Who Is Tidjane Salaun? Everything You Need to Know About 2024 NBA Draft Prospect

The French seemed to have enticed the NBA once again. After Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr made their mark on the basketball world, it is time for a new Frenchman, Tidjane Salaun. The 18-year-old forward has skipped ranks and climbed the ladder in the 2024 mock NBA draft. In fact, ESPN is projecting him as the 15th overall. Coming from a basketball family, let us learn more about this young talent who has been turning heads of the scouts.

Born on August 10, 2005, in Paris, France, Tidjane Salaun has been making the dominoes of his professional career fall quite quickly. This has been possible due to his parents, who both were basketball players. At the professional level, his sister Janelle Salaun is his motivation. 22-year-old Janelle is currently playing in the EuroLeague Women for the Villeneuve d’Ascq club. She has also represented her country as a part of the France women’s national basketball team in the EuroBasket Women 2023.

At the age of 15, Tidjane Salaun entered the LNB Espoirs of the Cholet Basket. This is a renowned French Under-21 league. He then tried the waters in the NBA’s 2023 All-Star Weekend camp in Salt Lake City– Basketball Without Borders. Consequently, the 6-ft-9 hooper added 17.7 points and 7.3 rebounds to sweep away the 2023 MVP honor at the Trophee du Futur, also known as the Trophy of the Future tournament.

To enter the professional league, Salaun signed his first contract with Cholet Basket’s LNB Pro A senior team in July 2023. In 49 games that he played for the team; he averaged 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1 steal in 23.2 minutes per game. With this, he also entered the international basketball scene with France’s national team, participating in the FIBA U18 European Championship. He is also the Basketball Champions League Best Young Player for the year 2024.

Moreover, in his 54 games in various competitions this year, he has dropped 75 threes. Another thing that is exciting for the scouts is his shooting ability from the stripe. Last season, he made 80% of his shots from the free-throw line. There is a lot more that this energetic hooper can bring to the NBA.

How is Tidjane Salaun doing in the 2024 NBA mock drafts?

While not as high as Alexandre Sarr, who is being projected at the top-2 spots in the 2024 NBA draft, Salaun too brings the pros that are helping him impress the scouts. Currently, he is the youngest draftee at the age of 18 years old. Still, his on-court skills have made ESPN put him as the 15th pick in their mock draft. Although his ball-handling skills will need to be polished more, his defense is turning heads. He is young, energetic, and can swiftly move through the crowd to make a shot. His 7-ft-2 wingspan only adds to his efficiency on the floor.

Many NBA scouts only have compliments for his game. An NBA Executive told HoopsHype, “Every team is looking for as much size as they can get with skill. He’s got some budding skill for a guy his size. That’s something you want to gamble on. Salaun is interesting. He has massive hands, long arms, a big body, and a great frame.”

According to the official website of the NBA, Salaun’s athletic build will be his strongest point. Also, his ability to make threes and defend the ball can be a lethal weapon for the opponents and one of the main aspects for a team to choose him. But what is his reason for choosing one of the toughest basketball leagues in the world as his next chapter?

What does Tidjane Salaun have to say about entering the NBA?

In late April, Salaun announced his eligibility for the 2024 NBA draft. When talking about why he wants to step into the NBA, he told ESPN, “The NBA has always been a dream of mine, but recently it’s become a goal. It’s just the logical next step for me. I learned a lot of things on and off the court this season. I’m ready to make a big step now for the next level.”

However, it is not just his zeal for the best that is pushing him towards the NBA. Apparently, he is on a revenge tour, to make the ones who did not believe in him, and his talents pay a price. In his words, “I had to work and hustle for everything. A lot of people doubted me. Some people who didn’t trust me before, I want to make them pay.”

Tidjane Salaun clearly has an aim and a motivation that keeps pushing him forward. However, there is a lot that takes to be a part of the NBA. Being one of the best additions in the Cholet’s rotations and being projected as the fifteenth overall surely proves his worth. But only time will tell if the teams like this fierce hooper enough to draft him.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.