2024 NBA Mock Draft: Top 30 NBA Draft prospects for next season

With the 2023 NBA Draft in the rearview mirror, we turn our attention toward the class of 2024 with a wave of incoming freshmen, international stars, and potential upperclassmen risers. 

The 2023 NBA Draft has come and gone, which means it’s time to gear up for next summer. NBA teams have already been doing homework on the incoming freshmen for years, not to mention the gaggle of international stars vying for lottery status.

Unlike the 2023 rookie class, which features a potentially generational talent in Victor Wembanyama and several future All-Stars, the 2024 class is marred in uncertainty. There isn’t a clear No. 1 pick, or even a vague top-5. It’s a free-for-all, with several boom-or-bust prospects who could rise unexpectedly to claim a premium spot in 2024.

There will be plenty of intriguing storylines to follow, from LeBron James’ son and his dad’s concurrent free agency, to the absolutely stacked G-League Ignite team, to the wave of international prospects threatening to outclass their American counterparts.

Here’s an early look at the prospects to watch.

2024 NBA Mock Draft: Top 30 prospects for next year’s draft, Nos. 1-15

Isaiah Collier headlines USC’s impressive freshman class. The 6-foot-4 guard from Atlanta profiles as the best playmaker on the board — a pick-and-roll savant who displays excellent poise and pace working the middle of the floor. He can hit deep pull-up 3s when afforded space and he competes hard at the point of attack on defense. A definite No. 1 pick candidate in a wide-open race for the top spot.

Ron Holland will help lead the charge for a stacked G-League Ignite team next season. The 6-foot-8 Texas native spurned his hometown Longhorns to go pro and he figures to be in the mix for No. 1 next season. Long and lanky, his athleticism shines as a help defender or running the floor in transition. He’s comfortable getting downhill and displays soft touch on finishes around the rim, but he will need to bulk up to better handle contact in the NBA.

Aday Mara towers over the competition at 7-foot-3. The waning value of your traditional drop coverage center will lead some to question Mara’s ceiling, but he’s a deft interior scorer with power and finesse in equal measure. He’s not a complete stick in the mud on defense either, capable of sliding his feet in space and using his massive wingspan to essentially wall off the paint. Teams looking for a defensive anchor in the middle will think highly of Mara.

Matas Buzelis will draw a lot of eyeballs to the G-League next season. At 6-foot-9, he has been widely tossed around as a potential No. 1 pick. His comfort level with the ball in his hands, combined with impressive downhill speed and finesse finishing ability around the rim, makes it easy to project Buzelis as the NBA’s next modern-age, jumbo-sized playmaker. He will need to iron out the jumper.

Cody Williams is already being pitched as the “theoretical” top prospect of this draft class — a slippery, fluid 6-foot-8 athlete who competes hard on defense and who flashes all kinds of upside on offense. He doesn’t have the most refined skill set, but Williams is comfortable handling the rock and he can torch defenders with a quick first step. His jumper looks better than others in this range. He’s the younger brother of reigning Rookie of the Year runner-up Jalen Williams.

Justin Edwards should get plenty of runway to showcase his skill set at Kentucky. At 6-foot-7, he’s an explosive lefty scorer who can feast on drives to the cup. His pull-up jumper looks good and he can defend across the positional spectrum on the perimeter. The Wildcats can be a tricky team to scout because of John Calipari’s outmoded system, but Edwards has the talent to pop — as most Kentucky five-stars ultimately do.

6-foot-8 out of France, Zacchaire Risacher has legitimate top-3 upside due to his fluidity and skill level on the wing. He’s not the most explosive athlete, but Risacher shoots a beautiful 3-ball and he can nix defenders with potent dribble moves and step-backs. His touch around the rim is feather-soft and there’s definite playmaking upside.

LeBron James Jr., whose father you might have heard of, will play alongside Isaiah Collier in the USC backcourt next season. While James lacks the explosive upside of a traditional top-8 pick, he’s a brilliant basketball mind who understands how to contribute in the small ways. He’s one of the best perimeter stoppers on the board and he can splash 3s effortlessly. He doesn’t offer much self-creation at this stage, but he feasts on cuts to the rim and makes quick decisions in the flow of the offense.

D.J. Wagner will have the ball in his hands a lot for Kentucky next season. He’s not the best shooter, but the 6-foot-3 guard from Camden, New Jersey is an absolute beast inside the arc. His twitchy athleticism and excellent feel for playmaking shine on the regular. He’s one of the best guard finishers in the draft and he is dynamite on the fast break. He will also get after it with strong point-of-attack defense on the perimeter.

NBA teams are constantly on unicorn patrol in the pre-draft cycle and Alexandre Sarr might scratch that itch. The 7-footer by way of France spent last season in the Overtime Elite league but will spend the 2023 campaign in Australia’s NBL. If he holds up against the NBL’s brutal physicality, that could bode well for his draft stock in a wide-open lottery. His fluidity running the floor and playing above the rim is tantalizing to watch and he shows tremendous body control facing up or attacking closeouts and getting downhill.

Stephon Castle will immediately assume a significant role in the backcourt for the reigning champs. At 6-foot-6, he has great positional size for a combo guard. Castle doesn’t explode past his defenders, but he places with pace and is comfortable shifting gears off the dribble, getting his man off balance with hesitations and head fakes before elevating into pull-up jumpers. His tough shot-making gene is strong and he’s a creative passer, to boot.

Spaniard Izan Almansa spent last season in the Overtime Elite league showcasing the kind of size, athleticism, and skill intersection that gets NBA scouts out of bed in the morning. Almansa doesn’t quite space the floor yet, but he’s comfortable working out of pick-and-rolls and exploding downhill for finishes at the rim. His passing touch at 6-foot-9 is highly impressive and he profiles as a versatile defensive forward who can slide over to small-ball five in certain matchups.

Thierry Darlan hails from the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal and he will play for the G-League Ignite next season. A bit on the rawer end of the spectrum, Darlan has the chance to wow scouts with his dynamic pull-up shooting ability at 6-foot-6. He needs to get more fluid off the dribble, but his jumper frequently swishes through the net regardless of how much space he has available. His athletic profile bodes well on the defensive end too.

Ja’Kobe Walter can score in bunches. With strong positional size at 6-foot-5, Walter is comfortable unleashing deep pull-up 3s or attacking the middle of the floor with concise hesitations and crossovers before elevating into his shot. He needs to improve his decision-making and start getting all the way to the rim, but the shooting ability makes his upside pop in a class short on surefire elite prospects.

Kyle Filipowski was a potential top-20 pick in 2023 before his surprise decision to return to Duke for a sophomore season. He brings a lot of interesting skills to the center position. He can shoot, pass, handle the rock, and finish above the rim — a lot of teams will salivate over his offensive potential. That said, 7-footers with negative wingspans who struggle to defend in space and lack discipline can present serious downside risk too. Filipowski will have to convince scouts his offensive dynamism can offset the defensive limitations.