N.C. State junior shooting guard Trevor Lacey has decided to enter this year’s draft, as he confirms to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). His chances of getting drafted seem slim, as he’s just No. 96 on the list of prospects that Chad Ford of ESPN.com compiles, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress doesn’t have him within his top 100, ranking Lacey as only the 75th-best college junior.
Lacey put up 15.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 35.9 minutes per game during his lone season with the Wolfpack after transferring from Alabama and sitting out a year. He nailed 39.2% of his three-point shots, so he showed proficiency in a number of areas. Still, at 6’3″, he doesn’t have ideal size for a shooting guard, and he’s a tweener, as Ford writes in his profile. At 23, his age works against him, too, since NBA teams usually prefer younger prospects with upside.
He helped the Wolfpack to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament this year, scoring 18 points in a loss to Louisville. If Lacey defies the odds and makes an NBA regular season roster, he’ll join Lorenzo Brown and T.J. Warren as NBA perimeter players that N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried has produced in his four seasons at the school. It wouldn’t be surprising to see several teams bring Lacey in for workouts prior to the draft, in spite of his position on draft boards, and even if he isn’t drafted, he figures to have a chance to earn a training camp invitation with a strong summer league performance.