Now firmly closer to the backend of prospects’ seasons, let’s update the NBA draft big board with our second rankings. In the future, postseason play as well as NBA combine results will still continue to shift prospect rankings. However, scouts should feel confident that they have a better grasp on prospects’ abilities and overall game now.
This class doesn’t have the top-end talent similar to previous years, but there are still plenty of valuable prospects to glean from.
Let’s take a look at the second edition of our big board for the 2024 NBA Draft.
2024 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0
1) Alexandre Sarr: Perth Wildcats (NBL Australia)
Alex Sarr is a French big man who plays in the NBL out of Australia. Sarr is extremely mobile for his size standing at a lanky seven-foot-one with a seven-foot-five wingspan. He’s already NBA-ready on the defensive end blocking shots and using his length and mobility on the perimeter. This easily projected defensive skillset puts him at number one in a draft class that has so many uncertainties. He still has plenty upside though as he’s also shown flashes of intriguing offensive skill in face-ups and three-point shooting.
2) Nikola Topic: Mega MIS (Serbia)
Nikola Topic is a Serbian six-foot-six point guard who can run the show and is currently playing internationally. He’s not an explosive athlete, but his craft and playmaking ability more than make up for it. Topic can be the jumbo-sized lead guard that is becoming a trend in the NBA.
3) Zaccharie Risacher: JL Bourg (France)
Zaccharie Risacher is a six-foot-nine French wing with a lot of upside. Risacher’s stock has been consistently high as of late due to high percentage three point shooting. He’s also shown great value as a secondary playmaker to go along with his ‘3-and-D’ wing archetype. This archetype makes his floor somewhat safe, and there’s still a lot of untapped potential in his athleticism and physical growth.
4) Ja’Kobe Walter: Baylor
It’s an easy buy-in process when analyzing Ja’Kobe Walter’s skillset. He’s long, athletic, and can shoot the three-ball at a high clip. He uses this length and athleticism to be very effective on the defensive end as well. This 3-and-D archetype makes Walter one of the safer bets in this draft. He isn’t the strongest in the self-creation department, but he’s so solid at other aspects of the game that scouts can overlook it.
5) Ron Holland: G-League Ignite
Ron Holland is a six-foot-eight wing playing with the G-league ignite. Due to the Ignite’s record and not having consistent scoring numbers, many have cooled on Holland as a top prospect. While he hasn’t had the most consistent performance, Holland still has the ability to impact the game on both ends. His NBA ready size and athleticism should translate well to filling different roles for any NBA team. If the ball handling and shooting can start to better trend upwards, he’s one of the few in this class with the possibility of star potential.
6) Cody Williams: Colorado
Cody Williams has been rising up draft boards consistently and may still not be finished. He’s a six-foot-eight slender wing in his freshman season at Colorado this year. Williams is the younger brother of starting NBA guard Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s a smooth and fluid athlete who looks to have a very polished all-around game for his age. Young wings with production and upside like Williams are usually always at the top of the draft.
7) Matas Buzelis: G-League Ignite
Scouts and fans alike have become frustrated with Matas Buzelis’ lack of consistent aggression or big game performances. His flashes are very bright though, and it can be argued that he has the highest upside in class. Buzelis is a six-foot-ten wing with polished offensive skills. He can shoot it at all three levels and is a fluid athlete in space. He’s also shown some promise as a weakside shot blocker.
8) Reed Sheppard: Kentucky
Reed Sheppard was another surprise to draft boards and wasn’t expected to be one of the top prospects above other teammates at Kentucky. He’s only six-foot-three and doesn’t possess elite athleticism, but he’s shown that he can be a lethal shooter and high-IQ passer. He also has shown he’s an extremely adept team defender averaging a ridiculous 2.5 steals per game. Sheppard established himself as a top player on a loaded Kentucky team when not many expected him too. There’s more than enough reason to believe he’ll accomplish the same thing for an NBA team when finding a role.
9) Rob Dillingham: Kentucky
Rob Dillingham is a twitchy scorer who plays with a lot of flash. The major concern for Dillingham coming into the season was exactly what role he could fill at the next level. Was he a spark off the bench microwave scorer? Can he play true point guard? Dillingham’s answered these questions by mostly proving he can succeed at whatever role is needed. Now firmly in the starting rotation at Kentucky, he’s thrived with just about any lineup on the floor. He’s been able to dish out assists, handle point guard responsibility, or even become an explosive scorer if that’s needed.
10) Isaiah Collier: USC
Another prospect some have soured on, it’s not quite the time to bail on Isaiah Collier as a top prospect. Collier is a big and physical point guard listed at six-foot-five and 210 pounds. He uses size as well as solid athleticism when finishing at the rim, and he can be a floor general on offense. Collier will need to show better perimeter shooting and become less turnover prone to stabilize his draft stock. This will be difficult though seeing that he sustained a hand injury that could keep him out for serious time.
11) Stephon Castle: UConn
Stephon Castle is another tall lead guard at six-foot-six. His physical tools allow him to be either a point guard with good size or a wing with good ball-handling ability. Castle has also shown he can compete on the defensive end of the floor as well. Right now, Castle’s stock is still based more on upside and projections rather than production. He’s missed some time due to injury but has also struggled finding a rhythm on a stacked UCONN team.
12) Kyle Filipowski: Duke
Kyle Filipowski is a seven-foot big man with good perimeter skills. He’s shown much better percentages and overall play so far in his sophomore season at Duke. His shooting touch and fundamentals for his size certainly all pass the eye test. He will hope to make a team in the back end of the lottery very happy on draft night.
13) Ryan Dunn: Virginia
Ryan Dunn is one of the more special defensive prospects we’ve seen in a long time. He clearly projects to have a specific role at the next level as a defensive ace for any team. Dunn’s a six-foot-eight forward with elite mobility and athleticism. If he proves he can become competent offensively, he may rise even higher up draft boards.
14) Yves Missi: Baylor
Yves Missi has quickly ascended many draft boards in his freshman season at Baylor. He’s a seven-foot big man who’s a fluid mover and provides an instant defensive impact. He will hope to fill the coveted big man role in today’s game that’s a shot blocker and pick-and-roll play finisher.
15) Donovan Clingan: UConn
Donovan Clingan is a seven-foot-two big man in his sophomore season with the Huskies. Clingan has a clear projected role as a frontcourt anchor on the defensive and offensive side of the ball. He has great shot-blocking ability and is a good play finisher on the interior. Currently dealing with injury, Clingan will hope to have a dominant postseason and secure high positioning on draft boards.
16) Dalton Knecht: Tennessee
Dalton Knecht is playing his best basketball in SEC conference play. He’s gone for 28, 36, and 39 points in his last three games respectively. These outbursts have helped solidify questions about first-round potential, and even have some thinking he may be a lottery talent. He is a six-foot-six wing who’s a great perimeter shooter and also goes for highlight dunks when given a runway. Knecht has also shown he can provide great value as a cutter making him a good off-ball role player on offense. Currently he isn’t the best lateral mover on defense, but there’s reason to believe he will be serviceable.
17) Tidjane Salaun: Cholet Basket (France)
At first glance, teams will be reminded a lot of Michael Porter’s athletic profile. Tidjane Salaun is a lanky six-foot-ten wing who has shown a clean shooting strike combined with solid athleticism. He may work himself firmly into the lottery if he continues to shoot the three ball at the high percentages he’s shown recently.
18) Kevin McCullar: Kansas
Kevin McCullar is a superb defender for the highly-ranked Kansas Jayhawks squad. At six-foot-six, he has the size and defensive instincts to match up with a lot of guards and wings in the NBA. He’s also flashed some ability to be a kind of point forward this season, having multiple triple-doubles under his belt. He’s a sixth year college player, so he will be very old for a rookie. He still may be able to contribute immediately though if given a defined role.
19) Kel’el Ware: Indiana
Kel’el Ware is a sophomore transfer playing at Indiana this season. Standing at seven-foot-one and containing elite athleticism for his size, Ware shines on the defensive end blocking shots as well as a lob-dunk finisher. He will hope to fill the Dereck Lively role in this NBA draft class.
20) Zvonimir Ivisic: Kentucky
Zvonimir Ivisic’s only played 16 minutes and one game this season, but the hype train is already starting to roll. Granted, a behind the back pass and three three pointers from someone seven-foot-two will get anyone excited. He’s a fluid mover given his massive size and has shown before college that he’s a high IQ player. Now that he’s playing and has put the world on notice, his backend of the season will be closely monitored. He has the possibility to go up or down on NBA draft boards depending on his play down the stretch.
21) Oso Ighodaro: Marquette
Oso Ighodaro is yet another player that will hope to fill a clear role at the next level. He’s a six-foot-ten big who has good athleticism and can defend multiple positions. He’s not going to try and take jump shots but has flashed a really good floater around the rim. He’ll be a good pick-and-roll partner for any guard on a team that drafts him. In a draft that has so many question marks, players like Ighodaro have an advantage.
22) Tyler Smith: G-League Ignite
Tyler Smith is a smooth lefty forward at six-foot-ten with good mobility. He moves like an NBA wing and has a smooth release on his shooting stroke. Smith still needs to show that he possesses an elite trait or gain a defined role to rise up draft boards.
23) Bobi Klintman: Cairns Taipans (NBL Australia)
Bobi Klintman left Wake Forest after this past season in favor of the NBL in Australia. At six-foot-nine, Klintman has an intriguing skillset as a combo forward with a clean shooting stroke. He’s shown enough with his live ball handle to intrigue scouts as well. Klintman is a prospect that could rise up draft boards following good showings in private workouts or the combine.
24) Izan Almansa: G-League Ignite
Izan Almansa is a six-foot-ten big man for the G-league Ignite by way of the Overtime Elite league, and originally Spain. Almansa is currently most heralded for his high-effort play and skilled finishing on the interior. He hasn’t shown much of anything on the perimeter up to this point, and scouts will have questions about his athleticism. He’s still a high IQ big though that can keep the game flowing from either frontcourt position.
25) Adama Bal: Santa Clara
Adama Bal has the archetype on the wing that NBA teams are usually very intrigued by. He’s a six-foot-seven wing who has taken on a lot of ball-handling responsibility for the Broncos. He’s also shooting 39.5 percent on the season from three on over four attempts per game. This combination of ball handling and perimeter shooting should make him very appealing to scouts as a possible ‘point-wing’ mold.
26) Tristan Da Silva: Colorado
Tristan Da Silva’s a combo forward who plays the game the right way and does a lot of things well. At six-foot-nine, he’s shooting 37 percent from the perimeter and is a solid team defender. Scouts main concern with Silva will be his athletic limitations. He might be a tweener with no true position, but he’s proved he can effect the game in a variety of ways.
27) Adem Bona: UCLA
Adem Bona is another vertical spacing big man out of UCLA. Standing at six-foot-ten and 245 pounds, Bona will be a shot blocker and lob dunk finisher at the next level. Scouts will also value Bona’s high motor and effort level. Bona needs to clean up his foul numbers and continue to work on his overall skill.
28) Baba Miller: Florida State
Baba Miller has the Scottie Barnes athletic profile that really intrigues scouts. He’s six-foot-eleven but moves like a guard with fluid athleticism. He’s much more raw than Barnes was at the same age, however. Miller’s main hold up is that he just hasn’t shown any real aggression or solidified skillset on offense. Without a bankable skill on offense, he will continue to be seen as a project pick however.
29) DJ Wagner: Kentucky
DJ Wagner hasn’t looked like the ranking top player in class that he came into Kentucky with this season. He’s consistently competed though as a six-foot-three guard with elite speed and confidence. Without a better perimeter shot or playmaking increase, his place on draft boards will continue to be limited.
30) Melvin Ajinca: Saint-Quentin BB (France)
Melvin Ajinca is another French basketball prospect standing at six-foot-seven on the wing. He’s currently heralded as a do it all guy who plays with a lot of energy. He doesn’t yet possess any one elite trait but has recently emerged as a reliable perimeter shooter. His draft stock has slowly creeped back up after a slow start to his season in the French professional league.
31) Devin Carter: Providence
Devin Carter will hope to be a taller version of Pelican’s fiery defensive point guard Jose Alvarado. While Carter may not be the fastest or most athletic, he makes up for it with physicality and energy. Carter stands at six-foot-three and tries to keep constant pressure as an on-ball defender. He’s also adept as a team defender and chasing through screens for steals. He’s been seen as streaky on offense up to this point, but he’s had big scoring outings that may give teams confidence.
32) Carlton Carrington: Pittsburgh
Carlton Carrington skyrocketed onto draft boards after a triple-double to begin the season at Pittsburgh. He’s certainly cooled down since that point, but scouts still see his potential. He’s a six-foot-six guard with good creation, playmaking, and shot-making ability. He needs to provide much more effective rim pressure though to be considered a solidified one and done.
33) Tyrese Proctor: Duke
Tyrese Proctor is a six-foot-five lead guard with a great handle and perimeter shooting. He hasn’t shown the aggression and defensive acumen in his sophomore season that many were looking for. Without a big postseason run, Proctor will stay lower on draft boards compared to what many thought was a lottery talent.
34) Trey Alexander: Creighton
Trey Alexander has definitely improved in his sophomore season at Creighton. Already having proven to be a great shooter at all levels, Alexander has shown more athleticism and playmaking. Scouts still aren’t sure there’s enough proven tape that he’ll become an effective lead guard though.
35) Zach Edey: Purdue
Zach Edey’s archetype as a big with no perimeter game and limited mobility usually doesn’t bode well for illustrious NBA careers. He’s a seven-foot-four giant though who’s sheer production earns him the last spot on the big board. He’s averaging 23 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game as a senior. If he can prove his shot blocking and length are enough to make up for a lack of mobility, an NBA team may be intrigued in the late first or second round.
