Inside The Wizards

Can Wizards Continue French Connection in NBA Draft?

The Washington Wizards could continue a new tradition in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 11, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) drives to the basket as Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Oct 11, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) drives to the basket as Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have taken a French phenom with their first pick in each of the past two NBA Drafts, and there's a chance that the team could do it again next summer.

French point guard Nolan Traore is making waves overseas for Saint-Quentin in LNB Pro A, the same league that developed Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and Victor Wembanyama, among other young French prospects.

Traore appeared at No. 5 on ESPN's top 100 draft board for the 2025 NBA Draft as the top international player.

"It's nearly unheard of for an 18-year-old to post a 30%-plus usage rate at this level of competition, something that's been done only once in the past 40 years of European basketball -- by a player named Victor Wembanyama," ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony writes. "Traore did it as a 17-year-old last season in a small nine-game sample and is doing the same this year. But Traore's outsized role has taken a toll on his effectiveness, something we'll have to monitor as the season moves on, as he should be able to grow once his team's taxing two-game-per-week schedule lightens as Basketball Champions League play wraps up."

Traore has struggled with Saint-Quentin this season, averaging just 10 points per game while shooting just over 25 percent from beyond the 3-point line and 38 percent from the field.

It's a small sample size, so it's nothing something to freak out about, especially considering he is still only 18 years old.

Traore coming to the Wizards to team up with fellow countrymen in Coulibaly and Sarr could make Washington a prime landing spot for him. He likely would get more out of playing in Washington than in other places, and that could be extremely beneficial for the young point guard's overall development.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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