NBA Draft Scouting Report: Serbia's Tristan Vukcevic
Tristan Vukcevic
Center | Serbia
Height: 6'10” | Weight: 220 lbs
2023 Draft Age: 20.28
Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Prospect Profile
Vukcevic was somewhat inconsistent last season, as his playing time oscillated wildly between starter-level minutes and garbage time appearances. However, he's shown flashes of a prospect with an extremely high ceiling several times.
Where we have seen the most consistency is on offense, as he's proven he can make an impact on day one at the NBA level on that end. Not only does he have the confidence to be a volume 3-point shooting big, but he also converts at a respectable rate. Combine the floor spacing with his touch and footwork, and it's easy to envision Vukcevic's game transferring at the next level.
With his size, he can also space the floor vertically as a lob threat, especially in transition. Outside of being a shooter, it's been promising to see him score in a variety of ways as he matures. He has a solid bag of moves in the mid-range and loves to exploit smaller defenders.
In the modern NBA, he's got the skillset that fits perfectly. Especially after playing against adults for the past few years, Vukcevic's transition to the NBA might be more smooth than some expect.
With that in mind, he doesn't offer much as a rim protector even at 6-foot-10. At this point, he's truly more of an offensive prospect that can be valuable at the NBA level as a stretch big with above average ball-handling ability for his size. The defense may take some time to come around at the NBA level.
As such, it's hard to imagine a world in which he can play center full-time upon being drafted. In certain scenarios it would make a lot of sense, but he's more of a stretch four. We have seen him have success alongside a traditional big this season, which is promising. As of today, he fouls quite a bit as he struggles to defend stronger traditional centers that live in the post.
Vuckcevic’s combination of size and shooting ability is extremely enticing as a potential floor-spacer and rebounder at the next level. For now, he appears to be well on a solid path to get his name called at some point during the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft. However, he's got the potential to even end up being a late first rounder with a good pre-draft process.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Late First-Round Pick or Early Second-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.
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