The highly anticipated 2023 NBA Draft has come and gone, but draft junkies may already be looking ahead to the next crop of prospects.
While the 2024 NBA Draft class isn't as hyped as the one that just passed, there are still plenty of players who are worth following throughout the 2023-24 season.
Outside of the NCAA, the G League Ignite has a roster loaded with future draftees headlined by Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland. Overseas, top prospect Zaccharie Risacher is competing in the same French Pro A league as Victor Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly did this past season.
As for NCAA prospects, freshman stars like USC's Bronny James and Isaiah Collier or Kentucky's D.J. Wagner and Justin Edwards will be in the spotlight, while returning sophomores like Duke's Tyrese Proctor or UConn's Donovan Clingan are back to prove they're lottery-caliber talents.
Below you can find 10 players who are worth monitoring throughout the next draft cycle.
Prospects to watch in the 2024 NBA Draft
Non-NCAA prospects
Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite
Age: 18
Position: Forward
Height & weight: 6-11, 195 lbs.
On most "way too early" 2024 NBA Mock Drafts, you'll see Buzelis standing at the top as the projected No. 1 pick. The 18-year-old is 6-11 but he's a true perimeter player despite the height of a typical big man.
Buzelis handles the ball with confidence, he can create his own shot, knock down 3s from the perimeter or score with a soft shooting touch on the block. He's a coordinated near-7-footer who can defend inside or out and he should be the star and go-to guy for the G League Ignite next season.
Zaccharie Risacher, ASVEL (France)
Age: 18
Position: Forward
Height & weight: 6-8, 204 lbs.
Risacher is coming off his first season in France's LNB Pro A — the same league that first-round picks Wembanyama and Coulibaly competed in this past year. In fact, he plays for the same team, ASVEL, that Wembanyama played for during the 2021-22 season.
Playing time was inconsistent for the 18-year-old, but that is typical for a teenager competing in the best league France has to offer. Risacher is a 6-8 shot creator who is already confidently taking the stepbacks and side-step 3s you see from NBA scorers because his handle is advanced for his size. He's not an explosive athlete, but he has the tools to be a projected top-five pick in 2024.
Ron Holland, G League Ignite
Age: 17
Position: Forward
Height & weight: 6-8, 195 lbs.
Holland was a five-star prospect and the No. 2-ranked player in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He was originally committed to Texas but elected to take his talents to the G League Ignite instead, forming a star prospect frontcourt alongside Buzelis.
Holland is an athletic forward who works relentlessly on the defensive end and on the glass. He's a versatile offensive weapon who should be able to hone some of his raw skills with a full season of NBA-level training and coaching. He fits the prototype of a forward in today's NBA.
College freshman
Bronny James, USC
Age: 18
Position: Guard
Height & weight: 6-3, 190 lbs.
All eyes will be on LeBron's son with a blinding spotlight over his freshman season at USC. The 6-3 combo guard will play alongside the No. 1 player in the class of 2023, Isaiah Collier, to form one of the best backcourts in the country for a talented Trojans team.
James is known for his elite perimeter defense, sharp 3-point shooting and cerebral playmaking with an IQ that is reminiscent of his father's. While he originally didn't receive much hype as a potential first-round NBA Draft pick during his high school days, don't be surprised to hear Bronny's name called in the lottery on draft night in 2024 depending on how his freshman season turns out.
MORE: Bronny James full scouting report: Strengths, weaknesses and more
Isaiah Collier, USC
Age: 18
Position: Guard
Height & weight: 6-4, 205 lbs.
As mentioned above, Collier is the top-ranked recruit in the country coming into his freshman season at USC. The 18-year-old is a physical point guard who can score from all three levels of the floor with ease.
He has an incredible feel for the game as an elite playmaker with impressive court vision, elevating his teammates as a passer. Collier will excel with shooters like James and graduate senior Boogie Ellis alongside him on the wings and there will be plenty of attention from NBA scouts on the 2023-24 Trojans.
Justin Edwards, Kentucky
Age: 19
Position: Forward
Height & weight: 6-7, 180 lbs.
Edwards spent some time as the No. 1 ranked player in the class of 2023, but he still finished the recruiting cycle as a top-three ranked player and five-star recruit.
The 6-7 wing is as fluid as they come for a 19-year-old scoring forward. Edwards makes it look easy with a smooth lefty shooting stroke, creating for himself off the dribble from all three levels of the floor. He has a knockdown midrange jumper and is tough to contain when he gets downhill toward the rim, using elite body control to finish in the paint.
The spotlight will shine bright as the premier scoring option on a Kentucky team with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country.
D.J. Wagner, Kentucky
Age: 18
Position: Guard
Height & weight: 6-3, 175 lbs.
Wagner joins Edwards as two of the four five-star recruits headed to Big Blue Nation next season. The shifty 6-3 combo guard is lethal off the dribble, using his quick first step and tight handle to create separation for jumpers or blow by his defenders for layups/floaters. He's a tenacious and disruptive on-ball defender and budding playmaker who should thrive with the talent around him at Kentucky.
MORE: DJ Wagner's got next: Meet the third-generation NBA prospect set to make history
Wagner will look to become the first third-generation player in NBA history, following the footsteps of his father, DaJuan, and grandfather, Milt.
Cody Williams, Colorado
Age: 18
Position: Forward
Height & weight: 6-8, 185 lbs.
If On3 is your recruiting service of choice, then Williams is the No. 1 ranked prospect in the class of 2023. The 6-8 forward is a versatile scorer who handles the ball like a guard. He can already create his own shot off the dribble and playmake for others, but he's also an active cutter and capable shooter without the ball in his hands.
At 6-8 with a reported 7-foot wingspan and solid athleticism, Williams also projects as a switchy defender at the next level. He is the brother of 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year finalist Jalen Williams, and that shows through a similar playstyle.
Returning college prospects
Tyrese Proctor, Duke
Age: 19, Sophomore
Position: Guard
Height & weight: 6-5, 175 lbs.
I'm planting my stake in the ground now on Proctor being in the mix for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, even if that is not where the consensus has him at the moment.
The 6-5 playmaker continued to improve with every game he played at Duke during his freshman season. He showed flashes of developing shot-creation skills, knocking down midrange jumpers off the dribble or getting to his trusty floater in the paint. He's a fluid pick-and-roll ball handler and he really started to buy in on defense toward the back end of his first collegiate season.
Give him another year of development under head coach Jon Scheyer as the lead guard for the potential No. 1 team in the country and Proctor has a real opportunity to elevate his draft stock.
Donovan Clingan, UConn
Age: 19, Sophomore
Position: Center
Height & weight: 7-2, 265 lbs.
Clingan could have flirted with being a fringe first-rounder or early second-rounder had he entered the 2023 NBA Draft, but I loved his decision to return to school.
The freshman center played a key role as a reserve on UConn's National Championship team this past season, but I believe he could be a Big East Defensive Player of the Year-caliber talent with more responsibility as a sophomore.
MORE: Donovan Clingan scouting report: Strengths, weaknesses and more
He'll have to show improvement on offense beyond catching lobs and finishing putbacks off of offensive rebounds, but Clingan's trajectory reminds me of 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year candidate Walker Kessler, who elevated his draft stock tremendously after sticking around in the NCAA for his sophomore season.