NBA releases list of early entry candidates for 2024 Draft; sorting all players into tiers

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The battle for No. 1 could be as fierce as the battle for No. 58

Apr 30, 2024 at 11:27 am ET • 6 min read

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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/ForwardDonovan Clingan, Connecticut, 7-2, Center, SophomoreRob Dillingham, Kentucky, 6-2, Guard, FreshmanZaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg, 6-8, WingAlexandre Sarr, Perth Wildcats, 7-1, Forward/CenterReed Sheppard, Kentucky, 6-3, Guard, FreshmanNikola 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, JuniorStephon Castle, Connecticut, 6-6, Guard/Wing, FreshmanIsaiah Collier, USC, 6-3, Guard, FreshmanRyan Dunn, Virginia, 6-8, Wing, SophomoreKyle Filipowski, Duke, 7-0, Center/Forward, SophomoreJohnny Furphy, Kansas, 6-9, Wing, FreshmanRon Holland, Ignite, 6-8, Wing/ForwardDalton Knecht, Tennessee, 6-6, Wing, Fifth YearJared McCain, Duke, 6-3, Guard, FreshmanKevin McCullar, Kanass, 6-7, Wing, Fifth YearYves Missi, Baylor, 7-0, Center, FreshmanTidjane Salaun, Cholet, 6-8, ForwardJa'Kobe Walter, Baylor, 6-5, Wing, FreshmanCody 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, WingTrey Alexander, Creighton, 6-4, Guard, JuniorIzan Almansa, Ignite, 6-10, Center/ForwardReece Beekman, Virginia, 6-3, Guard, SeniorAdem Bona, UCLA, 6-9, Center, SophomoreTrevon Brazile, Arkansas, 6-10, Center, Redshirt-SophomoreCarlton Carrington, Pittsburgh, 6-5, Guard, FreshmanUlrich Chomche, NBA Academy Africa, 6-11, Center/ForwardCam Christie, Minnesota, 6-6, Wing, FreshmanTristan da Silva, Colorado, 6-9, Forward, SeniorPacome Dadiet, Ratiopharm Ulm, 6-9, Forward/WingJohnell Davis, Florida Atlantic, 6-4, Wing, SeniorZach Edey, Purdue, 7-4, Center, SeniorJustin Edwards, Kentucky, 6-7, Wing, FreshmanKyshawn George, Miami, 6-8, Forward/Wing, FreshmanPJ Hall, Clemson, 6-10, Center/Forward, SeniorDaRon Holmes II, Dayton, 6-10, Forward/Center, JuniorOso Ighodaro, Marquette, 6-11, Forward, SeniorHarrison Ingram, North Carolina, 6-7, Wing/Forward, JuniorDillon Jones, Weber State, 6-6, Wing, SeniorAlex Karaban, Connecticut, 6-8, Forward/Wing, SophomoreBobi Klintman, Cairns Taipans, 6-9, Forward/WingTyler Kolek, Marquette, 6-3, Guard, SeniorPelle Larsson, Arizona, 6-6, Wing, SeniorJudah Mintz, Syracuse, 6-4, Guard, SophomoreAjay Mitchell, UC Santa Barbara, 6-5, Guard, JuniorJuan Nunez, Ratiopharm Ulm, 6-3, GuardJaxson Robinson, BYU, 6-7, Wing, SeniorHunter Sallis, Wake Forest, 6-5, Guard, JuniorPayton Sandfort, Iowa, 6-7, Wing, JuniorBaylor Scheierman, Creighton, 6-7, Forward/Wing, SeniorTerrence Shannon, Illinois, 6-6, Wing, Fifth YearKJ Simpson, Colorado, 6-3, Guard, JuniorTyler Smith, Ignite, 6-11, ForwardJaylon Tyson, California, 6-7, Wing, JuniorKel'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 YearJonas Aidoo, Tennessee, 6-11, Center, JuniorFardaws Aimaq, California, 6-11, Center, Sixth YearMichael Ajayi, Pepperdine/Gonzaga, 6-7, Wing, JuniorArmando Bacot, North Carolina, 6-11, Center, Fifth YearRaeQuan Battle, West Virginia, 6-5, Guard/Wing, Fifth YearJalen Bridges, Baylor, 6-9, Forward/Wing, SeniorKeion Brooks, Washington, 6-7, Forward, Fifth YearBoo Buie, Northwestern, 6-2, Guard, Fifth YearBranden Carlson, Utah, 7-0, Center, Fifth YearAndrew Carr, Wake Forest/Kentucky, 6-10, Forward, SeniorWalter Clayton, Florida, 6-2, Guard, JuniorKevin Cross, Tulane, 6-8, Forward, Fifth YearN'Faly Dante, Oregon, 6-11, Center, SeniorThierry Darlan, Ignite, 6-7, Wing/GuardRayJ Dennis, Baylor, 6-2, Guard, SeniorNikola Djurisic, Mega MIS, 6-8, WingDylan Disu, Texas, 6-9, Forward, Fifth YearJesse Edwards, West Virginia, 6-11, Center, Fifth YearBoogie Ellis, 6-3, Guard, Fifth YearTrentyn Flowers, Adelaide 36ers, 6-7, Wing, Adelaide 36ersTyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon, 6-7, Wing, SeniorColeman Hawkins, Illinois, 6-10, Forward, SeniorBlake Hinson, Pittsburgh, 6-8, Forward, Fifth YearBronny James, USC, 6-3, Guard, FreshmanDaniss Jenkins, St. John's, 6-4, Guard, Fifth YearJosiah-Jordan James, Tennessee, 6-6, Wing, Fifth YearAJ Johnson, Illawarra Hawks, 6-5, GuardKeshad Johnson, Arizona, 6-7, Forward/Wing, SeniorLondon Johnson, Ignite, 6-3, GuardDavid Jones, 6-6, Wing/Forward, SeniorRyan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, 7-1, Center, SeniorArthur Kaluma, Kansas State, 6-7, Forward, JuniorMiles Kelly, Georgia Tech, 6-6, Wing, JuniorChaz Lanier, North Florida, 6-4, Senior, GuardBaba Miller, Florida State, 6-11, Forward, SophomoreEmanuel Miller, TCU, 6-7, Forward/Wing, Fifth YearJudah Mintz, Syracuse, 6-4, Guard, SophomoreDillon Mitchell, Texas, 6-8, Forward, SophomoreJonathan Mogbo, San Francisco, 6-8, Center, JuniorMatthew Murrell, Ole Miss, 6-4, Guard, SeniorTristen Newton, Connecticut, 6-5, Guard, Fifth YearOlivier Nkamhoua, Michigan, 6-9, Forward, Fifth YearNorchad Omier, Miami, 6-7, Center/Forward, SeniorUgonna Onyenson, Kentucky, 7-0, Center, SophomoreDrew Pember, UNC Asheville, 6-11, Forward, Fifth YearWooga Poplar, Miami, 6-5, Guard, JuniorQuinten Post, Boston College, 7-0, Center, Fifth YearZyon Pullin, Florida, 6-5, Guard, Fith YearAntonio Reeves, Kentucky, 6-6, Wing/Guard, Fifth YearMantas Rubstavicius, New Zealand Breakers, 6-5, GuardMark Sears, Alabama, 6-1, Guard, SeniorBabar Sene, Ignite, 6-7, Forward/WingJamarion Sharp, Ole Miss, 7-5, Center, Fifth YearJamal Shead, Houston, 6-1, Guard, SeniorJoel Soriano, St. John's, 6-11, Center, SeniorCam Spencer, Connecticut, 6-4, Guard, Fifth YearIsaiah Stevens, Colorado State, 6-0, Guard, Fifth YearJahmyl Telfort, Butler, 6-7, Forward/Wing, SeniorAlex Toohey, Sydney King, 6-8, Wing/ForwardNae'Qwan Tomlin, Memphis, 6-9, Forward/Wing, Fifth YearCameron Tyson, Seattle, 6-3, Guard, Fifth YearJamir Watkins, Florida State, 6-7, Wing, JuniorAnton Watson, Gonzaga, 6-8, Forward, Fifth YearShahada Wells, McNeese State, 6-0, Guard, SeniorJaylin Williams, Auburn, 6-8, Forward, Fifth YearJahmir 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.

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