Ilias Kamardine, French Combo Guard, Declares for 2024 NBA Draft
The 2023 FIBA Europe U20 Champion and MVP, Kammardine played this past season in LNB Pro B, and looks to have second-round value in a class with lesser depth than drafts past.
French combo guard Ilias Kamardine has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft after playing for a season of professional basketball for Vichey Clamont of LNB Pro B in France, averaging 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists per game as well as tacking on 1.3 steals per game.
Kamardine is a crafty ball-handler who is shifty and can occasionally produce some really eye-opening fakes and moves. Playing both guard spots for Vichey, he often had the ball in his hands, but really put scouts on notice during his run in the 2023 FIBA U20 Chamionships, winning both the title with France as well as the MVP of the entire tourament.
He is a real two-way player as well – he's not an undersized microwave scorer type.
As a scout put it, he's a "true disruptor" on the defensive end, a guy that is an athletic 6-foot-4 whose size lends itself to his role. He gets his hands in passing lanes and just likes to harass the ball handler using his length.
Being part of a great pedigree of French basketball, which has a very good chance to have back-to-back first-overall picks in the NBA Draft in 2023 (Wembanyama) and 2024 (Alex Sarr), Kamardine would be yet another addition to a star-studded cast of Frenchman playing in the NBA.
The list includes the aforementioned Wemby, as well as Nic Batum, Rody Gobert, Rayan Rupert, Bilal Coulibaly, Olivier Sarr, Ousmane Dieng, and a few more to be added in this upcoming draft.
If he stays in the 2024 Draft, which by all accounts he should given the lesser depth of the class, Kamardine could, with good workouts and interviews, fly up draft boards. He has the two-way athletic guard archetype, he's good with his hande, and he's a creative finisher.
That's a sought after player in today's game of switching ball screens and contesting perimeter shots, so watch out for Ilias Kamardine as the 2024 Draft cycle heats up.
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