Issuf Sanon, Ukrainian combo guard, drafted by Wizards, 44th overall

The Washington Wizards drafted Issuf Sanon, an 18-year-old from Ukraine, with the No. 44 overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft Thursday night.

Sanon, a 6-foot-4 combo guard, plays for Petrol Olimpija in the top-level Slovenian basketball league, and has gotten onto the court for the Ukrainian under-18 national team.

Unlike most prospects in this draft, Sanon is a bit of an unknown to many scouts due to his playing in a remote location. The website nbadraft.net gave Sanon high marks for his athleticism, ball-handling and potential, but Sports Illustrated wrote that he “has a lot of maturing to do.”

“Since moving to Olimpija Ljubljana my game has grown,” Sanon told ESPN this spring. “Working with coaches, I feel myself getting better every day. It has been a dream of mine to play in the NBA and I’m excited for this next chapter.”