Nobody expected that the Charlotte Hornets would sign striker Tidjane Salaün as the sixth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

In the hours before the event, a report surfaced saying that the Hornets had their eye on the young Frenchman, but most assumed it would be a trade back. The Hornets received transfer offers from other teams looking to move up, but they didn’t want to risk losing their man, so they stuck with number six and took him.

Salaün is expected to spend a lot of time in his rookie season improving his game in Greensboro with the Swarm, while also occasionally playing a few minutes with the major league club. Jeff Peterson, the Hornets’ vice president of basketball operations, isn’t ruling out the possibility that Salaün could be a rotation player in year one.

“I never want to sit here and limit a player. At the end of the day, you never know how good they can be. I know he’s going to do his best because he’s going to put in the work, he’s going to spend time in the weight room and on the court. We’re very lucky to have Charles and his team who take pride in the development of players. So I think the connection between Tidjane and our team is going to be wonderful.”

Salaün doesn’t have the best odds of winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award because it’s unknown how much he’ll actually play. Players selected long after him have lower chances because they have a more open path to playing time.

Rookie of the Year – Odds about DraftKings Sportsbook:

Zach Edey, +600
Reed Sheppard, +700
Zaccharie Risacher, +750
Alexandre Sarr, +900
Castle Stephon, +1000
Matas Buzelis, +1000
Dalton Servant, +1000
Carlton Carrington, +1500
Donovan Clingan, +1600
Rob Dillingham, +1700
Ron Holland, +2000
Cody Williams, +2500
Tidjane Salaun, +3000
Ke’el Ware, +3500
Jared McCain, +3500
Terrance Shannon Jr., +4000
Isaiah Collier, +6000
Ja’Kobe Walter, +7500
Kyshawn George, +8000
Tristan de Silva, +8000
Kyle Filipowski, +10000
Yves Missi, +10000
Tyler Kolek, +10000
Tyler Smith, +15000
Pacome Dadiet, +15000
Johnny Furphy, +15000
Jalon Tyson, +15000
Bobi Klintman, +15000
Baylor Scheierman, +20000
Bronny James, +25000

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