2024 NBA Draft Sleepers: Which Prospects Can Outshine Their Draft Projection?

The 2024 NBA Draft has no clear No. 1 pick, and finding a consensus could be impossible.

Spotting diamonds in the rough is going to be that much more important.

Perhaps it’s just the fallout from having a talent like Victor Wembanyama on the board in 2023, but few seem to be optimistic about this year’s draft class, which still features a handful of big names that should immediately make an impact at the next level.

Teams will, however, be stepping into a bit of a wasteland once they get outside of the lottery, making it hard to pinpoint who will end up shattering expectations in the long run.

Players are out there, though, and here are four that could help a franchise change course on Wednesday or Thursday night:

G Baylor Scheierman, Creighton

If you weren’t a fan of Creighton or the Big East last season, you probably didn’t pay much attention to what was going on in Omaha, Neb.

And for that, we really can’t blame you.

But you did miss one of the more well-rounded offensive players in the country going to work in Scheierman, who averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 2023–24.

Scheierman is seemingly a consensus second-round pick based on most mock drafts, but he should be able to take on a pretty sizable bench role in Year 1 with his skill set.

F/C DaRon Holmes II, Dayton

Playing in the Atlantic 10 Conference did Holmes no favors in terms of getting eyes on him, but he could very well transform a team’s frontcourt in just a few years’ time.

Holmes is extremely explosive in the paint, and he also knocked down 32 of 83 3-pointers (38.6 percent) in his final season with the Flyers.

Compared to players who spent their collegiate careers in Power Five conferences, Holmes could have a harder time adjusting to the NBA, but he shouldn’t be overlooked by any means.

G Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois

Few players put the ball in the hoop more than Shannon, who averaged 23.0 points across 32 games (31 starts) with the Fighting Illini last season.

All signs point toward Shannon being selected late in the first round or even slipping to the second. 

Whichever team comes away with Shannon is going to have one of the best scorers in this draft class in its ranks. The 23-year-old, who will be 24 at the start of the season, does need to show more effort on defense, but he should still be considered a steal if he gets taken outside the top 25.

F Bobi Klintman, Sweden

At 6-foot-9 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Klintman has great length and size to potentially take over on both sides of the ball.

One of Klintman’s glaring weaknesses is his lack of strength, and at 212 pounds, he’s certainly going to need to bulk up if he wants to contend with NBA-level talent. But hey, Giannis Antetokounmpo was once a scrawny kid, too, right?

Be on the lookout for Klintman to go late in the first round or early in the second, and be ready to hear his name often throughout the course of next season.