Raptors NBA draft: Why Frenchman Noa Essengue makes a whole lot of sense for Toronto

Toronto Star

2 days ago

This is the eighth part in a series on prospects who could be drafted ninth by the Raptors on June 25.
It's hard to imagine many NBA fans spent the winter wondering how Noa Essengue's season was going and what his skills might do to enhance the chances of a team here.
Now they probably are.
The 18-year-old Frenchman, still finishing his season with the EuroLeague team Ratiopharm Ulm in the top German league, has become one of the darlings of the mock drafts of late, leaping up to the top 10 echelon heading into this month's festivities.
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It's hardly a surprise. The six-foot-10, 200-pounder is a quick, rangy big man with three-point shooting ability and what appears to be a promising future as he matures.
His youth might be the most intriguing aspect of his character. He's basically the same age as presumed No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg — Essengue's three days older than Flagg — and while his raw skills aren't at Flagg's level, there's plenty for NBA teams to work with.
He's shooting 51.6 per cent from the field with Ulm and is as comfortable cutting off the ball to the basket as he is firing away from outside; a package that would seem to make him a perfect fit for the style of play currently in vogue in the NBA.
Career-high 22 points and 14 rebounds for Noa Essengue exploded in Game 1 of the German playoff semis. The 18-year-old showcased his skill level, fluidity, defensive versatility, and feel for the game, knocking down a pair of 3s and bringing impressive intensity on both ends. pic.twitter.com/JLMjHZGsF0
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 3, 2025
His fit in Toronto is enticing and there are experts who break down the draft for a living who could easily see him landing with the Raptors at the ninth selection.
Notwithstanding any other deals that might pop up around the draft and July's free agency period, Essengue wouldn't have to play right away in Toronto, wouldn't have any pressure to make a serious contribution even for the next two seasons or so and would give the Raptors' developmental program a raw piece to mould.
He's also the kind of under-the-radar selection Toronto's known for gambling on and they've taken scouting trips to Europe a few times to check in on him. The entire league got an up-close look at him before the 2024-25 season when, as a 17-year-old, he hit three three-pointers and scored 20 points for Ulm in an exhibition game against the Portland Trailblazers last fall.
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Tale of the 📼, 2025 NBA Draft Edition: Noa Essengue
💡Ratiopharm Ulm vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 10.16.24
💡Full Video + Stats 🔗⤵️ pic.twitter.com/e5RDw1vaEC
— Pro Insight (@_proinsight) December 13, 2024
His defensive abilities, according to scouts who've followed him, are the kind of unmeasurable skillset teams crave. He carves out great swaths of space in a couple of giant strides, while his length allows him to be disruptive in passing lanes all over the court. He'll have to grow into his body but at such a young age, that's entirely expectable.
Essengue's flaws? They are not crushing and, again, not unexpected because of his youth. There may not be one single skill that stands out — he does an awful lot of things well, not one with eye-popping excellence — but there may be one that emerges as his career begins.
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It won't be enough to make teams shy away from drafting him and shouldn't preclude the Raptors from taking a long look at him as a piece to have for the coming seasons.
The fact that Essengue hasn't had a chance to work out privately for teams in the pre-draft process — or even appear at the NBA combine in Chicago to get weighed, measured and take physical examination — shouldn't have an impact on where he's drafted because he's been playing in the German league championship series. High-intensity professional competition is much preferred to some antiseptic, one-against-nobody workout in a quiet gym.
There are those who think the teenager's professional season in Germany is far preferred to playing in the American college program because of the experience it provides and the test it presents.
'He's been playing against men who want are playing for their careers,' one Eastern Conference scout said. 'Tell me that's not more revealing?'
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THE PROSPECTS FILES
Our series on potential picks for the Raptors in the June draft.
The ship has sailed
Cooper Flagg
Dylan Harper
VJ Edgecombe
Could they fall?
Khaman Maluach
Tre Johnson
In the range
Derik Queen
Collin Murray-Boyles
Canadian content
Will Riley