NBA’s French Revolution Set to Continue With 2025 Draft

The NBA’s French revolution is set to continue in the 2025 draft.

Four French players are projected to be selected in the NBA draft Wednesday and Thursday, based on draft rankings on ESPN and The Athletic. While this year will likely end two consecutive years of No. 1 picks from France, three French prospects are projected to be first-round selections.

There is also an outside chance that this year’s French contingent ties last year’s record of five total draft picks. The potential French draft picks are as follows (with their ESPN rank):

• Noa Essengue, forward (9)
• Joan Beringer, center (15)
• Nolan Traoré, guard (23)
• Noah Penda, forward (31)
• Mohamed Diawara, forward (81)

In 2023, Victor Wembanyama was the first French-born prospect to be selected with the first pick. Bilal Coulibaly, Wembanyama’s teammate in the French league, was selected No. 7 overall in the same draft.

Last year, Zacchaire Rissacher was selected with the first pick, the first time the No. 1 picks in back-to-back drafts were international prospects from the same country. Alex Sarr was the No. 2 pick, which also marked the first time two international prospects from the same country went with the first two picks.

There were 14 French players on NBA rosters last season, third among all countries and first of any country outside North America. Canada, which had 25 players, was second to the U.S.

The French men’s national team is ranked No. 4 in the world behind Serbia and Germany, but finished with a silver medal in the Paris Olympics, falling to Team USA in the final, 98–87.

The NBA has taken advantage of its growth in France, sending Wembanyama and the Spurs to face the Pacers for two regular-season games in January. It’s not yet clear whether the league will return to France next season, but it has played at least one regular-season game in Paris for three years in a row.

The Spurs organization is also leveraging its French presence, announcing Tuesday that its new jersey sponsor will be Ledger, a French digital asset security firm. San Antonio could add another French player in the 2025 draft, where they hold pick Nos. 2, 14, and 38.

The boost in French prospects comes around the same time the NBA is exploring the idea of creating a new league in Europe. A European league that would rival the already established EuroLeague, which is widely regarded as the second-best professional basketball league in the world. 

More International Flavor

France isn’t the only international country that will be represented during the 2025 draft. There are potential draft picks across several continents who are expected to see their names called by either NBA commissioner Adam Silver or deputy commissioner Mark Tatum.

Other international prospects include:

• Khaman Maluach (South Sudan)
• Egor Demin (Russia)
• Hugo González (Spain)
• Will Riley (Canada)
• Ben Saraf (Israel)
• Hansen Yang (China)
• Bogoljub Marković (Serbia)
• Alex Toohey (Australia)

The first round of the draft begins at 8 p.m. ET. Second-round coverage Thursday also begins at 8 p.m.