2025 NBA Draft: Top international prospects to watch

Cooper Flagg, Airious “Ace” Bailey and Dylan Harper lead the top domestic prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft but there are plenty of international names primed to shake things up. 

4 minBy Chloe Merrell
Nolan Traore
(Panoramic)

It is a fact well-known that the NBA is more international than ever.

The top men’s basketball league has a record-setting 125 international players from 43 countries across its 30 franchises, meaning those foreign-born account for more than 35 per cent of the league’s roster spots.

But it’s not just currently that the players outside the US are dominating the hardcourt: the pipeline of international talent shows that those from abroad are showing no sign of relenting.

Take the 2024 NBA Draft. It marked the second straight season a French player went no.1. with Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr going back-to-back atop the draft to follow in the footsteps of the prodigious Victor Wembanyama 12 months prior.

But it wasn’t the only neat piece of history recorded by French basketball that night.

Five Frenchmen were picked from the draft with four going in the first round. As a result, France is now the only country along with the United States to have three players drafted in the top 10 picks of an NBA draft.

Call it exceptional, but it’s certainly far from over. With the 2024/25 NBA season well underway, eager eyes are already beginning to turn to next year’s draft, and it’s clear from scout reports and draft analysis that there’s going to be another dash of international flavour in this year’s stock, including again, from France.

In the below, Olympics.com runs the rule over some of the young international athletes creating a buzz and who might just leave an impression on the 2025 NBA Draft.

Nolan Traoré | 6-foot-3 (1.91m) guard | Saint-Quentin | France

The next product on the French conveyor belt of basketball talent gaining attention ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft is 18-year-old Nolan Traoré.

Suiting up for Saint-Quentin in France’s LNB, Traore’s ballhandling, playmaking and shotmaking for his age and size make him one of the most exciting international prospects even as he shows signs of early struggle this season.

He recently made his anticipated senior national team debut during November’s FIBA EuroBasket Qualifying Window and mostly lived up to the hype, averaging nine points and four assists across the two games.

With strong performances at the Basketball Without Borders camp and the Nike Hopes Summit earlier this year where he excelled against top US prospects, Traoré is a player teams in need of a point guard will be watching closely.

Hugo Gonzalez | 6-foot-6 (1.97m) forward | Real Madrid | Spain

Spanish forward Hugo Gonzalez is another international name gracing many NBA mock drafts.

A graduate of Real Madrid’s youth academy, the 18-year-old prospect turned down NIL opportunities and minutes at smaller clubs to stay in Spain’s capital.

It was a risky move, and his limited minutes so far this season have indeed made it difficult to assess his readiness for a league like the NBA. But as potential goes, the Spaniard has it in spades. Combining size, athleticism and versatility on both ends of the floor, Gonzalez has the tools to be a solid wing option. If he can find the time to show off his wares more, expect to see Gonzalez as a real investment opportunity.

Ben Saraf | 6-foot-6 (1.97m) guard | Ratiopharm Ulm | Israel

There are many ways for a young prospect to attract attention but few have done it so loudly as Ben Saraf did at FIBA U18 EuroBasket this summer.

The 18-year-old led the tournament in scoring (28.1 points per game) and steals (4.0 per game) and came home with MVP honours as well as being named to the event’s ‘All Star Five’.

Productive with a ball in hand, his dynamism makes him effective on both ends of the court, even with his quirky left-handed play.

Right now averaging 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds. 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game for Ratiopharm Ulm as their starting point guard, Saraf is being well-studied from afar.

Khaman Maluach of the Duke Blue Devils is a top international prospect NBA 2025 Draft

(2024 Getty Images)

Khaman Maluach | 7-foot-2 (2.18m) center | Duke Blue Devils | South Sudan

Standing at 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, South Sudan’s Khaman Maluach can boast of having all the dimensions of an NBA big man.

One of the best shot-blockers in his class, his defensive versatility paired with explosiveness in transition are the ideal ingredients for a two-way player.

His offense is recognised as an area that requires further development, especially his three-point shooting. However, unlike the other players in his draft class, Maluach stands out as an Olympian, having earned a spot on South Sudan’s roster for both the Paris 2024 Olympics and the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Currently playing for Duke in NCAA Division I alongside another top prospect in Flagg, Maluach is averaging 8.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 18.6 minutes per game.

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