2024 NBA Draft: No. 1 Pick Conversation Even Murkier as Cycle Continues

The No. 1 pick is no clearer several months into the 2024 NBA Draft cycle.

The 2024 NBA Draft class has long been thought of as generally weaker, with no true No. 1 prospect presenting itself prior to respective collegiate and professional seasons.

Now, with the NBA Draft even closer, a No. 1 pick still has yet to rise above the rest. And things may be even murkier now than they were a few months ago.

A string of injuries to a trio of the top prospects certainly hasn’t helped.

Alex Sarr — potentially the consensus No. 1 prospect among experts right now (though that’s far from cemented) — suffered a minor hip strain that will sideline him for two to three weeks.

Nikola Topic, who emerged as a mystery contender at No. 1 with strong play in the ABA, suffered a knee injury just after a move to the EuroLeague. And Isaiah Collier, who was in the top conversation early before inefficiencies and turnovers marred his performances, is now out for four to six weeks due to a hand injury.

Those players will undoubtedly still have a shot at hearing their name called first overall on draft night. But injuries certainly add even more questions to their cases.

Plenty of other names are still in the running, too. G League forwards Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis. French wings Zaccharie Risacher or even Tidjane Salon.

But to this point, no one prospect has looked head and shoulders above the rest. And it should make for an extremely interesting 2024 draft night.

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