Following Saturday's the early-entry deadline for this 2024 NBA Draft, the NBA on Tuesday released its pool of early entry candidates.
We've been tracking the list of potential draft candidates all year long on The Draftables, a comprehensive list of prospects in contention to hear their name called this year. The list was designed to mirror the process of an NBA front office, so when it initially debuted in the fall, there is a long list of prospects that scouts were interested in. As the season arrived, and went on, that list evolved, not just by getting smaller but eventually by being sorted into various tiers.
In actual NBA front offices, these internal tiers are typically the basis for an eventual big board, which fluctuates with even more intensity in the final months, and even weeks, leading up to the draft in correlation with the waves of new information that reveals itself through the various components of the pre-draft process.
Below, we've tiered all players -- early-entry guys and those who are out of eligibility -- into four section.
Tier 1: Lottery Picks
In most drafts, the top tier of prospects represents the prospects that are already projected to have a chance to develop into All-NBA type players. In this draft, quite honestly, no such prospects have yet to reveal themselves. That means you could realistically call the top group tier two, or maybe even tier three, this year, but for our purposes, this group is comprised of the players that currently project as virtual locks to be taken somewhere in the first 14.
| Matas Buzelis, Ignite, 6-10, Wing/Forward |
| Donovan Clingan, Connecticut, 7-2, Center, Sophomore |
| Rob Dillingham, Kentucky, 6-2, Guard, Freshman |
| Zaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg, 6-8, Wing |
| Alexandre Sarr, Perth Wildcats, 7-1, Forward/Center |
| Reed Sheppard, Kentucky, 6-3, Guard, Freshman |
| Nikola Topic, KK Crvena Zvezda, 6-6, Guard |
Tier 2: Fringe Lottery Picks
This draft isn't just characterized by a lack of star power at the top, but also by a lack of separation beyond that, meaning there are a plethora of scenarios that could plausibly play out on draft night. Tier II represents the players that could very well hear their name called in the lottery, but who currently do not project as sliding outside the first 30 picks.
| Devin Carter, Providence, 6-3, Guard, Junior |
| Stephon Castle, Connecticut, 6-6, Guard/Wing, Freshman |
| Isaiah Collier, USC, 6-3, Guard, Freshman |
| Ryan Dunn, Virginia, 6-8, Wing, Sophomore |
| Kyle Filipowski, Duke, 7-0, Center/Forward, Sophomore |
| Johnny Furphy, Kansas, 6-9, Wing, Freshman |
| Ron Holland, Ignite, 6-8, Wing/Forward |
| Dalton Knecht, Tennessee, 6-6, Wing, Fifth Year |
| Jared McCain, Duke, 6-3, Guard, Freshman |
| Kevin McCullar, Kanass, 6-7, Wing, Fifth Year |
| Yves Missi, Baylor, 7-0, Center, Freshman |
| Tidjane Salaun, Cholet, 6-8, Forward |
| Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor, 6-5, Wing, Freshman |
| Cody Williams, Colorado, 6-8, Wing, Freshman |
Tier 3: Fringe Round 1 Picks
There are 30 first round picks, and thus guaranteed contracts in each draft. Thus far we have already identified a total of 21 players who have a chance to be picked in the lottery, which theoretically leaves only 9 spots available in the rest of the first-round. Given how open this draft is, this long list of players could all be in contention for those spots.
| Melvin Ajinca, Saint-Quentin, 6-7, Wing |
| Trey Alexander, Creighton, 6-4, Guard, Junior |
| Izan Almansa, Ignite, 6-10, Center/Forward |
| Reece Beekman, Virginia, 6-3, Guard, Senior |
| Adem Bona, UCLA, 6-9, Center, Sophomore |
| Trevon Brazile, Arkansas, 6-10, Center, Redshirt-Sophomore |
| Carlton Carrington, Pittsburgh, 6-5, Guard, Freshman |
| Ulrich Chomche, NBA Academy Africa, 6-11, Center/Forward |
| Cam Christie, Minnesota, 6-6, Wing, Freshman |
| Tristan da Silva, Colorado, 6-9, Forward, Senior |
| Pacome Dadiet, Ratiopharm Ulm, 6-9, Forward/Wing |
| Johnell Davis, Florida Atlantic, 6-4, Wing, Senior |
| Zach Edey, Purdue, 7-4, Center, Senior |
| Justin Edwards, Kentucky, 6-7, Wing, Freshman |
| Kyshawn George, Miami, 6-8, Forward/Wing, Freshman |
| PJ Hall, Clemson, 6-10, Center/Forward, Senior |
| DaRon Holmes II, Dayton, 6-10, Forward/Center, Junior |
| Oso Ighodaro, Marquette, 6-11, Forward, Senior |
| Harrison Ingram, North Carolina, 6-7, Wing/Forward, Junior |
| Dillon Jones, Weber State, 6-6, Wing, Senior |
| Alex Karaban, Connecticut, 6-8, Forward/Wing, Sophomore |
| Bobi Klintman, Cairns Taipans, 6-9, Forward/Wing |
| Tyler Kolek, Marquette, 6-3, Guard, Senior |
| Pelle Larsson, Arizona, 6-6, Wing, Senior |
| Judah Mintz, Syracuse, 6-4, Guard, Sophomore |
| Ajay Mitchell, UC Santa Barbara, 6-5, Guard, Junior |
| Juan Nunez, Ratiopharm Ulm, 6-3, Guard |
| Jaxson Robinson, BYU, 6-7, Wing, Senior |
| Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest, 6-5, Guard, Junior |
| Payton Sandfort, Iowa, 6-7, Wing, Junior |
| Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, 6-7, Forward/Wing, Senior |
| Terrence Shannon, Illinois, 6-6, Wing, Fifth Year |
| KJ Simpson, Colorado, 6-3, Guard, Junior |
| Tyler Smith, Ignite, 6-11, Forward |
| Jaylon Tyson, California, 6-7, Wing, Junior |
| Kel'el Ware, Indiana, 7-0, Center, Sophomore |
Tier 4: Potential Round 2 Picks (or undrafted two-way contracts)
Again, let's start with the math. We now have 58 possible players identified for 30 first-round spots, but there are actually only 58 spots in the entire draft. Now, there will be surprises in the months ahead. Some players will leave the draft and others will see their stock rise or fall. This last group includes the players who have a chance to be picked in the second-round or could sign two-way deals (non-guaranteed contracts permitting them to slide back-and-forth between their NBA team and G League affiliates next season) even if they go undrafted.
| Max Abmas, Texas, 6-0, Guard, Fifth Year |
| Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee, 6-11, Center, Junior |
| Fardaws Aimaq, California, 6-11, Center, Sixth Year |
| Michael Ajayi, Pepperdine/Gonzaga, 6-7, Wing, Junior |
| Armando Bacot, North Carolina, 6-11, Center, Fifth Year |
| RaeQuan Battle, West Virginia, 6-5, Guard/Wing, Fifth Year |
| Jalen Bridges, Baylor, 6-9, Forward/Wing, Senior |
| Keion Brooks, Washington, 6-7, Forward, Fifth Year |
| Boo Buie, Northwestern, 6-2, Guard, Fifth Year |
| Branden Carlson, Utah, 7-0, Center, Fifth Year |
| Andrew Carr, Wake Forest/Kentucky, 6-10, Forward, Senior |
| Walter Clayton, Florida, 6-2, Guard, Junior |
| Kevin Cross, Tulane, 6-8, Forward, Fifth Year |
| N'Faly Dante, Oregon, 6-11, Center, Senior |
| Thierry Darlan, Ignite, 6-7, Wing/Guard |
| RayJ Dennis, Baylor, 6-2, Guard, Senior |
| Nikola Djurisic, Mega MIS, 6-8, Wing |
| Dylan Disu, Texas, 6-9, Forward, Fifth Year |
| Jesse Edwards, West Virginia, 6-11, Center, Fifth Year |
| Boogie Ellis, 6-3, Guard, Fifth Year |
| Trentyn Flowers, Adelaide 36ers, 6-7, Wing, Adelaide 36ers |
| Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon, 6-7, Wing, Senior |
| Coleman Hawkins, Illinois, 6-10, Forward, Senior |
| Blake Hinson, Pittsburgh, 6-8, Forward, Fifth Year |
| Bronny James, USC, 6-3, Guard, Freshman |
| Daniss Jenkins, St. John's, 6-4, Guard, Fifth Year |
| Josiah-Jordan James, Tennessee, 6-6, Wing, Fifth Year |
| AJ Johnson, Illawarra Hawks, 6-5, Guard |
| Keshad Johnson, Arizona, 6-7, Forward/Wing, Senior |
| London Johnson, Ignite, 6-3, Guard |
| David Jones, 6-6, Wing/Forward, Senior |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, 7-1, Center, Senior |
| Arthur Kaluma, Kansas State, 6-7, Forward, Junior |
| Miles Kelly, Georgia Tech, 6-6, Wing, Junior |
| Chaz Lanier, North Florida, 6-4, Senior, Guard |
| Baba Miller, Florida State, 6-11, Forward, Sophomore |
| Emanuel Miller, TCU, 6-7, Forward/Wing, Fifth Year |
| Judah Mintz, Syracuse, 6-4, Guard, Sophomore |
| Dillon Mitchell, Texas, 6-8, Forward, Sophomore |
| Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco, 6-8, Center, Junior |
| Matthew Murrell, Ole Miss, 6-4, Guard, Senior |
| Tristen Newton, Connecticut, 6-5, Guard, Fifth Year |
| Olivier Nkamhoua, Michigan, 6-9, Forward, Fifth Year |
| Norchad Omier, Miami, 6-7, Center/Forward, Senior |
| Ugonna Onyenson, Kentucky, 7-0, Center, Sophomore |
| Drew Pember, UNC Asheville, 6-11, Forward, Fifth Year |
| Wooga Poplar, Miami, 6-5, Guard, Junior |
| Quinten Post, Boston College, 7-0, Center, Fifth Year |
| Zyon Pullin, Florida, 6-5, Guard, Fith Year |
| Antonio Reeves, Kentucky, 6-6, Wing/Guard, Fifth Year |
| Mantas Rubstavicius, New Zealand Breakers, 6-5, Guard |
| Mark Sears, Alabama, 6-1, Guard, Senior |
| Babar Sene, Ignite, 6-7, Forward/Wing |
| Jamarion Sharp, Ole Miss, 7-5, Center, Fifth Year |
| Jamal Shead, Houston, 6-1, Guard, Senior |
| Joel Soriano, St. John's, 6-11, Center, Senior |
| Cam Spencer, Connecticut, 6-4, Guard, Fifth Year |
| Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State, 6-0, Guard, Fifth Year |
| Jahmyl Telfort, Butler, 6-7, Forward/Wing, Senior |
| Alex Toohey, Sydney King, 6-8, Wing/Forward |
| Nae'Qwan Tomlin, Memphis, 6-9, Forward/Wing, Fifth Year |
| Cameron Tyson, Seattle, 6-3, Guard, Fifth Year |
| Jamir Watkins, Florida State, 6-7, Wing, Junior |
| Anton Watson, Gonzaga, 6-8, Forward, Fifth Year |
| Shahada Wells, McNeese State, 6-0, Guard, Senior |
| Jaylin Williams, Auburn, 6-8, Forward, Fifth Year |
| Jahmir Young, Maryland, 6-1, Guard, Fifth Year |
The 2024 NBA Draft Lottery is May 12. The combine runs May 13-19. The early entry withdrawal deadline is June 16. The two-night NBA Draft is June 26-27.
