Izan Almansa from Murcia continues to take giant steps towards the NBA. At just 18 years old, the center who is leading the Spanish U-19 team this week in the World Cup in Hungary became the big news this Monday in national basketball, confirming that he will play in 2024 at the Ignite, in the G League, the promising team that the NBA development league powers to claim talent, instead of being part of an NCAA university. It is a kind of shortcut to get to the best league on the planet sooner. Almansa, who promises more than any other young Spanish talent, takes it to make the big leap as soon as possible.
In this team, for example, Scoot Henderson, the last NBA draft for the Portland Trail Blazers, has stood out this past year. Almansa is in all the pools to be in the next draft. All the specialized press agree that the Murcian interior, 2.07, will be drafted within a year and possibly be chosen in the first round. Before that, obviously, he’s going to have to continue his spectacular progression. This last season, in the American Overtime Elite, he has averaged 27 minutes per game, 9.3 points and 8.6 rebounds, being 16 + 8 his best statistical line of the entire course.
The fact is that ESPN, from the hand of its draft expert Jonathan Givony, has published the update of its prediction of the 2024 NBA draft, just a few days after the 2023 one was held, and in it there is an interesting representation of Spanish players. The first of all is Izan Almansa from Murcia, who appears in 18th place. The other Spaniard in the first round is Juan Núñez, a guard from Madrid, who ranks 28th. The third Spaniard, Baba Miller, is in the second round , as the 38th pick in the 2024 draft.
Izan Almansa trained at UCAM Murcia and was in the Real Madrid youth system between 2019 and 2021. He then went to the Overtime Elite Academy, a project led by several former NBA players, including Pau Gasol. He now signs for a professional team in the second competition in the United States, where his salary will be around half a million dollars per year. If nothing goes wrong, in 2024 he will make the leap to the NBA, at only 19 years old.
“I have improved a lot in the United States and the best thing is to continue there”
Speaking to ESPN, Izan Almansa himself explained yesterday his decision to commit to Ignite for a season, a team that is based in Walnut Creek (California). «My game has improved in many ways in the United States; my shooting, physical and also seeing how people see the game here, everyone is trying to get to the same place, so it’s super competitive”, stressed the center from Murcia. “I decided to continue my development in the United States because I want to play here for the next few years, so I think being in this environment will help me more,” continued Izan Almansa, who is playing a very prominent role in the Under-19 World Cup in Hungary.
Last summer he was already MVP of the U-17 World Cup and the U-18 European Championship. Now, with the sub-19, he has been the best in Spain in the wins against Canada and France and his challenge is to reach the final of the tournament, in which the rival would surely be the United States. For now, Spain closes the group stage against China today, at 12:30 p.m. The match can be seen on FIBA’s YouTube channel.
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