French center Joan Beringer, a projected top-20 pick, will enter the 2025 NBA draft, he told ESPN Friday.
“It’s been my dream to play in the NBA,” Beringer said. “It’s a good moment to go. I want to say thank you to my teammates. They made everything a lot easier for me.”
Beringer, ESPN’s No. 17-ranked draft prospect, plays for Slovenian team KK Cedevita Olimpija, which competes in both the Adriatic League and the intercontinental EuroCup. The 6-foot-11, 18-year-old is averaging 4.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 18 minutes per game through 51 games, shooting 61% from the field.
Born Nov. 11, 2006, Beringer is the third-youngest prospect in this draft, after Noa Essengue and Cooper Flagg. He was a relative unknown before this season, having never touched a basketball until the summer of 2021, being mostly focused on soccer until a late growth spurt caused him to outgrow the sport.
“I first started playing basketball in the street with my friends,” Beringer said. “Just for fun. I played football before, and there was a basketball court nearby the field. My feet got too big, so I couldn’t find soccer cleats anymore. I was 6’8 then. I’m 6’11 without shoes now. I joined a small club, Saint-Joseph Strasbourg, two weeks later. My work and willingness to go after things are the reason I was able to be where I am now.”
Beringer played for Strasbourg in the French U21 league last season, but was not particularly highly regarded among NBA scouts before moving to Slovenia this past summer. Originally slated to spend the season in Slovenia’s third division, the head coach of the first team elected to promote him to the main squad instead, throwing him in the starting lineup of EuroCup games early in the year against grown men with significantly more experience.
“We had some preseason games in the mountains against some Euroleague teams — Anadolu Efes, Bayern Munich and Panathinaikos,” Beringer said. “Coach gave me a chance to prove myself, and I did good in those games, so they decided to keep me on the team. Defense was the reason I got a chance.”
Beringer responded by leading the Adriatic League in block percentage (9%, which would also rank No. 1 among all NCAA draft picks), making a significant impact every time he stepped on the floor with his 7-foot-5 wingspan, outstanding timing and mobility switching onto smaller players and covering ground to protect the paint.
Beringer has a busy schedule in the coming weeks, with the Adriatic League playoffs starting May 9 and the Slovenian playoffs being conducted between May 7 and June 3. He’ll have to complete the mandatory portions of the NBA draft combine in Treviso, Italy, after, and then head to the US for private workouts in the leadup to the NBA draft, June 25 in New York.
“I have a lot of things to learn, but my profile on defense can be interesting for an NBA team. I have a lot of upside. I love watching Giannis Antetokounmpo. I watch highlights of the NBA every morning. But not at night because it’s too late.”
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.
Source: espn.com