By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
The last three NBA drafts saw players with European roots taking the top spot, starting with the American-Italian Paolo Banchero in 2022, followed by French prodigy Victor Wembanyama in 2023, and his compatriot Zaccharie Risacher topping the most recent draft.
As of now, American forward Cooper Flagg from Duke University is touted to break that streak, but there’s another wave of talented Europeans threatening to steal the show.
Eurohoops brings you a list of 10 talented players from the Old Continent expected to enter the 2025 NBA draft.
Nolan Traore (PG)
France has been producing great prospects year after year, and although it’s hard to imagine anyone could follow in the footsteps of Victor Wembanyama and generate the same buzz he did prior to the 2023 Draft, there are already a couple of talented Frenchmen with the potential for a bright future in the NBA.
Nolan Traoré joined INSEP in 2021, playing for their team in the French third tier and steadily improving his scoring. In 2024, he signed with Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball in the top-tier LNB Pro A and set a league record with 25 points in a game by a player under 18.
Projected as a 2025 NBA lottery pick, he opted to stay in France and signed a two-year deal. In October 2024, he made his European debut, scoring 27 points in a Basketball Champions League win, setting a record for most points by a player under 21 in the competition, previously held by Houston Rockets’ Alperen Sengun.
Noa Essengue (PF)
Another interesting French prospect is power forward Noa Essengue, who also started playing professionally for Centre Fédéral de Basket-Ball, a team affiliated with INSEP in the third tier, and played in many EuroLeague Next Generation tournaments.
He joined German team Ratiopharm Ulm in 2023. After a season playing mostly for their development team, he became a big part of the first team this year, averaging 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 10 BKT EuroCup appearances, at just 17 years old.
Joan Beringer (C)
Another Frenchman who could go in the first round of the next NBA draft is 18-year-old center Joan Beringer from Cedevita Olimpija. He joined the Ljubljana team after playing for U21 Strasbourg and is getting more playing time under experienced coach Zvezdan Mitrovic in Slovenia.
With his minutes increasing in both the ABA League and EuroCup, and his frame and athleticism making him stand out, Beringer, just a month older than Essengue, is among the youngest players expected to be part of the upcoming draft. His development is on a good path, and he could turn the heads of NBA teams already in the summer.
Hugo Gonzalez (F)
Memphis Grizzlies power forward Santi Aldama, the sole Spaniard in the NBA this season, recently spoke about the upcoming generation of Spanish players poised to make their mark overseas. One of those youngsters is undoubtedly Real Madrid‘s Hugo Gonzalez.
Born in the Spanish capital, Gonzalez quickly rose through the club’s youth ranks, winning the EuroLeague’s Next Generation Tournament in 2023. Even before that, he became the fourth-youngest Madridista to play in the ACB. This season, he has already made 10 EuroLeague appearances with Chus Mateo’s team, showing promising signs of becoming one of the leaders of the next generation of Spanish basketball.
Izan Almansa (PF/C)
Izan Almansa followed a similar path to Gonzalez but diverged at a certain point. In August 2021, he decided to move overseas and signed with Overtime Elite. Two years later, he joined the NBA G League Ignite team, where he played 43 games, averaging 10.5 points and 7.2 rebounds. Initially declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, Almansa eventually withdrew to explore opportunities in Europe and Australia. Last June, he joined the Perth Wildcats of the NBL under the league’s Next Stars program for the 2024–25 season.
The 19-year-old power forward has also been highly successful, if not dominant, with Spain’s youth national teams. He won silver at the U17 World Cup and gold at the U19 World Cup, earning MVP honors at both tournaments.
Sergio De Larrea (PG/SG)
Another Spaniard with apparent NBA upside, Sergio De Larrea is a Valencia combo guard who is steadily gaining more opportunities in professional basketball with the Taronja team.
After competing in various Next Generation tournaments and winning World Cup silver and gold alongside Almansa, the 18-year-old, who has good size for his position, played seven EuroCup games this season, averaging around 13 minutes per game. He also appeared in seven ACB League games, where he averaged 7.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Already holding his own against much more experienced players, De Larrea is demonstrating his development and the tools needed to make an impact at the next level.
Ben Saraf (PG)
Ben Saraf showed immense promise from an early age, averaging 14 points in Israel’s second division at just 16. He excelled at the U16 and U18 European Championships, leading both the 2022 and 2024 tournaments in scoring. Last summer, he took his talents to Germany.
The 18-year-old Israeli guard has been a standout for Ratiopharm Ulm in the EuroCup, averaging 12.8 points and 5.2 assists in eight appearances. With great size and a strong feel for the game, Saraf already stands out and could become the next big name in Israeli basketball after Deni Avdija. They actually faced off in the preseason, with Saraf scoring 16 points and adding two assists against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Michael Ružić (F/C)
Michael Ružić, born on October 4, 2006, in France to Croatian parents, comes from a family of athletes, including Olympians and national team players. He began his basketball career with KK Zadar in Croatia, leading his teams to multiple championships and playing in the Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament, where he averaged 19 points.
In 2023, he moved to Spain to join Joventut Badalona and debuted for the senior team in October 2023. He played 26 games during the 2023–24 season, averaging 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds. He signed a contract extension with Joventut through 2029 in February 2024 and was named a “Rising Star” at the Adidas Eurocamp in June 2024, averaging 17 points and 4.6 rebounds. Standing at 6-foot-10, he’s incredibly fluid for his size and fits the modern mold of the NBA.
Neoklis Avdalas (G/SF)
Neo Avdalas began his professional career with Panathinaikos in 2021, playing in both the EuroLeague and Greek Basket League. He extended his commitment to the club with a five-year contract in 2022 and showcased his potential in the Next Gen tournaments with the Greens. After a loan spell at Karditsa for the 2023–2024 season and playing for the Next Gen team in Belgrade, he was loaned to Peristeri for the 2024–2025 campaign, where he is currently averaging 7.2 points in the domestic championship and 4.5 points in the Basketball Champions League.
Emerging as one of the brightest Greek prospects, he was named the Greek League’s Best Young Player last season. The 18-year-old point forward stands out with his combination of size and skill and has plenty of time to develop and make his mark internationally.
Rocco Zikarsky (C)
Rocco Zikarsky is an Australian basketball player, born to German Olympic medal-winning swimmer Bjorn Zikarsky, so he has European roots. He shone with Queensland teams and at the NBA Global Academy as a youngster, and in July 2023, he joined the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL as part of the Next Stars program, becoming the youngest player in the program’s history.
In his second season with the Bullets, he emerged as one of the top prospects for the upcoming 2025 NBA draft. Standing at 7-foot-3, the 18-year-old stands out for his size and ability to dominate the paint, already showing skills that many players at his position can’t. With his frame, it’s believed he could immediately make an impact in the NBA as a rim protector.
