NBA mock draft: Projecting the top 14 post-lottery
Sun May 12 4:49pm ET
Field Level Media
The NBA draft lottery is complete, the order of the top 14 picks is cemented and the Atlanta Hawks are on the clock.
With about six weeks left before the draft begins June 27, Field Level Media takes a crack at projecting the lottery picks. There is no can't-miss star like Victor Wembanyama atop this year's draft board, but we may see a French big man go first overall for the second year running.
1. Atlanta Hawks: Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Perth Wildcats
The Hawks, who had just a 3 percent chance to win the No. 1 pick, now have every option in front of them. The answer, though, should be Sarr as a successor to Clint Capela. Tall, lean, mobile and talented as a ball-handler and passer, Sarr's most pressing task will be to bolster one of the league's worst defenses.
2. Washington Wizards: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
Clingan isn't just any old college center. He's a 7-foot-2 monster in the interior with a 7-foot-7 wingspan who played a crucial role helping the Huskies win back-to-back national championships. His rim protection will make the Wizards' ghastly defense better and he'll be a persistent dunk threat teamed with Kyle Kuzma in the frontcourt.
3. Houston Rockets: Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg
This Frenchman's most notable trait is his 3-point shot, which he's connected on at ridiculous levels playing in his home nation's top league. Doing the same for Houston is another matter, but Risacher has the right build to fit in on the wing for a Rockets team that can take its time with him as it completes its rebuild.
4. San Antonio Spurs: Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky
Rob, meet Victor. Gregg Popovich will make sure you get along splendidly. Perhaps the best point guard in a class with several near the top, Dillingham offers the complete package on offense (15.2 points, 3.9 assists per game, 44.4 percent shooting from deep at Kentucky).
5. Detroit Pistons: Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky
Sheppard went from being the fifth-most hyped freshman in Kentucky's class to the consensus National Freshman of the Year. It helps to make more than half your 3-pointers and grab 2.5 steals a game. The Pistons tied for the fewest made 3-pointers per game and need a catch-and-shoot threat like Sheppard.
6. Charlotte Hornets: Nikola Topic, G, Red Star Belgrade
Topic's size (6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7, depending on your source), scoring and playmaking ability have powered his rise up draft boards this season. After dominating the Adriatic League, the 18-year-old projects as a major backcourt addition for any NBA team, but especially the Hornets, who need more playmaking guards especially considering LaMelo Ball's injury history.
7. Portland Trail Blazers: Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite
The 6-foot-11 Lithuanian-American offers a lot to Scoot Henderson and the Blazers. He averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.1 blocks per game in the G League regular season and comes from multiple generations of basketball pros, highlighted by his IQ.
8. San Antonio Spurs: Dalton Knecht, F, Tennessee
Knecht took the Southeastern Conference by storm as an offensive machine for the Vols and won league Player of the Year honors. He's already 23 years old, but the Spurs ranked 28th in 3-point percentage last year and Knecht offers a jolt in that department from Day One.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite
Memphis may be getting a steal in Holland, once considered a potential No. 1 overall pick before an up-and-down G League season. At his best, Holland scores at will attacking the basket and is a threat as a passer and defender. The Grizzlies owned the worst scoring offense in the NBA, but they get Ja Morant back and Holland can give him another option.
10. Utah Jazz: Cody Williams, F, Colorado
Williams scored 11.9 points per game in his lone year at Colorado and shot 41.5 percent from 3-point range -- though he attempted fewer than two per game. The brother of Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams will bring great size on the wing (6-foot-8, 7-foot-1 wingspan) to the worst perimeter defending team of 2023-24.
11. Chicago Bulls: Stephon Castle, G, UConn
Part of the reason UConn managed to win another national title was that Castle so ably stepped into the point guard role as a freshman, but he can play either guard role. He facilitates, defends, hustles and drives to the rim, making him a great backcourt complement to Coby White -- especially if the Bulls bid farewell to Zach LaVine.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Devin Carter, G, Providence
The Thunder own this pick via the Rockets, yet they have no pressing needs. Why not help themselves to a guard prospect who can do a little of everything? Carter's stock soared as he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 boards, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals this season.
13. Sacramento Kings: Zach Edey, C, Purdue
He's a controversial prospect for complex reasons, but don't overthink it: Edey is 7-foot-4, scores and rebounds everything he sees and -- most importantly for Sacramento -- protects the rim in a way Domantas Sabonis doesn't. The Kings aren't hard-pressed for an immediate starter, but someone of Edey's caliber spelling Sabonis should get coach Mike Brown's wheels turning.
14. Portland Trail Blazers: Ja'Kobe Walter, G, Baylor
For Portland's second pick in the lottery, Walter can provide something the Blazers desperately need: shot-making. Portland ranked dead-last in 3-point shooting (34.5 percent) and second-to-last in overall field-goal percentage (43.9 percent) last season.
- Raptors to join Nets in retiring Vince Carter's number
- Knicks C Mitchell Robinson (ankle) to miss start of season
- Rockets' AJ Griffin leaving team, to be waived
- Nets sign G Killian Hayes, F Tyrese Martin
- Raptors' Bruce Brown undergoes knee surgery
- Hawks sign G Kevon Harris, F Joey Hauser
- 76ers sign Joel Embiid to three-year, $193M extension
- Nets to retire Vince Carter's No. 15 jersey on Jan. 25
- Bye-bye Boban: Marjanovic heading to EuroLeague
- Lakers plan to sign C Christian Koloko
- Cavs keep F Isaac Okoro with three-year, $38M deal
- G Landry Shamet agrees to 1-year deal with Knicks
- Junior Bridgeman buying 10 percent equity in Bucks
- Lakers' Christian Wood (knee) out 8 weeks after setback
- Longtime Rockets coach, GM Carroll Dawson dies
- Nuggets, Jamal Murray agree to 4-year, $208M extension
- Cavs bringing back C Tristan Thompson
- Grizzlies F GG Jackson II (foot) out at least 3 months
- NBA veteran Evan Fournier to play in Europe
- Clippers, C Ivica Zubac agree on 3-year, $58.6M extension
The Grizzlies waived guard Derrick Rose on Monday. The 35-year-old appeared in 24 regular season contests for Memphis last season, averaging 8.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds. With one year left on his former deal, he requested his release, indicating his intention to remain playing. Without question, Rose's best days are well behind him. However, he was semi-productive in his seven starts with the Grizzlies in 2023-24, so he could have value at times during the 2024-25 campaign.
Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (foot) continues to rehab his surgically repaired left foot ahead of training camp, which starts Oct. 1. Back in July, Williams told Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic that everything felt good, there wasn't any pain or swelling, and that he was running and jumping. Fast forward to August, where the Bulls met up in Miami for some voluntary workouts, and Williams was forced to stop participating after he experienced discomfort in the same foot he had surgery on. As of right now, it's unclear if he'll be ready by the start of training camp, and then the discussion turns to whether he'll be ready by the start of the regular season. Williams appeared in just 43 games last year and averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been in the middle of the rumor mill for a couple of seasons already, but it seems like he hasn't let that keep him away from team activities. According to Darnell Mayberry of the Athletic, LaVine is buying into the voluntary workouts and the player-led minicamps throughout the offseason. LaVine and the team are still working on trade options, but he's working to be an asset to his teammates in the meantime. He was present and a full participant when the team traveled to Miami for workouts, and when they went back to Chicago for some practices before training camp started. If LaVine stays on the Bulls for a portion of this coming season, he's likely to get plenty of offensive opportunities after DeMar DeRozan departed for Sacramento.
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (foot) underwent a foot surgery in May to address a stress injury that he suffered in the first round of last year's playoffs. According to Yaron Weitzman, the Knicks are not expecting Robinson to return until around the December/January time frame. The team is trying to be as cautious as they can, so they aren't planning to rush him back until he's as close to 100% as possible. Robinson also had surgery on his foot last December before returning in the playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers where re-aggravated the injury and needed further surgery to help alleviate the issue. Head coach Tom Thibodeau is planning to increase Julius Randle's minutes at center in the meantime, and even use OG Anunoby to guard opposing centers in shorter spurts.
Free-agent center/forward Harry Giles III agreed to a training camp deal with the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, he'll compete for a roster spot on a very bare-bones roster that suffered a lot of injuries last season. Giles didn't play at all in the NBA during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, then came back to play for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers last year. Through 23 total appearances last season, Giles averaged 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds across 4.3 minutes per game. Knee injuries have been his biggest issue since being drafted 20th overall in 2017, but he may find a depth spot if he can stay healthy and compete through the preseason.
Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (knee) continues to move toward a return to the National Basketball Association. The 26-year-old hasn't played since January 2022, undergoing multiple surgical procedures on his left knee, including receiving a meniscus transplant from a donor. Fortunately, he increased his workload throughout the summer, progressing to five-on-five scrimmages. Before going down with the injury, Ball had one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals. He also shot a much-improved 42.3% from deep. With that said, Ball will likely see the court sparingly once he's cleared to return. But the Bulls have a loaded backcourt featuring Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu. Zach LaVine is also still in the picture, at least for now. As a result, if Ball will have any value for fantasy managers in 2024-25, it may not come for at least a few months, meaning he won't see much attention during fantasy drafts.
New York Knicks forward Julius Randle expects "to be ready to play by or near the start of the season." The multi-time All-Star injured his ankle in January. He initially opted for rehab instead of surgery, hoping to join the Knicks for the postseason. Unfortunately, rehab wasn't successful, resulting in Randle going under the knife in April. From a production standpoint, the 24-year-old had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023-24, averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 46 games. Without question, he is one of the most underrated players in the National Basketball Association. However, the Knicks' roster looks drastically different from when Randle was on the floor last, so it's hard to predict how the new additions might impact his fantasy contributions. Still, as long as he stays healthy, he should remain a reliable fantasy asset.
Toronto Raptors guard/forward Bruce Brown (knee) is set to miss the beginning of the NBA pre-season after undergoing an arthroscopic knee surgery this week. The veteran do-it-all role player won't be re-evaluated for another three weeks, but it doesn't seem like he's supposed to miss significant time. Brown was reportedly dealing with knee issues for a couple of months after he was traded to the Raptors in the deal that sent Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. The Raptors begin training camp on October 1, and the team is hopeful that he'll be back on the court before the end of pre-season in time for their first game on October 23. Brown averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game across 34 appearances for Toronto last year.
Free agent guard Killian Hayes is on his way to Brooklyn after agreeing to an Exhibit 10 deal to try to find his way on the Nets' roster. The former seventh-overall pick has been looking for a new home after being waived by the Detroit Pistons. Hayes was still on his rookie deal and saw a decrease in stats across the board before he was let go. Through his first four seasons, Hayes averaged 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.0 turnovers per game with shooting splits of .382/.277/.775. If Hayes can't prove that he's grown in shooting efficiency and ball security, then he won't likely stick on an NBA roster. Brooklyn will be one of his best opportunities as they've started the rebuild after trading away Mikal Bridges this offseason.
Free-agent guards Mac McClung and Javonte Smart have signed training camp deals with the Orlando Magic, along with Ethan Thompson. In a corresponding move, the team waived Myron Gardner and Tre Scott. Smart has appeared in the most NBA games out of the three new signings with 18 appearances across two seasons with three different teams. He most recently played one game for the Philadelphia 76ers last season but averaged 8.9 points per game in 22 games for Crvena Zvezda in Serbia after being waived in December. McClung received MVP honors if the G League last season while playing with the Magic's G-League affiliate. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game across 27 games.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has officially agreed on a three-year extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2027-28 with a player's option for 2028-29. According to Adam Schefter, the three-year max extension is worth $192.9 million and it gives the 2023 MVP a total of $299.5 million in guaranteed money through the 2028-29 season. Since stepping on the floor for the Sixers in 2016, Embiid has been the key piece on both sides of the ball. Now that Daryl Morey and company have put a championship-or-bust roster around him, it's time for him to lead them to the promised land. As long as he's healthy, he should also remain one of the best fantasy basketball assets in the league. Last season, the big man averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game across 39 appearances.
According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid might agree to a new contract "in the near future." The 2023 Most Valuable Player became eligible for an extension worth nearly $200 million in July. While it's tough to say for certain how this situation will go, it may be in Embiid's best interest to sign on the dotted line, considering his injury history over the years. If both sides can't come to an agreement, talks will get put on hold until next offseason. The 2014 No. 3 pick averaged a career-high 34.7 points with 11.0 boards, 5.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 2023-24. Yet, he was limited to 39 games due to injury. Without a doubt, Embiid's consistent ailments will cause his fantasy stock to dip heading into the regular season. But he could be the top overall fantasy producer if he can figure out how to stay on the floor and off the injury report.
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Klay Thompson is ready to start another chapter after spending his entire career in Golden State. "I'm excited for a whole new chapter of my career that has a chance to be so special," said Thompson to The Dallas Morning News. "I know we can do something special." Thompson's resume includes four NBA championships and five All-Star selections. Unfortunately, he is coming off a down year, averaging 17.9 points and 38.7% shooting from behind the arc. The 34-year-old also spent time coming off the bench, which caused friction with his previous coach, Steve Kerr. But Thompson should remain in the starting lineup all year, so he could have a bounce-back year as long as he stays healthy.
Per The Athletic's Andrew Schlect, Oklahoma City Thunder forwardKenrich Williams(knee) had a successful arthroscopic debridement procedure on his right knee on Tuesday. Williams's knee will be reevaluated after the Thunder's preseason concludes. In 2023-24, the 29-year-old appeared in 69 regular-season contests and averaged 4.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Once healthy, Williams will likely not be much of a fantasy contributor.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, center Boban Marjanovic landed a deal with EuroLeague team Fenerbahce on Tuesday. Majanovic's new deal was first reported on Eurohoops.net. The contract is a one-year deal with the option for both sides to opt out until January. He averaged 5.5 points and 3.6 boards in 8.7 minutes during his NBA career. He has been a fan favorite during his nine years in the NBA but rarely made an impact in fantasy basketball.
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (back) has recovered from surgery and is expected to "be ready to compete for minutes from the start" in 2024-25, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Hood-Schifino underwent lumbar microdiscectomy back surgery in March. He was limited to 21 appearances during his rookie campaign. The 21-year-old, who was the 17th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, mostly picked up action in garbage time and averaged only 5.2 minutes per game. He appears set for a more significant role in 2024-25, although there are quite a few bodies in front of Hood-Schifino on the depth chart, and it will be tough for him to get regular playing time.
Los Angeles Lakers small forward Cam Reddish has returned to full health ahead of the new campaign, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. An ankle injury limited Reddish to 48 appearances last season. He featured just 13 times after the All-Star break and didn't see any action in the playoffs. Reddish finished his debut campaign in L.A. with a 5.4-point scoring average and 2.1 rebounds. He saw big minutes early in the season as a starter, and that likely won't happen in 2024-25, although Reddish could have a chance to earn some extra minutes in the rotation due to injuries. Christian Wood (knee) has been ruled out for the start of the season, and Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) isn't at 100 percent.
Free-agent forward TJ Warren has a workout scheduled with the Sacramento Kings, sources have told The Athletic's Sam Amick. The 31-year-old spent the previous campaign in Minnesota, making 11 appearances with the Timberwolves. He was limited to 11.3 minutes a night, averaging 3.7 points. Warren was a 20-point scorer just a few campaigns ago, but health issues have badly derailed his career. The Kings are looking at multiple options at the forward position ahead of training camp, with workouts also planned for Jae Crowder and Nassir Little.
Miami Heat guard/forward Duncan Robinson has said that he's fully recovered from a back injury that limited him during the final stretch of 2023-24. Robinson was enjoying a strong bounce-back campaign before being struck by a left facet syndrome. He missed the final 14 regular-season games due to the issue. Robinson returned for the playoffs but clearly wasn't at 100 percent as he struggled badly. However, the 30-year-old sniper appears fully healthy now, telling reporters he is "not restricted in any way" and has "no limitations." Robinson sits among the best outside shooters in the Association and has also developed as a playmaker. He averaged a career-high 2.8 assists last season while posting 12.9 points in 28.0 minutes.
Veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. has signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the New York Knicks. The 35-year-old will try to battle out a roster spot in training camp to extend his NBA career into a 14th year. Morris Sr. split last season between Philadelphia and Cleveland, averaging 6.4 points in 16.7 minutes. The Philadelphia native has remained a savvy scorer despite being on the wrong side of 30. However, if he makes the team, Morris Sr. will only be seen as a depth piece in New York and won't get enough action in normal circumstances to make an impact in fantasy basketball.