Your guide to the 2024 NBA Draft: Who will go No. 1? Could the Celtics make a surprise pick at No. 30?

It’s a strange year for the NBA Draft.

Between a class that’s largely viewed as lacking the top-end talent you’d expect, and the draft moving to a two-night event for the first time, there’s little to be certain about ahead of Wednesday.

There’s no real consensus at No. 1. Where will the Hawks go with their first selection? We could be in for a second consecutive top pick from overseas, with a pair of Frenchmen near the top of most boards.

Here’s everything you need to know.

The basics

When: Wednesday, June 26, 8 p.m. (first round) and Thursday, June 27, 4 p.m. (second round)

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn

How to watch: ABC, ESPN, and the ESPN app will air the first round; ESPN and the ESPN app will carry the second.

First-round NBA draft order

1. Atlanta

2. Washington

3. Houston (from Brooklyn)

4. San Antonio

5. Detroit

6. Charlotte

7. Portland

8. San Antonio (from Toronto)

9. Memphis

10. Utah

11. Chicago

12. Oklahoma City (from Houston)

13. Sacramento

14. Portland (from Golden State via Boston and Memphis)

15. Miami

16. Philadelphia

17. Los Angeles Lakers

18. Orlando

19. Toronto (from Indiana)

20. Cleveland

21. New Orleans (from Milwaukee)

22. Phoenix

23. Milwaukee (from New Orleans)

24. New York (from Dallas)

25. New York

26. Washington (from LA Clippers via Dallas and Oklahoma City)

27. Minnesota

28. Denver

29. Utah (from Oklahoma City via Toronto and Indiana)

30. Boston

Key story lines to watch in the NBA draft

Here are some of the biggest story lines entering Wednesday’s draft.

⋅ Who’s going No. 1? The top pick hasn’t been this uncertain since 2013, when the Cavaliers eventually settled on UNLV’s Anthony Bennett, perhaps the worst No. 1 pick of all time, to kick off one of the weakest drafts in recent memory.

It seems like the Hawks will take one of the two French projects, Alex Sarr or Zaccharie Risacher, at the top, but neither has the sure-thing factor of Victor Wembanyama, the tantalizing upside of Anthony Edwards or Cade Cunningham, or the proven production of Paolo Banchero or Zion Williamson. Atlanta isn’t exactly in the catbird seat with this one.

⋅ What do teams make of Zach Edey? To quote the Globe’s Bob Ryan on Twitter: “If it’s true there is no longer a place in the NBA for [Zach Edey] I am officially disgusted with the hostile takeover of the three, which has distorted basketball at every level.”

It’s strange that the most dominant player in college basketball, a two-time National Player of the Year who averaged 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, isn’t a surefire top pick, but the game has changed. A non-shooter at 7-foot-4 who struggles to defend on the perimeter, the Purdue star is an awkward fit in today’s NBA. But his dominance in college was enough to see him rise back up draft boards, where he’s gone from a fringe prospect to a potential lottery pick. We’ll see just how high he rises on Wednesday.

⋅ Who takes Bronny James? In the weirdest story line of the draft, the son of LeBron James is one to watch, with the elder James having previously expressed his desire to play with his son — and about to hit free agency. This has made some believe that drafting Bronny might be a ticket to landing LeBron.

After Bronny cancelled most of his pre-draft workouts (except with the Lakers and Suns) it seems likely he lands with the Lakers at the back end of the second round and LeBron re-signs. But would it not be funny to see a team (perhaps the Celtics, picking one spot ahead of Los Angeles) take Bronny and just see what happens?

Top NBA draft picks to watch

Here are a few players that could be taken near the top of the draft Wednesday.

⋅ Alex Sarr, Perth Wildcats (NBL), France — At various points considered a potential top pick in the draft, Sarr doesn’t seem thrilled with the idea of playing for the Hawks, choosing to decline a private workout with Atlanta. He projects as a potentially elite defender as a 6-foot-11 wing with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, but his offensive game has a ways to go. It says a lot about this draft that a possible No. 1 pick averaged just 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game playing in Australia last season.

⋅ Zaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg (LNB Pro A), France — The other Frenchman at the top of this draft, and the one that has emerged as a potential No. 1 pick with Sarr’s aversion to playing in Atlanta. Risacher’s value is likely as a 3-and-D wing, but his shooting is streaky — he shot a scorching 48.2 percent in the first half of last season playing in French, a mark which cratered to 29.8 percent in the second half of the season. Again, 11.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game don’t exactly scream No. 1 pick.

⋅ Reed Sheppard, Kentucky — A bit of a polarizing prospect, mainly because of his size (6′2″). Sheppard is a knockdown shooter (52.1 percent from deep last season at Kentucky) and an impact defender; his shooting has led him to be mocked by many at No. 3 to the Rockets.

⋅ Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite — The son of two Lithuanian professional basketball players, Buzelis flashed a combination of size, playmaking, and defensive versatility that at one point had him projected as a potential top pick. His stock suffered after a rough shooting season with the Ignite, but he still looks likely to go in the top five.

⋅ Donovan Clingan, UConn — After winning back-to-back national titles with the Huskies, Clingan could go in the top half of the lottery thanks, in large part, to his upside as an elite rim protector. Whether he’ll ever be a serviceable offensive player in the NBA remains to be seen, but teams will be willing to gamble on the defensive potential of the 7′2″ big man.

What to know about the Celtics in the 2024 NBA draft

The Celtics own their first-round pick for the first time since 2020, when they took Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard. Brad Stevens (and Danny Ainge in 2021) spent the last couple seasons shipping out picks in exchange for Al Horford, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon (who was later flipped into Jrue Holiday), decisions that worked out pretty well.

But as the franchise’s salary bill continues to balloon with Jayson Tatum set to sign a supermax extension this year and Derrick White owed a new deal before next summer, Boston could use some cheap options acquired through the draft like Pritchard has provided in recent seasons.

Boston.com’s Trevor Hass rounded up some of the players that have been linked with Boston at No. 30.

USA Today has the Celtics taking Baylor Scheierman, a 6-foot-6, sweet-shooting lefty out of Creighton, with the No. 30 pick. Scheierman averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists for the Bluejays this past season, and his versatility is what really sets him apart.

Per Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN: “He ‘isn’t expected to drop past Boston’ at No. 30 overall and he has already had a workout with the Celtics.”

CBS Sports also has the Celtics selecting Scheierman.

The Athletic has Scheierman going one pick earlier to the Jazz, and the Celtics choosing 6-foot-9 big man Tyler Smith at No. 30. Smith, 19, averaged 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds with G League Ignite.

“It will take him time to keep developing on that end, and I wouldn’t be confident putting him on an NBA floor from day one,” Sam Vecenie wrote. But Boston could bring him along slowly, and his shot would be valuable to their style of play as a frontcourt player.”

The Ringer has the Celtics taking Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr., one of the best scorers in college basketball last season.

Locals to watch

Along with UConn’s Clingan and Stephon Castle, who could both go as high as the top five, most of the New England ties in this draft are to Rhode Island.

Providence guard Devin Carter exploded for the Friars this season, becoming a likely lottery pick and a potential top-10 selection.

Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, a Cumberland, R.I., native, could also be taken in back end of the lottery, but will more likely hear his name called later in the first round.

Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, the 2021 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year who starred at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, is another potential first-rounder.

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