Rumor: French prospect Tidjane Salaün is now projected to be a top-10 pick
Tidjane Salaün, a 6-foot-9 forward from France, is reportedly now viewed as a potential top-10 pick in the 2024 NBA draft after a strong run of late with Cholet Basket.
Salaün, who will turn 19 in August, dazzled in his latest performance, scoring 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in a win over Paris in Game 1 of the French League playoffs. He finished by shooting 8-of-13 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range.
The performance vaulted Salaün to be one of the top players off of the board on June 26, with many teams penciling him to go eighth to the San Antonio Spurs, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Salaun clearly didn’t hurt his draft stock, and a big contingent of NBA executives is now en route to France to take in the rest of the LNB quarterfinals, where both him and potential No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher are competing against Parisian-based teams, making for one-stop scouting shopping for lottery teams.
Salaün is averaging 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 40.5% shooting from the field in 52 games. He started 38 games between all league competitions and is among the leaders on the team in scoring and rebounding.
He has dazzled this season with his ability to handle the ball in transition, drive and finish at the rim. He crashes the glass on both ends of the court with force and can also defend multiple positions with his reported 7-foot, 2-inch wingspan.
With Cholet Basket still competing in the playoffs, Salaün likely won’t arrive in the United States until later this month at the earliest. He will have the opportunity to meet with teams for interviews and workouts once his season is over.
