NBA Rumors: Team Says Picking 1st in 2024 Is Like Picking No. 7 or 8 in Other Drafts

A year ago, teams would have moved heaven and earth to land the No. 1 pick and right to pick Victor Wembanyama.

The vibes aren't the same heading into the 2024 NBA draft. The Ringer's Ryen Russillo spoke to eight teams following Sunday's lottery and said he got nothing but negative reviews for this upcoming class.

"One team said our analytics staff does a projected value on what this player is coming in, for the people in the conversation to be No. 1, this team said their [analytics department] suggested it's like the seventh or eighth pick in a normal draft," Russillo said on the Bill Simmons Podcast (1:21:50 mark).

"I asked another team, 'What kind of player could you get in a trade for the No. 1 pick?' And he said, 'Maybe the fourth or fifth starter on a decent team.'"

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman has French forward-center Alex Sarr being taken by the Atlanta Hawks with the top overall pick in his latest mock draft. Wasserman compares Sarr to Memphis Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr., who would be a quality No. 1 option in most drafts.

Still, it does not take long for the quality of prospects to drop down. ESPN's Zach Lowe reported it's "chaos" around the NBA after Sarr on most teams' draft boards, with opinions varying on names like French swingman Zaccharie Risacher, Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard and Serbian guard Nikola Topić.

Several teams are expected to explore trading back or out of the lottery entirely. Lowe highlighted the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies among the teams that could look to make a move.