CHICAGO — Nearly seven dozen draft-eligible prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft class participated in some form or fashion in this year’s combine last week here via a combination of measurements, drills, interviews and scrimmages, giving us for the first time after the lottery a clear look at the landscape this cycle as we gear up for the stretch run leading into next month’s draft.
The combine left us with most of the usual names at the top despite a wacky lottery night that saw Atlanta win the No. 1 pick, but some minor, and some major, tweaks to the projections abound after some notable risers and fallers emerged from the Windy City.
Those changes are below in our latest prospect rankings and will be out later this week with our second post-lottery mock – and first since the dust settled from the combine itself.
The latest prospect rankings leads with French star Alex Sarr – who, judging by the buzz at the combine – is emerging as the frontrunner to go No. 1 to the Hawks, but includes a new-look top-five and some new names who are rising into our lottery.
We’ve expanded the Big Board to the top 75 prospects with latest top 10 prospect rankings below followed by notable risers and fallers after last week’s combine.
NBA Draft prospect rankings
The top 10 prospects on Kyle Boone’s Big Board. Click here to check out the entire top 75.
Rising: Devin Carter | PG | Providence
Current rank: 9 | Previous rank: 21
Few players at the NBA Draft Combine presented as much on-court electricity as Carter did in his few days in Chicago. If there was an award for most swaggy player in attendance he would’ve been the unanimous winner. He tied for first in the max standing vertical leap at 42 inches, broke an NBA Draft Combine record in the ¾ court sprint and flashed the competitive drive and dazzle that keyed his Big East Player of the Year season at Providence in front of NBA decision-makers.
He’s married up an elite defensive game with an adequate offensive game to become one of the more well-rounded players in this draft and should – and I think, will – be in the mix late in the lottery. The Thunder at No. 12, Kings at No. 13 and Pelicans at No. 17 would all be dream fits. But, in truth, almost every NBA team can put to work a two-way guard with lockdown defense, playmaking skills and an improved jumper.
Rising: Bronny James | G | USC
Current rank: 56 | Previous rank: NR
There was some good and some bad here with Bronny during the week – he measured shorter than expected, at just 6-foot-1.5, namely, and didn’t do anything to separate himself in the first day of scrimmages – but the overwhelming consensus coming from folks here was that he had a big week to help himself.
He was assertive in the second day of scrimmages and did well in key athletic and skill testing, which included a 40.5-inch max vertical and a second-place finish in the 3-point star shooting drill. I expected him to be drafted in the 2024 NBA Draft coming into the week and I believe that with more conviction now after talking with people in Chicago after a strong week for the King’s son. He’s one of the best 60 players in this class.
Falling: Rob Dillingham | PG | Kentucky
Current rank: 11 | Previous rank: 4
Anticipation and buildup at the combine surrounding measurables for me was centered around Dillingham and Bronny’s’ height – and both came in smaller than hoped. Dillingham was just 6-1 without shoes and an airy 164.2 pounds on the scale. The questions surrounding his defense and whether it could improve in time in the NBA just got a whole lot harder to answer given the stream he’ll have to swim up at that size. He was a top-five prospect on the Big Board previously largely due to his offensive diversity, to be clear, but his improvement as a defender with a +2 wingspan at 6-1 will be hard to project. And that makes him hard – not impossible, but hard – to buy into this class inside the top 10.
Rising: KJ Simpson | G | Colorado
Current rank: 43 | Previous rank: NR
You shouldn’t (read: I shouldn’t) put too much weight into how players fare – both good or bad – in the scrimmage section of the combine. But there was a whole lot to like in watching Simpson consistently burn defenders and get to the cup. He was Tyrese Maxey-esque in his ability to blow by his man and create separation, with his 16-point and three-rebound scrimmage capturing a ton of attention. That and the 40.5 inch max vertical leap validated what we already knew about Simpson – that he’s an athletic and explosive marvel – but doing so on the big stage should have him firmly in the top 50. There’s a role for him in the NBA to be had as a capable defender and off-the-bench spark plug on offense.
Falling: Hunter Sallis | SG | Wake Forest
Current rank: 50 | Previous rank: 26
Sallis did not do well for his stock after underwhelming metrics in the testing (29.5-inch no-step vertical) and in one of the key shooting drills (the 3-point star, which he finished shooting just 10-of-25). He didn’t participate in the scrimmages to help overcome that, either, and there is buzz that he may ultimately come back to school. With so many risers right now in this stage of the draft cycle it’s a tough time to be on the downslide for Sallis, with a number of interesting prospects bypassing him in the latest update.
Falling: Payton Sandfort | SG | Iowa
Current rank: 75 | Previous rank: 50
Billed as one of the best knockdown shooters in the class, Sandfort struggled in the one area that seems most projectable in his game, finishing the combine with more airballs than made buckets in two scrimmage appearances, by my count. Not good. He struggled to get comfortable in 5-on-5 action and looked out of his depth. It happens. Long term I’m still buying stock but short term he struggled so much that staying in the draft this cycle seems unlikely and possibly ill-advised.
Click here for Kyle Boone’s entire updated top 75 NBA Draft prospect rankings
