The Dallas Mavericks did not have any first round selections in this year’s draft, but they did have second round selection, and they announced that they have acquired the draft rights to the 51st overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft Melvin Ajinça from the New York Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Ariel Hukporti (58th overall selection in 2024), the rights to Petteri Koponen (30th overall pick in 2007) and cash considerations.
Ajinça spent the 2023-24 campaign with Saint-Quentin in France’s top league (LNB Pro A), and averaged 9.5 points (.481 FG%, .815 FT%) and 3.6 rebounds per game in 30 games. He was named the French LNB Pro B Best Young Player in 2022-23, after he averaged 8.5 points (.529 FG%, .394 3FG%, .848 FT%) and 2.0 rebounds in 33 games.
The 6-8 forward began his career with Paris’ Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball of the Nationale Masculine 1 league in 2019-20.
A native of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France, Ajinça helped the French U19 team to a silver-medal finish at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup, where he finished second in the tournament in scoring (19.3 ppg).
Ajinça, who turned 20 years old on June 26, is the cousin of former Maverick Alexis Ajinça.
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