The top 5 projected picks in the 2024 NBA Draft: Who could the Hawks select at number 1?

The Atlanta Hawks were the big winners in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery. Despite being given just a 3% chance of claiming the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, that’s exactly what they got on Sunday. Attention now turns to who they are likely to select at the event, which takes place at the end of next month.

No clear No. 1 Draft pick in 2024

Unlike last year, when it was clear to everyone from the very beginning that Victor Wembanyama would be drafted first (which he was, by the San Antonio Spurs), the top projected picks appear to be less clear-cut this time around, as evidenced by the varied names included on “expert’s” top five lists.

There are two, however, that appear to be very high up the list for most - Alex Sarr, another Frenchman, and Nikola Topic, the latest Serbian prodigy.

Alex Sarr and Nikola Topic head international options

19-year-old center Sarr, who stands at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m), currently plays for the Perth Wildcats in Australia, having previously performed in the Overtime Elite league (for 16-20 year olds) in…Atlanta. Perhaps it’s written in the stars for the Hawks?

Point guard Topic only signed his first professional contrast with Crvena zvezda in his homeland last July but the 18-year-old has already made his debut for the Serbian national team alongside NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

Top domestic talents heading for NBA

Sarr and Topic appear in most top fives, although it’s tough to find too much consensus elsewhere. However, there are a few domestic talents that should be picked early on, and could even be drafted first.

Rob Dillingham has proved to be an efficient and consistent point guard in college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats, with high-level creation and shotmaking his main strengths

You can’t miss 7 ft 1 in (2.18 m), 280-pound center Donovan Clingan of UConn, who hasn’t escaped the attention of plenty of admirers, who believe he can play a similar role in the NBA to Rudy Gobert.

Ron Holland, who last played for NBA G League Ignite in the NBA G League, is tipped to be an offensive threat in the big league because of his open-floor speed, while he has improved significantly in several other aspects of his play over the last season.

Another French star to follow in Wembanyama’s footsteps?

One other budding international star has been earmarked (by some, less so by others) to be snapped up right at the beginning - Zaccharie Risacher, another Frenchman, like Wembanyama and Sarr. The 19-year-old small forward was in ridiculous form for JL Bourg at the start of the season and is considered an extremely efficient catch-and-shooter, as well as a solid shooter coming off screens or from mid-range.

Which of the names mentioned - if any - will the Hawks go for? As ever with the draft, it will all depend on the team’s roster strategy. Do they want to continue to build around Trae Young or break up his backcourt partnership with Dejounte Murray? Do they want to simply get their hands on the best player available?

We don’t have too long to wait to find out. The 2024 NBA Draft takes place on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 June at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the first time the event will be held over two nights.