Maxime Raynaud is a 7-foot-1 French rookie center for the Sacramento Kings, drafted 42nd overall in 2025 out of Stanford, a stretch big and honors student (math and computer science) who made the 2026 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Model lines Raynaud at 12.4 pts (range 9.7–15.1) vs a 12.5 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (48%).
Model favors Portland Trail Blazers (67%), projected 111–114, ~225 total at 96.2 pace.
Maxime Raynaud went 42nd — then played like a first-rounder.
A Paris native and Stanford honors student, he was First-Team All-ACC as a senior, averaging 20.1 points and 10.9 rebounds.
Sacramento drafted him in the second round in 2025, and he immediately outproduced the pick as a stretch-big rotation center.
He earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors and a Rookie of the Month award — a genuine second-round steal.
A 7-foot-1 stretch big with a math-and-computer-science degree and a smooth shooting stroke, Maxime Raynaud turned a second-round selection into an All-Rookie season for Sacramento.
Maxime Pierre Raynaud was born April 7, 2003 in Paris, France. He attended the prestigious Lycée Henri-IV and played for Nanterre 92 before a four-year college career at Stanford, where he developed late into a star.
He won Pac-12 Most Improved in 2024 and made First-Team All-ACC as a senior in 2025 — averaging 20.1 points and 10.9 rebounds — while earning a double major in mathematics and computer science.
Sacramento drafted him 42nd overall in 2025, and he exceeded his second-round billing immediately, earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors and a Western Conference Rookie of the Month award.
Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.
Raynaud is one of the more academically distinguished players in the league, having double-majored in mathematics and computer science at Stanford, where he was also an ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
He carries a French national-team pedigree, including a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship, and a reputation as a coachable, high-intensity 'sponge.'
Cerebral, skilled and coachable, Raynaud is a modern stretch big whose intelligence shows in his game and his degree.
Offensive Versatility
Raynaud can post up, face up, shoot and attack closeouts, posting strong shooting splits for a big and finishing with both hands — a true stretch-five offensive hub.
Rebounding & IQ
He rebounds well and reads the game at a high level, a willing passer whose basketball intelligence matches his academic profile.
Defensive Projection
Perimeter defense and physicality are the areas scouts flag; whether he settles as a center or forward defensively will shape his ceiling.
Per game
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 74 | 26.5 | 12.5 | 7.5 | 1.4 | .571 | .324 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.
Where he sits in history
Hardware
An ascending stretch big on a rookie deal.
Raynaud signed a three-year rookie contract in July 2025 and delivered an All-Rookie Second Team season, averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds over 74 games. As a skilled 7-foot-1 shooter, his development on defense will determine how high he climbs.
Contract
A skilled, cerebral stretch big and second-round steal — an All-Rookie center with real offensive upside.
42nd overall (second round) in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
Yes — NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2026, averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds over 74 games.
Paris-born, he developed at Nanterre 92 and Stanford, where he double-majored in mathematics and computer science.
A 7-foot-1 stretch big who can shoot, pass and score inside; his perimeter defense is his main development area.