Saint-Quentin guard Nolan Traore was initially hyped as a top-five prospect in this year’s draft last summer. However, his struggles playing in France had caused his draft stock to drop. Nevertheless, Traore still has aspects in his game that make him a great point guard prospect. Also, after that poor start, Traore has been rebuilding his draft stock. Unquestionably, Traore will have teams interested in drafting him in the first round. Let’s dive into an evaluation of Nolan Traore in this 2025 NBA Draft profile.
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 15, 2025 Caen, FRANCE; St Quentin point guard Nolan Traore in action against Le Mans in a Leaders Cup match. Mandatory Credit: Franck Faugere/Presse Sports via Imagn Images
Nolan Traore 2025 NBA Draft Profile
International Career
This past season, Traore played with Saint-Quentin Basketball in a top pro league in France after joining them at the end of the previous season in 2024. Before he joined them, he had represented France in the 2022 FIBA U16 European Championship and the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship. With Saint-Quentin, Traore averaged 11.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 22.6 minutes per game. He shot 39.2% from the field, 30.4% from three, and 71% from the free-throw line. As mentioned before, Traore did not start the season well, causing a major negative downturn in his draft stock. However, he was able to bounce back in the second half of his season and rebuilt his draft stock significantly. Due to his play this season, Traore was named the Basketball Champions League Best Young Player.
Strengths
Traore’s best attributes as a player are easily his speed and playmaking abilities. While he isn’t lightning quick like De’Aaron Fox, Traore is still quick fast for a guard. More importantly, he has an excellent feel for changing his pace, throwing off his opponents. Plus, Traore is an impressive ball-handler who can creatively dissect opposing defenses. The combination of his speed, pace, and ball-handling makes it easy for him to consistently generate good looks for his team. Not only that, but Traore has demonstrated that he possesses high-level passing, NBA-level processing, and court vision, allowing him to make excellent passing reads. He is certainly capable of throwing a wide variety of passes, from both a live dribble and at a standstill.
While Traore isn’t the most efficient at scoring the ball, he has shown confidence in taking shots from anywhere on the court. He is an expert at using the pick-and-roll to get downhill towards the rim. Traore has demonstrated flashes of impressive shot-making at the rim. Plus, he is at his best scoring-wise in transition. He has the confidence to take pull-up shots in the mid-range and has an intriguing floater game in his arsenal. Defensively, Traore operates the best as an on-ball defender. When in that position, Traore is far more active defensively, utilizing his six-foot-eight wingspan well. He has shown great flashes of using his length to bother passing lanes or making opposing players uncomfortable when they have the ball.
Weaknesses
Traore has plenty of things going for him, but there are specific areas of concern in his game. One concern is that Traore is lacking in strength and can struggle to handle physicality on both ends. Offensively, his lack of strength causes him to be bumped off course when driving to the basket. Defensively, stronger players can overpower him and push right past to the rim. Building his strength is imperative for Traore to reach the next level as a player. Speaking of defense, Traore can be inattentive on defense when defending off the ball.
In terms of scoring, while Traore can get shots at any scoring level, he isn’t very efficient in scoring. His jump shot isn’t consistent and he has never been a great shooter. Traore needs to have the ball in his hands in order to be effective as a player due to his lack of shooting. Improving his shot is his definitive swing skill that can change his career trajectory. Also, there are questions about whether Traore’s speed will translate against NBA-level defenders considering his need for screens to separate from his man. While passing is his best skill, Traore can be turnover-prone. Teams have countered Traore’s passing by cutting off his lanes and forcing him to be a scorer. When put in those situations, he can have tunnel vision and get himself in trouble, turning over the ball.
NBA Comparison
Considering his quickness and overall skill set, one draft comparison for Traore is current Knicks guard Cameron Payne. They are of similar height and build to one another. Specifically, both are shifty guard who can struggle against physicality due to their lack of strength. Their speed allows them to find shots on all three levels but they aren’t the most efficient in terms of scoring. Plus, both utilize their speed to create advantages against the opposing defense and open up good looks for their teammates.
2025 NBA Draft Projection
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