Day 1 of the 2024 NBA draft was full of surprises from top to bottom. Fans inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York witnessed Zaccharie Risacher get selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 1 overall pick. Expected names like Alexandre Sarr, Reed Sheppard, Stephon Castle, Rod Dillingham and Zach Edey heard their names called within the top 10 picks.
However, like all NBA drafts in history, there are losers in the selection process. Some of them missed out on what was their preferred picks, while some suffered by picking the wrong fit for their team.
Here are the biggest losers from Day 1 of the 2024 NBA draft.
Top 5 losers from Day 1 of the 2024 NBA draft
#5. Toronto Raptors
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After having the fourth-worst record in the NBA last season, the Toronto Raptors never got the chance to draft in the lottery, settling with the No. 19 pick, which they used to draft Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter.
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This predicament stemmed from the Jakob Poeltl trade with the San Antonio Spurs, which included this year’s top-six protected first-round pick. As the Raptors draft slipped to eighth, it went to the Spurs, which then picked Rob Dillingham and subsequently traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night.
The Raptors would have benefitted from getting a lottery pick in the draft as they try to build around their core of Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
#4. Detroit Pistons
It felt like there was a disconnect between the fit of Ron Holland and the Detroit Pistons. After picking No. 5 in the draft, Holland’s star potential could be hindered by the turbulent nature of the Pistons organization, who recently fired their head coach Monty Williams after just one season.
Holland may also not benefit from playing alongside Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, who both need the ball to thrive. Holland’s positional redundancy with those around him could hinder his growth and development in the NBA.
#3. Atlanta Hawks
While the Atlanta Hawks, despite the odds, got the No. 1 pick, their selection of Zaccharie Risacher did not feel like an impactful addition to a team that already has a star in Trae Young.
Risacher is still young and could be seen as a project player, which could disrupt the Hawks’ timeline with Young entering his physical prime in the next few years. They could have also drafted Alex Sarr, who is a seven-footer and someone who could contribute to winning more immediately than Risacher.
#2. Oklahoma City Thunder
There is one thing the Oklahoma City Thunder needed entering the NBA draft: a big. The Thunder came out without one in the first round, missing out on the likes of Donovan Clingan and Zach Edey.
Instead, they got Nikola Topic, a 6-foot-6 guard who plays similarly to the recently traded Josh Giddey. Topic will also not impact the Thunder next season as he is nursing a torn ACL that has him sidelined.
#1. Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies were looking to have Donovan Clingan in the draft after actively pursuing to move up to the No. 9 pick. The Grizzlies, however, could not close out the deal as Clingan, who some had thought could have been the top pick in the draft, went to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Grizzlies then landed with Zach Edey, who is a similarly big center. While the pick could more than prove to be the right one, some among the Grizzlies front office could view Clingan as a missed opportunity.
