The NBA Draft is three weeks away. Some prospects are traveling around the country working out for teams and meeting with executives, while others are still finishing out their seasons in Europe, where many scouts are making their way to Italy this week for the adidas Eurocamp to get additional eyes on draft-eligible players.
The No. 1 pick is still up for grabs for the Atlanta Hawks, but French wing Zaccharie Risacher has emerged as the new frontrunner with how well he played in the French LNB Pro A playoffs for JL Bourg-en-Bresse.
The Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, now have two draft picks with the Pelicans deferring the 17th pick in 2024 for a first-round pick in 2025. Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul has made it clear that Bronny James will only work out for a select number of teams, including the Lakers and Phoenix Suns, almost solidifying Bronny James as a lock to the Lakers in the second round.
The college withdrawal deadline was May 29 and draft boards are slowly taking shape with plenty of movement to come leading up to the NBA Draft on June 26 and 27. Here’s a look at Yahoo Sports’ latest first- and second-round projections with intel notes on how well players are performing during the pre-draft process.
1. Atlanta Hawks: G/F Zaccharie Risacher
Ht./Wt.: 6-9, 204 pounds | JL Bourg (France)
Risacher ended his season in France on a high note, playing his best basketball in front of scouts and executives from the Hawks, Wizards and Rockets last month. He is one of the best catch-and-shoot wings in the draft and has extended his game off the bounce and as a facilitator. In a series against Monaco, Risacher averaged 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in 30 minutes per game.
Ht./Wt.: 7-1, 205 pounds | Perth Wildcats (Australia)
Sarr is the best big in this draft with his size and versatility. He is an elite rim protector and has showed he can be effective in pick-and-pop situations, knocking down 3s during the combine shooting drills. He can also defend the perimeter and moves extremely well for his size, fitting the mold of the new hybrid center in the NBA.
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 215 pounds | Class: Freshman | UConn
Castle was one of the best defending guards in college basketball this season and followed that up with a solid shooting performance at the combine. He has great size and is a potential superstar in this draft with his two-way play and upside as a combo guard.
Ht./Wt.: 6-3, 187 pounds | Class: Freshman | Kentucky
Sheppard’s combination of shot creation, passing and sneaky athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect in the top half of the lottery. He plays the right way and his game translates well to the NBA with how productive he can be with or without the ball on offense.
Ht./Wt.: 6-9, 203 pounds | Cholet (France)
Salaun could end up going as high as No. 4 to the Spurs with how well he played during the LNB Pro A Playoffs for Cholet. He remains a sleeper as a top-five pick but showed his vast potential as an NBA wing when he scored 19 points and added eight rebounds and three assists against Paris Basketball in a game that was even more impressive than his stat line.
Ht./Wt.: 6-9, 212 pounds | G League Ignite
Buzelis showed vast improvement during his one year with the Ignite, adding 20 pounds of muscle and displaying more versatility on defense and creativity moving off the ball on offense. When he did have the ball in his hands, his decisions off the pick-and-roll were quick and he extended defenses in mismatch situations.
Ht./Wt.: 7-2, 280 pounds | Class: Sophomore | UConn
The Trail Blazers have invested in their backcourt during the rebuild process with Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, and with four picks in this draft, they could be looking to reload in the frontcourt, starting with Clingan.
8. San Antonio Spurs: G/F Ron Holland
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 206 pounds | G League Ignite
Holland is one of the best defending forwards in this draft class and averaged 2.3 steals in the G League last season. His length and second gear in the open court are his best traits as an NBA forward, and his outside jumper and shot creation remain areas of development.
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 215 pounds | Class: Senior | Tennessee
Knecht was one of the best scorers in college basketball and can contribute immediately to any team next season. He can be slotted on or off the ball in the starting backcourt alongside Ja Morant or lead the second unit.
Ht./Wt.: 6-2, 164 pounds | Class: Freshman | Kentucky
Dillngham’s pre-draft process has been kept unusually quiet and that might be on purpose to protect his draft stock. He didn’t test or go through shooting drills during the combine and didn’t participate in the Klutch pro day, citing a sore ankle. Some teams love his play-making and how well he plays in crunch time, but others worry about his defense along the perimeter and his size.
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 201 pounds | KK Mega Basket (Serbia)
Topić re-injured his knee last month and might be giving teams pause in the first half of the lottery. When healthy, he was one of the best passers in the Serbian league and has great size.
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 185 pounds | Class: Freshman | Colorado
Williams playing alongside his older brother and learning the NBA game in OKC’s system is the best-case scenario for the young wing who played one season at Colorado. The 19-year-old is far from contributing to a team right away but further along at his age than his brother, and the Thunder have room to be patient with his development.
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 200 pounds | Class: Freshman | Miami
George is one of the most promising wings in this class with how well he shoots from 3-point range and his potential as a 3-and-D wing in the NBA.
14. Portland Trail Blazers: C Kel’el Ware
Ht./Wt.: 7-0, 223 pounds | Class: Sophomore | Indiana
Ware has been the biggest riser during the pre-draft process and has been working out well for multiple teams. He also measured and tested well during the combine and is a player who has shown vast improvement during his college career, first starting out at Oregon before his sophomore season at Indiana.
POST LOTTERY
Ht./Wt.: 6-3, 195 pounds | Class: Junior | Providence
No other guard tested better during the draft combine than Carter. He tied for the best max vertical jump at 42 inches and broke the 3/4-court sprint record. His body of work this past season is a direct indication of how productive he can be, particularly in the open court.
Ht./Wt.: 6-3, 195 pounds | Class: Freshman | Duke
McCain was one of the best shooters at the combine and will undoubtedly interview well with the teams. Because of his combination of high IQ and consistent shooting, McCain will be a hard guard to pass in the mid-first round.
17. Los Angeles Lakers: G Carlton “Bub” Carrington
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 190 pounds | Class: Freshman | Pittsburgh
Carrington is a player a lot of teams left the combine high on with how well he interviewed and tested during the agility and shooting drills. The Lakers will most likely take Bronny James in the second round but will be looking for a true point guard who can bring a spark and possibly be used in a deal for veteran help.
This embedded content is not available in your region.
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 210 pounds | Class: Freshman | USC
The Magic have yet to find their franchise-changing guard who can be slotted next to Paolo Banchero as they continue to build a competitive team in the Eastern Conference. Collier didn’t have a breakout season at USC, but he was a top recruit out of high school and a player whose game could translate to the NBA and exceed his draft stock in this weaker draft class.
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 195 pounds | Class: Freshman | Baylor
Walter has great size and like Baylor’s Keyonte George last year, he could be a surprise in this rookie class with how well he shoots the ball and can create off the dribble.
Ht./Wt.: 6-9, 220 pounds | Class: Senior | Colorado
Because of his age (23), it will be up to teams to decide if da Silva’s another iteration of Kevin Knox or Chris Duarte or if he can come in and be that hybrid forward/wing that has made teams successful in the playoffs. Da Silva was great during the NCAA tournament for Colorado and averaged 16.1 points and 5.1 rebounds during his senior year.
Ht./Wt.: 7-0, 235 pounds | Class: Freshman | Baylor
Missi didn’t shoot the ball well during the combine but still projects as a high-producing center in the NBA with how well he moves and his development as a pick-and-roll option. He was one of the best rim-running bigs in college basketball this past season.
Ht./Wt.: 6-3, 195 pounds | Class: Senior | Marquette
There are rumors of a promise for Kolek in the first round, and the Suns make sense for the established point guard who found ways to score at every level this season. He can come in right away and be the lead guard for the second unit with how well he reads the game and facilitates for others.
Ht./Wt.: 6-11, 224 pounds | G League Ignite
Teams that go back and look at film of Smith over his season with the Ignite and previously with Overtime Elite will notice his vast improvement and how well his game translates to the next level. It’s his consistency and how well he performs during individual workouts that will determine where he falls in the first round.
Ht./Wt.: 7-0, 220 pounds | Class: Sophomore | Duke
NBA scouts and executives are very familiar with Filipowski at this point. His face-up game as a 7-footer shows promise at the NBA level, but his defense guarding the switch and extending to the perimeter might give some teams pause in the lottery and mid-first round.
25. New York Knicks: F Pacome Dadiet
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 210 pounds | Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
Dadiet is a player who could continue to rise as teams go back and revisit film from the past season. He is one of the youngest players in the draft and has a lot of potential as an NBA wing with his size and how much he’s improved in one season playing in Germany.
26. Washington Wizards: G Jaylon Tyson
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 215 pounds | Class: Junior | Cal
There hasn’t been a ton of buzz around Tyson since the combine and that could be for good reason with teams trying to keep his workouts from leaking heading into the draft. Tyson was one of the best scorers in the Pac-12 this year and, although he measured under his listed 6-7 size from college, there’s still a lot to like with how easy he’s able to score on and off the ball.
Ht./Wt.: 6-9, 202 pounds | Class: Freshman | Kansas
Furphy turned down a lucrative NIL deal to stay in the draft, which can be interpreted as a first-round promise. The lanky sharpshooter is far from a finished product but shows tremendous upside with his length and how he projects as an NBA wing.
Ht./Wt.: 6-10, 235 pounds | Class: Junior | Dayton
There have been rumblings around the league regarding a promise for Holmes late in the first round and sources say he’s shut down all future workouts. Looking at what Minnesota has built with Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid, Denver could be targeting an inside-out big who shot nearly 40% from 3 this season.
29. Utah Jazz: G AJ Johnson
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 180 pounds | Illawarra (Australia)
Johnson remains one of the biggest mysteries of the draft but has a ton of upside with his size and how well he can create. He’s still a bit raw but definitely a player a team could take a swing on in the late first round.
Ht./Wt.: 7-4, 300 pounds | Class: Senior | Purdue
The Celtics are a championship-caliber team and have the luxury to take a swing on Edey, whose NBA game and projection is unknown with his limited skills in the paint and unknown range past the 3-point line.
SECOND ROUND
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 225 pounds | Class: Senior | Illinois
32. Utah Jazz: F Bobi Klintman
Ht./Wt.: 6-10, 225 pounds | Cairns Taipans (Australia)
Ht./Wt.: 6-7, 205 pounds | Class: Senior | Creighton
34. Portland Trail Blazers: G/F Justin Edwards
Ht./Wt.: 6-7, 185 pounds | Class: Freshman | Kentucky
35. San Antonio Spurs: G Dillon Jones
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 235 pounds | Class: Senior | Weber State
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 190 pounds | Class: Freshman | Minnesota
37. Minnesota Timberwolves: G Kevin McCullar Jr.
Ht./Wt.: 6-7, 212 pounds | Class: Senior | Kansas
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 185 pounds | Class: Junior | Creighton.
39. Memphis Grizzlies: F Enrique Freeman
Ht./Wt.: 6-7, 206 pounds | Class: Senior | Akron
40. Portland Trail Blazers: G Nikola Djurisic
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 214 pounds | KK Mega Bemax (Serbia)
41. Philadelphia 76ers: C N’Faly Dante
Ht./Wt.: 6-11, 210 pounds | Class: Senior | Oregon
42. Charlotte Hornets: G/F Ryan Dunn
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 216 pounds | Class: Sophomore | Virginia
Ht./Wt.: 6-10, 245 pounds | Class: Sophomore | UCLA
Ht./Wt.: 6-7, 225 pounds | Class: Senior | Arizona
45. Sacramento Kings: G Jamal Shead
Ht./Wt.: 6-1, 200 pounds | Class: Senior | Houston
Ht./Wt.: 6-7, 233 pounds | Class: Junior | North Carolina
47. Orlando Magic: G/F Jaylen Wells
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 205 pounds | Class: Junior | Washington State
Ht./Wt.: 6-9, 225 pounds | Class: Senior | Baylor
49. Indiana Pacers: C Ulrich Chomche
Ht./Wt.: 6-11, 235 pounds | Cameroon
50. Indiana Pacers: G Trentyn Flowers
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 190 pounds | Adelaide 36ers (Australia)
51. Washington Wizards: F Oso Ighodaro
Ht./Wt.: 6-11, 235 pounds | Class: Senior | Marquette
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 225 pounds | Class: Junior | San Francisco
53. Detroit Pistons: G KJ Simpson
Ht./Wt.: 6-2, 190 pounds | Class: Junior | Colorado
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 215 pounds | Class: Senior | Arizona
Ht./Wt.: 6-3, 210 pounds | Class: Freshman | USC
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 190 pounds | Class: Junior | UC Santa Barbara
57. Memphis Grizzlies: G Juan Nunez
Ht./Wt.: 6-4, 190 pounds | Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
Ht./Wt.: 6-4, 205 pounds | Class: Senior | UConn
