Nobody expected that Charlotte Hornets to advance Tidjane Salaün with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
In the hours leading up to the event, a report surfaced claiming that the Hornets did indeed have their eye on the young Frenchman, but most believed it would be in the form of a trade. The Hornets received trade offers from other teams looking to move up, but they didn’t want to risk losing their player, so they stuck with six and took him.
Salaun is expected to spend much of his rookie season developing his game in Greensboro with the Swarm while also logging occasional minutes with the major league club. Hornets vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Salaun being a rotation player as a first-year prospect.
“I don’t want to just limit a player. At the end of the day, you never know how good he can be. I know he’s going to give it his all because he’s working, he’s going to spend time in the weight room, on the field. We’re very fortunate to have Charles and his staff who pride themselves on player development, so I think the marriage between Tidjane and our team will be wonderful.”
Salaun doesn’t have the best chance of winning NBA Rookie of the Year because it’s unclear how much time he’ll actually play. Players drafted well after him have lower odds because of a more open path to playing time.
Odds for Rookie of the Year via DraftKings Sportsbook:
Zach Edey, +600
Reed Sheppard, +700
Zaccharie Risacher, +750
Alexandre Sarr, +900
Stephon Castle, +1000
Matas Buzelis, +1000
Dalton Knecht, +1000
Carlton Carrington, +1500
Donovan Clingan, +1600
Rob Dillingham, +1700
Ron Holland, +2000
Cody Williams, +2500
Tidjane Salaün, +3000
Ke’el’s Articles, +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
Pacôme Dadiet, +15000
Johnny Furphy, +15000
Tyson Milestone, +15000
Bobi Klintman, +15000
Baylor Scheierman, +20000
Bronny James, +25000
Odds Disclaimer
Game odds are updated periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and needs help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
MORE HORNETS STORIES ON SI
NBA analyst picks Charlotte Hornets’ X-factor for 2024-25 season
Hornets’ Micic on Nuggets’ radar: Possible Jokic reunion draws interest
