Juan Núñez
Frame: 6’3’’, 190 lbs
Position: Point Guard
Team: Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany) 
2024 Draft Age: 20
Stats via RealGM

Offense

With three full seasons and 150 games of professional basketball under his belt with over one hundred fifty games played, Núñez is one of his generation’s most prominent European playmakers. He led Spain’s national team with five assists per game in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, directing traffic at the highest level.

Núñez separates himself with elite playmaking instincts and a feel for the game. He is a high-level pick-and-roll creator and an excellent live-dribble passer who can push the pace and thread a needle with a dime. His vision and basketball IQ allow him to consistently break down defenses and instantly recognize opportunities to make his teammates better. At times, it feels like he has eyes in the back of his head the way he finds open teammates with a pass back on the drive and feeds shooters with cross-court diagonal passes. Núñez plays with such flare that his creativity allows him to fire up his teammates and demoralize opponents. Sometimes, his flashy passes draw criticism, but he gradually improved his assist-turnover ratio during his European career.

Even though Núñez’s primary role is making plays for his teammates, he averages solid scoring numbers. Most of his points come from inside the paint, which is a little concerning for a player of his type. Núñez is not a slasher, but he’s good at slipping through defenses and finding driving avenues to the basket. He has quick steps and good touch around the basket, which allow him to score six of his 10 points per game at the rim while finishing at a solid 63 percent rate. He’s patient and efficient in isolation, scoring 1.18 points per possession, especially in mismatches against taller defenders. The German league is not the most physical in Europe, so how much that will translate to the NBA is debatable. 

Núñez’s offensive upside is intriguing, but his shooting is a red flag that significantly limits his ceiling. Núñez is in the low 30s from three, and even more worrying is that he has been in the 60s from the free-throw line throughout his career, suggesting he may not be a great shooter at the next level. His release is slow, and he doesn’t have the arch on his shot, which allows defenders to go under the screen consistently. Núñez works on it and shows flashes of progress in some games, like the recent one against Gottingen, where he converted four out of five from deep, but his shot still looks unreliable and, simply put, broken.

Defense

Núñez is a smart and disciplined defender. He competes and plays winning basketball. Like many European point guards, he’s small and unathletic by NBA standards. Despite being listed at 6’3″ and having a relatively strong frame, Núñez still looks a bit undersized. His tight hips force him to maintain a high defensive stance, and he lacks lateral quickness and leaping ability to be an effective on-ball defender. 

However, his basketball IQ allows him to be a decent team defender. As a playmaker, Núñez reads the game well and has a good feel for defensive positioning and anticipation for steals and loose balls. He knows how to use his body to stay in front of the ball without fouling and doesn’t shy away from contact. The best-case scenario would be for Núñez to grow into a sneaky TJ McConnell-type defender if he can raise his intensity a bit—but that’s a long road ahead.

Looking ahead 

Núñez could have gone in the second round last year, especially after his team shocked the European basketball community by winning the German championship as the seventh seed. It looked like a mistake withdrawing from the 2023 draft at that time, but now his stock looks even better. He was a backup point guard; now, he’s the primary creator, thriving at 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 24 minutes of action.

Like many European playmakers, Núñez has many questions about his fit in the NBA. Despite averaging solid scoring numbers, he’s a pass-first point guard and a subpar shooter who can’t compensate with athleticism like some college prospects. He might be a good pickup for a team that needs a backup point guard, but his defensive limitations may significantly shrink his impact in the NBA. 

Núñez may be the best passer in this draft class with confidence and leadership beyond his age. Outside of that, he doesn’t separate himself with NBA-level skills, but the one he has makes him a prospect with late first-round potential.