5 Potential All-Stars in the 2024 NBA Draft (2024)

With the Boston Celtics defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games to win their NBA record 18th championship, the 2023-24 season has officially come to a close. The attention now shifts to the 2024 NBA Draft. The first round of the draft takes place on June 26 and the second round on June 27.

The 2024 NBA Draft class may not be close to being as good as the class last year that was led by generational talent, Victor Wembanyama , but there is still a ton of potential in it for teams to improve their rosters. It could also mark the first time in NBA history that two international players could be selected with the first two picks.

Although the 2024 draft is not the strongest, there are still multiple players who can play a key role in helping a contender improve their odds of competing for a championship next season, or for one of the bottom feeders to draft a young player to help with their rebuild.

Here are five potential All-Stars in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Alexandre Sarr

Projected Pick: Top 2

Alexandre Sarr has been the favorite to go first overall to the Atlanta Hawks since they won the NBA Draft Lottery. The Frenchman played for the Perth Wildcats of the NBL last season, averaging 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 27 games. He is a 7-foot-1 center who is extremely athletic and is able to create his own shots. The 19-year-old also has the potential to be an elite rim protector after averaging 1.5 blocks per game last season.

Sarr has the potential to be an All-Star caliber player as long as he continues to develop his game. He is already a dominant inside scorer who also has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down three-pointers. He does still need to work on his outside shooting and become more consistent offensively.

No matter if he is selected first overall by the Hawks or second overall by the Washington Wizards, Sarr will more than likely be one of the main parts of the team's offense and defensive success in his first season in the league. As long as he continues to develop, Sarr has the potential to be the best player out of this draft and also a future NBA All-Star.

Zaccharie Risacher

Projected Pick: Top 2

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Over the past few weeks, Zaccharie Risacher has moved up most mock drafts into being a top two selection. In some mock drafts, he has even surpassed Sarr for being the first overall pick. Risacher, a Frenchman just like Sarr, took the French League by storm last season.

In 32 games playing for Bourg in the French League, Risacher averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 35.2 percent from three-point range. He backed his season performance up in the Eurocup by averaging 13.1 points and increasing his outside shooting to 56.1 percent in 17 games.

The 19-year-old is an athletic player who is a great shooter and defender. Risacher still has a lot of room to grow, including improving his free throw shooting and passing ability. He averaged just 0.9 assists per game last season, which is something he needs to improve on to be a more reliable starting forward in the NBA. As the 6-foot-9 forward continues to develop throughout his career, Risacher could not only be the best player out of this draft class, but also a multi-time All-Star in the future.

Stephon Castle

Projected Pick: Top 8

Stephon Castle is expected to be taken in the top eight picks in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft. Fresh off of helping UConn win back-to-back national championships, Castle has the potential to make an impact right away for whoever drafts him. He is a 6-foot-6 guard who can slot in as a starting shooting guard or point guard as long as he can become a better passer.

Castle averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and shot 47.2 percent from the field in 34 games during his freshman season at UConn. He is also one of the best defenders in the 2024 draft class. Last season at UConn, the team's defensive rating with him on the floor was 95.5 compared to 101.5 with him on the bench.

With Castle being a great defender and inside scorer, he should make an impact early on for the team that drafts him. He does, however, still have multiple areas in which he needs to improve. First off, he has to become a better outside scorer. He shot just 26.7 percent from three last season at UConn, a percentage that has to improve for him to become a better player in the NBA.

He also needs to improve his court vision and become a better passer. This is even more important if a team wants to use him as a point guard rather than a shooting guard. Overall, if Castle is able to improve in these areas, he could become the best guard out of this draft class and a potential All-Star in the future.

Matas Buzelis

Projected Pick: Top 10

Entering the 2023-24 season, Matas Buzelis was the odds on favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2024 draft. That changed after the impressive seasons that Sarr and Risacher had overseas, but Buzelis is still projected to be a top ten pick. He is a 6-foot-10 forward who is a versatile scorer and solid defender. In his lone season playing for the G-League Ignite, Buzelis averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 26 games. He also shot 44.5 percent from the field.

Buzelis proved last season that he can be a dominant scorer and defender, both of which will transfer nicely to the NBA. He does need to improve his three-point shooting after shooting just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc last season. The good thing about this is that he already has a year of experience shooting from NBA three-point range rather than the shorter shot in college. He also needs to add muscle to help transfer his inside scoring and defense to the NBA level. By improving in these areas, Buzelis should develop into a good NBA player and future All-Star in the league.

Tidjane Salaun

Projected Pick: Top 15

Tidjane Salaun may be a surprise on this list, but he has a ton of potential to become an NBA All-Star. Salaun is seen as a raw prospect, but he is already a solid shooter and defender. He is projected to be a lottery pick and could find himself being selected in the top-10.

Last season with Cholet in the French League, Salaun averaged 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 33 games. The 19-year-old forward also shot 37.3 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from three.

Although Salaun is seen by many scouts as a raw prospect, he may just have the highest upside of any player in the 2024 class. He is an athletic forward who can get to the rim while also being able to knock down shots from the outside. He does need to put time into becoming stronger to help him both offensively and defensively.

He also must work on his decision-making and ball-handling to become a better NBA player. If he is able to do both of these things while also continuing to develop his offensive and defensive consistency, he may just become the steal of the draft and a future NBA All-Star.

Some other honorable mentions for other 2024 draft prospects that could become All-Stars include Robert Dillingham, Ron Holland and Nikola Topic.

With the 2024 NBA Draft about a week away, there are multiple players who have the potential to become NBA All-Stars as long as they continue to develop their game once they enter the league.