Possible first-round pick Hugo Besson enters 2022 NBA Draft

France’s Hugo Besson has entered the 2022 NBA Draft, his agent Bouna Ndiaye told Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). The combo guard could become a first-round pick, as he’s currently ranked No. 32 on ESPN’s top 100 prospects list.

Besson spent the 2021-22 season with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League, averaging 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists on .385/.306/.795 shooting in 25 games (27.6 minutes per contest). The NBL has seen a number of its former players transition to the NBA in recent years, including LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, R.J. Hampton, Didi Louzada, Jae’Sean Tate and Jock Landale.

With the Breakers, Besson teamed up with Ousmane Dieng, a fellow Frenchman who has also declared for the draft and is considered a potential lottery pick. Besson showcased an impressive array of dribble moves and shooting range, even if his splits weren’t ideal (video link via Givony).

In his draft profile for ESPN, Mike Schmitz states that Besson is an improving and confident three-level scorer, displaying an ability to play on or off the ball. He needs to improve his defense, but his scoring and playmaking should draw plenty of attention from NBA teams, per Schmitz.