While there is still plenty of time for this all to shake out, it is never too early to speculate about who will become the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Last year, long before the pick was made at Barclays Center, we knew who would hear his name called with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft with nearly 100 percent certainty. There was never even a doubt that a team would select Victor Wembanyama at that position.
This year, no obvious candidate is waiting in the wings as a “can’t miss” prospect. But there is one player who has potentially separated himself from the pack, at least according to several NBA executives who spoke with draft insider Jeremy Woo (via ESPN):
“The 7-foot-1 French big man is currently sidelined with a hip injury but is presently expected to return before the end of the season. It’s worth noting that several of the Sarr voters expressed their lack of confidence in that outcome, but viewed him as the tentative best bet. […]
Sarr’s youth, versatility as a mobile defender and perimeter-friendly forward — coupled with the league-wide demand for tall, skilled frontcourt players — could give him the broadest degree of appeal amongst the top candidates. Sarr’s NBL role has been modest, but he’s grown into it nicely and demonstrated he can impact winning, which puts him in a good developmental place for a 7-footer who has yet to turn 19 and is still getting his first real taste of high-level basketball.”
Sarr, who plays for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s NBL, received 12 votes from Woo’s survey of 20 scouts and executives. G League Ignite forward Ronald Holland received two votes and no other prospect received more than one.
Wembanyama said his goal is to beat the United States.
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Wembamyama is heavily favored as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he is projected to make a massive impact during his rookie season for the Spurs. But no matter how it goes in San Antonio, once his first year in the U.S. is over, the big man business to take care of back home in France.
With him on the floor, Les Bleus has a chance to take home a gold medal in basketball for the first time in the nation’s history. Meanwhile, other than the U.S. in 1984 and 1996, no host country has ever won gold for men’s basketball at the Olympics.
The French national team is currently ranked No. 5 in the FIBA world rankings, and they finished second in the recent Eurobasket tournament. The roster had several NBA players, including Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier.
How many other basketball players in the world can attempt a stepback 3-pointer and then turn it into a putback dunk? There is a reason why Magic Johnson told For The Win that Wembanyama will “change his franchise” and the league forever.
While he was still just 18 years old during the first two games, his stats were jaw-dropping. Per 40 minutes, via Cerebro Sports: The big man averaged 29.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 4.3 blocks. He also shot 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) on his 3-pointers. France won all four games.
France is coached by Vincent Collet, who also coaches Wembanyama on Metropolitans 92 in France’s top-tier league. Wembanyama secured the scoring title, and he also led the league in rebounds, blocks and total minutes.
Despite the emergence of Wembanyama, however, the U.S. should be favored to win win the gold medal in Paris. But those odds could easily swing based on a decision from Joel Embiid, who gained French citizenship and U.S. citizenship last year.
Former NBA player Boris Diaw, who is the general manager of the French national men’s basketball team, “remains confident” that Embiid will play for Les Bleus in the Olympics.
Embiid could change the landscape of international basketball with his Olympic decision. But he isn’t the only player with a massive decision to make.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, amid speculation about his potential retirement, LeBron James is unlikely to participate in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. It’s unclear what the rest of the roster could look like, but it was a mess in Tokyo, and they’ll need serious depth in the frontcourt.
The U.S. frankly may not have the size necessary to match up with a team that includes Embiid, Wembanyama and Gobert. Especially as the host country, France could have a real shot at a gold medal.
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According to his agent Yann Balizoukou, NBA draft prospect Killian Hayes is set to meet with the Golden State Warriors.
As 22 teams prepare for the restart of the NBA season in the Orlando bubble, the Golden State Warriors’ calendar is open. With their run officially over due to their league-worst 15-50 record, Steve Kerr and Bob Myers can use their time to study for October’s NBA Draft.
As the Golden State Warriors prepare to make a selection in the top-five for the first time since 2002, prospects from across the 2020 draft class are beginning to set up meetings with the Warriors.
Hayes’ agent Yann Balizoukou recently joined the french basketball podcast Evergure. During his appearance, Balizoukou mentioned his client would be interviewing with the Golden State Warriors.
He hasn’t done Minnesota’s interview but he will. Same thing for Golden State. He won’t do Cleveland, for sure. It’s no secret they are not interested in a guard, so I spoke with them and the chances they draft a guard are really slim. Killian should interview with Minnesota and Golden State, though.
Listen to the full interview with Balikouzou on YouTube:
In 10 games for ratiopharm Ulm in Germany, the 18-year-old guard averaged 12.8 points, 6.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. On 4.1 attempts from beyond the arc per contest, Hayes shot 39% from deep in the EuroCup.
Hayes has a killer step-back, is an inventive passer who has great timing and can maneuver his body in subtle ways to get better passer lanes to his target. While comparisons to D’Angelo Russell remind Warriors fans that Golden State did not think Russell’s playstyle fit on the team, a rookie on an inexpensive contract won’t demand the ball like an All-Star rightfully can. If there’s a similarity in skill set, that should be welcome.
As draft season begins to heat up, a flurry of top prospects will begin to make their way through the Bay Area before the Golden State Warriors are officially on the clock in October.
