Projected 2025 NBA lottery pick Nolan Traore staying in France
One of the top players in the NBA's 2025 draft class, French guard Nolan Traore, has spurned offers from around the world to remain in his home country, he told ESPN on Saturday.
Traore, a 6-foot-5, 17-year-old playmaker who matriculated from famed Parisian sports academy INSEP, will sign a two-year contract with Saint-Quentin in the French first division.
"Basketball-wise, it's the best situation for me," Traore said. "I can play with a coach that I know, that gave me the confidence to play in the playoffs. I liked the first experience that I had with them. Playing in the FIBA Champions League [BCL] group stage next season will be exciting and was a big positive."
Traore was being recruited by a host of powerhouse college basketball programs -- including Duke, Arkansas, Gonzaga and Alabama -- as well as the Australian NBL and EuroLeague and EuroCup teams in France and abroad. He said the comfort of being close to home, along with his preexisting relationship with Saint-Quentin, was important for him.
"It was cool to have all these programs interested in me," Traore said. "I don't take that for granted. It was a reward for all the work I've put in. I was happy to have all these options, but the possibility of staying close to my family was also important. They can visit me, and I can go home easily."
Traore was already a projected lottery pick in ESPN's first 2025 mock draft published in February, but he will be ranked in the top five in the next update after an explosive spring that featured standout showings in venues around the globe.
He showed his talent against prospects in his age group at the NBA's Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Indianapolis in January, the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, in April, and the EuroLeague's Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals in Berlin.
He posted 18 points and four assists in an impressive Hoop Summit showing against fellow projected top-five picks Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper and then broke the ANGT Finals record with an exhilarating 45-point outing in an overtime win over European powerhouse Barcelona in late May.
Traore helped guide Saint-Quentin to the Pro A playoffs in its debut season in the first division, posting 25 points and seven assists in his final game against EuroLeague squad ASVEL. After making a midseason jump from the third division, he ranked as a top-10 scorer and the second-best passer in France's Pro A on a per-minute basis competing against grown men.
Traore's exploits helped land him an invitation as a training partner for the French senior national team camp starting June 18 in preparation for the Paris Olympics.
France has long had a major weakness at point guard that was exacerbated by its federation's decision to ban experienced floor general Thomas Heurtel from the national team for signing with Russian team Zenit Saint Petersburg amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Traore will compete against former NBA players Killian Hayes, Theo Maledon and Frank Ntilikina for a spot on the team.
"At first I was very surprised when they called me," Traore said. "But the goal is to be selected on the team. I want to show the coaching staff what I can do and that I can add something to help them win."
NBA executives are already highly anticipating the 2025 NBA draft thanks to the significant star power among the high school and international ranks that will become eligible to be selected in a year's time. Traore said training with and against many of the top prospects was helpful in determining where he stands with his development.
"Next year is going to be a great draft class," Traore said. "My goal is to win as many games as I can and then get drafted as high as possible."
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.
