The International Players in The 2025 Draft You Should Know
A forward look at the international prospects hoping to make a splash in the 2025 NBA Draft
Back in October 2022, I published an article looking at some of the best international prospects to watch for in the 2023 NBA Draft. We see some of these players on NBA rosters (Victor Wembanyama, Rayan Rupert, Tristan Vukcevic), some were drafted this year (Nikola Djurisic and Juan Nunez) and some have continued their pro career overseas (Matthieu Gauzin, Leonardo Okeke, Roko Prkacin). A bit of a mixed bag, as the draft often tends to be.
Top 10 International Players in the 2023 NBA Draft
I wanted to revisit that idea and look ahead to the international players that could have the most impact on the outcome of the 2025 NBA Draft. I also wanted to steer away from the prospects that we already may know of and have heard about if they have already been through previous draft cycles, so I’ll be avoiding prospects like Lachlan Olbrich, Alex Toohey, Ruben Prey or Fedor Zugic. I’ll purely be looking at the guys born in 2006, the “incoming” international class, if you will.
There’s a lot of exciting talent in this group and any of them could fight their way up draft boards if they aren’t already.
Let’s dive in!
Nolan Traore PG 6ft 3in Saint-Quentin
2023-24 Stats (CFBB/Saint-Quentin)
Pts: 16.6 Ast: 5.7 Rbd: 2.9 Stl: 1.6 Blk: 0.3 FG%: 44.4% 3P%: 30.0% FT%: 75.3%
Traore is a lightning quick guard with unreal passing instincts. He plays the right pass at the right time and reads the floor very well. Despite his clear passing gifts, he often plays with a score-first mentality and can finish at the rim and from midrange with ease. His outside shooting could improve but he has plenty of scope to see a rise in his 3-point percentage. On the defensive end, he is a dog! He hounds his man relentlessly and his quick hands produce a lot of steals. Look for his name to be near the top of a lot of boards towards the end of the upcoming draft cycle.
Hugo Gonzalez SG 6ft 6in Real Madrid
2023-24 Stats (Real Madrid/Real Madrid U18)
Pts: 6.6 Ast: 1.3 Rbd: 2.1 Stl: 1.0 Blk: 0.4 FG%: 42.3% 3P%: 24.1% FT%: 82.0%
Gonzalez is a true floor general in every sense of the word. He possesses an unreal feel for reading the game and plays passes that a lot of guards wouldn’t even consider! He already has a strong frame and great size for a guard, so he should adapt to NBA physicality pretty quickly. He has shown a lot of promise as a shooter, even if the 3-point percentage doesn’t reflect that. On the other side of the ball, he reacts well defensively and generates a lot of steals. He is very switched on defensively and reads passing lanes well.
Rocco Zikarsky C 7ft 2in Brisbane Bullets
2023-24 Stats (Brisbane Bullets)
Pts: 3.5 Ast: 0.1 Rbd: 2.0 Stl: 0.1 Blk: 1.0 FG%: 62.0% 3P%: 0.0% FT%: 51.9%
The man mountain! Zikarsky is a true old-school paint-dwelling center. He has the size and strength to allow him to dominate both sides of the ball down low. On offense, he does pretty much everything in the paint. He is great at attacking the rim and is a more than viable lob threat. On defense, he is a fantastic shot blocker and rebounder. His anticipation is great and he uses his size and long arms to great effect. He isn’t much of an outside threat at this point but he has the potential to add that to his game.
Khaman Maluach C 7ft 2in Duke
2023-24 Stats (Basketball Africa League)
Pts: 19.1 Ast: 1.0 Rbd: 14.2 Stl: 0.6 Blk: 3.1 FG%: 53.2% 3P%: 30.3% FT%: 71.4%
Maluach has impressive fluidity and movement for a 7ft+ man. He has the size and elevation to play way above the rim and can be a focal point for the offense down low with the obvious lob threat he poses. For such a big man, he has shown incredible shooting touch and has the range to be a threat from 3. Down low, he is a formidable shot blocker and rebounder. He runs the floor well and can dominate on either end. Given his potential for floor spacing and rim protection, he should be a highly intriguing prospect for teams.
Egor Demin PG 6ft 8in BYU
2023-24 Stats (Real Madrid U18)
Pts: 15.8 Ast: 4.5 Rbd: 6.8 Stl: 2.1 Blk: 0.8 FG%: 42.1% 3P%: 18.6% FT%: 73.3%
You might look at Demin’s size and think he’s a forward or that someone has made a typo, but he is genuinely a massive lead guard. He has incredible skill with the ball in his hands and his size allows him to see over the defense where his court vision can be used to his advantage. His size at his position means he rebounds the ball well, he can block his fair share of shots, but also - he’s just a dogged defender! He uses his size to overwhelm his man and generates a lot of steals with his long arms and quick hands. He’s not an outside shooter but does show some promise there. His selling point though is his playmaking ability - he knows how to play the right pass, at the right time, to the right man. What more do you want from your lead guard?
Dame Sarr SF 6ft 6in Barcelona
2023-24 Stats (Barcelona/Barcelona U18)
Pts: 11.6 Ast: 3.3 Rbd: 2.8 Stl: 1.0 Blk: 0.1 FG%: 38.8% 3P%: 28.3% FT%: 71.1%
Sarr is still a very raw prospect just figuring out what he can be, but has a tremendous amount of upside potential. As a 6ft 6in wing, he has lightning pace and the kind of burst that allows him to get to the rim with ease. The one thing he will need to improve is adding strength to his frame as he can sometimes be bumped off his drives by stronger defenders. He has the range to be a 3-point shooter but the consistency will need to improve. He plays hard on defense but can often be undisciplined, however, that should improve as he matures. He is an underrated passer and can kick it out to a teammate for an open look on his drive to the hoop. Like I said, he’s very raw at the moment but the potential will be inticing for teams if he puts it all together.
Noa Essengue PF 6ft 9in Ratiopharm Ulm
2023-24 Stats (Ratiopharm Ulm)
Pts: 13.5 Ast: 1.4 Rbd: 7.0 Stl: 1.2 Blk: 1.3 FG% 48.3% 3P%: 25.4% FT%: 58.7%
Essengue has a lot of long term upside potential and will generate a lot of interest from teams this year. He has fantastic fluidity and movement for a man of his size and doesn’t look awkward moving on the court. He’s truly at his best when he can drive to the rim where he uses his length to great effect. Not an outside shooter but has potential to become a solid 3-point threat. On defense, he has the size and speed to defend on the perimeter and can defend inside but will need to add strength to his frame to become a paint protector on a regular basis. He rebounds the ball fantastically well and does a lot of the little things that sometimes go unnoticed. I can see Essengue being the International guy that shoots up boards if he has a big year.
Hamad Mousa SF 6ft 8in Dayton
2023-24 Stats (Qatar-QBL)
Pts: 18.0 Ast: 1.7 Rbd: 6.8 Stl: 1.7 Blk: 1.2 FG%: 46.9% 3P%: 33.3% FT%: 79.2%
Mousa has the length and size for his position, but also plays the game with a high degree of skill and Basketball IQ. He has genuine above the rim athleticism and plays with pace. He has the lateral quickness and burst to drive to the rim and should be better able to handle contact once he adds strength. His athleticism transfers over to the defensive end where he gets steals and blocks at a high rate for a wing. He rebounds the heck out of the ball and can defend on the perimeter or inside to a degree. His shooting isn’t very consistent at the moment but the upside is there for sure. He has a lot of traits that you look for in a prototypical NBA wing.
Michael Ruzic PF 6ft 9in Joventut Badalona
2023-24 Stats (Joventut Badalona/CB Prat)
Pts: 6.0 Ast: 0.6 Rdb: 2.9 Stl: 0.4 Blk: 0.5 FG%: 49.8% 3P%: 40.6% FT%: 80.0%
Ruzic moves well for a man his size and looks fluid on the court. He is developing into a lethal shooter from outside which is becoming extremely coveted in the league. He is comfortable with the ball in his hands but won’t be a primary playmaker. He makes good reads and makes the right pass. He plays with a good motor which he uses to good effect on both ends of the floor. On offense he will have the gravity as an outside shooter but can also score inside due to his length. On defense, he has the foot speed to be able to defend on the perimeter and will be able to defend on the interior as he add muscle to his frame. The shooting could be the thing that intrigues teams the most with Ruzic.
Kasparas Jakucionis PG 6ft 5in Illinois
2023-24 Stats (Barcelona/Barcelona U18)
Pts: 13.5 Ast: 6.2 Rbd: 4.5 Stl: 1.9 Blk: 0.2 FG%: 44.6% 3P%: 32.7% FT%: 94.2%
A lead guard with fantastic size and strength, Jakucionis knows how to command an offense. He reads the game at an exceptionally high level and has great feel for the game. He makes the right read seemingly all the time and has a masterful knack for finding his teammates in the right spot at the right time. He’s not a big time athlete but has more than enough bounce to succeed at the next level. Not the most consistent shooter but has potential given that his free throw percentage was in the mid 90%’s. He’s a committed defender as well that will get you steals and rebounds, but it is his playmaking that will set him apart at the next level.
Mitar Bosnjakovic SF 6ft 6in Real Madrid
2023-24 Stats (Real Madrid U18)
Pts: 11.5 Ast: 1.6 Rbd: 3.8 Stl: 0.9 Blk: 0.1 FG%: 41.1% 3P%: 35.1% FT%: 41.7%
Bosnjakovic is the kind of crafty wing player that just knows how to get the ball in the basket. He has terrific form on his jumper and his numbers are decent for the level he has been playing at so I think he projects out as an above average 3-point shooter in the NBA. He’s a decent defender and has the upside to take that to the next level. He has quick hands to generate steals and he rebounds the ball well for his position. He’s not the quickest of athletes but has a ton of shiftiness to his game that more than makes up for it. Could develop into an absolute sniper at the next level.
Ismaila Diagne C 6ft 11in Gonzaga
2023-24 Stats (Real Madrid/Real Madrid U18)
Pts: 7.3 Ast: 1.1 Rbd: 5.7 Stl: 0.4 Blk: 0.8 FG%: 56.1% 3P%: 0.0% FT%: 70.0%
The fourth Real Madrid product on this list, Diagne knows what his role is for his team and does it well. He protects the paint on defense and does his damage on offense inside. He needs to add strength to his frame but should fill out well as he gets older. He does everything you would want your center to do - he rebounds, he blocks shots and runs the floor well. Don’t expect to see him step out and drain 3’s with any kind of regularity as that’s just not his game. He has underrated passing ability for a big - he’s not flashy by any means but can certainly find the open man or make the right pass. One to watch.
Andrej Kostic SF 6ft 6in KK Crvena Zvezda
2023-24 Stats (KK Crvena Zvezda/KK Crvena Zvezda Youth)
Pts: 16.6 Ast: 0.6 Rbd: 4.6 Stl: 1.8 Blk: 0.1 FG%: 46.3% 3P%: 26.7% FT%: 73.5%
Kostic is a tricky wing that can do a bit of everything. He has good size for a wing but will need to fill out his frame and get stronger to play at the next level. He is an excellent scorer and is really at his best driving to the rim, but he’s certainly not an above the rim athlete. He’s not much of an outside shooter yet either but has decent form. He is more than capable of creating good looks for himself or his teammates with his passing ability. He rebounds the ball well for his position and is very active on the defensive end of the ball, generating a lot of steals and forced turnovers. Could be a draft board climber if he continues improving like he has already.
Some “honourable mentions” and names to keep an eye on this year:
Noah Penda SF 6ft 8in JA Vichy
Bassala Bagayoko PF 6ft 10in Fuenlabrada
Mohamed Diakite SF 6ft 8in CFBB
Urban Kroflic SG 6ft 6in Mega Basket
Ben Saraf SG 6ft 5in Ratiopharm Ulm
Dayan Nessah SF 6ft 7in Barcelona
This upcoming draft cycle is shaping up to be an all time classic and talent can be found all over the place. It will be interesting keeping an eye on these international prospects and seeing who has a big year. With a lot of basketball to be played and just under a year to go, this could be one of the best draft cycles in years.