BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Charlotte Hornets have selected Tidjane Salaun as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The top selections in the NBA Draft this year weren’t as predictable as in years past. With how the cards fell, the Hornets landed on Salaun, the 6-foot-9 forward out of France.
Tidjane Salaun walks the red carpet before the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TIDJANE SALAUN
Salaun most recently played for the Cholet Basket in the French U21 League in 2023. In 49 games, he averaged 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and one steal in 23 minutes.
The 18-year-old Frenchman was named the MVP of the 2023 Trophy of the Future Tournament where he averaged 17.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He also played in the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship for the France national team.
Salaun has a 7-foot-2 wingspan, size that will help him guard some of the NBA’s most talented players.
Salaun has a high motor with laudable athleticism that will be a breathe of fresh air for the Hornets. He also has a smooth jumper and the ability to hit from long range. He connected on 68 of his 211 (32%) three-point shots in 2023-24.
With his size and length, Salaun will certainly help space the floor for the Hornets while also being a certified finisher at the rim.
WHERE THE HORNETS STAND
Salaun joins a Hornets team that hasn’t made the postseason since the 2015-16 season. Since then, the Hornets have made two play-in games but lost both.
In the injury-riddled 2023-24 season, the Hornets achieved just 21 wins, tied for the franchise’s fewest wins in a single season since the infamous seven-win campaign in the lockout year.
Looking ahead, the Hornets hired Boston Celtics’ assistant Charles Lee back in May to be the new head coach. He joined the team after the Celtics’ victory in the NBA Finals.
The Hornets are fortunate to have key players – LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, Grant Williams, etc. – locked up for the foreseeable future.
However, Miles Bridges’ future in Charlotte remains uncertain. He is set to be unrestricted free agent this summer and will have options to play elsewhere.
Salaun’s size and ceiling could blend well with the young Hornets starting lineup.
