South Sudan put on a show ahead of and during the Paris Olympics. Despite the bittersweet ending, they\u2019ve made a name for their team and their nation. Indeed, they were arguably the most popular team in Lille, earning praise throughout.<\/p>\n
With the party now over, many of their players are preparing for the next leg in their basketball journey. For Khaman Maluach<\/a>, this is his freshman season at Duke<\/a>. For Marial Shayok<\/a>, a college teammate of Team USA guard Tyrese Haliburton<\/a>, it could be a return stateside.<\/p>\n That being said, there are a handful of South Sudan players whose spectacular play in France could lead them to the NBA.<\/p>\n South Sudan point guard Carlik Jones<\/a> has been the team\u2019s engine the past two years.<\/p>\n In the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the 26-year-old averaged 20.4 points, 10.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game to get the Bright Stars into the Paris Olympics. Once there, he averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 1.0 steal per game as the team\u2019s best triple threat.<\/p>\n This hasn\u2019t led to him signing an NBA contract obviously.<\/p>\n In 2023-24, Jones played for the CBA\u2019s Zhejiang Chouzhou. In late July, he signed a contract with Serbia\u2019s KK Partizan. However, as Partizan\u2019s regular season ends on Apr. 10, an NBA team could add him to the roster ahead of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.<\/p>\n The 2024-25 NBA regular season ends on Apr. 13.<\/p>\n If signed, Jones won\u2019t be a rookie; he\u2019s played a handful of NBA games in a two-season stretch. Yet, he was relegated to the G League for the majority of that time. He excelled there too though. In 57 contests, Jones averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.<\/p>\n The savvy floor general is good enough to be in the NBA. He just needs the right opportunity.<\/p>\n South Sudan forward Bul Kuol<\/a> wasn\u2019t the star of the show. However, his timely shot-making and 3-and-D skillset at 6-foot-7 should have caught teams\u2019 eyes.<\/p>\n Kuol averaged 13.0 points per game for the Bright Stars, the mark held by Brazil\u2019s Bruno Caboclo<\/a>, a 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament MVP. More impressively, he made an eye-popping 60.0 percent of his field goals and 72.7 percent of his 3s. Also contributing 1.7 steals per game to a tenacious defense, his two-way impact shouldn\u2019t be ignored.<\/p>\n Neither should his overall body of work. In college, Kuol made 42.6 percent of his 3-pointers. After bypassing his final season of college eligibility in 2021-22, he was named the 2022 NBL Rookie of the Year. In 2023-24, Kuol averaged 12.7 points per game on 40.8 percent shooting from 3 for the NBL\u2019s Cairns.<\/p>\n Peter Jok<\/a> is another South Sudan wing who lets it fly.<\/p>\n At 30 years old, he\u2019ll soon be exiting his physical prime. However, as his game is predicated on his touch from outside, this isn\u2019t too problematic. To that point, with teams placing heavy emphasis on the 3-ball, many are looking for a knockdown shooter. Meanwhile, Jok made 45.5 percent of his 3-point attempts in the Paris Olympics.<\/p>\n Yet, as is true of much of Africa\u2019s top talent, he isn\u2019t new to the scene. In 2013, Jok was named Mr. Iowa Basketball and a Parade First Team All-American after a standout career at Valley High School. In his final two college seasons, he was named to the All-Big 10 team.<\/p>\n If signed, Jok won\u2019t be an unfamiliar face. Like Jones, he\u2019s played a sizable amount of games in the G League. Even there though, he\u2019s been on his Yusuf Dikec. In 78 contests, he\u2019s made 39.9 percent of his 3s.<\/p>\n Nuni <\/a>Omot\u2019s<\/a> most memorable moment of the Olympics came against Team USA in their highly anticipated rematch. Scoring a team-high 24 points, the Bright Stars\u2019 emotional leader made it hard for a star-laden team to get comfortable. He played so well that he was even thinking about an NBA contract right after the game.<\/p>\n Any team that gives me a chance, I promise you won\u2019t regret it. \ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udfff https:\/\/t.co\/zAaPdv1fBx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nuni (@nuniomot21) August 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSouth Sudan Players Who Could Make NBA Jump After Olympics<\/h2>\n
Carlik Jones<\/h3>\n
Bul Kuol<\/h3>\n
Peter Jok<\/h3>\n
Nuni Omot<\/h3>\n
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