The Oklahoma City Thunder have several international players on their roster. This has become a trend across the league as many teams continue to add more international talent. In the 2022 NBA draft, international prospects can be found in both rounds.
The NBA’s past four MVP winners have all been international players, proving that some of the best talent in the league comes from overseas. The influx of international talent into the NBA is likely to continue, and the 2022 NBA draft will be the next place teams look for their future stars.
Who might be the first international players to be selected? Remember, we only consider players who played overseas last season, not international players who were in the G League or U.S. colleges last season.
Haussmann Dion (France)
With a meteoric rise in the recent draft, Dion is emerging as a potential lottery pick. He got off to a rough start in the NBL last season but ended up going strong and showing a lot of improvement. With a great physique, Dieng plans to be very versatile at the NBA level.
One of the things that might hold Dieng back early in his career was shooting. He has solid technique, but is not an effective shooter at every level. He also avoids contact and needs to learn to be more physical on both ends of the court.
Nikola Jovic (Serbia)
At 6-foot-10, Jovic has the guard skills to go pretty much anywhere in the upcoming draft. He has a solid 3-pointer that matches his size and is an excellent passer. Whether he’s playing at the next level with or without the ball, Jovic seems to thrive on offense.
He does lack athleticism and isn’t the most promising player, but he’ll definitely improve over time. Jovic will also need to improve his defense if he is to have a significant long-term impact in the NBA.
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Yannick Nzosa (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Another international prospect, Nzosa has recently fallen in the eyes of many scouts. After a sluggish season, the 6-foot-11 big man could end up being a second-round pick. He’s really big and agile, but he has quite a few red flags.
The 18-year-old certainly has talent, but he still has a lot of work to do. Nzosa feels like a high-risk, high-reward player who can succeed in the right system and be a tackler at this level.
Leonard Miller (Canada)
A rising star among Canadian rookies, Miller is 6-foot-10. He has the size and height to be the perfect modern striker at the next level, which is why he has started to gain more attention over the past few months, even though his combined performances are not impressive.
Miller plans to be a solid scorer and passer at his position, but needs to prove himself as a shooter. His technique is a little unorthodox, but he’s shooting well so far. Miller could end up being a prospect that will take time to become an impact player, but there is plenty of upside.
Ismail Camargate (France)
An excellent rim protector and athlete, Kamagate can help an NBA team almost instantly in certain situations. Although he’s not the greatest rebounder for his size, defense makes him a worthwhile gamble in the 2022 NBA draft.
The 6-foot-11 big is 21 years old, but he’s still years away. He lacks the ability to make games for himself, but could be a good rotation player. It takes the right team, but Kamagate will be a solid option next month.
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