In approximately one month, the San Antonio Spurs will add yet more talent to an already impressive young core. They will have two lottery picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, giving them a major opportunity.
While the Spurs have the second overall pick and are likely to take Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, it is far less certain who they will take with the 14th overall pick. There are a few tantalizing options, but one that stands out is French forward Noa Essengue.
His combination of size, length, and mobility makes him a fascinating prospect. Not to mention his age, with him being the second youngest player in this draft class at just 18 and a half years old.
The San Antonio Spurs must strongly consider drafting Noa Essengue
At 6-9, he has the size of a power forward, the length of a center, and the mobility of a guard. That makes for an intriguing prospect that could bring multiple things to the table. Defensively, his physical tools and activity level allow him to force turnovers on the perimeter while also being able to provide weakside help by blocking shots at the rim.
He should have no problem defending at least four positions in the NBA, making him all the more appealing. On offense, while his 3-point shot is still a work in progress, his shot looks good, even though he is shooting 29% from outside. He also draws free throws at a shockingly high rate.
In fact, in his most recent game, he drew a career-high 13 free throws in just 24 minutes and hit all 13 en route to scoring 21 points and grabbing four rebounds. That head-turning performance likely cements his place as a lottery pick and should put him on the Spurs' radar.
Noa Essengue would give the Spurs a versatile prospect with high upside
After all, they are in desperate need of more frontcourt size, particularly at center. Although it looks like he won't play the five in the NBA, his versatility would potentially make him a terrific frontcourt option. He has the standing reach of a center but is far quicker than the typical center or even power forward.
This ability helps him score easy buckets during fast breaks or attack closeouts, with Essengue easily able to beat the help defender to the rim. If he can become a consistent 3-point shooter, then he could stick in the NBA. That can be more easily said than done, with Spurs power forward Jeremy Sochan still working on that very same skill 3 years into his NBA career.
However, Essengue is further along as a shooter than Sochan is. Also, his drawing a ridiculous 5.6 free throws in just 23.7 minutes per game and shooting 73% from the line is a great indicator that he can emerge as a high-volume three-point shooter.
All told, Essengue displays significant potential that could make him a terrific fit on the Spurs. If available at 14, then San Antonio should strongly consider taking him, given his upside and versatility.