Top 15 International Prospects For The 2025 NBA Draft

With draft season in full swing it’s time for an updated list of the top 15 international prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Overall this is a solid group with some clear NBA players but not the type of elite talent that we’ve seen in some past years. I see between 5-7 first rounders here and about 8-10 more players that are likely to be drafted.

At the top of the list is Nolan Traore, the dynamic 6-4 point guard from France. While his stock has fallen from where it was this time last year he still looks like the best of the bunch and has lottery potential. Fellow Frenchman Noa Essengue could land in the lottery as well.

A few young centers are rising up the rankings after the draft combine. I wrote about the rise of Hansen Yang here. And Rocco Zikarsky (pictured above) is on the rise as well, after showing off his unique size and mobility at the combine.

While this list is mostly finalized, there is a chance that some of these guys withdraw from the draft by the June 15th deadline.

Note: This list does not include the many high-level international prospects who are already playing in the States, including a number of likely lottery picks (Edgecombe, Jaku, Maluach, Demin etc.).

Nolan Traore – PG – Saint-Quetin (France) – Traore’s stock has been on a roller-coaster this past year, going from top 5 to late first round and now rising again towards the lottery. I’m willing to bet on the upside of a lightning quick point guard with good size who can take over a game. He’ll have to shoot the ball better but I believe in his jumper. He’s closer to the top ten than the twenties for me.
Noa Essengue – SF/PF – Ratiopharm Ulm (France) – Noa could be no.1 on this list purely based on upside potential. He’s an incredible mover for a 6-9 player and instantly passes the eye test. He glides up and down the court, has good length and wiry strength and is just scratching the surface of his potential. He’s a boom or bust type of player who will probably take some time to develop but the payoff could be well worth it.
Joan Beringer – C – France – I’m tempted to rank Beringer even higher. It’s clear that he’s going to take some time before being NBA ready but when we look back on this list in 5 or 8 years this ranking might look too low. He’s a big, powerful and quick player who has elite physical tools. In some ways he reminds me of Yves Missi (who I was really high on last year) with his raw tools and with being new to the game. He’s on a steep upward trajectory as a player and could end up being a stud.
Hugo Gonzales – SG – Real Madrid (Spain) – Hugo continues to fly under the radar and doesn’t get a lot of draft buzz, after being buried all year on a deep Real Madrid team. Still, he’s one of the premier international prospects in his age group and has legit NBA tools. I like him in the 18-28 range.
Hansen Yang – C – China – Yang has moved up the ranking after a very productive season in China and a strong week at the draft combine in Chicago last week. He’s a bit of a polarizing prospect with some scouts viewing him as too slow to defend at the NBA level while others are intriguing by his unique skill-set at 7-2. I’m in the later camp and view him as a potential first rounder. We’ve seen in recent years that big, slow, highly skilled players can not only make it in the league but can dominate. Yang could be the next highly skilled international center to surprise to the upside and become a really good NBA player.
Ben Saraf – PG – Ulm (Israel) – A dynamic passer and play-maker, Saraf has really good size for a lead guard and a great feel for the game. He’s an inconsistent shooter and doesn’t have an elite first step but he’s got an uncanny knack for getting defenders off balance and making plays in the paint. If the jump shot comes around he’ll be a high level NBA player. He’s looking like a first round pick who could come off the board in the 18-30 range.
Noah Penda – SF/PF – France – Penda is a burly combo forward who defends at a very high level and has really good basketball IQ. He’s a high level passer with advanced feel on the offensive end, he can handle the ball and has some scoring juice as well. At about 6-7 he’s a swing forward with versatility and an intriguing skillset. I see him as a possible late first round pick or early second.
Rocco Zikarsky – C – Brisbane, NBL – Rocco is the biggest prospect in the draft class at 7-4 (7-3 barefoot) and he’s also a fairly smooth mover for his size. Oh, and he’s only 18 years old until July. There’s a chance he withdraws from the draft and perhaps goes the college route (this would be awesome to watch!) But if he stays in the draft he’s a possible late first rounder. He’s a developmental player at this point but has tools you can’t teach, including a 9-6 1/2 standing reach! After being highly ranked to start the season Zikarsky had a disappointing season for Brisbane, seeing limited playing time and failing to take the next step in his development. And his draft stock has fallen accordingly. I really hope he goes to college for a year but that might be wishful thinking.
Michael Ruzic – PF – Croatia – Ruzic measured very well in Chicago at 6-11 barefoot with a 7-0 3/4 wingspan, which is great size for a smooth-shooting forward. He’s a perimeter oriented player who can stroke the 3-ball and loves to face up and take the defender off the dribble. He’s got good touch in the mid range and an overall advanced offensive package. He’s not the flashiest player but could end up being a steal if he drops to the mid second round.
Bogoljub Marković – PF – Serbia – Marković is still finishing up his season overseas and didn’t attend the draft combine. He’s a big, lengthy and smooth forward with an advanced offensive game. He’s a high energy player, rebounds the ball well and is a willing defender. He’s very young, tall, talented and has upside to grow into. I’m a fan. He’ll likely fall to the second round and would be a great value in the 40-50 range.
Alex Toohey – SF – Sydney, NBL – Toohey is a sweet-shooting big wing who is an off-the-ball player who really excels in this role. He’s got great size for a shooter at 6-8 with good strength and a high feel for the game. He’s also got the length with a 6-10 3/4 wingspan to guard in the lane. He’s a hard worker and a fundamentally sound player who could end up having a long NBA career. I like him in the 35-45 range.
Mouhamed Faye – C – Reggio Emilia (Senegal) – Faye is a muscular and powerful player who is a fierce rebounder and interior defender who projects as a back-up big/enforcer at the NBA level. He’s not a high upside offensive player but he knows his role and does it well. I like him as a mid/late second rounder.
Izan Almansa – PF/C – Perth, NBL (Spain) – Almansa has been on a basketball world tour, going from Spain to the OTE to the G League and finally playing a year down under in the NBL. He’s a workhorse type of big forward who isn’t flashy but impacts the game on the glass and with his good touch around the rim. At one point he projected as a first rounder but his stock has fallen off a bit and he looks like a mid second rounder at best. I’d take a flyer on him in this range, as I think he can work his way onto a NBA roster, perhaps after another stint in the G League.
Ben Henshall – SG – Perth, NBL – A slick 6-6 combo guard, Henshall is one of the best prospects out of Australia and a possible second round pick in June. He’s a skilled passer who sees the game at a high level and makes good reads. He’s a crafty finisher and good shot-maker but lacks high end athleticism.
Neoklis Avdalas – SG/SF – Greece – A smooth wing with scoring instincts and good positional size, Avdalas could slide into the late second round but there’s a chance he goes undrafted as well. There’s also a real chance he withdraws from the draft and goes the college route, with Baylor and Kansas State in the mix. This would be really great to see and I think it would be great for his development.

Honerable Mention

Lachlan Olbrich – PF/C – Illawarra, NBL
Malique Lewis – PF – SE Melbourne (Trinidad and Tobago)
Bassala Bagayoko – C – Bilbao (Mali)

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