EuroLeague and International Basketball Big Board, 2.0: Every player on the NBA radar
EuroLeague & NBA Draft: The 2024 Overseas Prospects Big Board
1. Zaccharie Risacher - Wing
Team: JL Bourg-en-Bresse (Jeep Elite - France, EuroCup)
Age: 18
Physicals: 6-foot-8, 204 pounds, and 6-foot-11 wingspan
Recommended Range: Top-3
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 8th, ESPN - 1st, The Athletic - 1st, No Ceilings - 1st
Stats (All comps): 11.21 points per game, 3.42 rebounds per game, and 1 assist per game. 48/44/70 splits
Risacher was our number one prospect back in November and since then, he’s only reinforced our confidence in what he brings to the table both on day one in his NBA career and in terms of overall offensive upside. We took a deep dive on Risacher at the end of February. If you want to know more about the potential number one overall pick, check it out.
2. Alexandre Sarr - Athletic forward/center
Team: Perth Wildcats (NBL)
Age: 18
Physicals: 7-foot-1, 205 pounds, and 7-foot-5 wingspan
Recommended Range: Top-10
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 2nd, ESPN - 2nd, The Athletic - 2nd, No Ceilings - 2nd
Stats (All Comps): 9.62 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, 1.1 assists per game. 50/28/71 shooting splits.
Sarr has moved up a spot on our board and that is partially due to Nikola Topic’s injuries but also because Sarr finished the season strong for the Perth Wildcats who went out in the NBL semifinals. We gave a full report on Sarr back in January, and since our board in November, our opinion has not changed a ton. Sarr makes plays and has stretches that look fantastic, but you still aren’t confident that he isn’t going to develop into considerably more than he currently is.
Should Sarr fall flat, he’s probably a similar player to Marvin Bagley. A great athlete with just enough skill to hang around the NBA, but that’s it. If Sarr continues to grow leaps and bounds - becoming a more physical defender and finisher, tightening his handle, adding consistency to his shot, and growing his halfcourt decision-making - he could grow into a player resembling Al Horford.
A four and five who can space the floor and finish in pick-and-roll, can facilitate offense, and provide defensive versatility and rim protection at the other end. He won’t impose himself on the game physically as much as you’d like, but he makes up for it in plenty of other areas.
That gap between the floor and ceiling is wide. No matter where Sarr goes, he is a gamble, but one worth taking in this class.
3. Nikola Topic - Point guard
Team: Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (Adriatic League, EuroLeague)
Age: 18
Physicals: 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, and 7-foot wingspan
Recommended Range: Top-10
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 1st, ESPN - 6th, The Athletic - 5th, No Ceilings - 9th
Stats (All Comps): 16.37 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 6.1 assists per game. 50/28/88 splits
Topic had a very strong start to the season with KK Mega Bemaz and then made the bold and impressive move to return to his parent EuroLeague club, Crvena Zvezda, during the season and unfortunately was only able to appear in three games across all competitions before going down with a knee injury. We like what we saw enough in the early days of the season that he won’t fall below third, and the rest of this international class gets significantly weaker after Topic.
4. Tidjane Salaun - Forward
Team: Cholet (Jeep Elite - France, Basketball Champions League)
Age: 18
Physicals: 6-foot-9, 203 pounds, 7-foot wingspan
Recommended Range: Lottery
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 31st, ESPN - 8th, The Athletic - 10th, No Ceilings - 21st
Stats (All Comps): 9.21 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game. 40/34/79 splits.
Salaun has grown throughout the season and had a particularly hot streak during December and January where the shot went from simply looking good to actually being good. The upside is incredibly enticing and even though we’ve got him ranked fourth it wouldn’t be a total shock if a few seasons from now Salaun is the best international prospect from this class.
5. Juan Nunez - Point guard
Team: Ratiopharm Ulm (BBL - Germany, EuroCup)
Age: 19
Physicals: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
Recommended Range: Late first-round and beyond
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 44th, ESPN - 28th, The Athletic - 53rd, No Ceilings - 44th
Stats (All Comps): 11.15 points per game, 3.52 rebounds per game, 5.22 assists per game. 50/34/66 shooting splits
Why have we moved Nunez up? Because he’s 19 years old and a reliable starting EuroCup point guard. There are concerns about his game for sure - his top-end speed is, well, not very fast and his frame is about the same as a Division II power forward.
What Nunez does have though is an elite understanding of the pick-and-roll, a brilliant understanding of how changing speeds can make up for his lack of overall speed, and a good finishing arsenal around the rim and inside of 12 feet with both hands.
The three-point shooting continues to improve, as does the free-throw shooting. That trend needs to continue, but the growth over the last two seasons gives optimism that it will given how young he is. Nunez doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but he’s probably already good enough to be a backup NBA point guard which is an incredibly safe floor. A number of NBA teams could use a player like Nunez right now, and that should get him selected late in the first round or early in the second round.
6. Pacome Dadiet - Wing
Team: Ratiopharm Ulm (BBL - Germany, EuroCup)
Age: 18
Physicals: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, 6-foot-9 wingspan
Recommended Range: mid-to-late second-round and stash
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 43rd, ESPN - 47th, The Athletic - 51st, No Ceilings 48th
Stats (All Comps): 6.11 points per game, 2 rebounds per game, 0.5 assists per game. 49/34/76 shooting splits
A new edition to the second edition of our Big Board is Pacome Dadiet, primarily because he didn’t start playing consistently for Ulm until late November. Since then, though, Dadiet has impressed and solidified himself as a regular in the reigning German champions' rotation.
Dadiet has a great body for his age and for the BBL, but there are question marks about his overall explosiveness and whether it will be good enough for him to reliably get separation at the next level. But similar to his teammate Nunez ranked one spot ahead of him, an 18-year-old having a consistently positive impact at the EuroCup level is notable and impressive.
The shot looks good, he’s shooting 45 percent from deep on no-dribble spot-up attempts per Synergy Sports. He’s got good instincts as a cutter and is relentless in his hunt for transition scoring opportunities. He’s shooting 71 percent at the rim across all competitions this season, primarily by capitalizing on his vertical burst but the efficiency is still impressive at his age and competition level.
His handle is decent for his role, and he’s perfectly comfortable attacking guys off the dribble in the half-court, but he can get over eager and his decision-making isn’t always the best. He settles for a few too many long twos, dribbles into traffic sometimes, and tends to make other common mistakes for an 18-year-old. It’s hard to put a floor or ceiling on Dadiet currently. His current skill level and likely development arc remind us of Dzanan Musa and Mario Hezonja.
That means don’t rush him. Dadiet is a project, one that you shouldn’t expect to make a big impact on a good NBA team or better in the next 3-4 seasons most likely. But should his upward trend continue, there’s a world where he’s a reliable role player with upside by age 23 or 24. If an NBA team drafts him with the appropriate timeline in mind, they could reap the rewards down the road.
7. Ariel Hukporti - Center
Team: Melbourne United (NBL)
Age: 21
Physicals: 7-foot, 250 pounds, 7-foot-3 wingspan
Stats (All Comps): 8.5 points per game, 6.91 rebounds per game, 1.5 blocks per game. 58/0/62 shooting splits.
Recommended Range: Mid-to-late second round
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: ESPN - 55th, The Athletic - 54th
Hukporti is incredibly dull and we mean that in an endearing way! He’s a big body and uses it well. He’s a good rebounder, screen setter, passable pick-and-roll finisher and protects the rim well at the other end. It seems like he’ll have an NBA career somewhere in the range of Bismack Biyombo or Kevon Looney. He’s a perfectly safe pick almost anywhere in the second round.
8. Mantas Rubstavicius - Guard
Team: New Zealand Breakers (NBL)
Age: 21
Recommended Range: Second round
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 46th, ESPN (52nd)
Stats (All Comps): 9.36 points per game, 2 rebounds per game, 1.16 assists per game. 52/43/82 shooting splits
A left-handed shooter with a good dribble-drive game to go with it, Rubstavicius’ biggest test will be if he can truly hang with NBA physiques. He’s not explosive or strong, his game is similar to many other Lithuanian wings such as Ignas Brazdeikis, Marius Grigonis, Tomas Dimsa, and others.
His shot form is weird, he looks like he’s standing sideways when he lets it fly instead of squared up but plenty of lefties have awkward forms and manage to find success. He also attacks closeouts well, primarily because he has a good in-between game - his left-handed floater and runner are reliable, and he’s even shown the ability to make them off the wrong foot. He also finishes with his right hand when called for and looks confident doing so. Rubsatavicius’ game is smooth. If he can figure out how to hang with NBA athletes then he certainly has a place in the league.
9. Melvin Ajinca - Wing
Team: Saint Quentin (Jeep Elite - France)
Age: 19
Physicals: 6-foot-7 and I cannot find his wingspan OR weight anywhere!
Recommended Range: Late first-round and beyond
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 42nd, ESPN - 31st, The Athletic - 38th, No Ceilings - 54th
Stats (All Comps): 10.14 points per game and 3 rebounds per game. 41/36/87 shooting splits
Ajinca remains a very solid shooter for his age and has flashes of self-creation, that’s catching the eye of front offices around the league. We still have the same concerns we had about him in November, though. His game is predictable because he has no right hand, and he’s not a good finisher due to his lack of creativity in that area.
One solid example of his overreliance on his left hand? His shot percentages coming off screens. He’s shooting 40 percent overall on 25 attempts across all competitions per Synergy Sports, that’s good. But if you go to the breakdown by direction - to his right (preferred by most left-handed players) and to his left - a different story stands out. Ajinca is 7/12 going to his right, and 3/13 to his left. There’s a significant drop in two-point field goal conversion via directional split as well. It underscores how predictable he is, and how easy he’d be to gameplan for at the next level.
But in the modern NBA, being a good shooter can sometimes be enough. So even with our concerns, Ajinca has moved up in our rankings.
10. Eli John N’Diaye - Forward/Center
Team: Real Madrid (Liga ACB, EuroLeague)
Age: 19
Physicals: 6-foot-8, 183 pounds
Recommended Range: Late second-round
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: None
Stats (All Comps): 3.45 points per game, 2.48 rebounds per game, 0.42 assists per game. 48/30/74 shooting splits
It’s unclear whether or not Eli N’Diaye will enter the 2024 NBA draft and generally seems unlikely, but should he choose to do so he could be a good draft-and-stash prospect. Any 19-year-old who plays his way into Real Madrid’s rotation on a semi-regular basis is worth placing a bet on. He’s thrived as a pick-and-roll partner with Facundo Campazzo this season, finishing lobs and using his leaping ability to gain an advantage.
Outside of that, he’s letting it fly from deep with nearly half of his field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc. N’Diaye is taking and generally making efficient shots, allowing him to play a small role with Los Blancos. The concerns with N’Diaye are around his physique. He’s not big enough to be a center in the NBA, and even some fours could probably bully him. He’s not quick laterally either, meaning defending wings and guards is also out of the equation. Currently, that makes him incapable of guarding anyone in the league.
N’Diaye is still very young - he could bulk up, improve his defensive stance, improve his IQ and grow as a weakside helper or do any number of things to fix the current concerns with his game. He is far from the finished product which is always intriguing, but there’s no guarantee the finished product will be worth waiting for.
11. Bobi Klintman - Forward
Team: Cairns Taipans (NBL)
Age: 21
Physicals: 6-foot-10, 225 pounds
Recommended Range: Second-round
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 68th, ESPN - 23rd, The Athletic - 17th, No Ceilings - 45th
Stats (All Comps): 10.15 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, 0.92 assists per game. 44/34/81 shooting splits
We felt good about Klintman back in November. It looked like he was improving, and his decent open-court decision-making was coming to the halfcourt and he was starting to capitalize on the defensive potential his frame and athleticism gave him.
But since then Klintman has gotten worse or at best, plateaued. His offensive output is almost entirely limited to catch-and-shoot threes or transition opportunities. He gets caught falling asleep on defense, a lot. And with his size, age, and general skill level, he should be having a much larger impact in the NBL. He’s not, and that’s concerning. We understand why most people have him going in the first round (not No Ceilings though!), but we are down on Klintman and believe taking him anywhere in the first round is a waste of a pick.
12. A.J. Johnson - Guard
Team: Illawarra Hawks (NBL)
Age: 19
Physicals: 6-foot-5, 160 pounds
Recommended Range: Late second-round
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: ESPN - 58th, The Athletic - 39th, No Ceilings - 36th
Stats (All Comps): 2.9 points per game, 1.2 rebounds per game, and 0.8 assists per game. 35/28/54 shooting splits.
Johnson got limited floor time with the Illawarra Hawks this season but in those few moments, he is fun to watch — if you can see him. His speed is blinding and he’s got excellent balance. He makes the right reads but the execution isn’t always there, and his shot is still inconsistent. Johnson is a project, but worth taking a flyer on with a late second-round pick. He’ll need time but could be a joy in the NBA a few seasons down the road.
13. Fedor Zugic - Guard/wing
Team: BG Goettingen (BBL - Germany, FIBA Europe Cup)
Age: 20
Physicals: 6-foot-6, 188 pounds
Recommended Range: Late second round or undrafted
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: None
Stats (All Comps): 10.9 points per game, 2.3 rebounds per game, 1.89 assists per game. 46/34/75 shooting splits
Zugic is an interesting prospect. He’s not a bad shooter, and primarily scores by using his superior upper-body strength. He often bulldozes his way to the basket and his ability to finish through contact and with both hands lets him rack up points with this style. Unfortunately, this style probably doesn’t translate to the NBA. Zugic’s bully-ball drives simply won’t stand up to most of his NBA match-ups, they’ll be able to handle him when he lowers his shoulder and makes use of his off arm.
On top of his dependence on strength, Zugic is not very explosive off-the-dribble or driving to the rim generally. We don’t think we’ve ever seen him truly blow by and create separation against anyone. This lack of burst paired with his reliance on upper-body strength doesn’t set the table for NBA success. It’s not impossible for this skill set to translate, but it seems unlikely.
14. Nikola Djurisic - Wing
Team: KK Mega Bemax (Adriatic League)
Age: 20
Physicals: 6-foot-8, 214 pounds, 6-foot-8 wingspan
Recommended Range: Late second-round or undrafted
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: None
Stats (All Comps): 12.8 points per game, 2.7 rebounds per game, 3.3 assists per game. 42/28/75 shooting splits
It’s looking like Djurisic will not enter the 2024 NBA Draft which is not surprising. His season with Mega Bemax has been uninspiring, and his lack of visibility in mock drafts and overall discussion reflects that. What’s concerning is that this is known as a weak class, and Djurisic is still struggling to pop even into the late second-round territory. He’s got two more seasons and two more classes to try to make his stock rise, but if he can’t do it in this one it’s hard to see that changing.
15. Hansen Yang - Center
Team: Qingdao (Chinese Basketball Association)
Age: 18
Physicals: 7-foot-2, 249 pounds
Recommended Range: Late second-round or undrafted
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 50th, The Athletic (38th)
Stats (All Comps): 15.2 points per game, 11.16 rebounds per game, 3.9 assists per game. 55/22/61 shooting splits
For starters, Hansen Yang is not a unicorn. That label is getting thrown around way too easily these days. Yang is tall, has good footwork, and soft touch around the rim. None of that is out of the ordinary and is far from unicorn status. Yang is a solid passer too, 3.9 assists per game is decent for an 18-year-old playing professionally for the first time in his career but put it next to his 3.6 turnovers per game and it becomes less impressive.
With his age and height, Yang is appealing as a late second-round pick potentially but it’s hard to see him having a long-lasting NBA career. He’s big but not strong, rarely ever punishing his opponents with physicality in the post. He’s stiff, moving like he has to keep his body in a perfectly straight line or else it will fall apart like he’s two kids stacked in a trench coat or something. Yang is skilled but looks more likely to have a historic CBA career and the occasional big FIBA performance than he is to be a legit NBA center.
16. Ruben Prey - Center
Team: Joventut Badalona (ACB - Spain, EuroCup)
Age: 19
Physicals: 6-foot-10, 205 pounds, 7-foot-2 wingspan
Recommended Range: Late second round or undrafted
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: None
Stats (All Comps): 5.6 points per game, 4.43 rebounds per game, 0.7 assists per game. 50/22/64 shooting splits.
Prey’s skills and frame remain impressive in either small doses or against inferior competition. He’s still very young, and it’s near impossible to say anything conclusive about him. Prey will likely sit out the 2024 NBA draft it seems and that’s probably the right move. If he ever breaks into Badalona’s rotation on a consistent basis somewhere over the next two seasons his draft stock could soar. Waiting for that potential opportunity makes sense.
17. Alex Toohey - Wing
Team: Sydney Kings (NBL)
Age: 19
Physicals: 6-foot-7, 205 pounds, 6-foot-10 wingspan
Recommended Range: Late second round or undrafted
Other Mock NBA Draft Rankings: FanSided - 67th
Stats (All Comps): 8.34 points per game, 4 rebounds per game, 0.9 assists per game. 44/27/69 shooting splits.
Toohey had good flashes early in the NBL season with Sydney Kings but his three-point shooting has declined and so have his stats and playing time across the board, meaning it looks like Toohey will likely kick the can down the road on entering the draft. We still like Toohey’s upside going forward - he’s got great basketball IQ and a good defensive profile - so long as he can start knocking down threes efficiently and consistently. Until then, we need to stay low on him.
18. Lachlan Olbrich - Forward/Center
Team: Illawarra Hawks (NBL)
Age: 20
Physicals: 6-foot-10, 235 pounds
Stats (All Comps): 4.79 points per game, 3.15 rebounds per game, 0.91 assists per game. 55/33/57 shooting splits.
Simply put, Olbrich does not look like an NBA player. He could have a long NBL career potentially, but that seems to be his ceiling.