SALIOU NIANG, FROM MANDELLO DEL LARIO TO THE NBA: CLEVELAND DRAFTS HIM, BUT VIRTUS BOLOGNA AWAITS

Cleveland, USA – The first thought for Saliou Niang, moments after being selected with the 58th pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2025 NBA Draft, was of his family. "When I heard my name, it was a unique feeling. I was shaking. But it was wonderful. I think they are happy at home, so proud of me." Then came the call, the smiles, the satisfaction for a 21-year-old whose dream has just flung open.

The Cavs cap, at least for a while, will be the only piece of Ohio franchise gear the Mandello del Lario native will wear. Cleveland's roster for the upcoming Summer League has not yet been announced, but it would be truly surprising to find the former Aquila Trento player there. According to Mike Gansey, General Manager of the Cavaliers, the European FIBA competitions will be the environment in which the 2016 NBA champions will evaluate Niang's further potential.

While his performance at EuroCamp in early June in Treviso was the tipping point for the Cavs' interest in Saliou ("Huge credit to Primo Brezec and Igor Tadic, our international scouts. He was named Best Defender of the camp; his defensive versatility impressed us"), it's his entire two-year journey that vouches for the future potential of the young man born in Dakar.

"Discarded" by Fortitudo Bologna when he should have found space in A2, then revitalized by the work of Marco Crespi and Paolo Galbiati in Trento, his move to Virtus Segafredo Bologna (pending official confirmation) will mark his EuroLeague debut next season. And, why not, his first flashes with Italbasket, which could be followed by a call-up for EuroBasket 2025: "The steps he's taken in the last two years are incredible. It will be a great opportunity for him to play at the highest levels in Europe; we will follow him and keep an eye on him," the Cavs' intentions, again through their GM, are clear.

Niang will be one of many young NBA players subject to the "draft & stash" experiment—selected by a franchise that retains his rights without immediately adding him to the roster, instead monitoring his development while non-NBA teams provide him with playing time and visibility. This is currently the case for Matteo Spagnolo (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Gabriele Procida (Utah Jazz, but selected by the Portland Trail Blazers and immediately traded to the Detroit Pistons), who have only participated in a few Summer League games since June 2022.

Niang is the 12th Italian player selected in NBA Draft history (Esposito, Fontecchio, Datome, and Melli played in the NBA but were not drafted). For Cleveland, he is the second Italian selected in their history, following Stefano Rusconi in 1990. Rusconi would only play in the United States five seasons later (7 games with the Phoenix Suns), having won everything there was to win in Italy with Benetton Treviso in the meantime. It's not guaranteed that the same won't apply to Niang, perhaps in the black-and-white jersey of Virtus Bologna. For now, however, Saliou's dream is being lived with open eyes.