Swedish wing Bobi Klintman, a projected first-round pick, told ESPN he has submitted paperwork to the NBA office to make himself eligible for the 2024 draft.
“I believe I am ready for the next challenge, which is the NBA,” Klintman told ESPN. “It’s been a goal since I was young. I’ve always tried to challenge myself to play at the highest level I can, whether in Europe, in high school, college, or now the Australian NBL.”
Klintman, ranked No. 22 in the ESPN 100 among NBA draft prospects, is attempting to become the first Swedish player drafted in the first round.
Klintman spent this past season in Australia with the Cairns Taipans as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program. He averaged 9.7 rebounds and 4.8 rebounds in 21 minutes per game, shooting 36% for 3. He joined Cairns after electing to depart Wake Forest University following his freshman season.
“I hope that NBA teams that watched me saw I wasn’t afraid to take on a challenge,” Klintman said. “The path I took is one only a few players are willing to take. It’s harder than the college route. Hopefully NBA teams saw that I’m tough. I’m ready to play through pain if needed. I wanted to prove I could excel playing a physical brand of basketball, and I believe I did that.”
At 6-foot-10, Klintman has impressive size, length, and explosiveness for a perimeter prospect. He can play either the small forward or power forward positions while offering versatility as a 3-point shooter, above-the-rim finisher, and playmaker defensively. He was productive against high-level competition this season and has the potential to continue to grow as he gains strength and experience long-term.
The NBA Draft will be held over two days in New York City on June 26 and 27. The first round will be conducted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, followed by the second round the next day at ESPN’s studio in lower Manhattan.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams.
This story originally appeared on ESPN
