2025 NBA Draft International Prospect Rankings – Part I

The international basketball season is nearly halfway done and with more than 20 players capable of hearing their name called come June, we decided it was time to rank them. Going from bottom to top, this is part one of a four-part series.
Lachlan Olbrich
Lachlan Olbrich / fiba.basketbal

The international basketball season is essentially at its halfway point, meaning prospects have had plenty of time to get on the court, get shots up, make plays, and impact their draft stock - for better or worse. This now seems like a great opportunity to rank the roughly 21 international prospects who have a chance of being drafted this coming June. We’re going to start from the bottom and discuss five players at a time until we get to the top six. Of course, not all these players will end up entering the 2025 NBA Draft but as of now, all the players we discuss in this series have been discussed as potential 2025 NBA draft entrants. Now, let’s begin. 

21. Lachlan Olbrich, Big

Team: Illawarra Hawks (Australian NBL)

Nationality: Australian

Draft Age: 21.5

Height: 6-foot-10

Weight: 235 pounds

Season Stats (All Competitions - per game): 17.2 minutes, 9.4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.1 turnovers, 0.6 blocks, 64/25/60 shooting splits on 12 three-point attempts and 72 free throws. 

Highlights:

Summary: 

Lachlan Olbrich has a decent feel for the game for his size and has improved at punishing smaller defenders this season and flexed his kills as a playmaker - putting the ball on the floor in the half-court and in transition. Olbrich is good, and fun to watch, in the Australian NBL. He is not a knockdown floor spacer, an elite rim protector, a rebounder, or an absurdly agile perimeter defender. Essentially, while he is skilled, he doesn’t seem to have any of the x-factor skills necessary for modern NBA bigs. 

Would it be a shock if he toasted Team USA in an international match-up a few years from now? Not at all. Would it be a shock if he had a notable 10-year NBA career? Kind of. In short, there are draft classes where taking a second-round flyer on a somewhat skilled big isn’t bad, but the 2025 class doesn’t fall into that category. A summer league opportunity is probably best for Olbrich.   

20. Owen Foxwell, Guard

Team: South East Melbourne Phoenix (Australian NBL)

Nationality: Australian

Draft Age: 21.9

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 172 pounds

Season Stats (All Competitions - per game): 14.6 minutes, 6.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.5 turnovers, 0.5 steals, 47/45/72 shooting splits on 38 three-point attempts and 43 free throws. 

Highlights:

Summary:  

Owen Foxwell is, pardon me, fast as a fox. Seriously, he is. He’s got elite quickness, acceleration, and top-end speed. No one beats him in a foot race in the open floor and opposing guards struggle to keep up with him even when he has the ball in his hands. But what Foxwell has in speed he loses in size. At 6-foot-2 and 172 pounds, Foxwell is about as small as it gets for a player you might be willing to tolerate giving playoff minutes to in the NBA. 

Physical limitations aside, Foxwell has taken a leap as a shooter this season and proven a very reliable decision-maker who values the ball exceptionally well for his age. South East Melbourne Phoenix had an awful start to the season, and he’s played a role in their positive regression. His size likely makes him go undrafted, but expect him to grab a Summer League deal and work to try to turn that into a two-way.  

19. Malique Lewis, Wing

Team: South East Melbourne Phoenix (Australian NBL)

Nationality: Trinidad & Tobago/Spain

Draft Age: 20.55

Height: 6-foot-8

Weight: 195 pounds

Wingspan: 7-foot-1

Season Stats (All Competitions - per game): 23.7 minutes, 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 turnovers, 0.6 blocks, 0.5 steals, 44/28/68 shooting splits on 78 three-point attempts and 47 free throws. 

Highlights:

Summary:   

A teammate of Foxwell’s at South East Melbourne Phoenix, Lewis was an exciting addition as a Next Star for the NBL this summer but has floundered with this roller coaster of a season. His height, wingspan, and athleticism will keep scouts interested and have kept him on the floor regularly in the NBL, but his numbers and production have suffered from being on a team of, frankly, chuckers. Lewis’ environment hasn’t done him any favors, and he might be best seeking a new home this summer and reclassifying to 2026. 

18. Eli John N’Diaye, Forward

Team: Real Madrid (Spain - EuroLeague & Liga ACB)

Nationality: Senegal

Draft Age: 21

Height: 6-foot-8

Weight: 183 pounds

Wingspan: 7-foot-1

Season Stats (All Competitions - per game): 15.2 minutes, 3.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 turnovers, 0.2 blocks, 0.7 steals, 44/31/69 shooting splits on 59 three-point attempts and 16 free throws. 

Highlights:

Summary:   

One of two potential NBA draftees currently earning senior minutes for Real Madrid is Eli John N’Diaye. He earned a role with the club last season too, often starting alongside Edy Tavares and providing secondary rim protection, rebound support, and floor spacing from the four spot. N’Diaye’s ability to be serviceable for as deep and talented a squad as Real Madrid’s is impressive, but it’s hard to predict what he brings to the table in the NBA. 

He currently has the skillset of an athletic stretch five, but has the body of an average NBA wing. He’s not exceptionally strong or skilled as a rebounder, and his post-defense and rim protection are average at best. N’Diaye is a modern big trapped in a modern wings body. He’ll likely go on to have an exceptional overseas career, and a minimal NBA one, if he has one at all. Hearing his name called in June would be a surprise. 

17. Johann Grunloh, Big

Team: Rasta Vechta (Germany - FIBA Basketball Champions League & Basket Bundesliga)

Nationality: Germany

Draft Age: 19.85

Height: 6-foot-9

Weight: 220 pounds

Season Stats (All Competitions - per game): 25.2 minutes, 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.1 turnovers, 2 blocks, 48/41/74 shooting splits on 42 three-point attempts and 53 free throws. 

Highlights:

Summary: 

Johann Grunloh has surged up many draft boards over the past couple of months. He’s a starting center for Rasta Vechta and racking up threes, rebounds, and blocks while showcasing an advanced skill set in the short roll. What else do you want from your modern NBA center? More size. 

Grunloh currently measures 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, that’s a little small for center in the NBA. He’s not an exceptional athlete either, or an outlier muscleman inside. Grunloh is the most skilled player among these bottom five, especially for his position, and at a pretty decent margin. But it’s hard to envision a world where he survives the athleticism and physicality of the NBA in any way that helps his team win. If he keeps up his current level of play, he probably convinces a team to give him a shot this June.


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Published
Andrew Bernucca
ANDREW BERNUCCA

Andrew has covered professional basketball overseas for the better part of six years. He has written scouting reports, profile pieces, news briefs, and more. He has also covered and writen about the NBA as well during his time as a journalist.