2024 NBA Mock Draft: How Could the Draft Combine Impact the 1st Round?

While the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery odds are officially set, there are still almost two months until Draft Day. This means there is plenty of time for some stocks to rise and fall, especially with the NBA Draft Combine starting up in just a week. It goes from Sunday, May 12-19. After that, we might have a better idea of who some lottery locks are and who might stumble.

With that in mind, let’s get to one more 2024 NBA Mock Draft.

How Does the NBA Draft Lottery Work

Following the conclusion of the season, the NBA uses a lottery system to decide the first 14 picks in the draft order.

Before we look at the draft order, here’s how the NBA Draft Lottery system works:

Eligible Teams: The 14 teams that do not qualify for the NBA playoffs are eligible to participate in the draft lottery. This includes teams that make the Play-In Tournament but don’t advance past the Play-In Tournament.

NBA Draft Lottery Odds: The teams with the worst records have higher chances of winning a top pick. The teams with the three worst records have the highest chance – 14 percent – while the odds incrementally decrease for teams with better records among the non-playoff teams.

Ping Pong Balls: Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 will be placed in a lottery machine. There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations are assigned to the 14 participating lottery teams. Those three with the highest odds will be given 140 combinations each – aka the most combinations.

Lottery Drawing: Finally, drawings are conducted for the first four picks of the NBA Draft. The remaining non-playoff teams are then ordered based on their regular-season records, with the team with the worst record picking fifth, followed by the team with the next worst record, and so on.

Also, the NBA shares the footage of the lottery drawing after each draft. You can watch the 2023 procedure here.

Current 2024 NBA Draft Lottery Odds

Although this order can change come lottery time, these are the current 2024 NBA Draft Lottery odds for the No. 1 overall pick via Tankathon.

1. Detroit Pistons (14-68): 14%
2. Washington Wizards: (15-67): 14%
3. Charlotte Hornets: (21-61): 13.3%
4. Portland Trail Blazers: (21-61): 13.2%
5. San Antonio Spurs (22-60): 10.5%
6. Toronto Raptors (25-57): 9.0% (Spurs own pick, Top-6 protected)
7. Memphis Grizzlies (27-55): 7.5%
8. Utah Jazz (31-51): 6.0% (Thunder own pick, Top-10 protected)
9. Brooklyn Nets (32-50): 4.5% (Rockets own pick)
10. Atlanta Hawks (36-46): 3.0%
11. Chicago Bulls (39-43): 2.0%
12. Houston Rockets (41-41): 1.5% (Thunder own pick)
13. Sacramento Kings (46-36): 0.8%
14. Golden State Warriors (46-36): 0.7% (Blazers own pick, Top-4 protected)

2024 NBA Mock Draft:

1. Detroit Pistons – F/C Alexandre Sarr – Perth, France – 18 Years Old – 7’1, 218 lbs

Alexandre Sarr has a lot of similar traits to Victor Wembanyama. To be clear, that is not to say he’s anywhere near the prospect Wemby was – he isn’t – but the playing style and physical traits are similar. He’s over 7 feet tall and has the athleticism to do a little bit of everything on the court. Things could change after the combine, but I think he goes No. 1 as of now.

The Pistons have a handful of big men on their roster, but they also just finished with the worst record in the NBA. The organization might as well shoot for the prospect with the highest ceiling.

2. Washington Wizards – PG Nikola Topic – Red Star, Serbia – 18 Years Old – 6’6, 201 lbs

Nikola Topic is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. He can overpower smaller defenders and blow by bigger bodies. He struggles on the defensive end of the floor, but his offensive upside is fantastic. He can finish in traffic, he’s a great passer, and he’s a dangerous shooter. He feels like a lock to go somewhere within the top 5. Why not a Washington team with plenty of room to take on a high-upside project?

3. Portland Trail Blazers – G Reed Sheppard – Kentucky – 19 Years Old – 6’3, 187 lbs

Sheppard shot an amazing 52.6 percent from three-point range last year at Kentucky. Portland drafted Scoot Henderson last year, but his rookie season was a bit of a roller coaster at times. Adding a high-upside sharpshooter who can also bring something to the floor defensively never hurts!

4. Charlotte Hornets – SF Zaccharie Risacher – JL Bourg, France – 18 Years Old – 6’9, 204 lbs

Risacher is one of the more polarizing players in the draft. Some projections have him going as high as first overall. He can be a lethal shooter from the wing and is your typical three-and-D player that every NBA team covets. For a young Hornets squad, adding his versatility next to Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball would be a nice way to continue the rebuild.

5. San Antonio Spurs – G Stephon Castle – UConn – 19 Years Old – 6’6, 190 lbs

The Spurs could really use a lead guard to pair with Wemby. While they probably add a name via trade or free agency, I love the idea of a player with the dynamic skillset of Castle with Gregg Popovich’s team. Castle showed throughout the NCAA Tournament just how good he can be. He’s a matchup nightmare defensively for guards. He has very good ball-handling skills and can finish strong at the rim. While there are some questions about his jumper, there is enough there to instill confidence in his ability to become a reliable threat. Overall, there is A LOT to like with Castle as a two-way player.

6. Toronto Raptors – SF Matas Buzelis – G League – 19 Years Old – 6’11, 195 lbs

He suffered an ankle injury that kept him off the floor early in the season, but after coming back and getting comfortable, Buzelis showed why he’s likely to be a lottery pick. He is versatile on offense, though his ball handling could be more consistent. Defensively, he’s capable of guarding multiple positions. He won’t be a top option offensively early in his career, but his catch-and-shoot ability gives him quite the upside. He’d also fit right into a Toronto team that loves length and multi-positional basketball.

7. Memphis Grizzlies – SF Cody Williams – Colorado – 19 Years Old – 6’8, 185 lbs

Brother of OKC’s Jalen Williams, Cody can also do a little bit of everything. Defensively, he can guard just about any position. Offensively, he’s dangerous in transition, a great finisher at the bucket, and a very good catch-and-shoot player. He’s got a chance to make an immediate impact wherever he ends up. The Grizzlies are a team that should be back in the playoff mix as soon as next season.

8. Utah Jazz – G Rob Dillingham – Kentucky – 19 Years Old – 6’3, 176 lbs

Dillingham can beat you in so many different ways offensively. He can get to the hoop, finish at the rim, find the open man, and get hot shooting the ball. He’s a versatile guard who showed special flashes at Kentucky but might need some development time in the NBA. He’s not an awful defender, but not particularly noteworthy on that end either. The Jazz invested in Keyonte George last season and also have Collin Sexton, but they still need to go with the best-player-available approach.

9. Houston Rockets (via BKN) – SG Ja’Kobe Walter – Baylor – 19 Years Old – 6’5, 180 lbs

Walter is a high-level shotmaker and has the ability to be a dangerous threat offensively. Inconsistency plagued him at Baylor at times, but that’s an issue a lot of teenagers in college battle through at times. He’s got a very high ceiling and could be a really nice fit with a Rockets roster that is growing together.

11. Chicago Bulls – F Dalton Knecht – Tennessee – 22 Years Old – 6’6, 213 lbs

Knecht had a fantastic season with Tennessee and took the Vols farther than they’ve been able to go in the NCAA Tournament in recent history. He proved he can score in different ways, but his biggest asset is his shot-making. He shot just a tick under 40 percent from three on the year and nearly carried the Vols by Purdue in the Elite Eight with a 37-point performance. If Zach LaVine is headed elsewhere for Chicago, Knecht could make a lot of sense in Chicago.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via HOU) – C Donovan Clingan – UConn – 19 Years Old – 7’2, 265 lbs

Cling Kong is coming off an amazing NCAA Tournament run and was impressive guarding Zach Edey in the National Championship game. Clingan is a monster defensively, and he’s shown enough ability to finish around the rim offensively. He’ll likely never be a massive threat on the offensive end, but he can play with the best of the NBA’s bigs defensively and can make an immediate impact on that end.

In a league dominated by players like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, high-end rim protection is becoming a necessity. He could be the perfect last piece of the puzzle for a young and thriving OKC team.

13. Sacramento Kings – G Isaiah Collier – USC – 19 Years Old – 6’4, 205 lbs

Isaiah Collier can do just about everything. He’s a two-way player that impacts both ends of the floor. He’s dangerous driving with the basketball and can get to the bucket in a hurry. His shooting from three can use some consistency, but his ability on both ends of the floor guard gives him a pretty high floor it would seem. The Kings might was a sparkplug guard with Malik Monk an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

14. Portland Trail Blazers (via GSW) – F Tidjane Salaun – Cholet Basket, France – 18 Years Old – 6’9, 203 lbs

Salaun is going to be one of the younger prospects in the Draft. He’s developed the ability to score at all three levels, and at his height that’s an enticing trait for any NBA team. He’s shown the ability to create his own shot as well, which again at his size is a big plus. He has to fill out a bit and defensively he needs to make some strides, but he’s got many of the traits that a lottery team could fall in love with.

15. Miami Heat: Jared McCain – Duke – 19 Years Old – 6’3, 197 lbs

16. Philadelphia 76ers: G Terrence Shannon Jr – Illinois – 23 Years Old – 6’6, 220 lbs

17. New Orleans Pelicans (via Lakers): C Kyle Filipowski – Duke – 20 Years Old – 7’0, 248 lbs

18. Orlando Magic: PG Devin Carter – Providence – 21 Years Old – 6’3, 195 lbs

19. Toronto Raptors (via Pacers): C Yves Missi – Baylor – 19 Years Old – 6’10, 235 lbs

20. Cleveland Cavaliers: F Bobi Klintman – Cairns, Sweden – 20 Years Old – 6’10, 225 lbs

21. New Orleans Pelicans (via Bucks): PG Tyler Kolek – Marquette – 23 Years Old – 6’3, 195 lbs

22. Phoenix Suns: G Kevin McCullar – Kansas – 23 Years Old – 6’6, 210 lbs

23. Milwaukee Bucks (via Pelicans): C Kel’el Ware – Indiana – 20 Years Old – 7’0, 223 lbs

24. New York Knicks (via Mavericks): F Tyler Smith – G League – 19 Years Old – 6’11, 224 lbs

25. New York Knicks: DaRon Holmes II – Dayton – 21 Years Old – 6’10, 221 lbs

26. Washington Wizards (via Clippers): G Hunter Sallis – Wake Forest – 21 Years Old – 6’5, 185 lbs

27. Minnesota Timberwolves: G Johnny Furphy – Kansas – 19 Years Old – 6’9, 202 lbs

28. Denver Nuggets: F Tristan da Silva – Colorado – 22 Years Old – 6’9, 229 lbs

29. Utah Jazz (via Thunder): G Kyshawn George – Miami – 20 Years Old – 6’8, 205 lbs

30. Boston Celtics: C Zach Edey – Purdue – 22 years Old – 7’4, 300 lbs