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Who is Saliou Niang? Meet the 2025 NBA Draft's most unexpected pick
It's not really that unusual for teams to take bigger swings the later it gets during any given draft, so it takes a real risk to stand out in these situations.
The Cleveland Cavaliers stood out on Thursday night.
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Near the end of the second and final round of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Cavs made the stunning decision to select Saliou Niang No. 58 overall. The 6-foot-8, 21-year-old guard from Senegal was as close to off-the-radar as you can get it. He wasn't even on mock drafts until a few days ago.
The fact that Niang was in Brooklyn to hear his name called suggest the Cavaliers had him circled for quite awhile, so here's a quick rundown on what you need to know about the newest Cleveland resident.
He was ranked No. 79 in the Rookie Scale Consensus Mock Draft
Won the 2025 Italian National Cup with Aquila Trento
Measured a 6'10 ¾" wingspan at the NBA Combine
Noted more for his defensive tools with a jump shot that needs work
Expected to become a draft-and-stash for Cleveland
At this stage of the draft, you're certainly drafting more on potential than anything else. Cleveland certainly sees a to here with Niang. It'll be fascinating to watch his journey through the league.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Who is Saliou Niang? Meet the 2025 NBA Draft's most unexpected pick
