The Paris Basketball star Nadir Hifi reveals his dream of playing in the NBA next season. It is quite rare to note that this year, unless there is a big surprise, no French player will be drafted in the NBA in the first round (or even in the second). No French player appears in the top 30 of specialized sites. However, this does not necessarily mean that no new French player will play in the world’s biggest league next season, as they can be recruited during the summer without going through the draft. And Nadir Hifi hopes to be one of them. The point guard-shooting guard, star of the Paris Basketball team, does not hide his desire to play in the NBA, after three seasons in Le Portel and three seasons in the capital.
In an interview with Le Parisien, the 23-year-old player said, “I am very solicited, I do not hide it from you, but I am still under contract with Paris. However, my only option for now is the NBA. It’s no secret: I am ready for the NBA. I hope to have a chance to go there as early as this summer. I can no longer enter the draft, but hopefully, it can be done through a direct contract. It’s not something I can control, but the desire is clearly there. All I can do while waiting for an opportunity is to show on the field what I am capable of by being efficient.”
Nadir Hifi was not drafted in 2023 (the year Victor Wembanyama was chosen as number 1), at the end of his time in Le Portel, but he was not chosen. The following season, after a good first season in Paris (15.6 points on average), he briefly touched the American dream when he played in the Summer League with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He then averaged 11.3 points in 13.6 minutes in three games, but had to return to France due to a family problem. Will the 2026 season be the opportunity to fulfill his dream by convincing a franchise?
