NBA Draft Grades: Instant analysis of every pick (2024)

The revised two-day 2024 NBA Draft witnessed 25 teams pick Wednesday with an eye on emerging talent.

Here's a look at those 30 selections and some quick-fire reaction in the form of grades for each team.

Risacher has the upside to be an All-Star wing if everything clicks, but lots of projecting and growth needs to happen first. His lack of an elite wingspan or athletic tools leaves slightly less room for error than some other prospects at his position. Though Risacher has never played the role of lead option in his career, his 3-point shooting and defensive versatility will make him useful in Atlanta from Day 1.

Coming off an NBA title where the Celtics solely rostered players who could dribble, pass, and shoot, the team continued that trend with Scheierman, a fantastic floor spacer and defensive rebounder who grew into a capable playmaker throughout his college career. He doesn't have great length and struggles athletically, but in spot minutes next to Boston's elite defensive starters, he could have a major impact on another potential championship run.

Salaun is one of the youngest players in the draft, and he's also one of the rawest. His standing reach was the longest of any non-center at the combine, and he's a fluid athlete with a functional jumper. But he hasn't been very productive at any point in his young career, and his defensive counting stats don't reflect his potential on that end. With so much room to grow offensively and defensively, he won't impact winning for Charlotte in the short term - and at some point, that's where the Hornets need to focus their attention.

Buzelis was on the short list of No. 1 pick candidates before an up-and-down shooting campaign with the now-defunct G League Ignite squad. His free-throw shooting was also quite poor, which clouds his potential as a marksman. As a jumbo playmaker with defensive versatility, he's a clunky fit next to the recently acquired Josh Giddey, but he could serve as a better version of the Australian guard in a couple seasons.

Versatility is the name of Tyson's game, and the Cavaliers can really use wings who can play both ends of the floor after a collection of Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, and Georges Niang struggled to fully fill a need as specialists around star guards and bigs. Tyson can hit threes, play point guard in spurts, and guard multiple positions with an above-average frame. A solid but unspectacular pick for a team that could use that type of player.

Given the Nuggets have the league's best player in center Nikola Jokic, trading up in the first round for another big man must mean Denver has faith the pair can play together. Holmes exclusively played the 5 at Dayton, and though he grew leaps and bounds as a shooter, he's not particularly agile and can be stiff. His spacing could work on the offensive end with Jokic's absurd passing, but it seems unlikely that the pair can work defensively, and that significantly limits what Holmes can do in Denver.

After one of the worst seasons in modern NBA history, the Pistons need all the talent they can get, and Holland checks a ton of boxes as a rebounder, defender, and versatile playmaker at forward. His shooting is a major weak spot, but a decent free-throw mark offers hope on that end. If he can't get his shot to fall, his fit with with last year's No. 5 pick, the poor-shooting Ausar Thompson, could be clunky.

Few draft prospects in recent history put together a shooting season like Sheppard did at Kentucky, let alone as a freshman. His 52.1% mark from beyond the arc makes him useful from the get-go for a Rockets team looking to win big next year. He'll also be able to learn the point guard position from another undersized player in Fred VanVleet.

As many teams opted to take swings on unproven projects in a wide-open draft, one of the most polished players in this class fell into the Lakers' laps at No. 17. Knecht was simply a monster offensively at Tennessee after transferring in from the mid-major ranks, and he can immediately provide a much-needed scoring punch for the Lakers. A late bloomer in basketball who grades out as a solid athlete, Knecht may even have star potential.

Very few expected Edey to be picked in the top 10, but many expected the Grizzlies to be in the market for a center. With the hyper-versatile Jaren Jackson Jr. manning the four, Edey's lack of foot speed is less of an issue in a drop-coverage scheme like that of the successful Grizzlies teams which deployed a fellow bulky big in Steven Adams at the five. Edey's screen-setting for Ja Morant and offensive rebounding could get him the starting nod as a rookie.

Perhaps no one impressed in the combine's athletic testing as much as Ware did. A massive 7-foot center who can move and jump like a forward, he hit 40% of his threes this season (in an extremely small sample). There's a world in which his shooting pops and he works alongside Bam Adebayo long term, but he's probably better poised to be a backup five or a lob threat on a team with a ball-dominant guard, and that isn't the Heat.

Naturally, a Bucks team that's reeling from a stunning first-round playoff loss with an aging Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo picked the biggest project in the first round, the 19-year-old Johnson. The 6-foot-4 point guard has an excellent athletic profile, but he didn't even average 3.0 points per game in his campaign with Australia's Illawarra Hawks, a team and league where LaMelo Ball averaged over 17 a few years back. It's reasonable to assume he won't be a big help to Milwaukee next season.

At times in the Western Conference finals, Timberwolves who weren't Anthony Edwards had issues creating their own shot off the dribble. That issue is immediately addressed by adding Dillingham, the best isolation scorer in the draft. He's extremely thin and a nonfactor defensively, but he's outstanding with the ball in his hands and as an off-the-catch shooter. Meanwhile, Shannon was absurdly productive this season at Illinois as a downhill driver, and his legal issues were resolved ahead of the draft. The pair instantly injects offense for the NBA's best defense.

Missi projects as a lob-threat big man without ball skills, passing, or shooting, but he only measured at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan - slightly underwhelming for someone of his prototype. Stylistically, Missi's lob ability could add a fun wrinkle to the Pelicans' offense with Zion Williamson's passing skill in high-low sets, but a limited player who doesn't fully fit his role physically is a bit of an underwhelming selection.

With a win-now roster and a head coach in Tom Thibodeau who rarely depends on a deep bench or rookie minutes, it makes sense to take a major gamble on Dadiet, a relatively unknown wing with length and offensive potential who won't factor into their immediate plans. The real gem of the draft for New York was adding five future second-rounders for pick No. 26.

Prior to tearing his ACL this spring, the Serbian-born Topic was a likely top-10 pick. A true 6-foot-6 without shoes and with point guard skills, he fits the jumbo-playmaker archetype that's extremely popular in the modern NBA. Although the Thunder are clearly in win-now mode, they took an upside swing on a guy who may sit out the entire season to rehab his injury, much like Chet Holmgren did. Frankly, however, there may have not been a prospect remaining on the board who would've factored into OKC's rotation anyway. The Thunder's surprising over-drafting of severely undersized forward Dillon Jones put a damper on the Topic selection.

The Magic were dead last in made threes last season, and Da Silva shot nearly 40% from three as a 6-foot-8 forward. He can play alongside star Paolo Banchero and can also take over the 4-spot when Banchero heads to the bench. Versatility is the name of the game for Da Silva, and his multi-faceted skill set will contribute to the team's attempt to climb the East standings.

With only three players under contract heading into free agency, it's hard to properly project what the 76ers will look like next season beyond attempting to surround Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey with a winning roster. McCain is an exceptional outside shooter and will help space the floor, but he's undersized, unexceptional athletically, and lacks true point-guard skills. A potentially hyper-focused role may be enough to make this selection valuable for Philadelphia.

There may not be a team that can successfully utilize Dunn's combination of All-NBA defensive potential with extremely poor offense. He'll make life easier on defense for the Suns' trio of stars, and their scoring prowess will take the pressure off Dunn. Still, as a complete non-shooter, he'll ruin Phoenix's spacing if he isn't surrounded by four 3-point threats at all times.

Yes, the Blazers already have two true centers in Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III, but for a team that hasn't finished in the the league's top half in defensive rating in a decade, adding the draft's best rim-protector is a smart choice. Clingan can't do much with the ball in his hands offensively, but his screens and offensive rebounding will make life much easier for Portland's talented guards.

Equipped with a massive wingspan, elite athletic testing numbers, and a Big East Player of the Year award, Carter was one of the highest risers throughout the draft process. After being a relatively ineffective offensive player in two college seasons, Carter broke out in a big way this year. The Kings have an offensive-minded backcourt, and Carter shouldn't be a zero at that end of the floor in the NBA. He also immediately boosts the team's on-ball defensive personnel.

In the Spurs' well-documented search for Victor Wembanyama's long-term starting point guard, they began the night by taking a swing on Castle. He didn't play that position on a title-winning UConn team, but he worked out with squads intending to play that spot. His 3-point shooting is also a major question mark, and the Spurs will work at fixing that beyond all else.

If Walter is closer to the 41% 3-point shooter he was over Baylor's first 13 games as a freshman, his combination of offensive skill, fluid athleticism, elite length, and defensive upside make him an excellent value pick for a Raptors squad building around offensive hub Scottie Barnes. If he's closer to the 30% he shot the rest of the way, his fit becomes a bit unclear. Given his high school reputation as an elite shooter, the Raptors are gambling he's the former level of sniper.

Williams showed flashes at Colorado but is a minor question mark as a young forward with elite size and physical tools. He shot over 40% from deep as a freshman on very few attempts. He probably doesn't have the playmaking chops that his older brother Jalen has, but if he can become more consistent offensively, he'll have a long NBA career as a prototypical 3-and-D wing. A rebuilding Utah squad could have taken a bigger chance here.

With their second pick, the Jazz took a fantastic swing on Collier, ESPN's No. 1 high school recruit entering the season. He remained extremely productive at USC despite turnover and shooting concerns. Collier should not have fallen as far as he did, and he should factor into Utah's rotation as a rookie.

Sarr was widely considered the No. 1 pick until late in the process and could have the draft's highest ceiling; he has a massive frame and All-Defensive team potential. Simply put, his mobility at his size doesn't come around often. He's a blank canvas offensively, and his development on that end will determine his NBA success.

Carrington is an offensive dynamo who can play both the point and shooting guard spots. He's rail-thin and isn't great defensively, but as one of the youngest players in the draft, he can become a 15-plus point-per-game scorer in a few years. To cap off Wednesday's action, the Wizards took a solid gamble on a young sharpshooter in George who could be a prototypical 3-and-D wing if he improves athletically.