Nine prospects who should be considered for the No. 1 pick

Even as you sit here reading this, the race for the No. 1 pick is wide open. But Sarr is the one who has generally held this position all season.

He was one of the top defensive prospects in the Australian National Basketball League with the Perth Wildcats. He’s a lanky prospect who not only has the length to block shots at the rim, but can also move his feet defensively on the perimeter.

There’s a chance he’ll be a fixture in the league for years to come.

This season, Risacher has been pulling on the leather of the ball for a long time. At 6-foot-8, Risacher shoots 56 percent of teams excited at Eurocup. He is also a solid defender who could profile as a good 3-D winger.

However, he is currently in the midst of a shooting slump and hasn’t shown much ability to create with the ball in his hands.

Nikola Topić might have the most upside in this draft when it comes to star potential. He is already a very good pick and roll playmaker and has the ability to make passes that other players could only dream of.

His shot, however, is fragile. And he’s not a very good defender despite his tall positional size at 6-foot-6. He missed a lot of time with a knee injury earlier this year but returned recently.

Before the season, Ron Holland appeared to be the closest thing this class had to a consensus No. 1 pick. After watching some highlights of this G League Ignite Seasonyou can see why.

The raw tools are there for Holland. At 6-foot-8, he has the ability to put the ball on the floor and create shots. His sweater is not consistent – he pulled less than 30 percent outside eight feet this year. But with the tools available, there’s a chance a team will take a chance on him.

Castle is a great – if underrated – option at No. 1 overall. He has guard skills, but at 6-foot-6 he can easily play on the wing and already has plenty of experience playing off-ball at UConn. He may also be the best perimeter defender in the class. Plus, winning a championship with the Huskies certainly helps his stock a bit.

Cody Williams is an interesting prospect. He is the brother of budding Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams.

The raw talent is there for Williams. He has swingman size at 6-foot-8, but also demonstrated some of his ability to handle the ball at Colorado, where he was particularly good in transition while making decisions with the ball. His floor may be lower than some of these other prospects, but his ceiling is incredibly high.

Matas Buzelis’ stock has soared since he hit a game-winning shot on NBA rookies during All-Star weekend. He showed his creative ability while having elite size as a 6-foot-10 wing.

The problem may be with the engine. Despite his undeniable talent, some wonder how aggressive he is as a scorer.

Statistically, Reed Sheppard was one of the best freshman guards we’ve never seen in college basketball.

He is a 6-foot-3 point guard with a 6-foot-5 wingspan. He’s not normally someone who would be considered for the No. 1 overall pick in 2024. But given his incredible talent on both ends of the court tracking down guards and shooting the ball, it’s hard to call him deny it at this point.

Donovan Clingan may look more like a traditional NBA center, but that’s not a bad thing.

He is a tremendous rim protector who has shown the ability to facilitate offense from the post and play with his back to the basket. The jump shot is a work in progress, but if he can stretch the floor reliably, he could eventually become one of the top prospects in this class.