Noah Penda, the 6’8″ forward from Paris, France, was widely viewed as one of the top international prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft class. He has rapidly risen through the ranks, proving himself to be a standout player with immense scoring versatility and defensive abilities. Supporting his skillset is his size at 225 pounds, which makes him a force in the paint.
His athletic abilities initially led scouting reports to project him as a late first-round pick. However, Penda was not selected on Day 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft. Let’s explore the possible reasons for this unexpected setback.
Why Did Noah Penda Fall in the Draft?
One potential reason for Penda’s draft slide could be concerns about his perimeter shooting. Despite flashes of brilliance and promising catch-and-shoot accuracy at 36.6%, he still lacked overall consistency from beyond the arc, shooting 31.3% from three-point range in the 2024-25 season. Draft analysts flagged his mechanics as “slow and low,” predicting adjustment struggles against quicker NBA defenders.
Noah Penda, a top French prospect, surprisingly went undrafted in Round 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft despite elite defensive instincts and a strong international résumé.Major impact defensively for Noah Penda in Game 1 of the French playoff quarterfinals vs Monaco, one of the best teams in Europe. Showed his motor, feel and instincts on and off the ball flying all over the court for blocks, steals and deflections while making some nice passes. pic.twitter.com/Savs22E4jI
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 30, 2025
This inconsistency, combined with his age, diminished his chances to an extent. NBA teams often prefer younger prospects who still have more developing potential. While Penda does possess a polished, but sometimes limited, offensive skillset, he may have been less appealing as a first-round pick due to these factors.
Furthermore, discussions about his motor skills, while generally positive with analysts and scouts calling him an elite help-side defender and an agile wing, might be interpreted differently by some teams.
For many franchises, there is a preference to pick more well-rounded offensive wings who can space the floor easily. Penda’s inability to consistently stretch the defense from the perimeter could have been another reason for teams not selecting him on the first day.
Despite this slide, Penda is still highly regarded and can be a definite second-round asset. Scouting reports have even called him a “highest-floor prospect in the draft due to his defensive value.” That speaks volumes about what he can bring to the table.
Among the teams reportedly looking at Penda are the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. He is smart, productive, and can be a great rotation-level contributor. He is not a high-volatility rookie, which teams understand. They are aware that he is a solid professional talent, best acquired later in the draft.
Penda’s Journey to Prominence
Penda is a true European gift to basketball. He grew up playing many sports, but his true calling was basketball. He started his career with BC Fontenay before moving to clubs like Villemomble and Levallois.
By the 2020-21 season, Penda began to shine with the Central Federal de Basketball in France’s third tier, Nationale Masculine 1. He later signed professionally with JA Vichy-Clermont in LNB Pro B, the second-tier French league, in June 2022. His breakout season came during 2023-24 when he earned the league’s best young player honors and was named to the Second-Team All-LNB Pro B.
Joining Le Mans Sarthe Basket in the LNB Elite, France’s top-tier league, during 2024-25, he continued to impress with his skillset and scoring abilities from all three levels. He has been a standout facilitator in the paint, averaging 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for Le Mans Sarthe Basket in 33 games during the 2024-25 season.
For France’s youth team, Penda also shone brightly at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 7.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in six games, and the 2023 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 7.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in seven games, helping France finish second.
His buzzer-beater at the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket semifinals against Spain, which sealed a 74-72 victory, was enough to spark France’s championship run in the tournament, where he averaged 11.7 points and 8.6 rebounds in seven games.
Everything is attributed to his size and length, measuring 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11.5 inch wingspan, which allows him to play either forward spot or excel as an off-ball cutter, spot-up shooter, and post-up creator. From early on, he was getting comparisons to the NBA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Simone Fontecchio for his rim protection and quick recovery.
Penda entered this year’s draft season as France’s leading prospect, and for good reasons. In the 2024-25 season with Le Mans Sarthe Basket, he posted averages of 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, along with a .443/.313/.692 shooting line. Scouts were thoroughly impressed with his defensive instincts, calling him “NBA Ready.” So, not getting selected in the first round was a shocker.
