Cavs shouldn't forget Saliou Niang — NBA Draft pick growing in Europe

Cavs shouldn't forget Saliou Niang — NBA Draft pick growing in Europe originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Saliou Niang's name likely hasn't been on the minds of Cleveland Cavaliers fans very much this season.

But the Cavs' 2025 NBA Draft pick is someone worth remembering at least a little bit.

The Cavs took Niang with the No. 58 overall pick last year, and the plan all along was for him to remain in Europe to continue to develop.

Niang did get better in the 2025-26 season, a good sign.

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He moved up in level from last season to this, going from Trento to Virtus Bologna -- an Italian club that plays in the EuroLeague, the second-best basketball league in the world.

Niang's stats in the Italian league improved from last season to this -- a raise in scoring average (8.1 to 9.1), rebound average (5.0 to 5.1), assist average (1.4 to 1.6), steals average (0.6 to 0.9) and blocks average (0.1 to 0.3).

In league play, Niang shot 33.3% from 3-point range.

He also made contributions in the EuroLeague, averaging 6.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in that competition. It's an encouraging sign when a young player keeps his numbers close to the same in the EuroLeague, because coaches often lean on their veterans more often in that top-tier continental competition.

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Niang will turn 22 in May, and it seems likely the Cavs would at least bring him over for Summer League this year to see how he fits in the group.

At that point, they could choose to keep the 6-foot-6 wing in Europe for another year, but he's getting closer to having a chance at contributing to the Cavs if he keeps his development moving upward.

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