2024 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0; the top 30 as we approach draft night

We are just over ten days away from the 2024 NBA Draft. This year’s draft is set to take place at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York on June 26 and 27. Since the NBA Draft Combine, players have consistently been going through workouts and team interviews.

The NBA has also announced 21 players they have invited to the sit in the NBA Draft Green Room. Zach Edey (declined), Robert Dillingham, Nikokla Topic, Kyshawn George, Yves Missi, Isaiah Collier, Cody Williams, Alex Sarr, Zach Risacher, Donovan Clingan, Reed Sheppard, Matas Buzelis, Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht, Tidjane Salaun, Ron Holland, Devin Carter, Ka’Kobe Walter, Kyle Filipowski, Jared McCain, and Johnn Furphy have all been announced.

There was not much movement in or out with this 3.0 version. From the last NBA Draft Big Board, three new players entered the top 30, Enrique Freeman, DaRon Holmes, and AJ Johnson. We also saw two new players enter the top 14 with Devin Carter and Kel’el Ware.

The entire NBA Draft process is a fluid one. And things should really start moving now that we are approaching ten days out.

Let’s go through my latest NBA Draft Big Board for the 2024 cycle.

READ | NBA Draft Big Board 1.0 | NBA Draft Big Board 2.0 |  2024 NBA Draft homepage on NBA.com

1. G Zach Risacher, JL Bourg (France)

6-8.5 | 210 pounds | 8-11 standing reach | April 2005

2023-24 Stats: 32 games. 22.0 minutes. 10.1 points. 3.8 rebounds. 0.9 assists. 0.8 steals. 0.5 blocks. 43.9% FG. 35.2% 3P. 74.0% FT.

While Zach Risacher might not have the highest ceiling, there is a floor to his game that provides familiarity. The 6-foot-8 skilled wing has range, solid athleticism, and defensive instincts that are very attractive at his position. While the self-creation lacks, along with the blow by speed, the three-and-D nature of his game leads to a valuable archetype. He also exploded toward the end of his season, with perfect timing, in a 28-point Ligue Nationalae de Basket playoff output.

2. F Stephon Castle, UConn

6-5.5 | 210 pounds | 8-6 standing reach | November 2004

2023-24 Stats: 34 games. 27.0 minutes. 11.1 points. 4.7 rebounds. 2.9 assists. 0.8 steals. 0.5 blocks. 47.2% FG. 26.7% 3P. 75.5% FT.

Stephon Castle could be the best perimeter defender in the Lottery of this NBA Draft class. His measurables at the NBA Draft Combine certainly enhanced that profile. With UConn, Castle played as a connector. He moved the ball, got downhill, and guarded the opposing team’s top perimeter threat. Throughout his life, Castle has been an initiator. While there are questions with the shooting, in an NBA that values size and creation at the point of attack Castle fits in that fluid construct. There is a comfort with him projecting out in the NBA.

3. C Alexandre Sarr, Perth (NBL)

6-11.75 | 224.2 pounds | 9-2 standing reach | April 2005

2023-24 Stats: 27 games. 17.3 minutes. 9.4 points. 4.3 rebounds. 0.9 assists. 1.5 blocks. 0.4 steals. 52% FG. 71% FT.

Alexandre Sarr measured well physically at the NBA Draft Combine and he had solid vertical numbers. The lateral numbers were a bit alarming, but when you turn on the tape, it shows interesting mobility. He has some shooting touch, natural rim protection ability, and is capable of pushing the break. While the totality of the game needs a lot of refinement, and even with having a long way to go, Sarr’s ceiling is far greater than that of any other post-player in this draft. There are some naturally unique traits that he possesses that translate to the highest levels of basketball and even if they do not fully hit, his rim protection and switchability transfer levels. He is a project and an upside play.

4. C Donovan Clingan, UConn

7-1.75 | 282 pounds | 9-7 standing reach | February 2004

2023-24 Stats: 35 games. 22.5 minutes. 13.0 points. 7.4 rebounds. 1.5 assists. 0.5 steals. 2.5 blocks. 63.9% FG. 25.0% 3P. 58.3% FT.

Donovan Clingan measured well physically, tested well athletically, and showcased some shooting touch not previously seen at the NBA Draft Combine. Clingan’s calling card is on defense. Turn on the tape from the NCAA Tournament and you can see his ability to protect the paint and the rim. He will need to get stronger in the base and core, so as not to get knocked off his position and formalize that jump shot. But he has shown some passing chops from multiple areas on the floor and the athletic fluidity is better than expected. He has the look of a defensive anchor with continued strength and growth.

5. F Ron Holland, G-League Ignite

6-6.5 | 196.8 pounds | 8-8 standing reach | July 2005

2023-24 Stats: 14 games. 33.6 minutes. 20.6 points. 6.6 rebounds. 3.2 assists, 0.7 blocks. 2.5 steals. 44.3% FG. 24.0% 3P. 75.7% FT.

Save for last season, Ron Holland has won everywhere he has been. Whether it high school state championships, or USA National Team gold medals, winning has followed him. Holland struggled to start this season with the G-League Ignite program. He was asked into a featured creation role that he was not used to, and he adjusted and finished the season averaging around 20 points as an 18-year-old in the professional league. Holland is a high-level functional athlete. Defensively, his upside pops, but so does his ability to get downhill and make something happen in the half-court. The shooting will need to come around, his form retooled. But when you look at the young age, the physical makeup, the winning pedigree, and how much he grew as a player in the G-League, there is a lot of attainable upside still to go.

6. F Dalton Knecht, Tennessee

6-5.25 | 212.2 pounds | 8-7.5 standing reach | April 2001

2023-24: 36 games. 30.6 minutes. 21.7 points. 4.9 rebounds. 1.8 assists. 0.7 steals. 0.6 blocks. 45.8% FG. 39.7% 3P. 77.2% FT.

Dalton Knecht proved to be one of college basketball’s top shotmakers last season. The SEC Player of the Year averaged over 21 points while shooting 39.7 percent from three. Knecht showed capable of self-creation off the bounce, looking very comfortable from multiple levels with his pull-up jump shot. He also shot the ball well as a floor-spacing shooter, which will be a lot of what he is asked to do in the NBA. Knecht measured well physically at the NBA Draft Combine and he tested well athletically. The defensive questions will continue, but he has the athletic and physical tools to continue trending in a positive way on that end.

7. F Cody Williams, Colorado

6-6.5 | 178.4 pounds | 8-7 standing reach | November 2004

2023-24 Stats: 24 games. 28.4 minutes. 11.9 points. 3.0 rebounds. 1.6 assists. 0.6 steals. 0.7 blocks. 55.2% FG. 41.5% 3P. 71.4% FT.

While Cody Williams might not have the ceiling of others in this draft, his floor remains pretty high. At his baseline, Williams brings on-ball processing, multi-positional defense, and good size/length for the position. Williams also showed very well this season, as a connecting piece at Colorado. The swing skill for him is the jump shooting, where he shot 41.5 percent from three on low volume. To this point in his career, that number is an anomaly. Williams lacks to-end athletic burst, which might cap his ceiling, there is value in knowing what you can get. The positional size and his processing and passing are very intriguing moving forward. His brother, Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams, was a late bloomer. There is hope that there could be some of that with Cody as well.

8. F Tidjane Salaun, Cholet Basket (France)

6-8.75 | 217.4 pounds | 9-2 standing reach | August 2005

2023-24 Stats: 33 games. 22.7 minutes. 9.0 points. 4.0 rebounds. 1.0 assists. 1.2 steals. 0.2 blocks. 37.3% FG. 32.9% 3P. 76.7% FT.

Tidjane Salaun is an upside play. He has impressive physical tools with flashes of skill that continue to pop when watching his film. Salaun shows shooting touch along with defensive versatility. He has a good motor with a 7-foot-1 wing span. He does not process well at this point, which leads to either head-scratching decisions or long droughts with not much production. With that said, the skill flashes as an 18-year-old and the physical traits do lead to an interesting floor. And as the season has worn on this year he has become more productive and more confident. Salaun is also young, not a ready-now type prospect, but in a draft class with a lot of questions, this upside is certainly intriguing.

9. G Devin Carter, Providence

Profile | 6-2.25 | 193 pounds | 8-2 standing reach | March 2002

2023-24 Stats: 33 games. 35.3 minutes. 19.7 points. 8.7 rebounds. 3.6 assists. 1.8 steals. 1.0 blocks. 47.3% FG. 37.7% 3P. 74.9% FT.

Talk of a Devin Carter rise since his NBA Draft Combine performance has been consistent. The reigning Big East Player of the Year has the physical measurements and athletic numbers to a plug-and-play defensive presence. He set the NBA Draft Combine record for the 3/4 court sprint, tied for this year’s lead with a 42-inch max vertical jump, and carries a 6-foot-9 wing span. Turn on the film from Carter’s season and you see improved shooting off the catch and the ability to make simple reads with the ball in his hands. The toughness and physicality pops, and the x-factor with him is buying into the jump his offensive skill set took this season. Carter is a high-floor player, someone who could compete early for a rotation spot.

10. G Reed Sheppard, Kentucky

6-1.75 | 181.6 pounds | 7-9.5 June 2004

2023-24 Stats: 33 games. 28.9 minutes. 12.5 points. 4.1 rebounds. 4.5 assists. 2.5 steals. 0.7 blocks. 53.6% FG. 52.1% 3P. 83.1% FT.

Reed Sheppard measured as one of the ten shortest players in the NBA Draft Combine, as a non-point guard, that height and wing span (one of the five shortest at the Combine) make the margins quite thin for Sheppard. With that said, he was one of the top shooters in all of college basketball last season, knocking down a staggering 52.1 percent of his three-point attempts on the year. Sheppard also tied for the highest max vertical jump at the Combine, going for 42 inches. A look across the current NBA, players of his measurements are typically ball-dominant, and players of his skill set are typically two to three inches taller. When he gets a clean look, the shooting is high level and his instincts are unquestioned. He also moves the ball well with quick processing ability in the open floor.

11. G Nikola Topic, KK Crvena zvezda (Serbia)

6-5.75 | 203.0 pounds | 8-6 standing reach | August 2005

2023-24 Stats: 16 games. 31.2 minutes. 16.1 points. 3.4 rebounds. 6.4 assists. 0.8 steals. 0.2 blocks. 50.0% FG. 25.7% 3P. 86.2% FT.

The playmaking is what pops when watching the Nikola Topic film. His passes are a step ahead of everyone else, and he distributes off a live dribble, left-hand/right-hand, to every level of the floor. Topic is excellent in the pick-and-roll, utilizing pace and an ability to keep his man in jail as he proves through the defense. The jump shot is a question, can he get it to a point where defenses have to chase him over the screen, and the overall athletic burst? Can he beat his man without the screen? With that said, so much of the NBA game is played with the primary initiator playing through the pick-and-roll, and a lot of teams are looking for positional size with processing abilities. The passing can be eye-opening.

12. G Bub Carrington, Pittsburgh

6-3.75 | 194.8 pounds | 8-3 standing reach | July 2005

2023-24 Stats: 33 games. 33.2 minutes. 13.8 points. 5.2 rebounds. 4.1 assists. 0.6 steals. 0.2 blocks. 41.2% FG. 32.2% 3P. 78.5% FT.

Bub Carrington simply has the ability to play basketball. He started his college career off with a triple-double and finished the season as strong as any guard in the ACC. Carrington has the ability to play on the ball and he showed at the NBA Draft Combine that he has shooting touch. While he measured fine at the Combine, there are some athletic questions about his burst and explosion. But Carrington brings a toughness. As he continues to grow as he adds strength, he is one of the youngest players in the draft, his game should continue to do the same. The mentality paired with the positional size and skill versatility are very intriguing long-term. A not right now player, but a look at the potential outcomes three years don’t he road is worth paying attention to.

13. C Kel’el Ware, Indiana

Profile | 6-11.75 | 230 pounds | 9-4.5 standing reach | April 2004

2023-24 Stats: 30 games. 32.2 minutes. 15.9 points. 9.9 rebounds. 1.5 assists. 0.6 steals. 1.9 blocks. 58.6% FG. 42.5% 3P. 63.4% FT.

Kel’el Ware has the natural tools to be a player to be looked at much higher than this. With his height, standing reach, fluid athleticism, and shooting touch, he carries a lot of the natural tools that teams covet at the highest level. The intel will be big with how high Ware goes. The motor has been up and down dating back to high school. And he will have questions to answer about his year at Oregon. With that said, his time at Indiana showed ability as a vertical lob threat and upside as a floor-spacing big. His length, athleticism, and natural timing showed his upside as a rim protector. If you are comfortable with the motor concerns, there are a lot of valued tools here.

14. G Isaiah Collier, USC

6-2.5 | 204.6 pounds | 8-1.5 standing reach | October 2004

2023-24 Stats: 27 games. 30.0 minutes. 16.3 points. 2.9 rebounds. 4.3 assists. 1.5 steals. 0.2 blocks. 49.0% FG. 33.8% 3P. 67.3% FT.

No domestic point guard put as much pressure on the rim as Isaiah Collier. The strong-framed lead guard lived in the paint at USC, decisively playing north/south. The season could be split in half for Collier, pre- and post-injury. Before his January wrist injury, Collier played wreckless and with questionable decision-making. When coming back from his injury, through the last 11 games, Collier shot almost 38 percent from three and he got to the free-throw line at a high rate. When you turn on the high school and travel ball film, Collier was a very good player in the pick-and-roll. He made excellent reads and was able to deliver various passes, in traffic, and off a live dribble. Based on the totality of what I have seen from Collier, I am buying his ability as a passer and processor. The swing skill for him will be the jump shot. Is the almost 38 percent of his final 11 games (post-injury) a sign of things to come?

NBA Draft Big Board Players 15-30

15. F Matas Buzelis, G-League Ignite

Profile | 6-8.75 | 197 pounds | 8-9.5 standing reach | October 2004

2023-24 Stats: 26 gmes. 32.0 minutes. 14.3 points. 6.9 rebounds. 1.9 assists. 0.9 steals. 2.1 blocks. 44.5% FG. 27.3% 3P. 67.9% FT.

16. G Rob Dillingham, Kentucky

Profile | 6-1 | 164.2 pounds | 7-11 standing reach | January 2005

2023-24 Stats: 32 games. 23.3 minutes. 15.2 points. 2.9 rebounds. 3.9 assists. 1.0 steals. 0.1 blocks. 47.5% FG. 44.4% 3P. 79.6% FT.

17. C Zach Edey, Purdue

Profile | 7-3.75 | 299 pounds | 9-7 standing reach | May 2002

2023-24 Stats: 39 games. 32.0 minutes. 25.2 points. 12.2 rebounds. 2.0 assists. 0.3 steals. 2.2 blocks. 62.3% FG. 50.0% 3P. 71.1% FT.

18. F Johnny Furphy, Kansas

Profile | 6-7.5 | 188.8 pounds | 8-8.5 standing reach | December 2004

2023-24 Stats: 33 games. 24.1 minutes. 9.0 points. 4.9 rebounds. 1.0 assists. 0.9 steals. 0.3 blocs. 46.6% FG. 35.2% 3P. 76.5% FT.

19. C Kyle Filipowski, Duke

Profile | 6-10.75 | 229.8 pounds | 8-11 standing reach | November 2003

2023-24 Stats: 36 games. 30.4 minutes. 16.4 points. 8.3 rebounds. 2.8 assists. 1.1 steals. 1.5 blocks. 50.5% FG. 34.8% 3P. 67.1% FT.

20. F Tristan da Silva, Colorado

Profile | 6-8.25 | 216.8 pounds | 8-8.5 standing reach | May 2001

2023-24 Stats: 34 games. 34.0 minutes. 16.0 points. 5.1 rebounds. 2.4 assists. 1.1 steals. 0.6 blocks. 49.3% FG. 39.5% 3P. 83.5% FT.

21. G Jared McCain, Duke

Profile | 6-2 | 203 pounds | 8-2 standing reach | February 2004

2023-24 Stats: 36 games. 31.6 minutes. 14.3 points. 5.0 rebounds. 1.9 assists. 1.1 steals. 0.1 blocks. 46.2% FG. 41.4% 3P. 88.5% FT.

22. F Jaylon Tyson, Cal

Profile | 6-5.5 | 218.2 pounds | 8-6.5 standing reach | December 2002

2023-24 Stats: 31 games. 34.3 minutes. 19.6 points. 6.8 rebounds. 3.5 assists. 1.2 steals. 0.5 blocks. 46.5% FG. 36.0% 3P. 79.6% FT.

23. F Tyer Smith, G-League Ignite

Profile | 6-9 | 233.8 pounds | 8-9 standing reach | November 2004

2023-24 Stats: 27 games. 22 minutes. 13.4 points. 5.0 rebounds. 1.2 assist. 0.7 steals. 1.0 blocks. 47.6% FG. 36.4% 3P. 72.5% FT.

24. F Kyshawn George, Miami

Profile | 6-7 | 208.8 pounds | 8-9 standing reach December 2003 

2023-24 Stats: 31 games. 23.0 minutes. 7.6 points. 3.0 rebounds. 2.2 assists. 0.9 steals. 0.4 blocks. 42.6% FG. 40.8% 3P. 77.8% FT.

25. C Yves Missi, Baylor

Profile | 6-10.75 | 229.4 pounds | 9-1.5 sth | May 2004

2023-24 Stats: 34 games. 23.0 minutes. 10.7 points. 5.6 rebounds. 0.4 assists. 0.6 steals. 1.5 blocks. 61.4% FG. 0.0% 3P. 61.6% FT.

26. G Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor

Profile | 6-4.25 | 197.6 pounds | 8-6.5 standing reach | September 2004

2023-24 Stats: 35 games. 32.3 minutes. 14.5 points. 4.4 rebounds. 1.4 assists. 1.1 steals. 0.2 blocks. 37.6% FG. 34.1% 3P. 79.2% FT.

27. PF DaRon Holmes, Dayton

Profile | 6-8.75 | 236.2 pounds | August 2002

2023-24 Stats: 33 games. 32.4 minutes. 20.4 points. 8.3 rebounds. 2.6 assists. 0.9 steals. 2.1 blocks. 58.8% FG. 38.6% 3P. 71.3% FT.

28. F Baylor Scheierman, Creighton

Profile | 6-6.25 | 201.6 pounds | 8-6.5 standing reach | September 2000

2023-24 Stats: 35 games. 36.8 minutes. 18.5 points. 9.0 rebounds. 3.9 assists. 0.9 steals. 0.1 blocks. 44.8% FG. 38.1% 3P. 87.6% FT.

29. G AJ Johnson, Illawarra Hawks (NBL)

Profile | 6-4.25 | 167 pounds | December 2004

2023-24 Stats: 26 games. 7.7 minutes. 2.9 points. 1.3 rebounds. 0.7 assists. 0.2 steals. 0.1 blocks. 35.5% FG. 28.6% 3P. 53.8% FT.

30. F Enrique Freeman, Akron

Profile | 6-7.25 | 212 pounds | July 2000

2023-24 Stats: 35 games. 32.4 minutes. 18.6 points. 12.9 rebounds. 1.6 assists. 0.8 steals. 1.7 blocks. 58.4% FG. 37.0% 3P. 72.8% FT.

Next 5 (alphabetical order)

G Cam Christie (Minnesota), F Justin Edwards (Kentucky), F Dillon Jones (Weber State), F Bobi Klintman (Cairns, NBL), G Tyler Kolek (Marquette)