The 2024 NBA Draft will be held on Wednesday, June 26th and Thursday, June 27th. Our resident draft expert Bryant has semi-retired from draft scouting, so we won’t have his usual in-depth breakdowns to rely on. So we’re going to do our draft coverage a little differently this year. We’ll present some prospects, share some highlight videos, and share some general thoughts before opening it up to the group to discuss.
Let’s start with this: Tidjane Salaun is a prospect I would be shocked if the Kings draft. He hasn’t been mocked to the Kings in any mock drafts that I pay attention to. Several mocks have Salaun going before the 13th pick, while others have him going after. But there is nothing about Salaun that makes me think he’s a Kings pick. So why are we discussing him today? Because Monte McNair has a habit of taking players we didn’t write about, and I want to have all the bases covered.
NBA Position: Wing
General Info: 18-year-old, played at Cholet, LNB Pro A. From France.
Measurables: 6’8.75″ w/o shoes, 217.4 lbs, 7’1.5″ wingspan, 9’2″ standing reach.
2023-2024 Season Statistics: 9.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 1.5 TPG (33 games played, 22.7 minutes per game), 37.3% FG, 32.9 % 3P, 76.7% FT
Salaun is a very young and very raw prospect. With his length and athleticism, it’s easy to understand why a rebuilding team would be intrigued. It’s why Salaun is often mocked to the Portland Trail Blazers with the 14th pick. For the Kings, he would be a pick who would be VERY unlikely to contribute at all in his rookie season, and may actually need a couple seasons to develop his game before being ready to compete on a playoff team.
Tidjane’s length is crazy. If he can fill out with some muscle, he could eventually be a really exciting post player. But right now he’s a lanky lob threat with an inconsistent shot who doesn’t contribute in other areas. I’m particularly dismayed by his lack of rebounding.
It would be a real head-scratcher if the Kings selected Salaun with the 13th pick. If they do, I’d immediately be looking for the reports of a trade.
the more I read up on and look at this kid, I like him. He’s got serious upside as a big wing.
definitely worth a look to consider whether he could be developed into a high energy 3&D PF. (position of need) Some of the improvement areas might be fixable, like ball watching on defense and jumpiness on defense. many people buy into his potential as a shooter.
Also,
Great gamble for a team with an older set starting rotation or teams who are a few years away from competing. Terrible pick for a team looking to get deeper in the playoffs.
Well put.
Memphis, OKC and/or Utah?
Salaun is a high risk high reward pick and I don’t think MM is in the mindset of taking a player like that in this draft and where this roster is currently situated. I still think the pick is traded or a player is drafted that can contribute in year 1.
I feel like he could be arguably the best player in this draft class…in about 4 years. I get some Giannis vibes from him in that way. I’m not sure he’s what the Kings need right now but a rebuilding team will make a pick on potential alone. I doubt he slips past PDX at #7. He makes a lot of sense for them, especially with their heavy guard lineup and willingness to move on from Grant.
This is a prospect I am philosophically repulsed by. He cannot shoot, cannot finish at the rim, cannot create for himself, cannot playmake for others, cannot dribble, and cannot defend. And yet he is being spoken of as a lottery pick!?
What is his role, exactly, besides looking the part during shootaround and when he watches the consequent 48 minutes of basketball from the bench? He is tall, has long arms, and moves well (although I wouldn’t consider him an elite athlete, either). He is the IDEA of a basketball player, with none of the substance.
Thankfully, he’s the opposite of a Monte McNair pick and so I can sleep easy knowing that he will not be the pick at #13. At best, I’d take him as a draft and stash at #45. I cannot believe people are talking about him as highly as they are when this kid simply cannot play basketball. Oh well, let someone in the Top-12 take him and let one of the better prospects fall to us.
Yeah, I don’t get it.
In terms of a player with raw athleticism and size falling to the Kings, Holland seems way more exciting. He looks much more physically mature than Salaun and already has the downhill game and ability to finish. I kind of doubt Holland will slip to the 13 anyway, but if we were to take a “development” player, Holland seems like it would be a much shorter period of time to get him acclimated to the NBA.
Someone will take Saluan. He could be Batum or he could be that guy that Detroit took in the lottery a few years ago- Douyamboya or something.
If he falls, great, somebody will want to trade for him.
I suspect Holland will fall- and maybe Topic.or Dillingham. Trade Dillingham, keep Holland unless can get Kuzma.
He shows flashed of potential, but is probably 2 years away from being 2 years away. Boom/bust player for sure. If the Kings selected him, it would be for the future as he would probably be spending all his time in the G-League the 1st season, and might get minutes in the 2nd season.
There is just a lot that needs to go right for him developmentally to be an average starter. I find it highly unlikely he is available at #13, and Monte probably would not select him anyway. Some other rebuilding team will gamble on him, and cost a GM their job in a couple seasons.
But, if he were to put it altogether in a couple years, some GM will look like a genius for drafting him and being patient with the development. The Kings most likely trade the pick or draft someone that is more polished at #13 (da Silva, Edey, Knecht, Filipowski, etc.)
The Giannis vibe has to be the comp that compels a draft board upswing.
He’s young, he’s long, he’s athletic, he’s raw and that alone makes him a sexy pick – oh, and he speaks French. Even sexier. Ooo La La!
Monte McNair don’t do no sexy. The guy wears vests. Even in the Summer, for goodness sakes.
If on Wednesday night we Kings fans hear Tidjane Silaun’s name called, that just confirms there is a trade in place. Which would be just fine.
Better than being Sleeveless in Seattle.
Monte is the least sexiest man alive. He is a bit risk averse.
He is looking for that 5th year senior
Vests in summer? yes, that’s Monte.
so true!
The Bucks have reportedly made Bobby Portis available. Go get him Monte!
Crunch time lineup:
Fox
Monk
Murray
Portis
Sabonis
that’s a competitive lineup right there
Vez and the 13 for Portis.
Ainge is making noise, too. Collins and the 29 and 32 for Barnes, Duarte and the 13.
Yeah it sounds like the Jazz are open for business. I’d take Portis over Collins though. Kessler makes some sense as well as a backup big that can provide interior defense. I have no clue what Ainge would want in return for him.
I would prefer Portis as well.
Ainge is always open for business. He comes from the George Karl school that everyone on every team is tradeable, particularly for a Jazz team that seems stuck in a regular season rut.
Lauri Markkanen, clearly the best player on Utah, is “available”. And that can mean just about anything.
regarding Bobby Portis – he had a very nice playoffs. He would be a super addition to Sac. I would enjoy seeing a Porter/Lyles/Sabonis frontcourt for some Sac version of nastiness. Portis has also played well with a Keegan like player – only better – in Khris Middleton.
Personally, I don’t feel like John Collins is an upgrade from Harrison Barnes.
I think that Collins is a better fit in between Sabonis and Murray than is Barnes. But Collins does not come without some doubts. If he did, he’d cost you more than Barnes and a pick swap.
I’m also not a fan of Collins. But if we struck out on all other PF options and Collins came cheap, I’d be good with it.
You think Vez and the 13 is enough for Portis? I don’t know what the Bucks are trying to do. They seemed to make changes (Jrue to Dame) and now looking at possibly letting Portis that negatively affected their defense. Then they hired Doc, and that hasn’t worked out so far.
I get the feels that Doc and Portis don’t get along – just feels. I’m not sure what they can get for him – they are sort of cap impaired.
I also get the feels that anyone wanting Ports is going to have to eat Pat Connaughton’s deal as well.
I also get the feels that anyone wanting Ports is going to have to eat Pat Connaughton’s deal as well.
Pat C. is also reportedly available which lends credence to your thinking of the two being a package deal. I was a fan of Pat a few years ago, but he’s fallen off and doesn’t bring any value to the Kings.
From what I’ve read, the Bucks are desperate to get below the apron now that they have Lillard’s horrible deal. Portis, Lopez, Pat and even Middleton are rumored to be on the block.
I don’t think 2nd apron teams (which I think the Bucks are) can aggregate players in a trade.
Per Fanspo:
Second apron teams are prohibited from combining multiple players’ salaries into trades. Phoenix, as a specific example, could not trade both Jusuf Nurkić and Nassir Little for one player making $24.8 million. Second-apron teams also can’t utilize trade exceptions from previous years or send cash to help get deals over the finish line.
You are correct about the 2nd apron, but the Bucks are a 1st apron team, by just under $2M, so they can combine 2 or more players in a trade.
One site had them at 2m over, basketballreference has them at $182m, which is just below (as you stated).
I believe Malik Beasley just opted out of his deal. That may have dropped them down an apron.
I’m not sure that is enough for Ports, but I’d consider that move for Collins, especially if you can swap Barnes with Huerter. If the Kings could keep Barnes and move him into a bench role behind Keegan and a PF, it would be a major win.
this might not be too bad since there may be players at 29 and 32. like Dunn. Klintman.
But I am not a big Collins fan.
I’d love to land Dunn. He could be the best defender in the draft.
53% from the free throw line. That gives me great concern. Okpala-sized concern.
I think he’s a good developmental pick…maybe around #15-20 in a normal draft year. For the Kings, I think he’s a terrible fit as alluded to many on here.
Luckily, I don’t think the Kings have to worry…I bet he’s gone before the Kings pick. To me, he feels like a great pick for some of the rebuilding teams above the Kings.
Spurs, Blazers, or Hornets could all be landing spots. I could also see Presti possibly drafting and stashing him at 12 and betting on the upside at OKC.
Just noticed the consensus mock on NBA.com has Salaun to Sac at #13. I guess since no one knows where he’s going, and no one knows who Monte wants they were the obvious pairing.
I think its just lazy mocking, Salaun is dropping from his previously too-high projections so the mockers keep pushing him back little by little to another team despite there being better options on the board. I don’t think he’s a lottery pick.
If the Kings were rebuilding, sure, he could be an intriguing player but I don’t get the hype. Admittedly, I don’t know much about these overseas guys.
There are other rookies like Holland, Holmes, Ware, or Carter who would likely be more ready to contribute and TBH, are more likely to be NBA players who get 2nd contracts.
What’s up with all of these foreign players in this years draft? Half of the mocked first rounders are all foreign players. I hope we stay a long ways away from all of them. Look how Sasha turned out. I think the NBA needs to rethink how many of these foreign players are invading the NBA. Before long it will look like the LPGA and nobody will care about the NBA.
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