The 2024 NBA Draft is rapidly approaching, and teams are going to have to figure out what they want to do. Who will make trades? Who will make picks? Who will reach? Who will get a steal?
There is no Victor Wembanyama in the draft his year, so teams could go in any number of directions, as there is no clear top prospect for those at the top of the draft to hone in on.
The Atlanta Hawks need to nail their first pick, the Washington Wizards should take the best player available, and the Houston Rockets need to do as they see best. The Charlotte Hornets have an intriguing decision to make at pick No. 6, too. Past that, who knows what could happen?
Here is Swarm and Sting’s second (and final) mock draft.
2024 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Hornets get perfect piece, Lakers shock the league
1. Zacharie Risacher, France | Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks could use this opportunity to reset their roster around Jalen Johnson. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray could both be traded. And even if they’re still around, Zacharie Risacher is the perfect blend of talent and upside.
2. Alex Sarr, France | Washington Wizards
The general consensus is that Risacher and Alex Sarr will be the top two picks in the draft, and for a long time, Sarr took the one spot in most mocks. However, Risacher’s shooting could be more attractive to Atlanta, and if that’s the case, the Washington Wizards could get a steal.
Sarr’s overall potential and elite defensive talent would help the Wizards transform their frontcourt. He and Bilal Coulibaly could combine to form one of the best defensive frontcourts in the league.
Snagging Sarr with the second pick in the draft would be a massive win for the Wizards.
3. Reed Sheppard, Kentucky | Houston Rockets
This is a very clear selection for the Houston Rockets. Reed Sheppard is a top-tier talent on both sides of the ball, and he would slot in perfectly with the Houston Rockets’ current core.
4. Stephon Castle, UConn | San Antonio Spurs
Bringing in Stephon Castle to be their point guard would be a great choice for the San Antonio Spurs. Castle’s defensive talent, build, and overall basketball IQ would slot in beautifully next to the Spurs’ current core, led by Victor Wembanyama.
5. TRADE | Lakers get No. 5 pick, Jaden Ivey, Jordan Hawkins, Evan Fournier | Pistons get Brandon Ingram, Rui Hachimura, No. 21 pick, Two future second-round picks (via LAL) | Pelicans get Austin Reaves, Isaiah Stewart, No. 17 pick
Lakers select Donovan Clingan
Well, this would shock the league.
In this deal, the Los Angeles Lakers would jump up in the draft and snag UConn big man Donovan Clingan. They may not have gotten Dan Hurley, but they can get another Husky in this deal.
The Lakers played well with Anthony Davis at center this past year, but when they won the title in 2020, they ran double bigs. Bringing in Clingan would give them a chance to get back to that look with an elite young center prospect.
On top of that, they would add Jaden Ivey, solidifying a young team with a ton of promise, as well as a group of guys that can help LeBron James and Davis compete in the immediate future. Jordan Hawkins’ shooting would give them a nice boost, too.
Detroit would snag Brandon Ingram in this trade, helping them propel forward with Cade Cunningham at the head of the snake. They should be grabbing a ton of talent to help compete for the playoffs. Rui Hachimura would help them in that regard, too.
Lastly, the Pelicans are reportedly looking to trade Ingram, and this would be a nice haul for him and Hawkins. Austin Reaves would be a great fit on their team, and he’s on a cheaper contract. Isaiah Stewart seems like a nice fit with Zion Williamson, too.
6. Cody Williams, G League Ignite | Charlotte Hornets
As the Charlotte Hornets look to round out their roster, Cody Williams’ all-around skill set would be a nice fit next to Brandon Miller in the frontcourt.
Snagging Williams at this pick would be an absolute steal for the Hornets, as he has all the tools to be one of the best players in this draft class. The brother of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams, Cody could be just as impressive.
At 6-foot-8, he would play the forward position alongside Brandon Miller, but he has the skill set to act like a wing at time for the Hornets. He would be a perfect connective piece for Charlotte to play alongside LaMelo Ball.
If he can come anywhere close to making the leaps that his brother did, the Hornets would be thrilled to land him with this selection.
7. Rob Dillingham, Kentucky | Portland Trail Blazers
With this selection, the Portland Trail Blazers would form a new young backcourt with Rob Dillingham and Scoot Henderson. Dillingham’s extra shot creation would give them a nice boost. He’s a great piece who would provide them with some improved play on the offensive end of the floor.
8. Tidjane Salaun, France | San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs would be bringing in another Frenchman to play next to Victor Wembanyama. Tidjane Salaun is still a very raw prospect, but it would be worth it for the Spurs to take a chance on him. If they can get him to pop, he and Victor Wembanyama would be quite the tandem.
9. TRADE | Trail Blazers get No. 9 pick, Luke Kennard, Brandon Clarke, Ziaire Williams | Grizzlies get Deandre Ayton, No. 34 pick
Trail Blazers select Matas Buzelis
The Memphis Grizzlies are going to push for a deep playoff run next year. Injuries got in the way this past season, but they have the talent to be a great team moving forward.
Adding Deandre Ayton to the mix would give them a massive frontcourt with him and Jaren Jackson Jr. Both are plus defenders, with the former having won Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
In return, the Portland Trail Blazers would land another top-10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. With the pick, they would take Matas Buzelis, who is one of the most intriguing wing prospects in this year’s class.
10. Devin Carter, Providence | Utah Jazz
Devin Carter is one of the best defensive players in this draft, and the Utah Jazz could create a very intriguing backcourt of the future with him and Keyonte George leading the way.
11. Dalton Knecht, Tennessee | Chicago Bulls
As the Chicago Bulls look to reset a bit, getting younger and prepping for the future, adding a talented wing player like Dalton Knecht would help them ride the line between competing now while also adding young talent.
12. TRADE | Nets get No. 12 pick, Future protected first-round pick | Thunder get Cam Johnson
Nets select Nikola Topic
The Oklahoma City Thunder already proved their willingness to spend to improve with their trade for Alex Caruso. Bringing in Cam Johnson as a 3-and-D forward to play alongside their current lineup would be incredible.
The Brooklyn Nets don’t have a pick in this year’s draft. Here, they would get the No. 12 pick and a future protected first in exchange for a 28-year-old Johnson.
With the selection, they would take Nikola Topic. The pick would be a risk, as Topic is dealing with an ACL injury, but he’s one of the most talented playmakers in this draft. It would be worth the risk.
13. Jared McCain, Duke | Sacramento Kings
Drafting Jared McCain would give the Sacramento Kings a knock-down shooter at the guard position—something they currently don’t have on the roster.
14. Ron Holland, G League Ignite | Portland Trail Blazers
Getting Ron Holland at this point in the draft would be great value for the Portland Trail Blazers. He’s a very raw prospect, but they have plenty of time to develop him.
15. Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor | Miami Heat
Adding a scoring punch at the wing position in Ja’Kobe Walter would be a great idea for the Miami Heat, who have an elite track record of developing young talent.
16. Carlton Carrington, Pittsburgh | Philadelphia 76ers
Still 18 years old, Carlton “Bub” Carrington has been one of the fastest risers up draft boards. His shot creation and overall upside could make him an intriguing young player for the Philadelphia 76ers to work with.
17. TRADE | Tyler Kolek, Marquette | New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans acquired this pick with their previously outlined trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. Adding a ready-now guard like Tyler Kolek would give them some great depth at that position.
18. DaRon Holmes II, Dayton | Orlando Magic
If the Orlando Magic figure out their point guard position in free agency, adding DaRon Holmes II in the draft would be perfect. His versatile play at the big man position could be a great improvement on both ends at the five.
19. Tristan da Silva, Colorado | Toronto Raptors
As the Toronto Raptors hope to reshape their roster around Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett, adding a versatile forward who can shoot the ball would provide them a huge boost. That’s what Tristan da Silva would do.
20. Kyshawn George, Miami | Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyshawn George could end up being one of the most impressive scorers in this draft class. Bringing in a 6-foot-7 dynamic scorer like George, who can also shoot the ball, would be perfect for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
21. TRADE | Jaylon Tyson, California | Detroit Pistons
From the earlier three-team trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Detroit Pistons would snag Jaylon Tyson here. His shot creator and versatility at 6-foot-5 would fit in nicely on the wing.
22. Baylor Scheierman, Creighton | Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns need to figure out what the rest of their team looks like around their Big 3. Baylor Scheierman’s offensive creation and three-point shooting could act as a nice connective piece around them.
23. Kel’el Ware, Indiana | Milwaukee Bucks
If the Milwaukee Bucks want to improve their play on both ends of the floor, Kel’el Ware could be an impressive piece. He’s an athletic freak who would provide some versatile rim protection and a nice rim-runner on offense.
24. Zach Edey, Purdue | New York Knicks
This is a weird pick, but if the New York Knicks end up trading Mitchell Robinson this summer and roll with Isaiah Hartenstein as their lead center, adding Zach Edey wouldn’t be a terrible idea. He’s not versatile, but he has a huge body and would bang down low for New York.
25. Cam Spencer, UConn | New York Knicks
Cam Spencer screams New York Knicks. He works his butt off and had to grind to get to where he was at UConn. Spencer shoots the ball well and would give them a nice new look at the guard position.
26. Yves Missi, Baylor | Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards should simply be targeting talent in this draft. Yves Missi’s athleticism and rim-rinning would be a nice piece to play alongside Jordan Poole and Tyus Jones (if they re-sign him).
27. Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas | Minnesota Timberwolves
As the Minnesota Timberwolves hope to add cheap talent to an overly expensive roster, Kansas’ Kevin McCullar Jr.’s all-around game would help. He still needs to prove himself as a shooter, but he’s improving, and his defense would fit right in.
28. Kyle Filipowski, Duke | Denver Nuggets
Finding a new big man to play behind Nikola Jokic should be a goal this summer. Duke’s Kyle Filipowski could step in and play an all-around game for them.
29. Pacome Dadiet, Germany | Utah Jazz
Pacome Dadiet has a ton of upside. He’s a great offensive talent but needs to prove that he can do it at the NBA level. The near-6-foot-8 wing is the perfect project player for the Jazz.
30. Ulrich Chomche, NBA Academy Africa | Boston Celtics
This is the perfect long-term pick for the Boston Celtics to work with in their G League system. Ulrich Chomche has a ton of potential on both ends of the floor and could be a fun piece for them to run up in Maine.