French guard Nolan Traore, one of the NBA's top 2025 draft picks, told ESPN on Saturday that he turned down offers from around the world to remain in his home country.
Traore is a 6ft 5in, 17-year-old playmaker who enrolled at Paris' prestigious sports academy INSEP and is set to sign a two-year contract with French first division side Saint-Quentin.
“Basketball-wise, it's the best situation for me,” Traore said. “I get to play with a coach I know and he's given me the confidence to play in the playoffs. My first experience with them was good. It's exciting and a big plus for me to play in the group stage of the FIBA Champions League next season.”
Traore was being scouted by many top college basketball teams, including Duke, Arkansas, Gonzaga and Alabama, as well as French and international teams in the NBL, EuroLeague and EuroCup in Australia, but he said the security of being close to home and his existing ties to St. Quentin were important to him.
“It was great that all these programs were interested in me,” Traoré said. “I don't take it for granted. It was a reward for all the effort I put in. It was nice to have all these options, but it was also important to have the possibility to be close to my family. They can visit me and I can go home easily.”
Traore was projected as a potential lottery pick in ESPN's first 2025 mock draft released in February, but after an explosive spring that saw him perform impressively in multiple venues around the world, he'll likely be ranked in the top five in the next update.
Traore showcased his talents against some of the best prospects his age at the NBA's Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Indianapolis in January, the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland in April and the EuroLeague's Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT) Finals in Berlin.
He put together an impressive 18 points and four assists at the hoop summit against fellow top-five prospects Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, then broke the ANGT Finals record with an exhilarating 45 points in an overtime win over European powerhouse Barcelona in late May.
Traoré helped Saint-Quentin reach the Pro A playoffs in his debut season in the first division, scoring 25 points and recording seven assists in the team's final game against EuroLeague's ASVEL. Promoted from the third division mid-season, he ranked as a top 10 scorer and second-best passer in France's Pro A in points per minute against men.
Traore's performance has earned him an invitation to serve as a training partner for the French national team, which begins on June 18th in preparation for the Paris Olympics.
France has long had a major weakness at the point guard position, a weakness exacerbated by the federation's decision to ban experienced floor general Thomas Huertel, who signed with Russian team Zenit St. Petersburg amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Traore will compete for a spot with former NBA players Killian Hayes, Theo Maledon and Frank Ntilikina.
“I was very surprised when I first got the call,” Traore said, “but my goal is to be selected. I want to show the coaching staff what I can do and show them that I can help the team win.”
NBA executives are already excited about the 2025 NBA Draft, with a slate of stars on the high school and international pools of players who will be eligible in a year, and Traore said training with and against so many top prospects has helped him gauge the direction of his own development.
“It's going to be a great draft class next year,” Traore said. “My goal is to win as many games as I can and get drafted as high as I can.”
Jonathan Givony is an NBA Draft expert and founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analysis service used by the NBA, NCAA and international teams.
