Does Noah Penda Have the Highest Floor of Any 2025 International Prospect?

French basketball has reigned supreme over the international prospect pool in recent drafts - the back-to-back number-one picks in 2023 and 2024 - and while the French will likely be usurped for the top spot in 2025, expect to hear plenty of their countrymen’s names called this coming June. Noa Essengue, Nolan Traore, Joan Beringer, and Noah Penda all project to be selected somewhere in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. 

Essengue is the youngest of the bunch, with impressive athleticism, professional production for his age, and a do-it-all play style on the wing that has great appeal. Traore is the explosive pick-and-roll point guard that modern NBA teams shape their offense around, and Beringer is the defensive anchor teams shape their defense around. Penda, however, might be the safest bet of them all. 

Penda will be approaching the age of 21 on draft night, making him the oldest of this group, but that shouldn’t be held against him. He’s averaging 9.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game on 43/31/72 shooting splits across all competitions. He has attempted 59 three-pointers and 61 free throws on the season. He has started nearly every game for Le Mans, who are currently sixth in France’s LNB Pro A. 

On the offensive end, his usage rate of 18.9 puts him just above Essengue’s 18.5, well below Traore’s, and well above Beringer’s. He’s where he should be for the role he’s playing. Two-thirds of his offensive possessions ending in a shot this season have come as a spot-up shooter, in transition, as a cutter, or on the offensive glass per Synergy Sports. Only 20 percent have come as a pick-and-roll ballhandler, in the post, or in isolation. 

Penda fits into his team's offensive system and mostly capitalizes on advantages and opportunities created around his team's primary offensive threat. He has been at his best spotting up, cutting, and on the offensive glass. Le Mans has also begun to have him curl off screens so he can get more downhill on his drives and make use of his athletic advantages and touch on the inside. 

On the defensive end, Penda gives Le Mans someone who can guard all five positions at the international level. In a recent match against EuroLeague club AS Monaco, he mostly matched up with Terry Tarpey and provided help defense on Mike James and Monaco’s other dynamic guards, but also picked up point guard Nick Calathes and comfortably switched onto center Donatas Motiejunas a few times as well. 

At the NBA level, Penda probably struggles against the more dynamic and quick-twitch guards as well as the league’s highly skilled and effective post players but then again, who doesn’t? He currently projects to at least offer resistance across the board, a skill few prospects have when entering the draft. 

What Penda is doing with Le Mans shows he has a relatively safe floor for the NBA. With a more consistent three-point shot, he could be ready for NBA minutes almost instantly. His ceiling will be determined by what else if anything, he can add to his game. Can he become a knockdown shooter? A more effective transition player? A better on-the-move decision maker? It’s hard to say exactly, but what Penda brings to the table on day one makes him an easy bet to see what else he could offer a few seasons down the road.