2024 NBA Mock Draft: Zaccharie Risacher leaps Alex Sarr for No. 1 pick, injury drops Nikola Topic from top 10

No one knows which direction Atlanta will go here — not even Atlanta — but Risacher seems like the most appealing of the options at this stage given his 6-foot-9 frame, developing shot and strong finish to his season. Alex Sarr should be in the mix here as well.

The draft cycle has thus far featured a “top two” of Sarr and Risacher in some order. Here, the Wizards get the one still remaining in Sarr, a 7-foot-1 center who has immense defensive potential with room to grow into a switch-everything anchor on that end.

Houston grabs the most lethal 3-point shooter in the draft. Sheppard rated in the 100th percentile (!) in jump shots as a true freshman at Kentucky and was aces as a catch-and-shoot weapon to boot. He adds playmaking on both ends as a passer and defender.

Spurs need backcourt help, and they get it here with a potential star in Stephon Castle. He’s a defensive stalwart at the point of attack and a selfless do-it-all guard who can create when necessary.

Detroit whiffed on securing the No. 1 pick — again — but take a big swing at No. 5 with former No. 1 recruit Ron Holland. He’s a highlight machine with a big frame, and he showed improvement with G League Ignite as a passer and scorer last season.

Charlotte hit big with Brandon Miller last draft and goes back into the wing well for another do-it-all prospect in Buzelis to add to its roster. Buzelis has a huge frame and potential to grow into a versatile combo forward who can dribble, pass and shoot.

This feels like the floor for Clingan. He drew significant interest during the pre-draft process after anchoring UConn’s 37-4 team en route to a second consecutive national title. He was second in college basketball in block rate and a defensive monster on the back end.

San Antonio balances out its backcourt after adding an elite defender (Castle) at No. 4 with an elite offensive maestro in Dillingham. He flashed star potential at Kentucky and his playmaking and scoring could complement Victor Wembanyama and Castle nicely.

Memphis has never been scared off from taking older prospects who produce — and Knecht fits both categories. He spent five years in college but developed into an eventual All-American in his final season with Tennessee.

Utah has talent but its backcourt could stand to inject some young juice around Keyonte George, who flashed last season. Collier could serve as a lead guard in that pairing with his downhill style of attacking; getting to the rim is something this team lacks.

Topic enters the last few weeks of the draft process as a wild card after being diagnosed earlier this month with a partially torn left ACL. He’s the best passer in this draft and was a top-five talent prior to the injury, though, so a smart team might be wise to take the discount and think longer term.

Chet Holmgren is the starting center of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Period. But the Thunder lack size, which was exposed in the playoffs. Filipowski gives them a different look at the center spot and provides much-needed depth at a thin position.

San Antonio is a popular potential landing spot for Salaun given his ties to Wemby, but Sacramento scoops him here after a further-than-expected fall. There’s a lot to like long-term with Salaun. The Kings may not be able to plug him in immediately, but he could pay off big down the line by helping the team stay out of the lottery.

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.

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 he’s a relentless rebounder for a guard his size.

Few have had a better pre-draft process 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 improved as a shooter. That could make him a ready-made 3-and-D weapon with playmaking to boot.

Smooth lefty who might be the most skilled college facilitator in this draft class. Kolek plays an unselfish style and is coming off a career year in which he led the sport in assists per game.

Walter showed all the tools that made him a five-star prospect during his one season at Baylor. He has the array of athleticism and quick-trigger shooting to make 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.

A Toronto-born superstar, Edey heads back home to play for the Raptors after back-to-back National Player of the Year campaigns at Purdue — the first to do so since Ralph Sampson. He’s 7-foot-4 and a bit of a throwback stylistically, but his production and size should get him looks in this range of the draft.

You have to do some projecting here to buy into Furphy because of his limited role at Kansas and hit-or-miss production. However, he can shoot it great from anywhere on the floor and has the ball skills to be an attacker off the bounce. Could be a nice developmental piece for the Cavs, who don’t quite have a player stylistically who plays like him.

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.

Holmes might be the leading “Hiding in Plain Sight” candidate of the cycle. He dominated at Dayton inside and out; he has ridiculous range as both a defender and offensive weapon. His experience and ready-made game should make an immediate impact in Phoenix.

The counting stats don’t pop off the page, but NBA teams are quite interested in George, who shot 40.8% from 3 and rated in the 92nd percentile in catch-and-shoot opportunities as a freshman at Miami. He shoots it well and has a background as a point guard, which brings a unique perspective for a 6-foot-7 wing.

If Tom Thibodeau was allowed to create a player in a lab, that player would look a whole lot like Ryan Dunn. I talked to Dunn at the NBA Combine, where he gushed about his love for playing defense and doing the grimy work to earn minutes. This guy is ready to play 48 minutes every night with no load-management breathers.

New York may look to add at the center position here with Isaiah Hartenstein headed to free agency. Ware has a nice pedigree as a former five-star who broke out at Indiana last season, averaging 15.9 points, 1.9 blocks and shooting 42.5% from 3.

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.

A raw prospect with tremendous upside, Missi brings size, skill and shot-blocking ability. He’s a developmental-type prospect, which may not be appealing for a team flush with talent at center and competing right now; however, the flashes of “wow” he put together might be worth taking a gamble on in this range.

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. That’s Jones. 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.

Klintman has a great frame and a shot that looks like it will project. At 6-foot-9 with his movement skills, there’s a lot to like about his long-term potential as a do-it-all wing.

Scheierman was one of the big winners of combine week after standing out in the scrimmages. He’s an older prospect but could produce instant value for a contenting Celtics team that has shown it values size and shooting.