With the 2023 NBA Draft in the rearview mirror, it is never too early to work on our projections for the 2024 NBA Draft.
What you’re about to read is a mock draft for a class that does not have an obvious No. 1 overall pick like Victor Wembanyama (or Cade Cunningham, Zion Williamson and Karl-Anthony Towns).
There are several prospects jockeying for the position as the top player in the class and so a year from now, this exercise may make us look silly.
But this mock draft is based on intel, research, scouting, deep data dives, and continued conversations with experts around the league. While it is not at all perfect, it has some value.
Around this time last year, for example, we correctly identified 16 out of 30 players eventually selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. Meanwhile, however, 26 of the players we had projected in the top 45 heard their names called with one of the top-45 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Unless noted otherwise, all data was pulled from our friends at Cerebro Sports — you can create a free account to evaluate player performance across all levels globally. We also used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.
Our order was determined based on reversed odds to win the 2024 NBA Finals. The teams outside the top eight in each conference were considered lottery squads. Trades were pulled from this database at RealGM.
With all that in mind, here is how I’d project the 2024 NBA Draft:
The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.