By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following numerous Europeans selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft on Wednesday, more promising prospects stemming from the Old Continent were called in the second round, held in ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in Manhattan on Thursday.
Taking over in the second round of the annual draft, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announced Spanish point guard Juan Nunez as the 36th overall pick and the latest European rookie landed by the San Antonio Spurs. A youth product of Real Madrid, he spent the last two seasons in Germany with ratiopharm Ulm. A regular with the junior national teams of Spain, he was upgraded to the senior national team and played in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Following with the 37th pick, the Detroit Pistons picked up 21-year-old Swedish combo forward Bo Klintman. After one year of college basketball with Wake Forest, he joined Cairns Taipans as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program for the 2023-24 season. Representing Sweden, Klintman participated in Division B of the 2022 U20 European Championship.
Belgian Ajay Mitchell was selected with the 38th pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coming out of UC Santa Barbara, the 22-year-old combo guard is the third player from Belgium to make the draft, following Toumani Camara in 2023 and Axel Hervelle in 2005. A regular in junior national teams of his country, he got a senior cap during the 2022 EuroBasket Qualifiers.
Coming out of UCLA, Adem Bona was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 41st pick. A native of Lagos, the 21-year-old explosive forward/center played for Turkiye across all junior national teams from 2018 to 2022. At the club level, he logged several appearances at the senior level with Pinar Karsiyaka in the 2019-20 season.
Nikola Djurisic settled with the 43rd selection. His rights were traded from the Miami Heat to the Atlanta Hawks. The 20-year-old swingman established the latest link between Mega MIS and the draft. A regular at the junior level with Serbia, he was recently promoted to the senior national team.
Eventually controlling the 44th selection, the Heat picked 23-year-old Swedish swingman Pelle Larsson. Another regular across junior national teams of Sweden with experience at the senior level, Larsson split his NCAA career between Arizona and Utah over the last four years.
The Dallas Mavericks acquired the 51st pick and selected French Melvin Ajinca. Coming off two campaigns with Saint-Quentin, including one in France’s top tier division Betclic Elite, he is a cousin of former NBA player Alexis Ajinca. The 20-year-old swingman is a regular with junior national teams of France.
Dutch forward/center Quinten Post is heading to the Golden State Warriors with the 52nd pick. The seven-footer played for Boston College from 2021 to 2024 and Mississippi State from 2019 to 2021 in the NCAA. At the international level, he represented the Netherlands in Division B of the 2019 U20 European Championship.
Furthering the connection between the Basketball Champions League and the NBA draft, 22-year-old German center Ariel Hukporti was selected by the New York Knicks with the 58th and final pick. With MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, he logged five BCL appearances in 2018-19 and added one more last season after reuniting with the German club.
A total of 17 European upstarts, including five from France, were selected in the draft. Beyond youngsters from the Old Continent, the Los Angeles Lakers confirmed intentions to select Bronny James with the 55th selection, teaming up the 19-year-old combo guard with his father, LeBron James.