Nathan Soliman: France’s Best Basketball Prospect Sets Sights on the 2028 NBA Draft

At just 17 years old, Nathan Soliman is already one of the most talked-about basketball prospects in the world. Standing 2.05m and playing with a maturity far beyond his years, the French small forward has put together a remarkable 2025-26 season — one that has scouts circling his name as a potential top pick in the 2028 NBA Draft.

A Season Built on Consistency and Impact

Nathan Soliman’s rise has been methodical and well-structured. Trained at INSEP, France’s elite sports academy that has shaped virtually every top French prospect of the past two decades, he arrived at Nantes Hermine in Elite 2 in early March 2026. In 20 games, he posted 9.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on 48% shooting — numbers that earned him a reputation as one of the best signings of the Elite 2 season. That stint was followed by MVP honors at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague tournament in Belgrade, where he led his team with composure throughout the competition.

Nathan Soliman statistics on BeBasket

Now developing at JL Bourg-en-Bresse in the Betclic ELITE, Soliman is walking the same path as Victor Wembanyama and Zaccharie Risacher — two former Bourg players now in the NBA. The pipeline is proven, and Soliman is its latest product.

Soliman vs. Wembanyama and Risacher: A Generational Comparison

At 17, Soliman is already drawing comparisons to the two most successful French prospects of the past decade. While Wembanyama was a more polished ball-handler and shot-creator at the same age, and Risacher showed more consistent three-point range, Soliman’s two-way versatility and defensive instincts stand out. All three developed through the JL Bourg pipeline, a testament to the club’s ability to identify and nurture elite talent. Soliman’s trajectory suggests he may develop into a complete two-way player as one of his predecessors — a potential advantage in the modern NBA.

Nathan Soliman vs Victor Wembanyama — comparaison

Dominating the U17 World Cup in Istanbul

The most compelling chapter of Soliman’s season unfolded at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul — a city carrying personal weight, as his father Williams played there for France in 2008. Nathan averaged 17.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game on a remarkable 58% shooting, earning a spot on both the All-Tournament 2nd Team and the All-Defensive Five. His 3.2 steals and blocks per game underlined his two-way impact.

His standout moment came against Canada in the fifth-place game: 37 points, 12 rebounds, 15-of-19 shooting, and a 51 efficiency rating — the third-highest single-game mark in tournament history. Teammate Aaron Towo-Nansi of Cholet Basket called him « the most dominant player, the best player of the tournament. »

Nathan Soliman — meilleurs matchs

France finished fifth after a quarterfinal loss to Turkey, but Soliman’s individual performance transcended the result. The tournament was also notable for its bench: Tony Parker, the legendary former San Antonio Spurs champion, made his coaching debut with the French U17 squad. When asked about Parker’s coaching style, Soliman praised him directly: « He’s a great coach. He understands players, what they need » — a comment that speaks to the mutual respect between the young prospect and the NBA legend.

LIRE AUSSI

Nathan Soliman shines despite INSEP’s defeat at Fougères

19 oct. 2025

Gabriel Pantel-Jouve

A Historical Connection: Williams Soliman and Tony Parker in Istanbul

The 2026 U17 World Cup in Istanbul carried unexpected historical resonance. Nathan’s father, Williams Soliman, had played for France in the same city in 2008. That same year, Tony Parker — now Nathan’s coach — had scored 32 points against Turkey in a memorable performance. Two decades later, Parker returned to Istanbul not as a player but as a coach, guiding the next generation of French talent. For Nathan, having his father’s legacy and his coach’s championship pedigree intersect in the same venue created a unique narrative arc.

The Road to 2028

The narrative around Soliman is hard to ignore. Son of a French international, developed at INSEP, blooming at the same club that produced Wembanyama — and now drawing comparisons to the very best of his generation. Some scouts already project him as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2028 NBA Draft, citing his three-level scoring ability, elite athleticism, rebounding instincts, and high basketball IQ.

He also carries the mark of someone who has learned from adversity. After a disappointing 2024 U17 World Cup, Soliman returned two years later as one of the defining players of the entire competition. At 17, that kind of mental resilience may be his most valuable asset of all.

The next two seasons at JL Bourg will be critical. If Soliman continues on his current trajectory — combining scoring efficiency, defensive versatility, and basketball maturity — he could very well become the defining French prospect of the 2028 NBA Draft class.