By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
It is going to be crowded in the green room with three youngsters from France receiving an invitation for a prominent spot in the 2024 NBA draft.
French prospects Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, and Tidjane Salaun are among the the 12 players receiving invitations on Tuesday, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Another European youngster, Lithuanian Matas Buzelis will be there as well. Top draft prospects from the United States, Devin Carter, Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Ron Holland, Dalton Knecht, Reed Sheppard, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Cody Williams also made the cut for green room invites.
The mentioned promising upstarts are expected to be lottery picks on June 26, the first day of the draft. Invited to the green room, they have immediate access to the podium while waiting to be called by commissioner Adam Silver and learn their NBA destination.
Serbian Nikola Topic, currently nursing a partially torn ACL in his left knee, is among notable absences. With the league intending to send more invitations over the next few days, he can be placed on the supplemental list. Overall, around 25 players, those projected to be selected in the first round of the draft, are expected to be in the green room alongside family, friends, and agents.
Besides the lottery picks and the remaining selections for the first round to be revealed in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on June 26, ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in Manhattan will host the second round of the draft on June 27.