The Brooklyn Nets are well equipped for the rebuild that lays ahead — or to trade for a superstar if, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available. Any hypothetical trade package for the two-time MVP starts with the No. 8 pick in next month's NBA Draft.
The Brooklyn Nets are well equipped for the rebuild that lays ahead — or to trade for a superstar if, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available. Any hypothetical trade package for the two-time MVP starts with the No. 8 pick in next month's NBA Draft.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projects 18-year-old French wing Noa Essengue to Brooklyn with the No. 8 pick in his latest mock draft. While Essengue's name isn't as well known as the high-profile freshmen around him in this class, his upside could exceed all but a select few prospects. He'd make for a perfect home run swing in Milwaukee, too.
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Nets could draft Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo replacement in Noa Essengue with No. 8 pick
Essengue is three days older than Cooper Flagg and the second-youngest player in the draft. At 6-foot-9 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and a 9-foot-3 standing reach, Essengue offers prototypical physical tools at the power forward spot. He's an incredible athlete, comfortable navigating different defensive coverages and a gazelle-like figure out in transition.
He isn't the most polished prospect available, but Essengue has been highly productive in the postseason for German club Ratiopharm Ulm. He makes full use of his wiry frame and twitchy athleticism, whether that's leaking out for fast-break dunks, cutting backdoor for simple finishes or cleaning up the offensive glass. He isn't an on-ball weapon (yet), but Essengue can attack closeouts with long, coordinated strides and he's a heads-up passer, often making the right reads in the flow of the offense.
"The easy baskets off rim runs, cuts and offensive rebounds have been consistent all season," Wasserman writes. "But he's looking more comfortable converting off self-created drives and knocking down rhythm threes. His improving on-ball skill and rising offensive production are becoming notable draft storylines, considering he's the draft's second-youngest prospect who also offers exciting defensive tools and movement."
If Essengue can channel his coordination and mobility into a more dynamic face-up game while sharpening his instincts as a playmaker on both ends, the sky is truly the limit. This is a loaded domestic class, which has led to limited coverage for the international prospects — at least compared to the last couple years, with back-to-back No. 1 picks out of France — but Essengue is rocketing up draft boards. If the Bucks are looking to start from scratch in a post-Giannis world, Essengue feels like a best-case outcome at No. 8. He will end up top-five on my personal board, for what it's worth.
Should the Nets actually trade for Giannis with such a bare-bones roster around him? Well, it depends on what moves they can line up next. But generally, trading for a player of Giannis' caliber is always warranted. And, should the Bucks concede and let Giannis walk out the door, Essengue fits, both from a timeline perspective and a positional perspective.