By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Picked up by the Detroit Pistons with the 46th overall selection of the 2022 NBA draft and subsequently traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and then the Denver Nuggets, Ismael Kamagate stayed in Paris for the 2022-23 season.
Kamagate, 21, focused on further developing his talents at his current club emerging as the shot-blocking “goalkeeper” for Texas-born head coach Will Weaver. But the main goal is his next step stretching from the capital of France to Denver.
“They often come to Paris, they come to the games, we talk about my performance,” the young upstart described communicating with the Nuggets in a recent interview with Julien Lesage of Le Parisien, “They tell me what I need to work on, so it’s going well, it’s constructive. I have to show that they can trust me.”
Playing for the Nuggets in the 2022 NBA2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas, he averaged 5.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 0.4 assists, and 0.4 steals per game over five appearances. In contact with GM Calvin Booth, scouts, and coaches of the team, he fully intends to return to Denver next summer aiming to earn a spot in the squad and become a teammate of Serbian superstar and franchise cornerstone, Nikola Jokic.
“Denver is a very nice city. A solid team with a work ethic that fits me,” he mentioned, “It is inspiring to think that one day I will be able to train and play with Nikola Jokic.”
Over five appearances in the 2022-23 edition of the 7DAYS EuroCup, the youngster is up to 10.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 0.6 assists, and 0.6 steals per game. From the EuroCup debut to his second campaign in France’s top-tier division, he’s produced 11.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per Betclic Elite LNB Pro A contest.
Besides Kamagate, Paris also kept Juhann Begarin for the ongoing season. The 20-year-old shooting guard was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2021.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net