to Victor Wembanyama.

Detroit was brutal in a lot of areas last season, but shooting in particular is a glaring hole on this team’s roster. Knecht is a killer shooter in catch-and-shoot and spot-up situations and also adds an element of scoring punch and playmaking to a Pistons roster that lacks some punch.

There was just as much scuttlebutt centered around Salaun at the combine as there was any other prospect despite Salaun being one of the few not in attendance. He had a 19-point game in the French league playoffs and looked as good as he has all season in doing so with deep 3s and an aggression we’ve not seen much. He could be a surprise pick in a wide-open top 10, and his range probably starts around No. 4.

Castle winds up a surprise slipper in this mock, which benefits the Trail Blazers. He’s remained steadfast in his desire to play point at the NBA level after making sacrifices at UConn, but the fit next to Scoot Henderson as a secondary playmaker and defensive stopper makes too much sense and provides too much value.

Instead of taking Sheppard in place of Topic, San Antonio stumbles into a gift in which it lands both at No. 4 and No. 8. Topic profiles as a lead facilitator which could push Sheppard into a secondary playmaker and shooting role. The two could instantly upgrade what was a lackluster Spurs playmaking attack last season.

In a league dominated by power wings with big frames, Memphis swings for a huge upside prospect in Buzelis to pair with Ja Morant. Buzelis has a huge frame and immense potential to grow into a versatile forward who can dribble, pass and shoot.

Holland’s range starts at No. 1 in this draft, so him falling all the way to No. 10 would register as a surprise. The former No. 1 recruit showed improvement with G League Ignite last season and presents long-term star potential as a big wing with real defensive upside.

Strong candidate to be a late-riser in this process. George shot 40.8% from 3-point range and rated in the 92nd percentile as a catch-and-shoot weapon as a freshman at Miami last season, per Synergy data. Huge frame and does a little of everything that will have NBA teams intrigued.

Few who had a better combine week than Carter, who broke a combine record in the 3/4-court sprint and tied for the best max standing vertical leap at 42 inches. He’s coming off a Big East Player of the Year season for Providence and has shown the improvement as a shooter that could make him a ready-made 3-and-D weapon with playmaking to boot.

You have to do some projecting here to buy into Furphy because of his limited role at Kansas and hit-or-miss production, but he can shoot it great from anywhere on the floor and has the ball skills to be an attacker off the bounce as well. Could be a nice long-term insurance plan in the event Malik Monk leaves Sac-town.

Walter showed all the tools that made him a five-star prospect during his one season at Baylor with an array of athleticism and quick-trigger shooting that makes for an easy NBA projection. He’ll need to improve his shooting and touch overall, but at 19 years old with his track record as a gunner, I’d buy into him here at the back of the lottery.

Measuring at just 6-foot-1 and 164.2 pounds, Dillingham came up shorter and smaller than hoped entering combine week that could push his stock down a smidge. How NBA teams view the measurements and the impact of his projection is still yet to be seen, but he’s been downgraded from a potential top-3 pick to the mid-to-late lottery range.

Being a shot-maker at the guard spot in the NBA is a must; being one who can make TOUGH shots in the NBA is a plus. That’s what McCain brings to the table. Electric shooting weapon who can make shots off movement, and a relentless rebounder for a guard his size.

Whether New Orleans takes this pick or defers it to L.A. remains to be seen, but for now, we’re projecting the Pels to be taking No. 17 and selecting Cody Williams. Williams is a bit of a mystery box prospect, but the ascension of his older brother, Jalen Williams, into an All-Star producer should have NBA teams digging deep. He has ideal size, shoots it well and fits the mold of a power wing with multi-positional versatility.

Every team could put to use a player of Shannon’s ilk — a 6-foot-6 wing who can create off the dribble, shoot and defend. Orlando could put him to use as a role player next to Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs as an offensive-minded complement to both.

Playmaking, size and a disruptive force is what Collier brings to the table for a Toronto team that could stand to add all the above to its backcourt. Scottie Barnes is the alpha here with the Raptors, but you can’t have enough offensive sparkplugs — and Collier can be a game-changer as a downhill creator.

Few did better for their draft stock during the NCAA Tournament than da Silva, who shot it great from 3-point range, flashed his two-way versatility and impacted winning on both ends for Colorado. His defense and size coupled with his reliable jumper should make him a trendy riser late in the process.

A 7-footer with real talent as a floor spacer, Filipowski could work in tandem with Zion Williamson as a shooting complement and generally valuable addition in size. He did a lot of work as a playmaker at Duke as well and has the tools to be useful in numerous roles.

Carrington began the season ranked just inside the top 100 of his own recruiting class but heads to the draft as a possible top-30 selection after a big year at Pitt. He led the team in assists and finished second in scoring and minutes played.

Kolek spent his college career playing in Milwaukee for Marquette and stays close to begin his professional journey with the Bucks, who presumably have seen him as much as any other NBA team. High-level creator who led college in assists per game last season.

Edey was the best player in college basketball the last two years, and while there may be questions about his NBA fit (his shooting and his court coverage in space, in particular), there will likely be a team willing to bet on him somewhere in this range. With the Knicks owning No. 24 and No. 25, they can stand to roll the dice a bit with a big man with a big game in Edey who has had a strong pre-draft process.

Overall, Djrusic had a strong week in Chicago playing in the scrimmages at the combine by displaying real passing ability and feel for the game. This might be a bit earlier than some expect, but he’s had a great year with Mega MIS in the ABA and looks like he belongs.

Washington could stand to take some big swings given its situation — in the doldrums of the NBA standings for years — and Edwards presents as one of the biggest available on the board. He’s a 6-foot-7 wing who was active and aggressive at the combine after an up-and-down year at Kentucky with theoretical upside as a future starter.

Scheierman was one of the big winners of combine week after standing out in the scrimmages and moves into the first round of our mock for the first time this cycle. He’s an older prospect but could produce instant value for a contenting Timberwolves team.

The modus operandi of Denver’s front office over the years — drafting the likes of Jalen Pickett and Nikola Jokic — has been to lean into unconventional prospects. Jones is that. He was the best player in the Big Sky last season and produced like an All-American in four years at Weber State as a passer, defender and all-around Swiss army knife.

A raw prospect with tremendous upside, Missi is a potential lottery pick due to his size, skill and shot-blocking ability. He’s a developmental-type prospect but the flashes of “wow” he put together at the end of the season became more frequent.

This is quite a bit later than where Klintman is expected to go, but there’s reason to be a bit skeptical about his game. He’s still young and has a great frame but he remains a work in progress and developmental prospect, which may not be as appealing for contending teams late in the 20s.