2024 NBA Mock Draft: Rounding Up Expert Picks Heading into Final Day of Season

The final day of the 2023-24 NBA regular season has arrived. With teams set to wrap their schedules on Sunday and the play-in tournament looming, much of the NBA world is focused on the upcoming postseason.

Teams that have already been eliminated, however, are already eyeing the offseason and the 2024 draft.

This year's draft won't feature a slam-dunk pick like Victor Wembanyama at the top, and the early order won't be settled until the draft lottery on May 12. However, we can get an idea of how the draft might unfold by examining some of the latest mocks from around the web.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt and The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor might not project the same draft orders, but they do agree on the top prospect—at least, for now.

Here, we'll dive into some of the latest expert mocks and examine the prospects most likely to serve as top prizes in the 2024 NBA draft.

Alexandre Sarr Trending as Top Choice

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French basketball player Alexandre Sarr of the Perth Wildcats practices before playing against the Tasmania Jackjumpers during an Australian National Basketball League game at Perth Arena in Perth on March 8, 2024. (Photo by COLIN MURTY / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by COLIN MURTY/AFP via Getty Images)

Wasserman, Zillgitt and O'Connor all have Perth Wildcats (Australia) standout Alexandre Sarr as their top choice. Wasserman and Zillgitt both have Sarr mocked to the Detroit Pistons, while O'Connor has the 7'1" big man going to the Toronto Raptors.

There's a lot to like about the French prospect, including his length and size (216 lbs), shot-blocking ability and offensive upside.

"He's become a strong candidate to go No. 1 thanks to glimpses of three-point range, pull-up shooting and open-floor ball-handling—unique skills for a 7'1", switchable rim protector," Wasserman wrote.

While big men aren't as coveted in today's wide-open NBA as they once were, teams still prioritize defense. If Sarr can indeed become a dependable two-way player, he'll have a chance to carve out a fruitful career. His floor as a rim protector leaves only a small level of risk.

However, Sarr is far from a lock to go No. 1 overall. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, for example, has fellow French prospect Zaccharie Risacher going No. 1 to the Pistons one spot ahead of Sarr.

Opinions Vary on Zaccharie Risacher

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NANTERRE, FRANCE - MARCH 23: Zaccharie Risacher (10) (Bourg en Bresse) looks on during the French National Basketball League (LNB) game between Nanterre 92 and Bourg en Bresse at Palais des sports Maurice Thorez on March 23, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Glenn Gervot/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Vecenie believes that Risacher is worthy of the top choice, but opinions on the JL Bourg star aren't universal.

Zillgitt has Risacher going second overall, while Wasserman has the 19-year-old coming in at No. 4. O'Connor, however, has Risacher falling to the Chicago Bulls at No. 10. A recent slump by the 6'8", 205-pound shooter could be cooling his draft stock.

"After making nearly half of his 3s in his first 34 games this season, Risacher has made only 24.5 percent in the 14 since. It's possible that his hot streak was nothing more than that," O'Connor wrote.

Yet, Vecenie believes that the eye test outweighs any decline in efficiency.

"Risacher is clearly at No. 1 for me right now," Vecenie wrote. "The NBA is constantly on the lookout for big wing/forward types who can knock down shots, defend at a reasonable level and play with the ball in their hands."

Like Sarr, Risacher appears to have a safe floor, even if his ceiling isn't quite what an NBA team would hope to secure with the No. 1 overall selection.

A Lot of Mystery Could Remain Heading into Draft Night

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Kentucky prospect Rob Dillingham

Sarr was a top-two selection in all four mock drafts we examined, but the rest of the top-five isn't as clear-cut. None of the mocks featured the same No. 2 selection.

Risacher and Sarr each got one nod for the second overall pick. However, Wasserman mocked Kentucky's Rob Dillingham to the Washington Wizards at No. 2, while O'Connor mocked UConn freshman Stephon Castle to the Utah Jazz at No. 2.

Opinions on those two players are also mixed. Vecenie and Wasserman both have Castle landing with the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 5, while Zillgitt has him landing with the Utah Jazz at No. 8.

Wasserman and Zillgitt both have Dillingham as a top-three pick, but Vecenie and O'Connor both have him falling out of the top 10.

"The best comparison I have been able to come up with for Dillingham is Lou Williams," Vecenie wrote. "Where would a team take Williams in this class? My best bet right now is in the back end of the lottery. But I've gotten ranges from No. 5 all the way down to No. 20."

Other players going in the top five of these four mocks include Kentucky's Reed Sheppard, Nikola Topić of Crvena zvezda (Serbia), Matas Buzelis of G League Ignite, Colorado's Cody Williams and Tennessee's Dalton Knecht.

While there are some intriguing prospects in the 2024 class, it feels like teams aren't clear what most of them can be at the next level. There definitely isn't a clear-cut No. 1 choice, and team-specific needs and preferences are likely to determine how the early first round unfolds.