Which 2025 NBA Draft Prospect Would Be A Good Gift For Indiana Pacers?

A recent mock draft published by Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report featured the Pacers going overseas with their selection, drafting French forward Noe Essengue from Ratiopharm Ulm.

Essengue is currently averaging 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game for his German league team. Tankathon has him ranked as the fourth-best small forward in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.

The shooting splits look really encouraging for Essengue. The Frenchman is shooting 57.0 percent from the field and has a true shooting percentage of 64.7.

Notably, Essengue is struggling from beyond the arc. He is connecting on 27.3 percent at 1.8 attempts per game from 3-point.

Moving away from the stats, there are a few key things that make Essengue an attractive prospect. For one, he is one of the younger prospects in this class, leaving a lot of room for development.

That is important considering the physical tools and upside he possesses. Essengue is a lengthy forward, listed at about 6-foot-9 and almost 200 pounds. He moves very well for that size.

An important part of Essengue's development will be consistently showing improvements in his offensive game. He will enter the draft as a relatively raw prospect in that regard.

It might be a little challenging to envision a team like the Pacers, who are trying to win in the immediate future, selecting a player like Essengue. However, perhaps an underwhelming season will reset the timeline and expectations in Indiana.