By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Chicago Bulls selected Noa Essengue with the 12th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft presented by State Farm.
The 18-year-old French forward was the first player without an NCAA connection removed from the board. Instead of college basketball, he stayed with ratiopharm Ulm, displaying his talents in the BKT EuroCup and easyCredit BBL, until moving to Brooklyn for the draft during the Finals of Germany’s top-flight division. The Orleans native averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.1 assists, and 0.6 blocks per EuroCup contest, and 10.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks per BBL contest.
He was among the major highlights in a total of nine European players drafted in the first round on Wednesday.
Demin, Traore, Saraf, and Wolf to Brooklyn
With their first of five first-round picks, and eighth overall, the Brooklyn Nets went with Russian prospect Egor Demin. The 19-year-old winger played for Real Madrid, mainly in the youth teams of the storied club, before spending the 2024-25 season in Brigham Young, en route to earning the highest-ever pick for his country in the annual draft.
Also in 19th place, the Nets drafted French Nolan Traore, the latest promising prospect extending the Basketball Champions League draft links via his 2024-25 campaign with Saint-Quentin. Since the introduction of the Champions League in 2016, Vlatko Cancar, Ariel Hukporti, Ognjen Jaramaz, Alpha Kaba, Vit Krejci, Arnoldas Kulboka, Yam Madar, Vanja Marinkovic, Frank Ntilikina, Yannick Nzosa, Tidjane Salaun, Luka Samanic, Issuf Sanon, Alperen Sengun, and Marko Simonovic all went from the BCL in the draft.
With the 26th overall pick, the Nets went international again by selecting Israeli Ben Saraf. Alongside Essengue, the 19-year-old combo guard spent the last season with Ulm and is still playing in a best-of-five championship series opposite FC Bayern Munich, with deciding Game 5 set to take place in SAP Garden in a few hours.
American-Israeli Danny Wolf was selected 27th overall by the Nets. Representing Israel in the FIBA U20 European Championship 2023, he captured a silver medal. In the NCAA over the last three years, he played for Yale from 2022 to 2024 and transferred to Michigan for the 2024-25 season.
More from France, plus Lithuania, Spain, and Switzerland
The second French entrant after Essengue and before Traore was Joan Beringer, drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 17th pick. After suiting up for Cedevita Olimpija in the EuroCup and AdmiralBet ABA League, the 19-year-old center will join forces with fellow French import Rudy Gobert in the Wolves paint.
Adding to European picks, Lithuanian combo guard Kasparas Jakucionis was selected 20th overall by the Miami Heat. Before moving his talents to Illinois for the 2024-25 NCAA season, he made his professional debut with FC Barcelona in 2023, following a junior career split between Barca and his hometown club Rytas.
Picked 28th overall, Spanish Hugo Gonzalez was drafted by the Boston Celtics. A Madrid product, the 19-year-old forward debuted at the senior level in 2022 and emerged as a regular for the senior team of Los Blancos through the 2024-25 journey. On Tuesday, he was crowned ACB champion for a second year in a row.
Closing the first round with the 30th pick, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Swiss Yanic Konan Niederhauser. The 22-year-old center played professionally in Germany before heading to the United States for an NCAA career with Northern Illinois and Penn State. At the international level, he was promoted to the senior squad of Switzerland during the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers.
Confirming projections, Cooper Flagg was the first overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, Ace Bailey fell to the fifth spot and is heading to the Utah Jazz.
NBA Draft 2025 First Round
- 1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg
- 2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper
- 3. Philadelphia 76ers: V. J. Edgecombe
- 4. Charlotte Hornets: Kon Knueppel
- 5. Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey
- 6. Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson
- 7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears
- 8. Brooklyn Nets: Egor Demin
- 9. Toronto Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles
- 10. Phoenix Suns: Khaman Maluach
- 11. Memphis Grizzlies: Cedric Coward
- 12. Chicago Bulls: Noa Essengue
- 13. New Orleans Pelicans: Derik Queen
- 14. San Antonio Spurs: Carter Bryant
- 15. Oklahoma City Thunder: Thomas Sorber
- 16. Portland Trail Blazers: Yang Hansen
- 17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Joan Beringer
- 18. Utah Jazz: Walter Clayton Jr.
- 19. Brooklyn Nets: Nolan Traore
- 20. Miami Heat: Kasparas Jakucionis
- 21. Washington Wizards: Will Riley
- 22. Brooklyn Nets: Drake Powell
- 23. Atlanta Hawks: Asa Newell
- 24. Sacramento Kings: Nique Clifford
- 25. Orlando Magic: Jase Richardson
- 26. Brooklyn Nets: Ben Saraf
- 27. Brooklyn Nets: Danny Wolf
- 28. Boston Celtics: Hugo Gonzalez
- 29. Charlotte Hornets: Liam McNeeley
- 30. Los Angeles Clippers: Yanic Konan Niederhauser
Following the first round in Barclays Center, the second round will be held in the same venue on Thursday.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net