Pistons Take International Wing With Top Pick in 2024 NBA Mock Draft

Lately, the Detroit Pistons have been constantly linked to the same player in most 2024 NBA Mock Drafts. Whether they are forecasted to get the first pick or the second, the Pistons have been commonly matched with Perth Wildcats big man, Alex Sarr.

The seven-footer is a 19-year-old International prospect, who has experience playing in the States with Overtime Elite. The Pistons have taken a liking to OTE’s value, as their first pick during the 2023 NBA Draft was Ausar Thompson, a product of the fairly new league.

Detroit was also rumored to have interest in a former OTE head coach, Kevin Ollie, to replace Dwane Casey’s seat, before the Pistons’ heavy pursuit of Monty Williams ended up being successful.

Sarr could be another Overtime Elite alumni to land with the Pistons via the first round of the upcoming draft, but The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie takes Detroit in a different direction in his latest mock draft.

With the First Pick…

At this point, International prospects have flooded the top few spots of many analysts’ big boards. In this case, the Pistons go for a 19-year-old wing in JL Bourg’s, Zaccharie Risacher.

Regarding Risacher as the clear-cut No. 1 prospect at this time, Vecenie believes that the French prospect’s high-level production overseas should intrigue the Pistons enough to make him the top pick of this year’s draft, following the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.

“The NBA is constantly on the lookout for big wing/forward types who can knock down shots, defend at a reasonable level and play with the ball in their hands. The French forward has done an enormous amount of that this season while producing at a high level in EuroCup competition.”

Since 2021, Risacher has spent time competing in the Euroleague and LNB Pro A. Over that span, he’s appeared in 77 games, averaging 18 minutes on the court.

With Bourg’s club this season, Risacher averaged 12 points per game while knocking down 51 percent of his field goal attempts.

Vecenie expresses concerns in Risacher’s ability as a shot-creator going into the NBA, but there’s plenty of room for growth and development for the soon-to-be 19-year-old prospect.