Everyone knows Wemby, but who are other International prospects in NBA Draft?

In a little bit less than a month, it will be time for the NBA Draft. The moment that marks the start of the new NBA season and could mean the beginning of a brilliant career for many young prospects.

We already know who will be the main protagonist of that night: French sensation Victor Wembanyama.

The current Metropolitans player is considered probably the most anticipated prospect in the draft since LeBron James and the San Antonio Spurs can't wait for the draft to begin and to call him with the no.1 pick.

Simply no surprises here. At this point, we know basically everything about Wembanyama; his media exposure overshadowed the profiles of many other exciting players.

If you've wondered about the other top European/International prospects in this draft, you've come to the right place.

BasketNews presents you which other European and international prospects to watch in this draft, where they might be chosen, and what is interesting to know about them.

France is by far one of the most represented countries, and this year it's likely to be one of the deepest draft classes ever for the transalpine country. 

Bilal Coulibaly (SG/SF, Metropolitans 92)

We already said how Victor Wembanyama would take all the attention upon himself, so it only makes sense to start talking about the other prospects with a teammate of Victor.

Bilal Coulibaly is also a player of the Metropolitans, although this season, he didn't have the same exposure that Wembanyama did.

For the 18-year-old Coulibaly, this is his first real season as a pro, and he only started to play in the first team of the Metropolitans around December.

There was already a certain hype around Coulibaly after his game last summer against Bronny James. Coulibaly finished the game with 25 points and led his team to the win.

Coulibaly is currently considered probably the best off-the-ball player in the entire draft. He's the type of player that can create a lot of damage in the game without the need to have the ball in his hands for too long.

He's a really athletic swingman that can always cut to the basket in a very effective way, and he's a really entertaining player to watch overall.

Even Wembanyama has a really high consideration of Coulibaly. In a recent interview, the projected No. 1 pick in the draft highly praised Coulibaly.

"He's an all-around weapon. He can posterize a player and block him on the next play. Opponents keep on underestimating him because he is young. They go for a layup, thinking they are safe, and get obliterated. He does something crazy every game," Wembanyama said.

In Game 2 of the playoff series against ASVEL, Coulibaly had a huge impact on Metropolitans' win, finishing with 15 points, proving that he can already be a factor even in crucial games.

His draft stocks have risen in the last few weeks, and the French prospect is now projected to be a potential top-20 pick.

Despite his very young age, Coulibaly seems to have already broken into the hearts of several NBA executives.

The fact that the odds have gone up quite a bit even though the player has not been able to travel to the United States to conduct workouts is further evidence of this. 

Rayan Rupert (F, New Zealand Breakers)

Rupert is the second French player on this list. This season he played with the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL, taking advantage of the Next Star program launched by the Australian league.

With the Breakers, he reached the finals of the NBL and left a mark on the team with his impressive defensive ability. His combination of mobility, motor, and wingspan makes him one of the best perimeter defensive players in this draft.

The French wing can always put pressure on the ball, taking opposing teams out of their offense. In his first pro season, Rupert averaged 6.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game.

On the defensive end, it's pretty clear that the upside of this player is extremely high. Offensively, though, Rupert needs to improve. He's not a great shooter from deep (he shot only 25% from 3-point in the NBL this season), and he doesn't look particularly creative when he has the ball in his hands.

According to ESPN, Rupert might be, just like Coulibaly, a top-20 pick in this year's draft. Because of his skill set, it'd be very important for him to be drafted by the right team.

Rupert can become a really interesting player in the league with the necessary development process. 

James Nnaji (C, Barcelona)

Now in his second full season with Barcelona, Nigerian big man James Nnaji has become part of coach Sarunas Jasikevicius' rotations, something not so common for such a young player.

Gifted with amazing physical tools, Nnaji can be a very intriguing project for many NBA teams. The Nigerian big man has impressive abilities in terms of verticality, explosiveness, and rim protection.

He is always a treat for the opposing teams in pick & roll situations with his ability to finish above the rim, Nnaji also has impressive coordination for a guy of his size.

This season, the big man played 19 games in EuroLeague and averages 12 minutes per game in the ACB, the most competitive domestic league in Europe.

He was supposed to fly to Chicago for the Draft Combine, but Jasikevicius decided to bring him with the team for the EuroLeague Final Four, which unfortunately ended negatively for the Catalan side.

At 18, Nnaji is far from a finished product, and he's considered more of a project as of right now, but with the lack of depth in terms of big men in this draft, the Nigerian player could be an interesting pick for those teams who will make a selection in the late part of the first round. 

Tristan Vukcevic (F, Partizan Belgrade)

Serbian forward Tristan Vukcevic has been a prospect worth considering for a few years now. The son of former basketball player Dusan Vukcevic, Tristan joined the Real Madrid youth system in 2018 and made his professional debut in 2020.

At the beginning of 2022, Vukcevic left Real Madrid and signed a multi-year deal with Partizan Belgrade. Since he arrived in Serbia, Vukcevic hasn't had a major role in Zeljko Obradovic's team, but NBA scouts haven't lost track of him.

His recent trip to Chicago for the Draft Combine helped him raise his draft stocks, thanks mostly to an impressive shooting performance during his American trip.

Vukcevic is extremely skilled for a player of his size and moves around the court with ease. He has the potential to become a really good shooter, although he has often been inconsistent so far, especially from 3-point.

With his size, he can also exploit smaller defenders in post situations. Defensively, he's not a great rim protector, and he needs to improve considerably to make an impact on that end.

But his offensive skills will make him an intriguing pick in the second round for several teams, even if they decide not to bring him over right away. In the latest ESPN Mock Draft, Vuckevic was projected to be selected at the 35th pick. 

Sidy Cissoko (F, G League Ignite)

The moment came for another French player on our list. Last summer, the French wing decided to leave Baskonia to try the G League route with the Ignite, the team created specifically to make room for top talent from high school and abroad.

Cissoko became the first European player to sign for the Ignite, and his choice seems to have paid off. He averaged 12.0 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Ignite.

Cissoko made a strong impact on the defensive end with his physicality and ability to switch on smaller players. His frame is impressive, and when he's really hard to contain when he runs the floor in transition.

Cissoko also has some intriguing secondary playmaking skills, which make him even more exciting as a prospect.

As of right now, one of his main limits comes with the shooting. The French wing shot only 31% from deep this season and will need to work on that front if he wants to become more of a threat in the league.

After being projected as a potential first-round pick for a while, it looks more likely that Cissoko will get drafted in the second round.

Regardless of where he will land, his upside looks extremely promising, and multiple teams would love to take a chance on him.