2024 NBA Draft: Hawks select Zaccharie Risacher at No. 1; Zach Edey goes No. 9
The 2024 NBA Draft got underway at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and all eyes were on the Atlanta Hawks, who selected French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick on Wednesday night.
Leading up to the draft, French basketball phenom Alexandre Sarr was the favorite to go No. 1 overall, but the 6-foot-11 big man went No. 2 to the Washington Wizards.
Reed Sheppard, a sharpshooting guard from Kentucky, went No. 3 to the Houston Rockets, while UConn‘s Stephon Castle landed with the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 4 pick, and G League Ignite’s Ron Holland II went No. 5 to the Detroit Pistons.
FOX Sports basketball analyst John Fanta provided instant analysis on the biggest names in the draft throughout the night.
1. Atlanta Hawks: Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg
The 2024 EuroCup Rising Star award winner — an honor that’s also been previously given to Kristaps Porziņģis and Jonas Valančiūnas – averaged 11.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 39% from 3-point range this past season for JL Bourg. Risacher’s length is seen on the defensive end of the floor, where he disrupts passing lanes and has shown an ability to be a consistent shot blocker.
At one point this past season, he had a top-3 defensive rating differential in all of EuroCup. Where you fall on Risacher is based on what you make of his offensive toolbox. He started this past season strong from 3-point territory, shooting close to 50% from downtown in the first 34 games but then dropping to under 30% from deep in the final stretch of the season. He’s a good ball handler and willing passer, but not a particularly great attacker at the rim. That’s why the jump shot consistency is so key if he’s going to be worth it.
2. Washington Wizards: Alex Sarr, C, Perth Wildcats
The 6-foot-11 big man with a wingspan over 7-foot-4 carries the most upside in this class, in my opinion, with the length and feel for the game defensively that would make him an invaluable asset on that end of the floor. He switches at a high level and can stay in front of speedy ball handlers and good shooters. The question: his offense. At just over 29% from 3-point territory and 61% on free throws, his scoring prowess needs work.
The positives: he handles the basketball like a wing in transition and has shown great passing ability, making him a connective big in a pick-and-roll offense. If a team can mold what his scoring presence looks like, he could carve out a really unique road in the NBA because of his length and athleticism.
3. Houston Rockets: Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky
Reed Sheppard is one of the best pure shooters that I’ve seen at the top of a draft in recent memory. The 19-year-old Sheppard was electrifying in his one season in Lexington, averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 54% from the floor and 52% from 3-point range. Sheppard has the ability to get hot, quickly serve as a playmaker in an offense and be a solid enough defender with great feel for the game that lends itself to him carving out a nice role in the league.
4. San Antonio Spurs: Stephon Castle, G, UConn
While the shooting piece for Stephon Castle still needs to evolve, the one-and-done national champion out of UConn is a 6-foot-6 physical guard who plays with a bulldog mentality on both ends, serving as a special NBA-ready defender for a 19-year-old. Dan Hurley was confident enough in his freshman to assign him to the other team’s primary scoring option, and Castle handled that with ease and an unlimited motor.
On offense, he can finish through contact with his size and great strength, and he recognizes defenses by making the right pass more times than not. He may not be a great scorer, but could become a better one by being alongside a player as extraordinary as Wembanyama. Because Castle isn’t a liability on defense and does possess maturity beyond his years with a real willingness to work, there’s a lot to like about what he can be at the next level.
5. Detroit Pistons: Ron Holland, SF, G League Ignite
Holland was Ignite’s top player this past year, averaging 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. At 18 years old, the 6-foot-7 wing presents a lot of upside because he plays with an endless motor, is a willing defender and can attack the rim at a high level. The issue: he’s very inconsistent as a shooter. That area of his game needs some time in the lab. After missing the end of the G League season due to a thumb injury, Holland’s draft stock carries a high amount of variance.
6. Charlotte Hornets: Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet Basket
The 18-year-old Salaun is a 6-foot-9, 200-pound wing is a really athletic, long defender who is aware beyond his years on that end of the floor. He possesses athletic finishing ability and runs the floor well, but what Utah will be trying to do with Salaun is to get him settled down more offensively into a steadier shooter and a better decision-maker off the dribble. He did average 14 points, six rebounds and two steals per 36 minutes in his first year of professional basketball, so there’s reason to believe in his potential, but there’s just so much to his game that is still raw.
7. Portland Trail Blazers: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
The 7-foot-2 tower is a menace defensively, using his 7-foot-7 wingspan to cover ground and block shots while also being really mobile for a man at his size. He added a lot of different post moves to his arsenal as a sophomore, leading UConn to a 37-3 record and another national title, showing great touch and awareness around the rim to make the right play.
While the 3-point shot still needs work, he’s got a relentless work ethic and has shown some growth in his perimeter game in the pre-draft process. While his feet are worth monitoring for a player at his size, he came off a foot injury and flourished this past season, averaging 13 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Clingan is a passionate individual who will instantly help an organization’s culture.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (via San Antonio): Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky
The one-and-done Kentucky guard is so shifty in the open floor, possessing great change-of-pace ability that allows him to make quick decisions and create plays for others. Shooting an impressive 44% from 3-point territory in his freshman season in Lexington, Dillingham averaged 15.2 points and 3.9 assists per game. His shotmaking and ability to create for himself is intriguing. The downside: his 6-foot-1 frame and whether or not that could end up being a significant liability defensively.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C, Purdue
The first back-to-back national player of the year since Ralph Sampson from 1981-83, Edey is as compelling of a prospect as any in this draft class because of the amount of range he’s had across mock drafts. The 7-foot-4, 300-pound wrote his legacy at Purdue this past year, silencing the preseason doubters by charging the Boilermakers to the program’s first Final Four since 1980 and first national title game since 1969.
Averaging 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, Edey posted 40 points and 16 rebounds in the regional final win over Tennessee, and was the first player to lead Division-I in scoring and make the Final Four since Oscar Robertson in 1960. The pros: he will make teams defend differently when he’s in the game and he can stop anything and everything in his tracks. The question mark: can he keep up with the pace of the NBA? I think he is a 10-15 minute per game player in the league that can give a team a different dimension.
10. Utah Jazz: Cody Williams, F, Colorado Buffaloes
A 6-foot-8 point forward, Williams is a versatile player who can handle basketball at a high level and is tough to guard with his length. That also is seen in the kind of defender he is, although he will need to build on his strength at the next level. While his freshman season at Colorado did not necessarily live up to expectations, averaging 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder standout Jalen Williams did show a lot of upside that can fit into the modern-day NBA. The big question: can he evolve his jumper?
11. Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite
The 6-foot-9 Buzelis, a 19-year-old who displays strong ball handling abilities and quality touch around the rim, presents upside with his length and playmaking in transition. He really fits where the Pistons are as an organization, as he can come in with Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson as a 19-year-old that has plenty of tools that should translate to the NBA.
Averaging 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game this past season, Buzelis needs to become more disciplined and a better 3-point shooter in his next chapter, but his size and skill gives him the potential to be a connective weapon on a team looking for a multi-faceted player with length.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nikola Topić, G, Mega MIS
Whoever selects the Serbia native, Topic, would have to be understanding of his situation as he partially tore his ACL at the NBA’s draft combine in Italy. When I watch Topic on film, the word “slippery” comes to mind because he is such a crafty driver who is so difficult to stop in the lane. He’s got a wide array of moves when penetrating towards the rim to glide and hang, getting off attempts that sometimes look like circus shots from unusual angles but end up going in.
Topić averaged 19 points and seven assists for Mega Basket this past season, showcasing a great ability to execute in pick-and-roll situations. His perimeter game needs molding and he has to show that he can hit the midrange more often, but I think he’s a really unique playmaker and ball handler with potential to be special if a shot doctor works with him.
13. Sacramento Kings: Devin Carter, G, Providence
He is my Jaime Jaquez Jr. of this draft, a player who does it on both ends at a high level, plays the game with an unlimited motor and will impact winning for an organization. He may be 6-foot-3, but with a wingspan of nearly 6-foot-9 and great strength, Carter is a stout defender who can switch onto bigger bodies and hold his own. Averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, Carter’s competitive drive is seen in how tough of a rebounder he is.
On the offensive end, he is a really crafty finisher and took the criticism that his jumper wasn’t ready yet and really worked to improve his game from beyond the arc, going from just over 29% from 3-point territory to nearly 38% this past season. The Big East Player of the Year willed the Friars extremely close to an NCAA Tournament spot even after all-conference first team star Bryce Hopkins went down.
I’ve been around a lot of college players, and the level of intensity Carter plays the game with is as close toJalen Brunson that I’ve ever seen. This guy is ready to help a team win now, and will benefit any locker room he steps in with how he conducts himself every day. He’s become a lottery lock for me.
14. Washington Wizards (via Portland): Bub Carrington, G, Pittsburgh
The one-and-done freshman averaged 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as a freshman at Pitt, showcasing a deep toolbox of offensive skills and scoring prowess that oozes with potential. To have the midrange game and off-the-dribble abilities that he showed in the ACC in just one season of college basketball, while also displaying a balance of distributing to others when he was pressured and making the right pass, was special to watch. He has to build up his body physically and get better as a defender in general, but I like Carrington’s offense so much that in this draft, I think he presents value at the tail end of the lottery, if not just outside of it in the teens.
End of lottery
15. Miami Heat: Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana
16. Philadelphia 76ers: Jared McCain, G, Duke
17. Los Angeles Lakers: Dalton Knecht, G, Tennessee
18. Orlando Magic: Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado
19. Toronto Raptors: Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor
20. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jaylon Tyson, G/F, Cal
21. New Orleans Pelicans: Yves Missi, C, Baylor
22. Phoenix Suns: DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton – reportedly traded to Nuggets
23. Milwaukee Bucks: AJ Johnson, G, Illawarra
24. New York Knicks: Kyshawn George, G, Miami – reportedly traded to Wizards
25. New York Knicks: Pacôme Dadiet, G, France
26. Washington Wizards: Dillon Jones, F, Weber State – reportedly traded to Knicks, then traded to Thunder
27. Minnesota Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr., G, Illinois
28. Denver Nuggets: Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia – reportedly traded to Phoenix Suns
29. Utah Jazz: Isaiah Collier, G, USC
30. Boston Celtics: Baylor Scheierman, F, Creighton
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
National Basketball Association
2024 Bronny James NBA Draft odds: Will Lakers take Bronny at No. 55?
Knicks reportedly acquire Mikal Bridges from Nets for Bojan Boganovic, picks
Rockets reportedly acquire multiple picks from Nets, pursuing Kevin Durant trade
Bracket revealed for 2024 edition of The Basketball Tournament
How to watch the 2024 NBA Draft: Round 2 date, time, TV channel, schedule
The Nets traded Mikal Bridges to the Knicks — what’s in it for the Rockets?
2024 NBA Draft Order: Updated list for Round 2
2024-25 NBA title odds: Knicks surge after Anunoby extension; Grizzlies rise
2024 NBA free agent rankings, predictions: Where will top 20 sign?
Get more from National Basketball AssociationFollow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
