NBA Draft: Ranking the best international players

The NBA is a rapidly globalizing league. The Defensive Player of the Year, MVP, and Finals MVP were all international players this season. 

With that in mind, let's take a look at the five best international prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Josh Giddey, Australia

There was an 18-year-old prospect who decided to forego the NCAA and instead play in Australia's National Basketball League, struggled early in the season, eventually racked up multiple triple-doubles, and improved in every aspect of his game. The player is tall but plays as a point guard, has next-level touch and anticipation, and the knocks against him are defense and shaky shooting.

Did you guess the player?

I'm not talking about Josh Giddey. I'm referring to LaMelo Ball, who shares striking similarities with Giddey. Teams missed on Ball’s obvious talent and NBA-ready skills because he had supposed flaws, but he became an instant star-level prospect.

Giddey isn't quite there. He doesn’t have the handle that Ball builds his game around, but Giddey comes close as a playmaker, particularly in the half court. 

Giddey has been rising on draft boards seems like a lock to go in the lottery. The word is that the Memphis Grizzlies are in love with Giddey and are intrigued by the possibility to have another plus passer for Ja Morant to work with on the wing.

Usman Garuba, Spain

Garuba is something of an NBA Twitter darling, and it’s easy to see how you can fall in love with him.

He is already an outstanding defender, and like seemingly every other Spanish prospect, he is a nice connective passer. He is a natural power forward by size and length, but he moves his feet so well that he can defend all positions. Defensive versatility on that level is a highly prized commodity in the NBA.

The questions are on the offensive end, but he has shown improvement every year of his young career. He is raw on that end and could be damaging early in his career to teams already starved for spacing.

Oklahoma City, still early in its rebuilding process and less concerned about winning now, seems like a nice fit.

Franz Wagner, Germany

Wagner is the younger brother of Moe Wagner, who plays for the Orlando Magic. Franz Wagner is in another league as an athlete, though, and is one of the most intriguing players in the NBA Draft.

He can do a little bit of everything as a wing, is a plus athlete, and takes pride on the defensive end. While he’s not a movement-level shooter, he can hit open shots from multiple spots on the court.

There’s significant buzz that the Kings will try to trade down in the Draft, but if they don’t, Wagner is precisely the kind of piece they’re missing, to solidify the team around De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton.

Alperen Sengun, Turkey

Sengun is one of the enigmas in this draft.

He is frequently compared to Nikola Jokic, a one-of-a-kind player. I’m not sure that the Jokic comparisons are valid, but the equation for teams interested in Sengun is similar to those who were thinking of Jokic as a prospect — will he ever hold his own as a defensive center? And is his offense so promising that he still might be worth drafting, even if the answer is no?

Sengun’s skill level is through the roof, his footwork is best in class, and his touch inside is special. All of that is founded on an unusual flexibility and fluidity of movement you just don’t see at his size. He is a dazzling post player, a superb interior finisher, and just won MVP of the Turkish League at 18 years old.

But it wasn’t so long ago that Jahil Okafor was considered a top-tier NBA talent because of a similar skill set, only to wash out in a few years without a major impact.

The NBA has changed, and while the death of the center has been greatly exaggerated, more is asked of them than ever before. The analytics models are in love with Sengun, and there is clearly value in a gamble that he can do enough on defense to be worth it.

Sengun could go as high as No. 12 to the Spurs, who have made much of their international scouting department in the past, but his range extends past the lottery, as well.

Jonathan Kuminga, Congo

Kuminga is an unusual case, he was once considered a lock for the top of the class, but his stock has fallen considerably in recent weeks.

He has the highest upside of any international player in the Draft, and the flashes with him are impressive. But the flashes are not all that frequent, and he lacks the natural feel that is enticing about many of the other top prospects. He joined Jalen Green on the G League Ignite team last season, and while Green saw his stock rise for his work there, Kuminga’s fell, because of inefficient play.

But it is also important to remember that the G League season was played in a bubble environment, not unlike the close to the 2019-2020 NBA season in Orlando. That was an unusual circumstance and not one every player thrived in. Kuminga is young, raw, and for the first time was playing against players he could not overwhelm physically.

He is a project player, which is why nobody should take any mock draft that has him headed to the Warriors seriously. They’re looking for win-now type players. Kuminga, while talented, is anything but that.

He would fit anywhere he can have time to grow into his game — a low pressure, long on ramp situation — which is why I think the Magic will select him, if not at No. 5, then with their second pick, at No. 8.