On Thursday, Stanford senior center Maxime Raynaud was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 42 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Raynaud wore the number 42 at Stanford, making for a fun coincidence.
Raynaud had a strong performance in the NBA Combine scrimmage, finishing with 20 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two turnovers in 24:31 minutes of action. Raynaud shot 7-12 from the field, 2-5 from 3-point range, and 4-4 at the foul line, scoring at an efficient clip. That combine performance followed up an excellent senior season at Stanford. Raynaud was runner up for ACC Player of the Year, averaging 20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game on 46.7% shooting from the field, 34.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 77.0% shooting from the foul line.
Listed at 7’1”, 240 pounds, Raynaud is a talented big man that can score in a variety of ways and is a legitimate threat from 3-point range. He can put the ball on the floor and has developed a wide array of moves, making him difficult to stop when he’s got the ball. His jump hook inside has gotten smooth and he is quite comfortable shooting from 3-point range.
The big thing he needs to work on and I’m sure is a reason why he slipped a bit in the draft is his defense. He needs to prove that he can defend at an NBA level. To his credit, he averaged 1.4 blocks per game as a senior, so he got a lot better with his interior defense. Still, he has even more room to grow in that area. Having covered him for his entire Stanford career, I know that he is well aware of this.
For the Kings, Maxime Raynaud is a nice selection. Especially at the spot they got him at. Raynaud was projected to be a late first round pick on some mock drafts, some having him as high as No. 24 overall. To get a first-round type of talent in the middle of the second round is always exciting. It’ll be fun to see how Raynaud performs in Sacramento and whether or not he’s able to prove to that he should have been selected higher.
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