NBA mock draft: Where will national champions, French stars land?

Victor Wembanyama, a generational player from France, was the clear-cut No. 1 overall pick for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft. This year's draft has far less certainty at the top, where Atlanta will pick first overall Wednesday (8 p.m. Eastern).

Could the Hawks make another star who plays professionally in France the No. 1 overall pick? And where will the stars from Connecticut's national championship team land? Could LeBron James' 19-year-old son, Bronny, sneak into the first round or is he a slam-dunk for Round 2, which begins Thursday at 4 p.m. ET?

Yardbarker NBA writers Sean Keane and Adam Taylor determine who's going where in the first round.

1. ATLANTA HAWKS | Zaccharie Risacher, forward, JL Bourg | Vive la France! The 6-foot-9 19-year-old would be the NBA’s second straight French No. 1 pick. Risacher, a French national who was born in Spain, isn’t an amazing athlete, but big wings who can shoot and defend are hugely valuable in today’s NBA. — Sean Keane

2. WASHINGTON WIZARDS | Alex Sarr, center, NBL France | The Euro invasion continues in this year's draft class. Sarr will enter the NBA as a reliable rim-runner with all the tools to become a modern NBA center in terms of being a three-level scorer and switchable defender. — Adam Taylor

3. HOUSTON ROCKETS (via Brooklyn) | Reed Sheppard, guard, Kentucky | Sheppard is not only the best three-point shooter in this draft class (52.1 percent from deep as a freshman), but he’s also an incredible athlete. The 6-foot-2 guard put up a 42-inch vertical leap at the combine. — SK

4. SAN ANTONIO SPURS | Matas Buzelis, forward, G-League Ignite | Buzelis is a multi-talented guard who will slot in well as the new lead ball-handler for the Spurs. He could develop a devastating partnership with Wembanyama long term and is worth the risk this high. — AT

5. DETROIT PISTONS | Stephon Castle, guard, UConn | The 6-foot-6 Castle already has potential to become an all-defensive player at guard, where he locked down ball handlers on the way to a national championship. If the Pistons can fix his jump shot, Castle has All-Star potential in a backcourt alongside Cade Cunningham. — SK

6. CHARLOTTE HORNETS | Ron Holland, forward, G-League Ignite | Charlotte would be adding an explosive finisher in Holland, who could potentially be a long-term replacement for Miles Bridges. He has the potential to become an elite defender. — AT

7. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS | Donovan Clingan, center, UConn | Clingan won two national titles as a massive (7-foot-2, 280 pounds) defensive presence for UConn, protecting the rim better than anyone in college basketball. On offense, he's a good passer and would be a destructive screen-setter for Portland’s many scoring guards. — SK

8. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (via Toronto) | Cody Williams, forward, Colorado | Williams is an upside pick for the Spurs, who could offer immediate ball-handling on the wing. He feels like a Greg Popovich-type prospect because he doesn’t excel at one thing but plays the game the right way. — AT

9. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES | Isaiah Collier, guard, USC | Memphis doesn’t plan to be in the lottery much in the future, so Collier is the perfect high-upside choice. He’s a strong, fast guard who is scary in transition or heading to the hoop — a perfect backup for Ja Morant. — SK

10. UTAH JAZZ | Devin Carter, guard, Providence | Carter would give the Jazz a high-upside on-ball defender next to Colin Sexton. Danny Ainge could be tempted to bite on him due to his similarities with ex-Celtics standout Marcus Smart as a connector, hustle-based defender and secondary passer. — AT

11. CHICAGO BULLS |  Carlton “Bub” Carrington, guard, Pittsburgh | Trading Alex Caruso could mean the Bulls are finally rebuilding, and Carrington is an excellent long-term bet. He is already a great pull-up shooter as an 18-year-old and a good playmaker, so if Chicago is patient, it could have a gem. — SK

12. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER | Nikola Topic, guard, Serbian KLS | Topic could replace the ball-handling duties left behind by Josh Giddey. His size (6-foot-6) and tight handle could earn him minutes off the Thunder’s bench next season. — AT

13. SACRAMENTO KINGS | Tidjane Salaun, forward, Cholet | The Kings don’t have glaring immediate needs, so they can afford to take a shot at the 18-year-old Salaun. While not NBA-ready, Salaun — who plays in France — is big (6-foot-9 without shoes), graceful and gets rebounds and steals impressively. — SK

14. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS  (via Golden State) | Dalton Knecht, forward, Tennessee | Knecht would give the Blazers a reliable shooting threat on the perimeter. He projects to be an ideal three-and-d wing but could make an instant impact as a movement shooter spacing the floor for Scoot Henderson. — AT

15. MIAMI HEAT | Rob Dillingham, guard, Kentucky | Dillingham’s skills as a playmaker and microwave scorer are enough to balance concerns about his defensive limitations and small (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) frame. But Miami loves Kentucky players, and if any team in the NBA is going to turn Dillingham into a passable defender, it’s the Heat. — SK

16. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS | Tristan Da Silva, forward, Colorado | Da Silva looks ready-made for the NBA. He can play multiple positions, hit perimeter jumpers and provide off-ball defense on the wings. Plus, he would add depth to the bench. — AT

17. LOS ANGELES LAKERS | Ja’Kobe Walter, guard, Baylor | Walter is a big guard who plays well without the ball, with a particular knack for catch-and-shoot threes. That’s a perfect addition to a LeBron James team. The Lakers can't pass on a guy named Ja’Kobe, can they? — SK

18. ORLANDO MAGIC |  Zach Edey, center, Purdue | Orlando already has a future All-Star pairing in its front court. However, adding Edey could take them to the next level due to his size (7-foot-4) and physicality. He could become the anchor for Orlando’s surge up the Eastern Conference standings. — AT

19. TORONTO RAPTORS  (via Indiana) | Jared McCain, guard, Duke | Some teams might shy away from choosing a 6-foot-2 shooting guard, but the Raptors spent years playing 6-foot Kyle Lowry alongside 6-foot Fred VanVleet. McCain is a knockdown shooter, a prolific scorer and a delightful personality who has 2.8M followers on TikTok. — SK

20. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS | Bobi Klintman, forward, NBL | Klintman provides floor spacing and positional versatility, traits the Cavaliers need in their rotation. As a rookie, he could reliably be used as a release valve on drive-and-kick actions. — AT

21. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (via Milwaukee) | Kyle Filipowski, center, Duke | Jonas Valanciunas is on his way out of New Orleans, so Duke’s Filipowski is a perfect reinforcement as a floor-spacing big man who can pass, handle the ball and hit pick-and-pop jumpers. Alongside Zion Williamson, Filipowski could unlock the offense.  — SK

22. PHOENIX SUNS | Tyler Kolek, guard, Marquette | The Suns need legitimate point guards. Kolek would provide ball-handling and two-level scoring to help ease some of the on-ball reps Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have been force-fed. — AT

2 3. MILWAUKEE BUCKS (via New Orleans) Tyler Smith, forward, G League Ignite | Don’t be surprised if the Bucks trade this pick, but if they keep it, Smith is an intriguing option as a 6-foot-11 big man who can make three-pointers and cut to the rim for dunks. That’s useful for an offense with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo dominating the ball. Smith, though, is a project. — SK

24. NEW YORK KNICKS (via Dallas) Kel’el Ware, center, Indiana | With the best name in the draft (Kell El is Superman’s real name), Ware would give the Knicks a high-motor rim-runner who can protect the rim and hammer down lobs. If they’re looking for a low-cost replacement for Isaiah Hartenstein, Ware could fit the bill. — AT

25. NEW YORK KNICKS | Yves Missi, center, Baylor | Missi is an athletic, big center who mainly blocks shots and gets dunks with his 6-foot-11 frame and 38.5-inch vertical leap. He doesn’t shoot or pass well, but the Knicks probably need a Mitchell Robinson replacement who can catch plenty of lobs from Jalen Brunson. — SK

26. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (via L.A. Clippers) Ryan Dunn, forward, Virginia | Dunn would give the Wizards an off-ball slasher who could finish plays without dominating the ball or commanding touches. Dunn doesn’t provide perimeter shooting but would instantly upgrade the wing defense. — AT

27. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES | Jaylon Tyson, guard, California | After the NBA Finals, a team could do worse than adding an athletic wing from Cal named Jaylon. Tyson isn’t a strong defender, but his size (6-foot-6 and 215 pounds) and strength fit in well with the Timberwolves, who have defenders to cover for Tyson. — SK

28. DENVER NUGGETS | Pacome Dadiet, forward, LNB Pro B | Dadiet could be a draft-and-stash option for the Nuggets or he could provide off-ball spacing for Mike Malone’s team. Denver doesn’t need high-ceiling players in the draft, so the French pro's single-skill specialty makes sense. — AT

29. UTAH JAZZ (via Oklahoma City) Da’Ron Holmes, center, Dayton | Holmes is a lot like Obi Toppin, who was also an incredibly productive offensive player at Dayton while being quite small for a center. Holmes stands only 6-foot-9 but can shoot, pass, dribble and knock down threes (38.5 percent last season). — SK

30. BOSTON CELTICS | Baylor Scheierman, guard, Creighton | Scheierman’s ability to move off the ball, knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers and rebound at a high level would make him a solid fit in Joe Mazzulla’s rotation. He could potentially help replace Oshae Brissett, who opted out of his $2.5 million player option Sunday. — AT