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Rayan Rupert is probably one of the five best French NBA Draft prospects ever. The son of a former pro basketball player and the star of France's youth international teams, Rupert has the stats and pedigree to show he's every bit as talented as recent highly touted young guys like Ousmane Dieng, Killian Hayes and Frank Ntilikina (I mean this as a compliment, I swear). But this year, he's firmly in the shadow of Victor Wembanyama and so the hype around him is muted as a result. Nevertheless, the French swingman has formally declared for the Draft and is a potential lottery pick in his own right, .
“My dream has always been to play in the NBA,” Rupert told ESPN's Jonathan Givony. “I'm ready to take the next step in my career.”
A 6'7 wing with a 7'3 wingspan, Rupert already looks the part of a shutdown defender and role player. Playing for the New Zealand Breakers as part of the Australian NBL's Next Stars program, Rupert has spent the last year cutting his teeth in one of the most competitive league's in the world.
“I had a lot of ups and downs this season, especially with my injury,” he said. “It was a good moment to work on my left hand and on my body. It was a good season for us, we went to the Finals and played in front of 20,000 people in Sydney. I'm grateful for this experience.”
Even if the offensive stats of Rupert are ostensibly kind of underwhelming (5.9 points per game on 35 percent shooting), he's still established himself as a key player on a team that made it all the way to the Finals. During his one year with the Breakers, Rupert started 18 of the team's 28 games. As such, Rupert is so appealing as a prospect because his defensive versatility and connective passing make him the rare 18 year-old who can immediately contribute to a contender.
In our most recent NBA mock draft, Rupert was picked by the Brooklyn Nets with the 22nd pick, enabling him to team up with Mikal Bridges, his favorite player and one of his on-court inspirations.
“I'm watching a lot of Nets games,” Rayan Rupert told ESPN. “My favorite player is Mikal Bridges. He plays with great energy and can do everything on the court. He used to be a ‘3-and-D player' like me, but now he is a franchise player. I love everything about him.”
