2024 NBA Draft: Top 3 Draft-and-Stash Players to Watch

Tarik Biberovic, Gabriele Procida, and Melvin Ajinca will have plenty of eyes on them for the upcoming season. A strong showing by either of them could lead to an NBA deal in the summer of 2025 with their respective NBA teams.

May 19, 2022; Chicago, IL, USA; Gabriele Procida talks to the media during the 2022 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers recently cashed in on their draft rights to Australian Wing Luke Travers, signing him to a two-way deal after a strong season with NBL runner-up Melbourne United. Business on the draft and stash front seems done for the 2024 offseason, but three players are top of mind as potential stashes to come over in the summer of 2025: Memphis Grizzlies stash Tarik Biberovic, Utah Jazz stash Gabriele Procida, and Dallas Mavericks stash Melvin Ajinca. 

Tarik Biberovic | Wing | Current Team: Fenerbahce | NBA Rights: Memphis Grizzlies

Biberovic is coming off a fantastic season with Turkish side Fenerbahce, who reached the EuroLeague Final Four. Biberovic is 23 years old, 6-foot-7, and 218 pounds. He averaged roughly nine points per game on 52/47/95 shooting splits last season across all competitions. The 50/40/90 season came on a career-high 229 3-point attempts and his season was so impressive that there were discussions of him potentially joining the Grizzlies this season and taking Luke Kennard’s role on a cheaper contract. That didn’t happen, but the door obviously isn’t closed on that. 

The Grizzlies will likely want to see Biberovic flex a little more on-ball skills this season. His prowess as a spot-up and movement shooter is obvious at this stage, but showing the ability to attack closeouts and finish in the lane would cement his status as a net-positive on offense from day one in the NBA.

Question marks remain for Biberovic’s defense. Fenerbahce brought in a new head coach, EuroLeague and Lithuanian basketball legend Sarunas Jasikevicius, in the middle of the season and he wasn’t scared of throwing Biberovic into the fire. He tasked him with guarding EuroLeague stars such as Mike James, Wade Baldwin, and others on occasion. Sometimes Biberovic was up to it, sometimes he picked up two fouls with exceptional speed. 

Using his size and strength to his advantage, and sliding his feet better will be something to look for. Biberovic won’t be expected to be a defensive stopper in the NBA, but it does need to be passable for him to stay on the court and be a part of the Grizzlies or any organization's long-term future. 

Gabriele Procida | Wing | Current Team: ALBA Berlin | NBA Rights: Utah Jazz

If you combined Biberovic and Italian wing Gabriele Procida into one player they would quickly be one of the best players in EuroLeague. Procida is long, springy, and quick. He’s 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan and impressive leaping ability. Having recently turned 22 years old, the best part of his game is his defense. He can take on any perimeter matchup and offers weakside rim protection help too. What Procida is currently missing is a consistent jump shot.

He shot 34 percent from deep on 140 attempts last season across all competitions, but 29 percent in EuroLeague play. Competition splits like that are concerning, a yellow flag of sorts. The shot is worse against better competition now, why would it be better when he gets to the NBA? 

The good news is Procida will have plenty of opportunities this season. Try as they might, ALBA Berlin’s goal this EuroLeague season won’t truly be to win games. They simply don’t have the talent. As one of Europe’s lone high-level clubs that focuses on giving opportunities to younger players, which Procida benefitted from last season to the tune of being named the competition Rising Star, they will probably put the ball in Procida’s hands a decent amount.

The offseason addition of Australian guard Nick McDowell-White will likely be beneficial too, a real pick-and-roll maestro who will find him when he’s open with ease. A more reliable 3-point shot with just a smidge of general improvement on the offensive side of the ball could make Danny Ainge and the Utah Jazz interested in bringing him over. Procida’s rights were acquired by the Jazz in a trade deadline deal that sent Simone Fontecchio, another Italian wing who spent a season in his early twenties with ALBA Berlin, to the Pistons. If it worked for Fontecchio, why not try it again with Procida? 

Melvin Ajinca | Wing | Current Team: LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | NBA Rights: Dallas Mavericks

A second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Melvin Ajinca earned a EuroLeague deal with Tony Parker’s club, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne after an impressive season with Saint Quentin. At 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds Ajinca has the frame and size needed to defend NBA wings. With Saint Quentin last season he shot 36 percent from behind the arc on almost 6 attempts per game, that’s not a volume many players get to in Europe unless they’re a star. 

It’s impossible to say at the moment whether the environment Ajinca is in will be good or bad for him. ASVEL are bottom-dwellers of the EuroLeague, and borderline embarrassing. The club shows no vision for the future and had three different coaches last season. But chaos is a ladder, and Ajinca wouldn’t be the first to earn a better opportunity from a strong season with ASVEL. Recent Sixers signing Guerschon Yabusele spent his first season back in Europe with ASVEL. 2020 NBA Draft flameout Theo Maledon has signed with the club as well, so have impressive G League performers Shaquille Harrison and Admiral Schofield. 

Ajinca’s shooting, defense, and his secret high-level third skill - rebounding - may earn him a starting spot in this group and if he can hold his own through the likely tumultuous nature of an ASVEL season he could be someone the Mavericks look to bring over sooner rather than later to support Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic as a 3-and-D wing.

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