2024 NBA Mock Draft, FIBA flavour: Part I
The 2024 NBA Draft will take place on June 26 and 27. Here is a mock draft and a special look at the FIBA experience the players have.
MIES (Switzerland) - The 2024 NBA Draft is right around the corner and there will certainly be a massive FIBA influence among the 58 picks, with about half of the expected candidates having played in international competitions or a Basketball Without Borders camp.
The NBA is becoming more and more global and international prospects are showing they can ball - something NBA franchises are not avoiding. We looked at all the mock drafts out there and came up with our own list - focusing on the players' participation in FIBA events.
This is the first installment with picks 46-58 and it will be followed by three more in the days to come: 31-45, 16-30 and 1-15.
#58 Melvin Ajinca - France
The French wing has a lot of history with FIBA competitions, dating back to the FIBA U18 European Challengers 2021. Ajinca, who turns 20 on the first day of the draft, helped France grab a top-five finish in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2022 to grab a spot in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023, where he and France took second place. Ajinca, who helped Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball earn promotion to the French ProA in 2023, also participated in the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit.
#57 Isaac Jones - USA
A former junior college player, Jones stood out at Washington State University in the Pac-12 Conference after playing in 2022-23 in the Big Sky Conference with University of Idaho. He has not played in a FIBA competition.
#56 Oso Ighodaro - USA
Ighodaro for two seasons was a Second Team All-Big East selection with Marquette. The 21-year-old has not played in a FIBA competition.
#55 Bronny James - USA
The eldest son of LeBron James, Bronny has been in the spotlight since he began to show some promise as a basketball player. The 19-year-old played this past season at the University of Southern California. He participated in the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit.
#54 Jamal Shead - USA
The 21-year-old was named as a consensus first-team All-American playing for Houston. The point guard has not played in a FIBA competition.
#53 Jaylen Wells - USA
Wells made a big jump in 2023-24, going from NCAA II school Sonoma State University to Washington State University. The 20-year-old has not played in a FIBA competition.
#52 Harrison Ingram - USA
The Dallas native had a strong season with University of North Carolina after two campaigns at Stanford University. The 21-year-old helped United States win the title at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023.
#51 Adem Bona - Türkiye
Bona, who was born in Nigeria, took a big step with University of California at Los Angeles in this his sophomore year. The 21-year-old has a long history in FIBA basketball with Türkiye. He played at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018 and then the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2018. The following summer he was named to the All-Star Five at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2019 and played at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2019. Bona also played at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019 and the FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2022 - the latter where he garnered a spot in the All-Star Five.
#50 Pelle Larsson - Sweden
Larsson has continued to improve throughout his college career, the last three seasons with the University of Arizona. The 23-year-old Swedish shooting guard's history with FIBA competition goes back seven years. He played at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2017, Division A and then the next two summers at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B. Larsson already has debuted in Sweden's senior national team, appearing in four games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers.
#49 Keshad Johnson - USA
Johnson helped San Diego State University to the NCAA Championship Game in 2023 and then played last season with University of Arizona. He has not played in a FIBA competition.
#48 Kevin McCullar - USA
McCullar played three seasons at Texas Tech University and then the last two years with the University of Kansas. The 23-year-old shooting guard has not played in a FIBA competition.
#47 Reece Beekman - USA
Beekman played four seasons at the University of Virginia, being named as the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024. The 22-year-old has not played in a FIBA competition.
#46 Juan Nunez - Spain
Nunez came up in the Real Madrid ranks and debuted in Spain's top flight in 2020-21. After a full season with Real in 2022, the point guard moved to Germany to play for ratiopharm Ulm. He helped the club to the German title in 2023 - the club's first in franchise history. Nunez has an illustrious history with Spanish national teams. He was named to the All-Star Five of the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2019 as a 15-year-old and captured the crown.
He played at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2021 and the following summer helped Spain win the title at the FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2022 and became the youngest MVP in the competition's history. He played in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2023 as well and made his in-roads to the senior national team as well, playing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers and making the team for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 as a 19-year-old.
The opinions expressed are purely those of the author and for fan entertainment purposes only. These are not in any way an official ranking.