With the 2024 NBA Draft set to begin on Wednesday, CBS Sports has released its final mock ahead of the big day. The draft will start at 7 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and will take place over two days.
The first round will be completed that evening and then the second round will happen at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios. This year’s draft class is interesting because there is no clear-cut No. 1 pick as was the case in 2023 with Victor Wembanyama.
There are a number of international prospects as well, with two of CBS Sports’ top five projected picks coming from overseas. That includes French wing Zaccharie Risacher, who they predict to be the No. 1 overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks.
You can view the 2024 NBA mock draft from CBS Sports, which includes only the first round, below.
1. Atlanta Hawks, Zaccharie Risacher, France
Standing 6-foot-9, Risacher is viewed as more of a 3-and-D type of player and can play positions 2-4. He averaged 11.1 points while shooting 42.4% from 3-point range playing for JL Bourg in the EuroLeague.
Atlanta is coming off of a 36-46 record this past season and lost in the NBA play-in. The Hawks previously made three straight playoff appearances from 2021-23 and will hope having the No. 1 pick can get them back to the postseason.
2. Washington Wizards: Alex Sarr, France
We’ve seen a lot of talent come out of France over the past two years and Sarr could join Risacher and Wembanyama as another young star. He is considered by many analysts to be the best overall prospect in the draft and is the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder big man Olivier Sarr.
Standing over 7 feet tall, Alex Sarr played this past season with the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League. He brings upside as a rim protector after averaging 9.6 points and 1.5 blocks per game.
3. Houston Rockets: Donovan Clingan, UConn
Clingan showed off his defensive prowess in helping lead UConn to back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024. He averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks this past season on 63.9% shooting.
Houston already has a starting center in Alperen Sengun, but adding a player of Clingan’s status would give them one of the better inside presences in the league. It’s also possible the Rockers could opt to trade this pick, but CBS predicts Clingan to go off the board either way.
4. San Antonio Spurs: Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
Sheppard had quite the freshman season at Kentucky in 2023-24 as he averaged 12.5 points per game on a blistering 52.1% from 3-point range. He brings much more than scoring, however as he also led the Wildcats with 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
San Antonio is coming off of drafting a generational talent in Wembanyama, the reigning Rookie of the Year. Adding a guard such as Sheppard to their young core is just what they need as they aim to build a foundation.
5. Detroit Pistons, Matas Buzelis, G-League Ignite
Buzelis averaged 14.4 points and 6.9 rebounds this past season while playing for the G-League Ignite. One big question mark scouts have about him is how well he can shoot the ball after making just 27.1% of his triples, however,
The Pistons already have plenty of young talent on their roster with the likes of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey in the backcourt as well as Jalen Duren down low. Perhaps Buzelis can give them a young wing to add to that group.
6. Charlotte Hornets: Stephon Castle, UConn
Yet another former UConn player cracks the top 10 in this NBA mock draft from CBS Sports. Castle was instrumental in helping the Huskies cut down the nets this past year with averages 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
He projects to be a combo guard and could work nicely alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in the Hornets’ lineup. His 26.7% shooting from beyond the arc is a bit concerning, though, and he’ll need to work on improving his shot.
7. Portland Trail Blazers: Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Knecht took the college basketball world by storm after transferring to Tennessee this offseason and saw his draft stock soar as a result. He led the SEC with 21.7 points per game while shooting 39.7% from downtown to earn the conference’s Player of the Year award.
The 6-foot-6 guard will now aim to ride that momentum into the start of his pro career. Portland, which already features Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson in the backcourt, is an interesting landing spot.
8. San Antonio Spurs: Ron Holland, G-League Ignite
The Spurs are back with another lottery pick as they aim to build up their young roster. This time, CBS has them selecting a wing player who opted to play in the G-League instead of go to college.
Holland showed his scoring ability to average 20.6 points per game this past season, albeit on an inefficient 24% from 3-point range. If San Antonio is able to find another star with this pick or its earlier one, the rest of the league better watch out.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Devin Carter, Providence
Memphis is coming off of a disappointing season due to injuries and looking to reclaim its place as a contender in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies will get a healthy Ja Morant and Desmond Bane back after both missed time last year, and now have a lottery pick to add to their talent.
CBS sees them going with Carter for that pick to add another weapon in the backcourt. He put up numbers across the board for the Friars this past season with 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
10. Utah Jazz: Cody Williams, Colorado
The younger brother of OKC Thunder guard Jalen Williams, Cody Williams enters the NBA Draft with a lot of buzz surrounding his name. He averaged 11.9 points for the Buffaloes as a true freshman this past season on efficient shooting clips of 55.2% overall.
He has been listed as an option for several teams at the end of the lottery, including potentially teaming up with his brother. However, CBS likes the Jazz to snag him here before the Thunder get a chance.
11. Chicago Bulls: Nikola Topic, Serbia
Topic is coming off of an ACL injury that hurt his draft stock a bit, but was considered a potential top 10 pick at one point. He is a big guard at 6-foot-6 yet still possesses elite playmaking ability with 5.5 assists per game.
If he is indeed the pick, it would be interesting to see how he fits in with point guard Josh Giddey, whom the Bulls recently traded for. Topic ranks as the third-best PG prospect in the class according to CBS Sports.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
The Thunder have shown high interest in Kentucky guards, drafting Cason Wallace last season, and CBS expects them to go right back to the well in 2024. Dillingham came off the bench for the Wildcats this past season but showcased his scoring ability with 15.5 points per game on 44% from 3-point range.
He is a bit undersized at 6-foot-1 but could provide a spark coming off the bench. Oklahoma City is hopeful to add reinforcements after claiming the No. 1 seed in the West this past season.
13. Sacramento Kings: Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
Sacramento missed out on the playoffs this past season after a surprising run in 2022-23. One of the main reasons was a lack of consistent shooting, and that’s something Walter can help address.
The former Baylor guard shot 34.1% from long range while averaging 14.5 points per contest. He would give the Kings another shooter to add alongside Malik Monk.
14. Portland Trail Blazers: Tidjane Salaun, France
Rounding out the lottery picks is another Frenchman as Portland will make its second selection of the evening. Salaun showed upside as a shooter and at just 18 years old could be an interesting project for the team.
The Blazers are certainly in rebuild mode so could be more likely to take a shot on a player with a high ceiling he isn’t as NBA-ready entering the league. That could be exactly what they’re getting with this pick.
CBS Sports NBA mock draft picks 15-30
15. Miami Heat: Kyle Filipowski, Duke
16. Philadelphia 76ers, Tristan da Silva, Colorado
17. Los Angeles Lakers: Jared McCain, Duke
18. Orlando Magic: Isaiah Collier, USC
19. Toronto Raptors: Johnny Furphy, Kansas
20. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyshawn George, Miami
21. New Orleans Pelicans: Kel’el Ware, Indiana
22. Phoenix Suns, Tyler Kolek, Marquette
23. Milwaukee Bucks: Yves Missi, Baylor
24. New York Knicks: Zach Edey, Purdue
25. New York Knicks, Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
26. Washington Wizards: Bobi Klintman, Sweden
27. Minnesota Timberwolves: Carlton Carrington, Pittsburgh
28. Denver Nuggets: DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
29. Utah Jazz: Ryan Dunn, Virginia
30. Boston Celtics: Baylor Scheierman, Creighton
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