Top Five Winners of the 2024 NBA Draft
TJ Inman
Host · Writer
5. Thunder Grab Topic
The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Josh Giddey and drafted 6’6” Nikola Topic from Serbia. This is an excellent place to land for Topic and potentially good value for the Thunder. Topic is recovering from a torn ACL. He could have been a top-five pick in this draft if he wasn't injured. The Thunder have a ton of picks and a loaded roster, so they can take a swing on a player who won’t be ready to play until 2025. He is a great creator and passer and is already big enough to be a problem for other point guards. He needs to develop a consistent means of scoring and get healthy, but OKC can allow him that time, thanks to their deep and young roster. This is a low-pressure situation and a good landing spot for Topic.
OKC Thunder 2024 Western Conference Title Odds: +460
1. The French Revolution
One year after Frenchman Victor Wembanyama went number one in the 2023 NBA Draft, another player from France went No. 1. France had a record of four players selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. The draft was, by near unanimous consensus, a historically weak one, but that does not change the facts. 6’9” wing Zaccharie Risacher is a “Three-and-D” forward the Hawks hope can remedy their defensive shortcomings on the perimeter due to his switchability. Alex Sarr has a 7’4” wingspan that helped him go No. 2 to the Washington Wizards. He’ll be a core piece as the Wizards appear to be finally hitting the reset button and stripping down to the studs for a rebuild. Tidjane Salaun is a 6’9” wing drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the sixth pick, and the Knicks drafted forward Pacome Dadiet with the 25th pick. Time will tell whether or not any of these players work out, but this was another banner day for French basketball.
2. Big Men Rise!
Traditional low-post big men have become a rare sight in the NBA, but the 2024 NBA Draft saw two of them drafted in the first nine picks on Wednesday night as Donovan Clingan went No. 7 to Portland and Zach Edey was drafted at No. 9 by Memphis. The two offer different reasons for being taken in the top ten. Clingan is a vicious rim protector who can make a massive difference for Portland’s defense. It is unclear how he fits in with their current roster, but the Blazers added Deni Avdija via trade and are beginning to surround guard Scoot Henderson with some good pieces to help him fulfill his promise. Edey is a mammoth presence who has improved his limited mobility to give himself a chance to stay on the floor in NBA games. He is an accomplished low-post scorer and a dominant offensive rebounder. His fit with dynamic guard Ja Morant will be interesting to watch. It was an excellent night that offered some hope for a mostly forgotten position.
3. Reed Sheppard and the Rockets
The Houston Rockets have a boatload of young athleticism and entered the offseason needing to add perimeter shooting to help space the offense and provide punch from the perimeter. They did not have to move up and got the best shooter in the draft in Reed Sheppard. Sheppard shot the three at a ridiculous clip in his one year of college for the Kentucky Wildcats, and he will have a role for the Rockets immediately. The biggest question is whether or not he can make the same defensive plays he made in college. At just 6’1” and without elite athleticism or explosiveness, the odds are against Sheppard, but he’ll join a backcourt where he can learn from Fred VanVleet. This was the perfect landing spot for Sheppard and a nice add for Houston.
Houston Rockets Western Conference Title Odds: +7000
4. Stephon Castle
Getting to begin your professional career with Victor Wembanyama makes you a winner. Stephon Castle is only 19 years old, but he has already shown the ability to be a difference-making point-of-attack defender. Castle is nearly 6’6” and has the agility to stick with and lock down the speediest of guards on the perimeter or drift toward the interior and lock down forwards. Castle is a winner and played a big part in UConn’s title run as a true freshman. His potential makes a lot of sense for the Spurs, but getting to partner with the one-of-a-kind Wembanyama makes fitting into the NBA much easier and gives Castle a chance to grow on offense with a security blanket on his side.
San Antonio Spurs Western Conference Title Odds: +7000
5. Thunder Grab Topic
The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Josh Giddey and drafted 6’6” Nikola Topic from Serbia. This is an excellent place to land for Topic and potentially good value for the Thunder. Topic is recovering from a torn ACL. He could have been a top-five pick in this draft if he wasn't injured. The Thunder have a ton of picks and a loaded roster, so they can take a swing on a player who won’t be ready to play until 2025. He is a great creator and passer and is already big enough to be a problem for other point guards. He needs to develop a consistent means of scoring and get healthy, but OKC can allow him that time, thanks to their deep and young roster. This is a low-pressure situation and a good landing spot for Topic.
OKC Thunder 2024 Western Conference Title Odds: +460
1. The French Revolution
One year after Frenchman Victor Wembanyama went number one in the 2023 NBA Draft, another player from France went No. 1. France had a record of four players selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. The draft was, by near unanimous consensus, a historically weak one, but that does not change the facts. 6’9” wing Zaccharie Risacher is a “Three-and-D” forward the Hawks hope can remedy their defensive shortcomings on the perimeter due to his switchability. Alex Sarr has a 7’4” wingspan that helped him go No. 2 to the Washington Wizards. He’ll be a core piece as the Wizards appear to be finally hitting the reset button and stripping down to the studs for a rebuild. Tidjane Salaun is a 6’9” wing drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the sixth pick, and the Knicks drafted forward Pacome Dadiet with the 25th pick. Time will tell whether or not any of these players work out, but this was another banner day for French basketball.
