Our usual NBA mock drafts lean heavily on intel to make projections for the players and the 30 teams. This isn’t that. Instead, ESPN draft analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo explored the first round from two differing perspectives: selecting for team need versus drafting for best available.

Of course, the philosophical question of drafting for need versus value isn’t clear-cut. In reality, they work together; situational factors from team to team can lead to drastically different valuations of each prospect. So when both lines of thinking lead to the same answer, it’s usually a good sign.

This mock draft isn’t what we project each NBA team will do, but it’s a useful way to think about the 2024 NBA draft, its eligible players and how front offices might be thinking through it as the two-day event draws closer (June 26-27, on ABC/ESPN/ESPN+).

Givony drafted players for each team prioritizing need, while Woo selected players matched with teams angling for value. Here’s what happened:

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First round