In ESPN's latest mock 2024 NBA Draft, big man DaRon Holmes II is projected to be selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 28th pick. Denver could be looking for a backup big behind Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon, and Holmes projects to be able to play both the four and the five in the NBA.

Holmes has been a riser during the pre-draft process. So much so, that the Dayton product has reportedly cancelled several workouts in the weeks leading up to the draft. That has led to speculation that Holmes has secured a promise that he'll be drafted in the first round.

At this point, it's not known if Denver gave Holmes a first-round guarantee. The mock draft combines intel with need, leading to the projection of the 6-foot-10 big man to the Nuggets.

Nolan Traore will sign a two-year contract with Saint-Quentin in the French first division.

Traore is a projected lottery pick in the 2025 NBA draft as a 17-year-old, 6'5 playmaker. 

Traore was being recruited by Duke, Arkansas, Gonzaga, and Alabama, as well as the Australian NBL and Euroleague and EuroCup teams in France and abroad. 

"It was cool to have all these programs interested in me," Traore said. "I don't take that for granted. It was a reward for all the work I've put in. I was happy to have all these options, but the possibility of staying close to my family was also important. They can visit me, and I can go home easily."