Gary Washburn’s mock draft: Which international player will the Hawks take at No. 1? What will the Celtics do? - The Boston Globe (2024)

1. Atlanta — Zaccharie Risacher, F (France). The Hawks had their sights on prospect Alex Sarr but he refused to work out for the them and now Risacher, a 6-foot-9-inch wing, has risen to the No. 1 overall pick. Risacher is far from a finished product but could become the Hawks’ small forward of the future. He fared well in international competition.

2. Washington — Alex Sarr, C (Australia). Another French prospect, he was projected as the top pick but doesn’t want to play for the Hawks. He did work out with the Wizards, who need as much young talent and they can get. Sarr can pair with second-year forward Bilal Coulibaly for an intriguing frontcourt pair. Sarr’s defense is ahead of his offense but he could be a perennial All-Star.

3. Houston — Reed Sheppard, G (Kentucky). This pick is up for trade. The Rockets jumped up from the middle of the first round into the third pick. There has been speculation coach Ime Udoka could acquire former Celtic Marcus Smart and Memphis’s ninth pick. The Rockets are a painfully young team and may not need more prospects. But Sheppard is the best of the college guards available.

4. San Antonio — Matas Buzelis, F (G League Ignite). The Spurs are open here but there’s a swag and game about Buzelis that makes him an intriguing prospect. He’s a swingman with major upside who should fit perfectly with Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs also need a point guard but that’s likely to happen through free agency.

5. Detroit — Dalton Knecht, F (Tennessee). The Pistons don’t have a head coach after firing Monty Williams and have a new president of basketball operations in Trajan Langdon. They don’t need another prospect who will take years to develop. Knecht is the most polished prospect in the draft and should help the desperate Pistons right away.

6. Charlotte — Cody Williams, F (Colorado). It seems the immediate success of Cody’s brother, Jalen, in Oklahoma City, boosted Cody’s draft stock. He’s the typical one-and-done who showed moments of greatness with the Buffaloes but had bouts with inconsistency. At this point, the Hornets are just seeking talent and Williams could pair with Brandon Miller in the frontcourt.

7. Portland — Stephon Castle, G (UConn). The Trail Blazers are filled with prospects but could use another swingman and do-it-all guard in Castle, who helped the Huskies win consecutive national championships. Castle will have to compete for playing time but UConn players generally make quality pros.

8. San Antonio — Rob Dillingham, G (Kentucky). The Spurs would like to get more veteran help around Wembanyama, but Dillingham is too intriguing to pass up and will help an anemic offense. Eventually, San Antonio will have to replace some of its prospects with established veterans. So this pick also could be available for trade.

9. Memphis — Donovan Clingan, C (UConn). This is the best-case scenario for the Grizzlies, who traded their top two centers in the past few months and desperately need a productive big man. Memphis may also trade up to three with Houston if it feels like Clingan will go before this. It’s a perfect fit and look for the Grizzlies to make the pairing happen.

10. Utah — Nikola Topic, PG (Serbia) — You can’t rely on Danny Ainge to do anything besides the unpredictable on draft night. The Jazz need a point guard and Topic is a prospect, but he also will miss next season after tearing his ACL during predraft workouts. The Jazz could trade down or shop this pick for an established guard or give Topic a year to rehab and then become a contributor.

11. Chicago — Terrence Shannon Jr., G/F (Illinois). Shannon’s legal issues appear to be over but the sexual assault charges against him cooled his draft stock. He was found not guilty and has worked out for interested teams. He’s nearly 24 and is perhaps the most ready to contribute of any draft prospect. The stubborn Bulls don’t want to rebuild and may opt for the seasoned player who could help immediately.

12. Oklahoma City — Johnny Furphy, F (Kansas). The Thunder may be open to trading this pick for an established veteran, but Furphy could eventually fill the role of the departed Josh Giddey, who was traded to the Bulls for Alex Caruso. Furphy has upside like his Kansas predecessor Gradey Dick, but it may take time for him to become a contributor.

13. Sacramento — Ron Holland, F (G League Ignite). The Kings may take a chance on the gifted Holland, who should go higher but had a below-par, injury-plagued season with the G League Ignite. The Kings, like many other teams looking to contend, may be open to moving this pick, but Holland is a player who could develop into a star if given time.

14. Portland — Tidjane Salaun, F (France). The Blazers may trade this pick but Salaun has tremendous upside and could eventually become a primary contributor. He’s a few months shy of 19 and the Blazers have a handful of youngsters on their roster, but Salaun may be too good to pass up.

15. Miami — Isaiah Collier, G (USC). Collier may have the biggest upside in the draft but he’s coming off an uneven season. When Collier is on, he’s a prolific scorer and plays with toughness. The Heat are seeking more backcourt help because they lack a true point guard. Miami has scored big in past years with mid-first-round picks.

16. Philadelphia — Jared McCain, G (Duke). The 76ers are looking to move this pick as they are ramping up for a big playoff run and banking on good health. But point guard could be a need with Tyrese Maxey an undersized shooting guard and the club depending a little too much on 38-year-old Kyle Lowry last season. McCain may be the eventual answer if Philadelphia wants to provide the opportunity.

17. Los Angeles Lakers — Tristan Da Silva, F (Colorado). The Lakers are unlikely to waste a first-round pick on Bronny James if they believe he’ll be available at 55. Da Silva is a smooth shooting forward who has turned into a versatile player and could carve out some minutes for the Lakers. But again, who knows what their priorities are besides getting LeBron and Anthony Davis another superstar.

18. Orlando — Carlton Carrington, G (Pittsburgh). The Magic desperately need a point guard and it’s the primary reason they couldn’t win their first-round series against the Cavaliers. Carrington is a solid prospect as the Magic attempt to improve through free agency, eyeing Paul George or Klay Thompson.

19. Toronto — Kyshawn George, F (Miami). The Raptors need frontcourt talent and George could step in and gain some minutes. Toronto is a few years from being a contender but it does have a base with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley. George could be another piece in its long-term plan.

20. Cleveland — Ja’Kobe Walter, G/F (Baylor). The Cavaliers need another defensive-minded wing who can also space the floor, and Walter enjoyed a strong freshman year and showed potential by scoring a combined 38 points in their two NCAA Tournament games.

21. New Orleans — Zach Edey, C (Purdue). The Pelicans are looking to replace unrestricted free agent Jonas Valanciunas, and Edey may fit that role and is ready to play immediately. New Orleans is used to surrounding its offense around a massive big man and Edey has too much upside to pass on if Valanciunas is gone.

22. Phoenix — Ryan Dunn, F (Virginia). The Suns desperately need bench depth and Dunn has risen as a prospect and could help immediately. Phoenix gutted its depth to acquire Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, so it will use this pick on a player who’s NBA-ready.

23. Milwaukee — Yves Missi, C (Baylor). Missi registered solid numbers in his one year at Baylor and could provide help to an aging Bucks team that needs athleticism in the paint. Brook Lopez could be on the way out as a free agent. Missi averaged 1.5 blocked shots in just 23 minutes per game. He’s a project but could prove useful in the long run.

24. New York — Kyle Filipowski, F/C (Duke). The Knicks need bigs with Mitchell Robinson perpetually battling injuries and Isaiah Hartenstein a free agent. Filipowski has the ability to stretch the floor and rebound but he’ll have to learn Tom Thibodeau’s defensive system. He has upside at No. 24 and could provide offensive versatility.

25. New York — Kel’el Ware, C (Indiana). If the Knicks want to really pad their frontcourt, they’ll take the intriguing Ware, who took a major step in his sophom*ore season. He averaged nearly two blocked shots and made 42.5 percent of his 3-point attempts on limited chances. Thibodeau will be buoyed by his defensive potential and Ware could become a fan favorite in New York.

26. Washington — Devin Carter, G (Providence). The Wizards need backcourt help and Carter could come in and demand minutes immediately. He averaged nearly 20 points and added nine rebounds despite his 6-2 size. Add to that nearly 38 percent 3-point shooting and the Wizards have immediate help at shooting guard.

27. Minnesota — Baylor Scheierman, G/F (Creighton). One of the older players in the draft who played five full seasons in college, he steadily improved as a scorer and shooter. Scheierman shot nearly 47 percent from the 3-point line in his third season and developed into a versatile scorer.

28. Denver — DaRon Holmes, F (Dayton). Holmes averaged 20.4 points per game and shot nearly 39 percent from the 3-point line as a junior. He should fit well into the Nuggets system as they seek more frontcourt help for Nikola Jovic.

29. Utah — Tyler Kolek, G (Marquette). Kolek is the type of gritty guard who will make plays for the Jazz, who are in desperate need of another floor leader. Of course, Ainge could also move this pick for the right deal, but the Jazz are trying to build their backcourt and need a floor leader.

30. Boston — Adem Bona, C/F (UCLA). With Al Horford perhaps entering his final season and Kristaps Porzingis expected to perhaps miss some training camp after ankle surgery, the Celtics need a hungry big man with a high motor who can develop into a rotational player. Bona is raw, but he’s an elite shot blocker and solid rebounder.

Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.