The 2021 NBA Draft has come and gone, and now it’s time to see where the top European prospects landed. The number of European players in the NBA continues to grow as eleven Europeans were drafted this year, of which four in the first round.

Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic – 8th overall

The first European to come off the board was Franz Wagner. He started his career with ALBA Berlin in Germany before playing the last two seasons at the University of Michigan. He has an all-around offensive skillset and is a good defender, particularly off the ball. Despite having a lower ceiling than most of the top picks, he is considered one of the more NBA-ready prospects who can contribute immediately. Orlando is in the early stages of a rebuild and will give Wagner plenty of minutes to develop. His all-around skillset will fit nicely alongside a young group of players that includes 5th overall pick Jalen Suggs, former first pick Markelle Fultz, elite defender Jonathan Isaac, and promising guards Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton.

Alperen Sengün, Houston Rockets – 16th overall

Houston gave up two future first round picks to trade up to select Sengün. He is a skilled interior scorer whose advanced analytics are off the charts. Sengün has shown glimpses of his shooting and playmaking potential, which not all scouts were sold on, and his defensive fit is likely to be his biggest concern in the NBA. His dominance in Turkey is impressive and rare for someone his age. Houston clearly believes in the Turkish league MVP and thus we can expect to see plenty of minutes for Sengün next season.

Usman Garuba, Houston Rockets – 23rd overall

Sengün will compete for minutes with Usman Garuba next season, as both bigs were drafted by the Houston Rockets. Garuba is no stranger to competing for playing time in a professional environment due to his experience with Real Madrid in the EuroLeague and ACB. He is one of the best defenders in the draft due to his versatility and high motor. However, he has limitations offensively which includes his ability to shoot the ball. Leading up to the draft, details arose about his large buyout which might have caused him to fall to 23rd. We could see Sengün and Garuba rotate with one another depending on the team’s need for offense or defense.

Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies – 30th overall

One of the biggest surprises of the draft was Aldama being selected in the first round. Aldama was considered one of the top prospects in Europe during his time with Real Madrid before moving to the US to play at Loyola (MD). Here he played in the Patriot League, not considered a top collegiate league, and dominated the competition for two years. He is a skilled scorer who has a nice touch around the rim and can shoot from behind the arc. Memphis believes Aldama’s skillset can translate to the NBA and be more than a stretch-big. Expect Aldama to initially get most of his minutes in the G League.

Rokas Jokubaitis, New York Knicks – 34th overall

It is likely that Jokubaitis stays in Europe for at least another year considering the Knicks drafted another guard in Miles McBride and Tom Thibodeau’s track record of not playing rookies much. This would mean that Jokubaitis will make the move from Žalgiris to Barcelona to reunite with Šarūnas Jasikevičius. Jokubaitis is a point guard with good playmaking skills and EuroLeague experience. It is up to him to continue to develop and prove critics of his athleticism wrong. He can learn a lot from playing with Nick Calathes.   

Neemias Queta, Sacramento Kings – 39th overall

Queta became the first Portuguese to be selected in the NBA draft. He played his collegiate basketball at Utah State where he was the best defensive player in his conference. His defensive skillset fits an area of need for the Kings, who often struggled on defense last season. Queta could start off primarily playing in the G League, but can earn a more consistent role with the Kings as he continues to develop during the year.

Juhann Begarin, Boston Celtics – 45th overall

Begarin, originally from Guadeloupe, is an incredibly athletic wing who played for Paris last season. The Celtics confirmed after the draft that Begarin will continue to play in Europe this upcoming season, taking a similar approach to Yam Madar last season. With more playing time in Europe, Begarin is more likely to develop his raw offensive skillset and become more prepared for a potential jump to the NBA.

Filip Petrušev, Philadelphia 76ers – 50th overall

Despite being the ABA League MVP, Petrušev was selected towards the end of the 2nd round. He has been considered one of the best European prospects in his age category for a while and has become a regular for the Serbian national team this season. Petrušev is a skilled interior scorer who has expanded his range this season after leaving Gonzaga. What might have contributed to his slide is his lack of rim protection. He has the talent to make an impact in the NBA and deserved to get drafted higher. Considering the 76ers already have Joel Embiid, are contenders, and drafted another center in Charles Bassey, there is a chance Petrušev ends up playing in Europe next season. He is expected to take part in Summer League and will have a chip on his shoulder.   

Sandro Mamukelashvili, Milwaukee Bucks – 54th overall

Mamukelashvili played collegiately at Seton Hall and impressed with his unique offensive skillset. He is a 6’11 big with playmaking and shooting ability. This makes him a good fit with the Bucks who like to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with shooters. Mamukelashvili can space the floor and play a similar offensive role as Brook Lopez. Due to the Bucks being the defending champion, Mamukelashvili might not play much next season but will fit their system well when called upon.

Balsa Koprivica, Detroit Pistons – 57th overall

Some were surprised to see Koprivica get drafted, but he is coming off a good year at Florida State and played well in the NCAA tournament. He rates well analytically, protects the rim, and is a strong finisher. Due to the number of young players the Pistons currently have on the roster, it is yet to be seen if Koprivica makes the team or ends up playing in Europe for a year.

Georgios Kalaitzakis, Milwaukee Bucks – 60th overall

Kalaitzakis was the last pick in the draft and will join Milwaukee for Summer League. He has been a highly regarded prospect for years, but only played limited minutes for Panathinaikos last season. The Bucks will look to repeat as champions and thus are unlikely to keep too many young players on their roster. There is a good chance Kalaitzakis ends up as a draft-and-stash once Summer League is over.

Despite not hearing their names called out on draft night, these Europeans were signed as undrafted free agents:

Yves Pons (Memphis Grizzlies), Joel Ayayi (Los Angeles Lakers), Asbjorn Midtgaard (Orlando Magic), Giorgi Bezhanishvili (Denver Nuggets).