Tag: Tidjane Salaun

Hornets’ Tidjane Salaün, KJ Simpson threw out first pitch for Charlotte Knights

Hornets rookies Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Charlotte Knights on Thursday.

Charlotte Hornets rookies Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

Salaün and Simpson were on hand to watch the Knights host the Toledo Mud Hens at Truist Field on Thursday as part of their six-game homestand. They took the mound donning custom-made Knights jerseys, and both delivered their pitches.

With the two draftees in attendance, the Knights took down the Mud Hens 3-2 in the 10th inning on a walk-off single by Bryan Ramos. The Knights have taken two out of their first three games against the Mud Hens and improved to 53-61 on the season.

Salaün debuted with the Hornets in the NBA Summer League, averaging nine points and seven rebounds on 42.3% shooting from the field in three appearances. The sixth pick produced his best game on July 16 with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Simpson, the 42nd pick, was ruled out of playing with the Hornets in summer league after suffering a hamstring injury during the predraft process. He is expected to be fully recovered and available for the start of training camp in October.

Salaün and Simpson join a roster headlined by LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Grant Williams, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams, among others. The team will be guided by first-year head coach Charles Lee.

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Hornets sign No. 6 pick Tidjane Salaün to first-round contract

The Hornets announced on Wednesday that they signed Tidjane Salaün, the sixth pick in the draft, to his rookie-scale contract.

The Charlotte Hornets announced on Wednesday that they signed Frenchman Tidjane Salaün, the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, to his rookie-scale contract.

He will make $6,240,600 next season as the sixth pick.

Salaün averaged 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 54 games last season across all competitions with Cholet Basket of the LNB Elite League. He played the previous two campaigns for Espoirs Cholet in the under-21 league.

The 18-year-old dazzled in the French League playoffs, averaging 13.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in three games against Paris. He had his best outing in Game 1 after recording 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in a win.

The team announced this week that Salaün will miss the California Classic in Sacramento after suffering a minor laceration near his knee. He is expected to be available to play in the NBA Summer League beginning on July 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He will be joined by roster players Brandon Miller, Nick Smith Jr. and Leaky Black in Las Vegas, along with undrafted free agents RaeQuan Battle, Kevin Cross Jr. and Malik Hall, among others.

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Hornets’ KJ Simpson ruled out of summer league with injury

Hornets rookie KJ Simpson will not play in summer league, the team announced on Monday.

Charlotte Hornets rookie KJ Simpson will not play in summer league due to a hamstring injury sustained during the predraft process, the team announced on Monday.

The Hornets begin summer league on Saturday with three games in the California Classic from Sacramento. The team will then play at least five games in the NBA Summer League on the campus of UNLV starting on July 13.

Simpson, the 42nd pick in the 2024 NBA draft, is expected to be fully recovered and available for the start of training camp in September. The team will also be without Tidjane Salaün, the sixth pick, for the California Classic after suffering a minor laceration near his knee.

Simpson was drafted after averaging 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 43.4% shooting from 3-point range as a junior at Colorado. He was named to the All-Pac-12 first team and set several single-season program records, including double-digit-scoring games (35).

Salaün was highly touted after dazzling with Cholet Basket in the French League. He ended the season on a tremendous run and produced 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in a Game 1 win over Paris in the playoffs.

The Hornets will tip off their schedule in the expanded California Classic with the San Antonio Spurs and then face the Chinese national team (Sunday) and Sacramento Kings (July 9).

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ESPN accidentally showed Tidjane Salaün while introducing Dalton Knecht during 2024 NBA Draft

Well, that’s not Dalton Knecht.

Wednesday night’s first round of the 2024 NBA Draft brought Tennessee star Dalton Knecht to the start of his professional career.

However, the ESPN broadcast of the evening’s festivities didn’t seem to know who Knecht was as they tried to showcase him before the picks began coming off the board.

Once the lower third for Knecht’s name appeared on the broadcast, French prospect Tidjane Salaün came up instead in a very confusing mix up.

We’re not entirely sure at what happened for the broadcast to confuse Knecht for Salaün, but it certainly kept viewers on alert to point out the mistake for themselves.

They don’t look alike at all, so we’re very unsure how this happened.

The broadcast eventually got it right, but what a strange mistake regardless.

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Rob Dillingham is among the second group of players invited to the draft green room

Dillingham conducted his required combine testing on Friday, clearing the way for him to become eligible to be selected in the draft.

Former Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham reportedly conducted his required combine testing, clearing the way for him to become eligible to be selected in the 2024 NBA draft.

Dillingham wasn’t able to participate in on-court testing last month at the combine because of an ankle injury. He was cleared this week from the injury and completed the requirements in front of teams on Friday at the Los Angeles Lakers‘ practice facility.

The 19-year-old was among the second group of prospects who received invitations from the NBA to attend the draft in the green room on June 26-27 at the Barlcays Center in Brooklyn, New York, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Teams with first-round picks each year vote on the players they believe will be drafted early, typically the top 20-25 prospects. Last year, 25 prospects were invited to the green room and only one wasn’t selected in the first round (Rayan Rupert, 43rd overall pick).

Included in the second batch of invitations were Serbian guard Nikola Topić, Duke players Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski, Miami forward Kyshawn George, USC guard Isaiah Collier, Baylor center Yves Missi and Kansas forward Johnny Furphy.

The first group of players invited to the green room included French players Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Tidjane Salaün; UConn players Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle; G League Ignite players Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland; and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard.

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Report: France’s Tidjane Salaun to have predraft workout with Thunder

Report: France’s Tidjane Salaun to have predraft workout with Thunder.

The calendar has flipped to June, which means NBA teams are intensifying their predraft process and hosting players for workouts and visits. The 2024 NBA draft will take place from June 26-27.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year’s class with a sole draft pick of the No. 12 selection. OKC was gifted the free lottery pick via the Houston Rockets.

This means the Thunder will host several meetings with draft prospects in the coming weeks. France’s Tidjane Salaun is the latest player who will reportedly work out for OKC.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman reported that Salaun will hold a predraft workout with the Thunder. He’ll be in the range of the No. 12 spot.

The 18-year-old played overseas with the LNB Pro A’s Cholet. He averaged 9.7 points on 40.6% shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 54 games last season in France. He shot 31.6% from 3 on 4.4 attempts.

At 6-foot-9, 212 pounds, Salaun has good size for a wing. He’s viewed as a long-term project.

A full list of 2024 NBA draft prospects that have worked out or visited the Thunder in the predraft process can be viewed here.

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Mock draft sees Spurs take Tidjane Salaun with No. 8 pick

Could the San Antonio Spurs select Tidjane Salaun in the NBA Draft?

Heading into the offseason, the NBA Draft will provide the San Antonio Spurs with a solid opportunity to snag new young pieces. In ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft, the Spurs selected French forward Tidjane Salaun with the eighth pick in the draft.

“Salaun has arrived in the U.S. for workouts, but will head back overseas next week to the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Treviso, Italy, to complete his required medicals and testing,” wrote Jeremy Woo. “He has gained steam as a lottery candidate after finishing his season in strong form, showcasing his physical tools and potential versatility at either forward spot.

“Salaun, yet to turn 19, is still a ways away from contributing at a high level, but the room for long-term growth makes him an appealing development pick in the mid-to-late lottery. His familiarity with Victor Wembanyama likely doesn’t hurt his case as an option for San Antonio, but the Spurs are considering a handful of prospects at this spot, including Dillingham, Nikola Topic, Cody Williams and Dalton Knecht.”

Could the Spurs create a new French duo with Salaun and Victor Wembanyama?

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NBA mock draft has Bulls selecting Tidjane Salaun with 11th pick

Could the Chicago Bulls target Tidjane Salaun in the 2024 NBA Draft?

As the Chicago Bulls prepare for a summer of potential changes, the 2024 NBA Draft looms large. If they want to plan for the future, nailing their selection will be crucial. In a recent mock draft written by Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Bulls picked up French forward Tidjane Salaun.

“The fast-rising 18-year-old could even crack the top 10, if San Antonio opts to pair him with French countryman Wembanyama,” Lewis wrote. “As it is, he’s closed his season well offensively and looked good in the French LNB playoffs. If the Bulls have finally stopped deluding themselves and are committed to hitting the reset button, they could trade Zach LaVine and find Salaun a long-term development piece.”

As noted by Lewis, Salaun is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the draft, and snagging him would be a great upside swing for the Bulls.

Chicago should be looking to improve their future, and Salaun could help them do just that.

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2024 NBA draft: Who’s most likely to go to OKC Thunder at No. 12 pick?

2024 NBA draft: Who’s most likely to go to OKC Thunder at No. 12 pick?

The 2024 NBA draft is roughly a month away, which means the Oklahoma City Thunder will soon have a chance to add a lottery talent to their young core.

The Thunder are fresh off a second round playoff exit. OKC made history this season by being the youngest top seed and youngest squad (average roster age) to win a playoff series.

Thanks to the Houston Rockets, the Thunder will get to add a free lottery pick to this stacked group. HoopsHype’s draft predictor, a tool that factors mock drafts and predraft workouts, generates the probability of every player’s likely landing spot.

At the No. 12 slot, it lists five players who have the highest odds of landing with the Thunder:

  • Colorado forward Cody Williams has a 32.7% chance
  • France forward Tidjane Salaun has a 20.1% chance
  • Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht has a 18.9% chance
  • G League Ignite forward Ron Holland has a 9.4% chance
  • Baylor guard Ja’Kobe Walter has a 5.5% chance

This group sounds about right. These five players have been the most frequently mocked to the Thunder at the 12th selection since the lottery ended.

The 2024 NBA draft is set to take place from June 26-27. The No. 12 pick is OKC’s lone selection so far. Of course, it can always make trades to change that if it chooses.

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Could Tidjane Salaun be the steal of the 2024 NBA Draft for the Bulls?

Should the Chicago Bulls consider selecting Tidjane Salaun with the 11th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?

The Chicago Bulls have the 11th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The draft lottery didn’t give them any assistance, but it also didn’t hurt them. Their pick remained in the same place it was projected to land. Now, they will have a chance to add a nice young piece alongside Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Patrick Williams, should they re-sign him this offseason.

One guy who the Bulls should potentially keep their eyes on is Tidjane Salaun, a Frenchman currently playing for Cholet Basket in France. He’s had a solid season over there and his shooting ability could be one of the top reasons a team takes a chance on him.

The Chicago Bulls Central YouTube channel recently discussed why Salaun could be a steal for the Bulls to consider drafting.

The Bulls desperately need to add three-point shooting to the roster, so taking a chance on Salaun would make sense.

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