International players selected in the 2025 NBA Draft

Frenchmen Joan Beringer (left) and Nolan Traore were both selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. 

Eleven international players from six countries were selected in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft presented by State Farm.  A total of 23 international players from 15 countries were selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, the second-most international players selected in a single draft (27 in 2016). Highlights included:

• 13 players from Europe were selected, including a record six from France.
• Three players from Australia were selected, the most in a single draft since 1997.
• Four NBA Academy alumni were selected, headlined by Khaman Maluach (10^thoverall), the highest-drafted former NBA Academy Africa and Basketball Africa League (BAL) player ever.

Below please find storylines about the international players selected in the first round and second round. Transcripts of media availability sessions with the draftees who were in attendance are available here.

First Round

• VJ Edgecombe (Bahamas; Baylor University) was selected 3rd overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, becoming the highest-drafted player from the Bahamas since Deandre Ayton was selected 1^st overall in 2018. In his lone college season, Edgecombe led all Big 12 freshmen in scoring, rebounds and assists, averaging 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals. He was named the 2024-25 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, was a finalist for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award and earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors. Edgecombe competed for the Bahamas National Team at the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
• Egor Demin (Russia; Brigham Young University) was selected 8th overall by the Brooklyn Nets, becoming the first player from Russia to be selected since 2013. Demin was a 2024-25 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection and Big 12 All-Freshman Team choice.
• Khaman Maluach (South Sudan; ties to Uganda; Duke University) was selected 10th overall by the Houston Rockets (as part of a planned trade, the Rockets will send the draft rights to Maluach to the Phoenix Suns), becoming the highest-drafted former NBA Academy Africa and Basketball Africa League (BAL) player ever. Maluach, who is the 12^th NBA Academy alumnus to be drafted or sign with an NBA team, was 2024-25 All-ACC Honorable Mention, an ACC All-Rookie Team selection, 2025 NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Team member and ACC All-Tournament First Team honoree. He represented South Sudan at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the youngest player in both tournaments. He was named MVP of the 2023 Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa camp in South Africa and Defensive MVP of the BWB Global camp at NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis.
• Noa Essengue (France; ties to Cameroon; ratiopharm ulm) was selected 12th overall by the Chicago Bulls, marking the 4th consecutive year that a player from France was selected in the first round and the 10th consecutive year that a player from France was drafted. Essengue, who made his debut with the French Senior National Team at the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers in November, participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis. There have been more NBA players from France than from any other country outside of North America, including a record-tying 14 on opening-night rosters last season.
• Yang Hansen (China; Qingdao) was selected 16th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies (as part of a planned trade, the Grizzlies will send the draft rights to Yang to the Portland Trail Blazers), becoming the 9^th player from China to be drafted into the NBA, the first since 2016, and the highest-drafted since 2007. A Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Rising Star of the Year in each of his last two seasons with Qingdao, he was twice named both an All-CBA Domestic Players First Team selection and a CBA All-Star. He was also the 2023-24 CBA Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 15.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.2 blocks per game that season. He has represented China in international competition.
• Joan Beringer (France; ties to Benin; Cedevita Olimpija) was selected 17th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Beringer, who did not start playing basketball until 2021, ranked second in the Adriatic League in blocks with 1.47 per game during the 2024-25 regular season. He averaged 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds for France at the 2024 FIBA U-18 EuroBasket tournament. Beringer’s selection marks the third consecutive year that at least two French players were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. He joins fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert in Minnesota.

• Nolan Traoré (France; Saint-Quentin BB) was selected 19th overall by the Brooklyn Nets, becoming the third French player to be selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft after Essengue and Beringer. This marks the second consecutive year that at least three French players were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Traoré, the 2024-25 FIBA Basketball Champions League (BCL) Best Young Player, made his French Senior National Team debut at the 2025 EuroBasket Qualifiers in November, was the 2024 FIBA U-18 EuroBasket assists leader (9.3 APG), and participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis.
• Kasparas Jakučionis (Lithuania; University of Illinois) was selected 20th overall by the Miami Heat. Jakučionis, a 2024-25 Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List selection and 2024-25 All-Big Ten Second Team choice by the AP, represented Lithuania at the youth national team level and participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis.
• Will Riley (Canada; University of Illinois) was selected 21st overall by the Utah Jazz (as part of a planned trade, the Jazz will send the draft rights to Riley to the Washington Wizards), marking the fifth consecutive year a Canadian player was selected in the first round. The 2024-25 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, Riley averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25.6 minutes as a freshman at Illinois and was MVP of the Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis. He was raised in the same hometown as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (Kitchener, Ontario) and coached at the youth level by Murray’s father, Roger. There were 21 players from Canada on opening-night NBA rosters for the 2024-25 season, marking the 11th consecutive season Canada was the most-represented country outside the U.S.
• Ben Saraf (Israel; ratiopharm ulm) was selected 26th overall by the Brooklyn Nets, becoming the first player from Israel to be selected since Deni Avdija in 2020. Named the Israeli Premier League’s top young prospect in 2023-24, he was the MVP and leading scorer (28.1 PPG) at the 2024 FIBA U-18 EuroBasket tournament and participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis.
• Hugo González (Spain; Real Madrid) was selected 28th overall by the Boston Celtics. González was named the 2023-24 EuroLeague U-18 Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals MVP and won the silver medal with Spain at both the FIBA U-17 World Cup and the 2023 FIBA U-18 EuroBasket tournament.
• Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Switzerland; ties to Ivory Coast; Pennsylvania State University) was selected 30th overall by the LA Clippers. Named 2024-25 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in his one season at Penn State after two seasons at Northern Illinois, he led the Big Ten and ranked 12^th in the nation in blocks (2.31 BPG) in 2024-25. Niederhauser has represented Switzerland in international competition.
  

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Second Round

• Noah Penda (France; ties to Cameroon and Martinique; Le Mans Sarthe Basket) was selected 32nd overall by the Boston Celtics (as part of a planned trade, the Celtics will send the draft rights to Penda to the Orlando Magic). A 2024-25 French League All-Star Game selection and Young Player All-Star Game MVP, Penda averaged 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 30 games for Le Mans in 2024-25. Penda’s selection marked the second straight year at least four French players were drafted.

• Maxime Raynaud (France; Stanford University) was selected 42nd overall by the Sacramento Kings. A 2024-25 AP All-America Honorable Mention and All-ACC First Team selection as a senior, Raynaud was the only player in NCAA Division I to average at least 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds last season. Raynaud was the record-tying fifth player from France selected in this year’s draft.

• Rocco Zikarsky (Australia; Brisbane Bullets) was selected 45th overall by the Chicago Bulls (as part of a planned trade, the Bulls will send the draft rights to Zikarsky to the Minnesota Timberwolves). Prior to spending the last two seasons with the Brisbane Bullets in Australia’s NBL as part of the Next Stars Program, Zikarsky attended NBA Global Academy in Australia. He is the second NBA Academy alumnus to be selected in this year’s draft, following Khaman Maluach (10th overall), and the 13th to be drafted or sign with an NBA team. Zikarsky participated in the 2022 Basketball Without Borders Asia camp in Australia. This marks the sixth consecutive year that an Australian player was drafted.

• Amari Williams (United Kingdom; University of Kentucky) was selected 46th overall by the Orlando Magic (as part of a planned trade, the Magic will send the draft rights to Williams to the Boston Celtics). The 2024-25 NABC All-District Second Team pick in his one season at Kentucky, he led the team in rebounding (8.5 RPG) and field goal percentage (56.1%). Williams, who has represented Great Britain in international competition, participated in the 2019 Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Latvia and the 2019 NBA Academy Games in Atlanta. Williams is the first player from the United Kingdom to be drafted since Jeremy Sochan, who was selected 9th overall in 2022. 

• Bogoljub Marković  (Serbia; Mega Basket) was selected 47th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. A 2024-25 Adriatic Basketball Association Best Young Player winner in his first full season in the ABA, Marković made his debut with the Serbian Senior National Team in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers. Marković participated in the 2022 Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Europe camp in Italy and the BWB Global camp at NBA All-Star 2023 in Salt Lake City. This marks the seventh consecutive year that a player from Serbia was drafted.

• Tyrese Proctor (Australia; Duke University) was selected 49th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. A 2024-25 All-ACC Third Team selection and ACC All-Tournament Second Team pick, Proctor attended NBA Global Academy in Australia. He was the third NBA Academy alumnus to be selected in this year’s draft, following Khaman Maluach and Rocco Zikarsky, and the 14th to be drafted or sign with an NBA team.

• Mohamed Diawara (France; ties to Mali; Cholet Basket) was drafted 51st overall by the LA Clippers (as part of a planned trade, the Clippers will send the draft rights to Diawara to the New York Knicks). Diawara, who has represented France in international competition, was named the MVP of the 2022 Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Italy. Diawara was the record sixth player from France selected in this year’s draft.

• Alex Toohey (Australia; Sydney Kings) was drafted 52nd overall by the Phoenix Suns (as part of a planned trade, the Suns will send the draft rights to Toohey to the Golden State Warriors). A 2024-25 Australian NBL Next Generation Award winner in his second season with the Sydney Kings, Toohey attend NBA Global Academy in Australia. He was the fourth NBA Academy alumnus to be selected in this year’s draft, following Khaman Maluach, Rocco Zikarsky  and Tyrese Proctor, and the 15th to be drafted or sign with an NBA team.

• Lachlan Olbrich (Australia; Illawarra Hawks) was selected 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers (as part of a planned trade, the Lakers will send the draft rights to Olbrich to the Chicago Bulls). Olbrich, who spent the last two seasons with the Illawarra Hawks in Australia’s NBL, was named the 2022-23 Big West Freshman of the Year and was an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection at UC Riverside. Olbrich was the third Australian selected in this year’s draft, marking the first time that three Australian players were selected in the same year since 1997. 

• Max Shulga (Ukraine; Virginia Commonwealth University) was selected 57th overall by the Orlando Magic (as part of a planned trade, the Magic will send the draft rights to Shulga to the Boston Celtics). The 2024-25 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and two-time All-Atlantic 10 First Team pick, Shulga helped lead VCU to a 28-7 record and Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament championships last season. Shulga, who competed for his native Ukraine at the FIBA U-20 EuroBasket tournament in 2022, was the first player from Ukraine to be drafted since 2018.

• Saliou Niang (Senegal; Dolomiti Energia Trentino) was drafted 58th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. A 2025 Italian National Cup Champion with Aquila Trento, Niang has represented Italy in international competition.