NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
The Chicago Bulls chose Noa Essengue as the 12th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, presented by State Farm.
The 18-year-old forward from France was the earliest selection of a player not tied to NCAA basketball. Instead, he showcased his skills with ratiopharm Ulm, competing in both the BKT EuroCup and the easyCredit BBL, before relocating to Brooklyn for the draft while still participating in the finals of Germany’s top league. The Orleans native posted averages of 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.1 assists, and 0.6 blocks in EuroCup play, and 10.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks in BBL contests.
He was one of the standout names among nine European players drafted in the first round on Wednesday.
With their initial first-round pick and eighth overall, the Brooklyn Nets opted for Russian talent Egor Demin. The 19-year-old wing had previously played mainly for the youth squads of Real Madrid before spending the 2024-25 season at Brigham Young, achieving the highest draft pick for his nation to date.
Also, at 19th overall, the Nets selected French player Nolan Traore, bringing another promising talent into the mix following his 2024-25 stint with Saint-Quentin in the Basketball Champions League. Since the league’s inception in 2016, numerous players like Vlatko Cancar, Ariel Hukporti, and Frank Ntilikina have made the jump from the BCL to the NBA.
With the 26th pick, the Nets ventured internationally again by drafting Israeli Ben Saraf. The 19-year-old combo guard, who played alongside Essengue at Ulm, is currently competing in a best-of-five championship series against FC Bayern Munich, with a crucial Game 5 set to occur at SAP Garden shortly.
The Nets also chose American-Israeli Danny Wolf at the 27th pick. Wolf represented Israel in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship and earned a silver medal. Over the last three years, he played for Yale before transferring to Michigan for the current season.
The second French player selected after Essengue and ahead of Traore was Joan Beringer, picked 17th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. After playing for Cedevita Olimpija in the EuroCup and AdmiralBet ABA League, the 19-year-old center will join fellow French player Rudy Gobert in the Timberwolves’ lineup.
Continuing the trend of European selections, Lithuanian combo guard Kasparas Jakucionis was taken 20th overall by the Miami Heat. Prior to his move to Illinois for the 2024-25 NCAA season, he made his professional debut in 2023 with FC Barcelona, following a junior career there and with his local club Rytas.
The Boston Celtics grabbed Spanish forward Hugo Gonzalez at the 28th pick. A native of Madrid, the 19-year-old made his senior debut in 2022 and became a regular for Los Blancos during the 2024-25 season, recently winning his second consecutive ACB championship.
Concluding the first round at the 30th position, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Swiss center Yanic Konan Niederhauser. The 22-year-old previously played in Germany before embarking on an NCAA career with Northern Illinois and Penn State. He was also called up to represent Switzerland at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers.
As anticipated, Cooper Flagg was the first overall selection by the Dallas Mavericks, while Ace Bailey was drafted fifth overall by the Utah Jazz.
The second round is set to take place at Barclays Center on Thursday, following the conclusion of the first round.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net
Stay updated with the latest news.
