NBA Draft Scouting Report: UC Santa Barbara’s Yohan Traore
Yohan Traore
Forward | Auburn
Height: 6'10” | Weight: 230 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 21.36
Jake Crandall-USA TODAY NETWORK
Prospect Profile
More of a traditional big, Traore is strong for his age and uses his athleticism to generate easy buckets. To this point in his career, he's mostly operated out of the post, although he's expanded his game outside of the paint as well. In a new system as a sophomore, could he break out?
Most of Traore's offensive game starts with catching the ball near the block. From there, he's generally able to back his defender into the paint for a layup, or he goes to one of his signature turnaround jumpers. More recently he's shown the ability to step out 10 or 12 feet to shoot a face-up jump shot, but that's certainly not a proven part of his game.
What's most impressive about Traore is his efficiency and ability to play within a role. Over the past few years, he's posted incredible shooting percentages, mostly because he generates his shots near the rim. With that in mind, he rarely tries doing too much and simply does what his team needs. It will be interesting to see how his potential unleashed at the college level with more of a load on his shoulders.
Unlike many of the top bigs in his high school class, Traore isn't a floor spacer. That doesn't make him a bad prospect, but it's something that could limit him entering the modern NBA. During his freshman season at Auburn, he showed a willingness to attempt triples, but they didn't fall at a good rate.
He combats that lack of shooting upside with elite athleticism, a frame that's ready for the NBA and the mobility to be a rim runner. Simply put, he'll produce for his team without needing the ball in his hands often. While this means he doesn't project to be a star with his current skillset, it does mean he could impact winning at a high level.
Traore's jumper is improving, but the mechanics could still use some work. He has somewhat of a low release point and hasn't proven to be able to step outside of the arc at all. If he's able to develop a deep shot, he could solidify himself as a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Defensively, Traore is active and uses his length to be disruptive. Whether it's against stretch fours or centers, he should be effective on that end of the floor. Having the body and versatility to play both of those positions on the floor should be attractive to NBA teams.
As a freshman at Auburn, he had big shoes to fill. He played in a frontcourt that just graduated two first-round picks in Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler. Now that he’s transferred to UC Santa Barbara, his role should be much more prominent.
As a high school prospect, Traore was considered a top 10 to 15 player in the country while spending time at Prolific Prep and Dream City Christian School.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Late First-Round in 2024 NBA Draft.
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