New Brooklyn G Nolan Traoré: Nets 'Really Great Place to Build'

Nolan Traoré, the Brooklyn Nets’ No. 19 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, mentioned what he’d add to his new team in his immediate post-draft presser.

“I'll bring a lot of pace to the game,” he said. “A lot of IQ and being able to make the right play and play the right way for the team, making everyone better around me.”

Traoré was arguably the speediest guard in his draft class. The Nets made history by drafting five first-rounders. The rest of Brooklyn’s slate featured Egor Demin at No. 9, Drake Powell at No. 22, Ben Saraf at No. 26 and Danny Wolf at No. 27.

“I always wanted to make it [to the NBA] and to be, of course, in the first round,” Traoré said. “Right now, I'm here. Being able to be part of this journey, to be part of the NBA Draft is crazy to me, and I'm really thankful.” 

The French point guard played for Saint-Quentin in his country’s first division this season. He averaged 12.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists to 2.5 turnovers in 44 games this season, per RealGM. Traoré addressed why playing in the French league was the best decision for him.

He explained: “Being able to play overseas is really tough. That's really uncomfortable. That's a tough league to play in. Really physical. You play grown men [...] that want to feed their families, like they're [there] for a reason. Being able to play against those guys, even in the European championship, really prepared me the best way for the NBA.”  

Now, Traoré will trade Europe for the United States. He could return high value for Brooklyn, seeing as how he was widely projected as a top 10 pick in preseason.

“The Brooklyn Nets is a really famous organization,” he said. “We have a great coach, a great front office, so I think it’s a really great place to grow. Really great place to build something.”

Nets head coach Jordi Fernández is known for getting the most out of his point guards. Jamal Murray is a well-known example, given his Denver Nuggets and Team Canada past, but Nets fans can look to Dennis Schröder this past season before he was traded to the Golden State Warriors.

Traoré talked about his new coach:  “He is a really great person. We had fun meeting each other, and I think it's going to be really great. He's Spanish, so I think it's going to help because both of us are European, so it's kind of a little connection already.”