Victor Wembanyama has praised potential Olympic team-mate Nolan Traore amid an encouraging start for Brooklyn

Nolan Traore finds his footing with Brooklyn Nets. The 19-year-old rookie impressed with his poise as the team’s leading man after earning a starting role. He produced another encouraging performance against his fellow Frenchman Victor Vembanyama during Brooklyn’s loss to San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

Vembanjama, who first met Traore during France’s preparations for the 2024 Olympics, had high praise for his potential future team-mate.

“(Nolan) is very young and he was even younger in 2024 when we were preparing for the Olympics,” he said. “And already, what I’ve noticed from him is the maturity and the way he’s been able to control the game. And the way whoever the opponent is doesn’t matter. He’s got real grit and I believe that’s a guy who’s going to have incredible growth throughout his career.”

Victor Wembanyama had high praise for Nolan Traore, who he has been training with ahead of the 2024 Olympics:

“What I noticed from him was the maturity and the way he could control the game. And the way whoever the opponent is doesn’t matter. He has real courage. I believe… pic.twitter.com/rAr5i8lfj4

— Eric Slater (@erikslater_) February 27, 2026

Traore was considered by many to be a top five prospect at the beginning of the preliminary plan process for 2025, however, the French floor general fell to the Nets at number 19 after the 2024-25 season.

Nolan Traore is impressing as the starting point guard for the rebuilding Nets

Traore struggled during his first NBA appearancesand the Nets assigned him to the G League early in the season. After a very productive stint with Long Island, the rookie point guard emerged as the focal point of Brooklyn’s offense during the second half of the season.

Traore averaged 11.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists on 44/30/76 shooting in 15 starts. The French general on the floor is the only rookie in the NBA with an average of over 11 points and five assists during that period. His 6.2 assists per 100 possessions this season third among all rookies who played over 800 minutes, trailing only Walter Clayton Jr. (6.6) and Dylan Harper (6.2).

“Nolan always believed he belonged,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “He always bounces back, and he’s becoming the voice and presence that we believe he is. He’s not there yet because we also believe his ceiling is much higher. These last 23 games are huge for him, huge for the group going into the summer, which is going to be the biggest summer of our lives.”