NBA Draft: Nolan Traore and Noah Penda Will Headline France’s LNB Young Star Game

Frances LNB will be debuting their version of the McDonald’s All-American game this season, coined the 'Young Star Game' and will feature 20 of France’s best prospects.

Nolan Traore / fiba.basketbal

While many domestic European basketball leagues are somewhat stuck in their ways, France’s LNB is an outlier, constantly innovating and looking for ways to continue to be an attractive place for their top prospects to develop. In January of 2025, France’s new Young Star Game will debut and showcase 20 top international prospects from France, some of whom are projected 2025 NBA Draft picks. Here’s everything you need to know, starting with what players will participate. 

Name	Team	Year Born
Evan Boisduer	Gravelines-Dunkirk	2005
Nathan De Sousa	Cholet	2003
Brice Dessert	Strasbourg	2003
Mohamed Diakite	Saint-Quentin	2006
Mohamed Diawara	Cholet	2005
Roman Domon	Gravelines-Dunkirk	2005
Lucas Dufeal	Vichy	2003
Ilane Fibleuil	Poitiers	2005
Cameron Houindo	Pole France	2008
Ilias Kamardine	Dijon	2003
Noa Kouako-Heugue	Pole France	2007
Matheo Leray	La Rochelle	2003
Zacharie Perrin	Nancy	2004
Noah Penda	Le Mans	2005
Enzo Shahrvin	Paris Basketball	2003
Nathan Soliman	Pole France	2009
Talis Soulhac	Blois	2006
Nolan Traore	Saint-Quentin	2006
Aaron Towo-Nansi	Cholet	2009
Hugo Yimga-Moukouri	France Pole	2008

Nolan Traore, the top-ranked international prospect for the 2025 NBA Draft by most analysts, is the biggest name participating. A point guard with good size, elite burst, and explosive athleticism, as well as great command of the pick and roll with flashes of solid pull-up three-point shooting he’s got the look of a modern star NBA point guard. However, this being his first season with heavy senior minutes, Traore has struggled with ball security and nd finishing, while the shot has been more inconsistent than ever. These struggles have raised some minor questions about his standing as a lock for a top-three selection. 

Traore has shined when the lights are brightest in a similar setting before: this past summer at the FIBA U18 European Championship and shortly before that at the Adidas Next Generation finals in Berlin. Another strong performance will solidify his standing as the cream of the crop for his age group currently, regardless of some newfound struggles he has at the senior level. 

Forward Noah Penda of Le Mans, who has also played a lot of senior minutes this season, will draw a lot of attention as well. Penda could currently go anywhere from late first-round to the second round of the draft. A skilled athletic forward who projects to be able to guard multiple positions should he reach his ceiling, Penda is what a lot of NBA teams are looking for in the modern NBA. 

In regards to prospects who are still a few years away from entering the draft, Nathan Soliman is the biggest name. At only 15 years old, Soliman has played above his age in multiple youth settings and more than held his own, including an 11-point and three-rebound performance against Real Madrid in May’s ANGT Championship game. Soliman was only 14 at the time. 

A big-name French prospect who obviously won’t be participating is Noa Essengue, who is ineligible since he’s playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in the Basket Bundesliga this season. With Essengue’s solid play for Ulm, he probably doesn’t need a showcase like this and benefits from not participating. 

The 20 players will be drafted into two teams of 10. The game will be played on Tuesday, January 2021, 2025. The players will also participate in an LNB combine, modeled after the NBA Draft combine, the day before. And finally, four players - Kamardine, Domon, Boisdur, and Traore - will face each other in a three-point shooting contest as well.

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