Dzanan Musa is no secret, even at just 19 years old. He’s got three years of professional ball behind him in Crotia and has been a regular in international competition in age-group play for Bosnia Herzegovina.
SAYS WHO?
The buzz for Musa to Brooklyn took a big leap on May 30, when ESPN broadcast its first mock draft special, with NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski trading picks with draft expert Mike Schmitz. It doesn’t qualify as a “Woj bomb,” but it was certainly interesting when Wojnarowski sent Musa to the Nets at No. 29 as it broke with much of the mock draft trends at the time. Steve Kyler of BASKETBALLINSIDERS.COM had projected Musa for Brooklyn a week earlier, but that was rare. This week, Jeremy Woo of SI.COM released the 10th version of his mock draft (yes, the 10th) and for the first time he had Musa as the Nets’ first-round pick.
SO, WHO IS HE?
Musa turned pro with Cedevita in the Croatian League three years ago at age 16. He is a 19-year-old small forward who has been projected to be selected as high as the late teens, but is widely considered a late first-rounder.
WHAT’S HE DONE?
Musa has grown into one of Europe’s elite scorers, winning the EuroCup Rising Star Trophy for the 2017-18 season and being named the Most Improved Player at the 2017 Adidas Eurocamp for NBA prospects. He has a strong history of international play on age group teams and was named MVP of the 2016 FIBA U17 World Cup after averaging 34.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?
Musa stands out for his aggressive, confident offensive game. He’s a versatile scorer from mid-range an in, and competent out to the 3-point arc but would need to expand his range to be a consistent NBA 3-point threat. At 6-9 he brings good size to the small forward spot, but may have limitations as a defender.