The 2024 NBA Draft marked a major change to the league's annual
draft. For the first time, the two rounds were held on separate
days. Round 1 took place June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn,
while Round 2 was held June 27 at ESPN's Seaport District Studios
in Manhattan.
Atlanta entered the NBA Draft Lottery with only a 3 percent chance
of landing the first selection but jumped to No. 1. The Hawks used
the pick on French forward Zaccharie Risacher. Washington followed
by selecting another French prospect, Alexandre Sarr, while Houston
selected Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard third.
The draft featured a historic international start. Risacher and
Sarr became the first pair of French players selected with the
first two picks of the same NBA Draft. Charlotte later selected
French forward Tidjane Salaun sixth overall.
The draft also featured extensive movement of draft rights.
San Antonio selected Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham eighth before
trading him to Minnesota, while several additional first- and
second-round selections changed teams through draft-night deals.
58 selections: The 2024 NBA Draft contained
30 first-round picks and 28 second-round picks. Phoenix and
Philadelphia each forfeited a second-round selection because
of NBA penalties involving violations of league rules governing
the timing of free-agency discussions.
First two-night NBA Draft: The 2024 draft was
the first in NBA history to be conducted over two days. Round 1
was held June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Round 2 followed
June 27 at ESPN's Seaport District Studios in New York.
Zaccharie Risacher: Atlanta selected French
forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick. The Hawks
had entered the Draft Lottery with only a 3 percent chance of
winning the No. 1 selection.
Atlanta at No. 1: Risacher became only the second
No. 1 selection made by Atlanta during the common draft era,
joining David Thompson in 1975.
French players go 1-2: Washington selected
Alexandre Sarr second overall after Atlanta selected Risacher.
It marked the first time two French players occupied the first
two positions in an NBA Draft.
Three French lottery picks: Charlotte added to
the historic French presence by selecting Tidjane Salaun sixth
overall. Risacher, Sarr and Salaun therefore all came off the
board within the first six picks.
Reed Sheppard: Houston selected Kentucky guard
Reed Sheppard with the third overall pick. Sheppard and fellow
Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham both became top-eight selections.
Stephon Castle: San Antonio selected Connecticut
guard Stephon Castle fourth overall. Castle went on to win the
2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Connecticut: Defending NCAA champion Connecticut
placed two players in the top seven. Castle went fourth to
San Antonio and Portland selected center Donovan Clingan seventh.
UConn later added second-round selections Tristen Newton and
Cam Spencer.
Rob Dillingham trade: San Antonio selected
Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham eighth overall and traded his draft
rights to Minnesota. The Spurs received an unprotected 2031
first-round pick and a protected 2030 first-round pick swap.
Zach Edey: Memphis selected Purdue center Zach
Edey ninth overall. The 7-foot-4 Canadian had won consecutive
national college player of the year awards at Purdue.
G League Ignite: Ron Holland II went fifth to
Detroit, while Chicago selected Matas Buzelis 11th and Milwaukee
selected AJ Johnson 23rd. Holland and Buzelis were among the final
high-profile prospects produced by G League Ignite before the
program was discontinued.
Washington-Portland trade: Portland selected
Pittsburgh guard Carlton "Bub" Carrington at No. 14 as part of
the trade that sent Deni Avdija to Portland. Carrington's draft
rights went to Washington.
DaRon Holmes II: Phoenix selected Dayton big man
DaRon Holmes II at No. 22 before trading his rights to Denver.
Phoenix received Ryan Dunn, selected No. 28, as part of the deal.
New York's busy first round: The Knicks selected
Kyshawn George at No. 24 and moved his rights to Washington.
New York kept Pacôme Dadiet at No. 25 and obtained additional
assets by moving the rights to Dillon Jones, who was selected
No. 26 by Washington and sent to Oklahoma City.
Second-round trades: The second night was especially
active. More than half of the second-round selections changed hands
through trades, with several players passing through multiple teams
before reaching their eventual destination.
Bronny James: The Los Angeles Lakers selected USC
guard Bronny James with the 55th pick. He subsequently became
teammates with his father, LeBron James, making them the first
father-son combination to play together in an NBA game.
Quinten Post: Golden State selected Boston College
center Quinten Post at No. 52. His draft rights moved through
multiple transactions involving Oklahoma City and Portland before
ultimately returning to the Warriors.
Final selection: Dallas selected German center
Ariel Hukporti with the 58th and final pick. His draft rights
were traded to the New York Knicks.
