Overview
Saliou Niang, who hails from Dakar, Senegal, started his international career with Fortituto Kontatto Bologna in Italy, where he played from 2021 to 2023. The guard-forward then spent the last two years with Dolomiti Energia Trento in the Italian Lega A, breaking out in 2024-25 by averaging 7.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 steals in 20.1 minutes on shooting splits of 51.3 / 31.4 / 69.6 across 54 appearances. Niang’s improved play earned him the Italian Lega A Most Improved Player award for 2025, and he turned that momentum into being named this year’s adidas EUROCAMP standout defensive player of the event. In three games there, Niang averaged 7.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 21.2 mpg.
Analysis
At 21 years old, Niang has made significant strides over the last two seasons while playing against top competition in Europe. He’s an explosive athlete with a high motor and good instincts, and is an elite, versatile defender. He’s active on and off the ball at both ends of the court, reads the floor well and shows great vision when creating opportunities for teammates. At 6-foot-8, 190 pounds, Niang plays with an energy and strength that allows him to be effective at guarding one through four, while getting after it on the offensive glass and attacking off the dribble. The native of Senegal can do a little bit of everything, and if he can continue to work and get more comfortable with his jumper, particularly from the 3-point line, he has the opportunity to develop into a solid 3-and-D threat with some playmaking chops. In the modern NBA, franchises will covet his all-around game and experience against pros overseas.
Projection
The overall versatility and athleticism Niang possesses would be a perfect fit for any number of franchises in the Association. He excels around the basket and in the paint, as he has a nice touch with both hands, and he prefers to attack defenders with his mix of burst and deceleration moves to get defenders leaning. His strength and body control make it seem effortless when finishing through contact, but Niang will have to extend his range a bit in order to punish teams for leaving him open. He shows a lot of similarities to Josh Hart, Cason Wallace and Andrew Nembhard.
— Profile by RotoWire.com