2024 NBA Mock Draft: Raptors win the Lottery, Kentucky guards plummet

It's time for another 2024 NBA Mock Draft! This version has the Raptors picking first, the Spurs taking another Frenchman, and Kentucky's guards plummeting.

Jesse Wagstaff, Alex Sarr, Perth Wildcats and Matas Buzelis, Ron Holland, G League Ignite
Jesse Wagstaff, Alex Sarr, Perth Wildcats and Matas Buzelis, Ron Holland, G League Ignite | Ethan Miller/GettyImages
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4. San Antonio Spurs select Zaccharie Risacher

The San Antonio Spurs have a long history of French players excelling for their franchise, and just last season drafted Victor Wembanyama, on track to become the best French player in basketball history. He might already be there.

Zaccharie Risacher becomes his running-mate in San Antonio here. He is a knockdown shooter, hitting 47 percent of his 3-pointers this past season and able to shoot off the catch, off movement and with the ball in his hands. At 6'8" he could be the long-term small forward, pairing with Devin Vassell on the wing.

Unlikely many movement shooters, Risacher has size and is a good defender; he should excel defending on the perimeter with Wembanyama behind him to clean up, and his gravity on the perimeter combined with Victor's inside could be an elite pairing.

5. Detroit Pistons select Nikola Topic

Nikola Topic is a 6'6" guard with a deep bag of offensive skills, from his handle to his scoring to his finishing to his passing. The Pistons have a lot of young talent on their roster, but they don't have an unstoppable shot creator and they need to take a chance on finding a future No. 1 offensive option.

Topic has some defensive questions that need to be answered, but playing alongside Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson would help mitigate them. On offense he can be the No. 1 option, allowing Cunningham to slide into a secondary role that should allow his other skills to develop. This pick likely slides Jaden Ivey into a long-term backup role or places him on the trade block, but his play in two seasons hasn't demanded any preferential treatment.

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