We’ve talked and written ad nauseum about the top of the 2024 NBA draft class — Reed Sheppard‘s status as the best shooter, Donovan Clingan‘s shot-blocking, Alex Sarr’s defensive versatility and Zaccharie Risacher’s 3-and-D prowess.
But what about the less obvious draft prospects, unheralded second round or undrafted players who might one day impact an NBA Finals series — much like Boston Celtics players Derrick White (No. 29 pick in 2017) and Sam Hauser (undrafted in 2021) and Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. (undrafted in 2016) did this past season?
What follows is not a list of the best players in the 2024 class or even the elite at each position, but rather a group of sleepers, by position, who we think could exceed expectations for where they might be drafted. We’re ignoring the obvious and ruling out any player who is currently projected to go in the first round based on our most recent mock draft.
The six players chosen all have first-round grades on my personal board, which differs slightly from ESPN’s Top 100 Big Board because those rankings account for how prospects are perceived around the NBA.
Round 1 begins Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ and the ESPN App.
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