Every NBA Team's Highest-Ceiling Prospect – Bleacher Report

Regardless of where a team is in the title-contenders’ hierarchy, at least some attention has to be paid to the future.
Even for teams that have recently won a championship, the “what have you done for me lately?” question can arise quickly.
That’s why fans of the Golden State Warriors or Denver Nuggets are so keyed in on the development and performance of players like Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson.
And of course, those teams that haven’t been good in a while are even more dedicated to and interested in what’s next.
In short, all 30 teams have prospects that bring varying levels of excitement. Below, you’ll find those with the highest ceilings for every organization.
But first, just one qualification. To be considered a “prospect,” we’re going to set the cutoff at 24 years old. In other words, the only players we’re looking at are those who are 23 and under.
And because there’s a lack of hard evidence on most of these prospects, the determinations made for each team are largely subjective. That doesn’t mean NBA and pre-NBA numbers weren’t consulted (they were). There’s just always guesswork in projection.

Onyeka Okongwu turns 23 in December and has just three seasons of NBA experience under his belt, but he’s already shown enough to justify the Atlanta Hawks’ apparent willingness to move Clint Capela.
Over the last two years, Okongwu has averaged 9.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, while shooting 65.4 percent from the field, and in only 22.2 minutes per game. And while that efficiency is largely tied to the fact that the bulk of his shots come from around the rim, Okongwu has become fairly reliable in the floater range too.
Ultimately, though, Okongwu’s ceiling has as much to do with his defense as it does anything else.
His ability to protect the rim is pretty well known, but Okongwu is also solid on the perimeter (relative to other bigs) and can generate extra possessions with steals.
Predicting All-Star or All-NBA nods might be a bit bold (though certainly not crazy), but All-Defense selections certainly aren’t out of reach.

The Boston Celtics are one of those teams with both metaphorical feet firmly planted in the present. They only have two players (J.D. Davison and Jordan Walsh) who even pass our 23-and-under test.
And after this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, it feels pretty safe to call Walsh the higher-upside prospect of the two.
A top-20 high school recruit from the class of 2022, Walsh averaged 16.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, while shooting 40.7 percent from three for the summer Celtics.
And while that comes from a minuscule five-game sample size against, in many cases, non-NBA competition, it still offers a glimmer of hope.
Walsh is 6’7″ with a 7’3″ wingspan. That’s excellent size for an NBA wing. If that outside shooting is for real, there’s at least the faint possibility he can become a three-and-D weapon.

A consistent role has been hard for Cam Thomas to come by with the Brooklyn Nets, but there’s little doubt he can be an explosive NBA scorer.
In 2022-23, despite being in his age-21 season and only playing 16.6 minutes per game, Thomas averaged 10.6 points and shot a well-above-average 38.3 percent from deep.
And in February, when Kyrie Irving was out (and eventually traded to the Dallas Mavericks), Thomas went bananas and scored at least 43 points in each of three straight games.
Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain are the only players in NBA history with longer such streaks.
It’d be nice if we had a bit more evidence that Thomas could create for others. His defense and lack of size on that end could be a bit of an issue too, especially if he plays shooting guard long term. But that kind of scoring should keep him in the league for a long time.

Even with incoming No. 2 pick Brandon Miller on the roster, this might be the most obvious call of the slideshow to this point.
And that’s not a knock on Miller. The ease of this choice is due to the start LaMelo Ball has gotten off to in the NBA.
Injuries are certainly a concern (he’s only averaged 54 games per season through his first three years), but Ball already has an All-Star nod to his name.
His jump shot (which was probably the biggest potential issue that followed him into the NBA) is way ahead of schedule, as evidenced by a career 37.7 three-point percentage.
And his combination of size (Ball is 6’7″) and playmaking make him an almost ideal lead creator for the modern NBA.
If he can stay relatively healthy, and the Charlotte Hornets can surround him with plenty of shooting going forward, Ball will almost certainly make more All-Star teams.

Playing on a team with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević has certainly limited Patrick Williams’ offensive opportunities, but he’s still shown signs of real three-and-D upside.
Last season, he broke the zero barrier in Dunks and Threes’ defensive estimated plus-minus (one of the most trusted catch-all metrics by NBA front offices), which suggests he’s at least above average on that end (his rank there was in the 77th percentile).
And his shooting numbers probably haven’t gotten anywhere near the attention they deserve.
A 41.4 career three-point percentage (Williams’ mark) would rank in the top 25 all time if he qualified for the leaderboard. And an 85.7 free-throw percentage in 2022-23 suggests he may be able to stick around that lofty shooting mark for a while.
A little more off-the-dribble creativity (or again, opportunities) would be nice to see, but if Williams simply stays on his current trajectory, he could be a long-time NBA starter.

Despite Evan Mobley not taking the leap some expected him to in Year 2, he’s still the obvious choice for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The No. 3 pick in 2021 looks like a perennial All-Defense candidate (he already made the team in 2022-23). And with a solid-looking jump shot, it feels relatively safe to assume he’ll eventually command defenses’ attentions outside, making him a bona fide three-and-D big.
But what may be most intriguing about Mobley is some of the point center potential he’s shown during his first two seasons.
A career average of 2.7 assists may not sound like a ton, but that’s a solid mark for a big who’s spent plenty of time alongside Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. And beyond the numbers, Mobley has shown passing chops worth developing.
In today’s NBA, it’s become abundantly clear that a playmaking big can really open up an offense, and Mobley has flashed the kind of vision and unselfishness necessary to fill that kind of role.
If he eventually checks that box too, Mobley might even secure some All-NBA selections.

This one feels like a toss-up.
Jaden Hardy was once the No. 2 prospect in a high school recruiting class. Dereck Lively II occupied the same slot in his.
After a rookie season in which he averaged 8.8 points with a slightly below-average true shooting percentage, a little more of the shine from that rank may have left Hardy than has left Lively (who took some time to get going as a freshman at Duke).
The nod ultimately goes to Hardy because shooting and playmaking seem to be at a bit more of a premium than Lively’s rim-running and -protecting skill set.
And late in the 2022-23 season, Hardy showed against NBA talent that he might become a high-level offensive threat.
The sample size is small, but over nine games in March, Hardy averaged 17.0 points, 3.2 threes and 2.8 assists in just 24.8 minutes, while shooting 49.2 percent from deep. For the entire season, he shot 40.4 percent from three.
The shooting alone could make him valuable, but it also feels like there’s more to explore in terms of his creation for others.
He has the potential to be a dynamic secondary creator (and maybe even a lead ball-handler with the right development).

Christian Braun had the bigger role and better rookie campaign for the world champion Denver Nuggets, and there’s a decent chance he stays atop this two-person pecking order for the duration of their careers.
But Denver’s second selection of the 2022 first round has the higher ceiling.
Watson is 6’8″ with a 7’1 wingspan, a high-end athlete and a top-10 high school recruit. And though his role and minutes were severely limited with both UCLA and Denver, he showed some defensive dynamism that was reminiscent of Andrei Kirilenko.
With his length, explosiveness and timing on that end, Watson could wreak havoc as a weak-side rim protector (something Denver could need throughout the Nikola Jokić era). When he finally got to play a little at the end of the season, that’s exactly what he was. Over the Nuggets’ last six games, he averaged 1.7 blocks in just 22.4 minutes.
That kind of defensive production from a wing is rare.
If he figures out how to use the tools that led to those numbers as a cutter, even better. And if he adds a consistent jump shot to all of that, Denver could have something special.

This team is loaded with options, including Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson, but the choice is pretty easily Cade Cunningham.
Despite injuries that have limited him to just 76 games in his first two seasons and a concerning 30.9 career three-point percentage, Cunningham still looks like a modern playmaker with the size, vision and patience necessary to pick apart opposing defenses.
He did just that against the Team USA that’s headed to the FIBA World Cup as a member of the Select Team that practiced against them.
“He looked great,” USA coach Steve Kerr said. “The injury is clearly behind him and it’s great to see him healthy. He’s a guy who can really control the game from the point guard spot with his size and physicality.”
If or when Cunningham adds a consistent outside shot to his ability to control the game as a ball-handler, he’ll almost certainly be on track for All-Star teams.
Despite the poor shooting, he’s averaged 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists over his first two seasons.

Playing for a title contender whose top-of-the-roster salaries make team-building tricky has put a lot of pressure on Jonathan Kuminga.
And because he’s on the win-now Warriors, it’s often felt like more attention has been paid to Kuminga’s shortcomings than to the fact that he’s yet to 21 years old and is one of the most explosive athletes in the NBA.
He’s not a big (though maybe he should be), but Kuminga has finishes around the rim that are reminiscent of a young Amar’e Stoudemire. He often looks like he’s jumping off a trampoline, and his pogo-stick-quick second jump should come in handy on the boards.
His ultimate ceiling, though, has a lot less to do with athleticism.
Kuminga had a slightly-above-average three-point percentage in 2022-23, and if he can maintain that throughout his career, it will make the basket attacks a lot easier to come by.
If he layers on a bit more aggression as a rebounder and experience as a defender, Kuminga has an outside shot of making an All-Star team.

This is the toughest call of the slideshow to this point.
There are very real cases to be made for each of Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson. Heck, even Cam Whitmore was the No. 12 recruit in his high school class.
We’ll go with Jalen Green over all of those worthy candidates for a few reasons.
First, and perhaps most importantly, he appears to have the clearest path to lead ball-handler status of the group (though Thompson may have something to say about that).
Green has the size and skill to function at either guard spot, and he did so with a lot of success (at least on the offensive end) in 2022-23.
This season, he put up 22.1 points, 3.7 assists and 2.5 threes. His 33.8 three-point percentage (and 78.6 free-throw percentage) is a bit of a concern, but that kind of volume is impressive from a 20-year old.
In fact, he’s one of just 15 players in NBA history to average at least that may points and assists in an age-20 (or younger) campaign.
With a little more consistency as a shooter and buy-in as a defender (which could happen quickly under new head coach Ime Udoka), Green could compete for All-Star selections within the next few years.

Given how good he was in 2022-23, it’s kind of hard to believe Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton is still only 23 years old.
Thanks in part to averages of 20.7 points and 10.4 assists, Haliburton was a top-20 player this season, according to an exercise that accounts for 10 catch-all metrics.
But it wasn’t just those raw numbers that made him so good. A scoring average like that backed up by a 40.0 three-point percentage and a 58.6 effective field-goal percentage is rare.
And despite being such a prolific and efficient scorer, passing and unselfishness are probably still more important aspects of his game.
Haliburton was an All-Star in 2022-23, and it’s hard to imagine he won’t add a bunch more of those to his resume before he’s done.

His slight, 6’3″ frame makes it difficult for Bones Hyland to handle the physical defense of the generally bigger players who are guarding him (especially inside the three-point line), but there are times when he very much looks like the spiritual successor to Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams.
Bones’ bravado and skill as a way-beyond-the-arc three-point shooter can change the geometry of the floor. His range goes out to 30-plus feet, and that forces defenders pretty far from the hoop. And though there are plenty of skeptics about the hot-hand theory, that may simply be because they haven’t watched enough of Bones.
Whenever Hyland hits one of his bombs from four or five feet behind the line, the next two or three almost feel inevitable. His ability to get on and cultivate a hot streak can change a game in an instant.
If Hyland can figure out the craft necessary to overcome his physical limitations, he could be one of the game’s more dynamic sixth men or heat-check-off-the-bench guys.

Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino were both top-20 high school recruits, are both 20 years old and are both 6’6″. You could probably make an argument for either one in this slot, which is a nice place for Los Angeles Lakers fans to be.
For now, we’ll settle on Christie, who went 26-of-62 (41.9 percent) from three as a rookie, started three games and often looked right at home in L.A.’s rotation.
With his frame and 6’9″ wingspan, Christie has prototypical size for an NBA wing. And if he can maintain that kind of three-point shooting going forward, he could be an important piece for a team seemingly transitioning to an Anthony Davis-centric future.
AD should be surrounded by as much shooting as possible, and Christie’s defensive instincts would make him a fit with the big man on the other end too.

This one pushes the age boundary laid out in the intro, but Jaren Jackson Jr. is 23 at the time of this publishing, might already be a top-30 to -40 player in the league and is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
With Ja Morant turning 24 just this month, JJJ is the obvious choice for the Memphis Grizzlies.
He’s one of (if not the) best rim protectors in the game (he’s led the league in blocks per game in each of the last two seasons), and he’s agile enough to at least frustrate most perimeter players outside too.
And while his jumper may look funky, a career 35.2 three-point percentage on 4.7 attempts per game is enough to at least make defenses pay attention to him at the line. That opens up precious extra space inside for a slasher like Ja.
With an All-Rookie selection, two block titles, two All-Defense nods, an All-Star appearance and one Defensive Player of the Year already banked, it’s safe to say Jackson is headed toward more accolades throughout his career.

There’s a pretty good argument to go with Nikola Jović here. The theoretical version of him is a star. He’s 6’10”, was billed as a shooter coming into the NBA and comes from a country in Serbia that has a strong heritage of playmakers at all positions.
But Tyler Herro is still 23 years old till January, and we already know that he is, at the very least, a 20-point-per game scorer.
Even on a team with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo getting a decent amount of usage, Herro has eclipsed a 20-point scoring average in each of the last two seasons. And he won Sixth Man of the Year in 2021-22.
And while catch-and-shoot three-point opportunities have made up a decent portion of his shot diet, Herro has plenty of off-the-dribble pop and has played almost a quarter of his career minutes at point guard.
The combination of abilities to shift back and forth between guard slots, hit threes and create for others is highly valuable in today’s NBA. And Herro looks like he’ll be able to do that for years to come.

MarJon Beauchamp spent his rookie campaign on the title-contending Milwaukee Bucks, but he still managed to force his way into rotation minutes on occasion. He even started 11 games in 2022-23.
And while his numbers were predictably rookie-like (his box plus/minus was way below replacement level), his frame (6’6″ with a 7’0″ wingspan) makes him an intriguing defensive option on the wing.
If he can get to average as a three-point shooter and dip his toe a bit further into the playmaking waters (something he did during the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League), Beauchamp has a chance to be a rotation player.
And while that may not sound super optimistic, it’s not unusual for a team in the Bucks’ position to not have a potential superstar under the age of 24.

Given what we’ve already seen from Anthony Edwards as a postseason performer, it’s hard to believe he hasn’t even reached his 23rd birthday.
His playoff stays weren’t long, but in 11 career games there, Edwards has put up 28.1 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 threes, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.
And if those averages aren’t enough to impress you on their own, Michael Jordan is the only player in NBA history who matched or exceeded all of Edwards’ totals for points, assists, blocks and steals in his first 11 postseason games.
Statistical company doesn’t get any better than MJ. And though this certainly isn’t a suggestion that Edwards is on the same trajectory as the greatest player of all time, he does play with a competitiveness and fire that few players in the NBA currently possess.
And his NFL strong safety-looking frame and top-end athleticism make it easy to imagine him dominating for years.
Edwards made his first All-Star team in 2022-23, and there are almost certainly several more appearances on the way.

Even with the dominance that Zion Williamson has displayed when healthy, there may be an argument to go with Trey Murphy III in this slot. Lack of durability alone makes Zion one of the biggest question marks in professional sports right now.
If he somehow finds a way to stay healthy and play consistently (like Joel Embiid did after missing all of what would have been his first two seasons), though, Zion has the potential to spend a couple prime seasons as the best offensive player in the world.
He just turned 23 in July, and among players with at least 1,000 career minutes, he’s 12th in career points per game (and fourth in career points per 75 possessions).
The dunks are the points that get most of the attention, but Zion also has ridiculously soft touch around the rim for a player with his explosiveness. And he’s shown some playmaking chops that might be as intriguing as the scoring.
At his absolute (and healthy) peak, Williamson could be a 30-point, seven-assist type point forward who could compete for MVPs.

RJ Barrett was the top high school recruit in a class that included Zion Williamson, Quentin Grimes, Anfernee Simons and several other NBA players, but it’s hard to sugarcoat his struggles in the NBA.
Wildly inefficient shooting, a horrendous impact on his team’s plus-minus and a ho-hum assist-to-turnover ratio make it awfully tempting to pick Quentin Grimes for this spot, but Barrett’s pedigree and point forward potential keep him here for now.
At 6’6″ with a 6’10” wingspan, Barrett has good size for a wing. And at least in theory, he can be a multipositional defender with that frame. The ability to survey the entire floor is easier to come by at that size too.
It’s not terribly common for a player to shoot as poorly as Barrett has for four years before suddenly turning it around, but if he can pull that off, there’s still a chance the No. 3 pick in 2019 can be a borderline star.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are another team with plenty of options for this exercise. You could make compelling cases for any of Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren or Josh Giddey. Heck, if you really want to get wild, you could probably cape for Ousmane Dieng or even Aleksej Pokusevski.
Giddey ultimately gets the nod because his archetype (playmaker with size) is becoming increasingly valuable in today’s NBA, and he’s already proven an ability to elevate his teammates. His rebounding can help him be a plus defender before long too.
Through two seasons, Giddey has played 130 games and averaged 14.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
Luka Dončić, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and Ben Simmons are the only players in NBA history who matched or exceeded his totals for rebounds and assists in their first 130 games.
Really, the biggest thing holding him back from being a borderline All-Star candidate right now is shooting.
His career three-point percentage right now is a dismal 29.5, but there’s time for the 20-year old to turn it around.

There’s a decent argument for Franz Wagner here. Of the two, he was undoubtedly the better player in 2022-23, but Banchero’s explosiveness is rare from a 6’10”, 250-pound forward (and potential center).
Plus, he’s shown what appear to be more natural No. 1 option instincts, and those don’t come at the expense of his teammates.
Plenty of scorers in his mold have come along over the years, and most of them seem far more concerned with their own point totals than those around them.
Banchero, on the other hand, averaged 3.7 assists as a rookie and often looked predisposed to pass as he made his way to the rim.
If he continues to develop that, he has All-NBA upside.
Of course, he comes with the same concern as several others in this slideshow. He was thoroughly inefficient in 2022-23, but his shooting form is good and he’s 20 years old. It’s fair to expect him to improve there.

With all of the attention that has understandably been paid to Joel Embiid and James Harden over the last couple years, 22-year-old Tyrese Maxey has almost flown under the radar for the Philadelphia 76ers.
It’s not that NBA fans don’t know who he is. Most surely do, but his production is unusual for a player his age. And it probably hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves.
Maxey averaged 18.7 points, 3.9 assists and 2.2 threes across his age-21 and -22 seasons. Only nine players in NBA history matched or exceeded all three marks at the same age, and Maxey leads that list (by a lot) with a 43.1 three-point percentage.
His time as a lead playmaker has been limited a bit by the arrival of Harden, but there’s plenty of time for him to grow into that role too.
If he does, multiple All-Star games could be in his future.

Bol Bol has already been jettisoned from two teams (the Nuggets and Magic) in pretty unceremonious fashion, but he doesn’t turn 24 till November. And it’s still easy to fall for the unique combination of size and skill.
Bol has a 7’8″ wingspan, a career average of 2.0 blocks per 75 possessions and at least enough volume from three (3.0 attempts per 75 possessions) to be intriguing.
If he can start to hit those long-distance shots with some consistency and accept the fact that he’s probably more of a big than a wing, there’s still a chance Bol can become a rotation player.
And on the Phoenix Suns, whose rotation will have to include plenty of minimum-salary guys, he should get an opportunity to prove himself.

His G-League shooting numbers understandably drew a little concern, but Scoot Henderson has the potential to be a game-changing lead playmaker who can consistently put pressure on paint defenses and spray out to catch-and-shoot targets after his drives.
“I have scouts who I trust–this is not my opinion, this is scouts who I trust–tell me that Scoot Henderson, the way things look right now, would be the No. 1 pick in 2024 and maybe even 2025, based on the flow of what those draft classes look like,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said of Henderson on The Hoop Collective (audio at the 39:26 mark). “So you have a player here who in many other years, would be potentially a No. 1 pick, which is one of the reasons why I think the Blazers have gotten to this.”
Henderson just happened to enter the NBA in a talent-laden class that includes one of the greatest prospects we’ve ever seen.
That may have changed where he was picked in the draft, but it doesn’t change Henderson’s individual upside. If he reaches his peak, he’s a multi-time All-Star with an outside shot to make All-NBA.

After putting together one of the most productive college basketball seasons in the country in 2021-22, Keegan Murray started 78 games for the 48-win Sacramento Kings as a rookie, averaged 12.2 points and 2.6 threes and shot 41.1 percent from deep.
If nothing else, it looks like the 6’8″ sharpshooter will at least be a high-level floor spacer for years to come. And if you add that to merely being able to survive on the other end, you can have a long and lucrative career.
But Murray’s upside is higher than that.
He can already play either forward spot, and at some point down the line, he might be able to play some small-ball 5. And while he didn’t get many opportunities to create in lineups with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, he’s looked intriguing in that capacity when given the chance to develop.
There’s already a solid three-and-D foundation in place. If he just adds a few more elements to his game, a Mikal Bridges-like breakout wouldn’t be out of the question.

This is likely the least surprising selection of the exercise.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Victor Wembanyama “might be the greatest prospect in history of team sports.” He also reported that some executives had told him they thought Wembanyama could be the best player in the league on offense and defense by his third year.
That’s an unreal level of hype, the kind that could set Wemby up for failure. Anything less than all-timer-level play could now be seen as a disappointment.
Bet even if “all-time great” isn’t the likeliest outcome for him (honestly, it shouldn’t be for anyone at 19 years), Wembanyama will almost certainly be, at the very least, good.
His combination of size (Wembanyama reportedly has an eight-foot wingspan), fluidity and skill is incredibly rare. And it feels like he’ll be a plus defender as early as Year 1.
If he develops into a B or B- on offense, he’ll probably be a perennial All-Star. Much higher than that (and assuming that defensive impact), and he could be a franchise changer.

Like Mobley, 2021-22 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes failed to take a sophomore leap.
In fact, Barnes took fairly significant steps back in effective field-goal percentage and box plus/minus in 2022-23.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s time to jump ship. Far from it.
Barnes was given more opportunities to pilot individual possessions on offense for the Raptors this season, and his highest ceiling can probably be found as a point forward.
With his size (6’9″ with a 7’2″ wingspan), Barnes can lead mostly positionless, highly switchable lineups on defense, especially if most of those other four spots are occupied by shooters.
His own shooting could take a while to develop, but putting Barnes on ball even more (especially now that Fred VanVleet is gone) will force defenses to pay attention to him in the middle of the floor. And if he can continue to get to the paint, he should have plenty of kickout opportunities.
A down-ish second season may have adjusted some fans’ expectations of Barnes, but he still has a multi-time All-Star’s ceiling in the right role.

Most players take years to figure out how to defend at the NBA level, and that generally includes big men. But Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler was immediately a plus on that end.
He finished the 2022-23 season in the 87th percentile in defensive estimated plus-minus. He averaged 3.7 blocks and 8.2 defensive rebounds per 75 possessions. And his timing as a rim protector looked more like that of a five- or six-year veteran than that of a 21-year old.
And Kessler’s size (7’1″ with a 7’4″ wingspan) and defensive abilities had a very real impact on Utah’s bottom line too.
When he was on the floor, the Jazz had a point differential around that of a 48-win team, compared to one around that of a 33-win team without him.
Kessler also knows exactly who he is on offense (mostly a rim-runner and offensive rebounder) and never really tried to venture outside that box in 2022-23.
If he improves as a passer or adds a long-range jump shot, great. But even without those things, refinement of what Kessler already does well could land him on some All-Star teams and put him in contention for Defensive Player of the Year.

You could probably still push for Deni Avdija here, and I wouldn’t fight you too hard on it.
But Wemanyama’s teammate in France, Bilal Coulibaly, has the higher ceiling for a few reasons. For one thing, he’s three years younger. And despite being shorter, his 7’2″ wingspan is significantly longer than Avdija’s 6’9″.
At 6’6″ and with that kind of length, Coulibaly has a chance to be a dynamic, possession-disrupting defender as early as this season.
And even if he doesn’t develop a ton as a shooter and ball-handler, he should be able to pick up some easy buckets as a cutter.
If, however, he does add those elements, Wembanyama might not be the only special Frenchman from this class.

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