Washington Wizards’s Kyle Kuzma appears to be excited about the eventual arrival of French prodigy Tidjane Salaun to the NBA. On Twitter, Kuzma responded to a highlight clip of the 18-year-old, claiming that the youngster is already looking forward to making it to the league one day. The Wizards star had apparently been to France to watch some basketball games.
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He claimed in his tweet that Salaun came over claiming that the Wizards star would soon see him in the NBA.
“I went over to France to watch some hoops this kid comes up to me and goes “see you in two years” yupppp,”
Kuzma wrote, seemingly impressed with Salaun’s confidence. Kuzma had only recently praised LeBron James, but this time has found a player who is firmly on the other end of the age spectrum.
The 18-year-old currently plays for the Cholet Basket’s team in LNB Espoirs, which is the under-21 French League. Standing at 6 10”, Salaun is a talented Wing player who generally plays as a power forward, and seemingly an asset on both ends of the court.
An able long-range shooter and a tenacious defender, Salaun is expected to be a 2024 Lottery Pick and has continued to impress in recent weeks in the BCL.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony posted the player’s highlights from his 18-point performance in a recent game against the Lenovo Tenerife. While his team ended up losing, Salaun himself continued his recent form and produced three rebounds in addition to the 18 points in just 23 minutes.
While the player himself is confident, Salaun also seems to have convinced a bonafide NBA star in the form of Kyle Kuzma about his NBA future. That of course, can happen as soon as 2024.
Tidjane Salaun is considered a potential first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft
Salaun’s performances seem to have already convinced a range of people about his big future. The 18-year-old was listed as a potential #30 pick, in the Bleacher Report mock draft, which is down to his combination of shooting ability and size.
Yahoo, however, sees Salaun as a potential #12 pick, owing to the sheer potential that he has shown this season already. Salaun is a dynamic defender and has a 7 feet 1” wingspan. That, in addition to his already impressive shooting, is bound to generate interest in the NBA. The player also seems to have flourished offensively this season and has been in impressive form recently.
The French International appears to be in the same vein as Nikola Jokic, although he still has a lot of development to undergo. A potential spot in the 2024 NBA draft will most probably see him being picked up alongside a certain Bronny James, who is probably going to be the most anticipated pick next off-season. This means Salaun may as well be at risk of going under the scanner.
