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2017 NBA Draft

UNC’s Joel Berry, Theo Pinson Testing Draft Waters

April 24th, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

Three University of North Carolina prospects will test the draft waters, the school announced today in a press release. According to UNC, juniors Joel Berry II and Theo Pinson are entering the draft without representation. The Tar Heels also confirmed that freshman center Tony Bradley is testing the draft waters, as had been previously reported.

[RELATED: UNC’s Tony Bradley to enter draft without hiring agent]

“We fully support our players taking this step of being evaluated by NBA teams to see where they stand in relation to the Draft,” UNC head coach Roy Williams said in a statement. “All three players have options to do what is best for their careers and going through the evaluation process helps them make the best decision available to each of them.”

Of the three players, Bradley is viewed as the one with the highest upside, but Berry and Pinson are also both solid prospects who played major roles in this year’s championship run. Berry is ranked 86th on DraftExpress’ big board, and comes in even higher on Chad Ford’s board at ESPN, placing 64th. The junior point guard, who turned 22 this month, isn’t considered an elite prospect, but is a solid pure point guard who sees the floor very well, says Ford.

As for Pinson, he comes in at No. 66 on Ford’s big board, though he doesn’t earn a spot in DraftExpress’ top 100. The 6’6″ small forward averaged a modest 6.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 3.7 APG during his junior year, and struggled with his shot, making just 38.1% of his field goal attempts, including 23.7% from three-point range.

In addition to Berry, Pinson, and Bradley, UNC’s Justin Jackson has also declared for the draft — he intends to keep his name in the draft pool and won’t be back with North Carolina next season.

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Draft Updates: Hartenstein, Flaccadori, Diallo

April 24th, 2017 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

German power forward Isaiah Hartenstein has entered the 2017 NBA draft, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Hartenstein, who is ranked as the 19th-best prospect on DraftExpress’ big board, will be represented by agent B.J. Armstrong. At just 18 years old, Hartenstein is “clearly not ready for the NBA” yet, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford. However, assuming the big man remains in the draft, he could make an intriguing draft-and-stash project for an NBA team.

Here’s more news on early entrants for this year’s draft:

  • Lithuanian forward Arnoldas Kulboka is testing the draft waters, per international basketball reporter David Pick (via Twitter). Pick suggests that NBA general managers will head to Bamberg to scout the 6’9″ Kulboka, who has some long-term upside and currently ranks 50th on DraftExpress’ big board.
  • Italian shooting guard Diego Flaccadori has declared for the 2017 NBA draft, according to sports management and marketing firm Sigma Sports (Twitter link). Like other international early entrants, Flaccadori will have until June 12 to withdraw his name from this year’s draft pool.
  • 18-year-old shooting guard Hamidou Diallo, a top recruit who enrolled early at the University of Kentucky, will test the NBA draft waters before playing his first game for the Wildcats, he announced in a statement (Twitter link).
  • Today is the deadline for early entrants to formally enter this year’s draft pool. Our early entrant list, which currently features 123 names, can be found right here.
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And-Ones: Bargnani, Akognon, Early Entrants

April 22nd, 2017 at 11:30am CST by Austin Kent

With his first official campaign out of the NBA now in the books, Andrea Bargnani is discussing a buyout with Saski Baskonia in the ACB League, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets.

Bargnani has been injured since February and hasn’t suited up for the Spanish EuroLeague club since. He did average 11.5 points in the 14 games he played while healthy.

Last July, the 31-year-old former first overall NBA Draft choice signed a two-year deal with the organization.

There’s more from around the NBA.

  • International hoops journeyman Josh Akognon, who last saw NBA action with the Mavs in 2012/13, recently signed a contract with the Henan of the Chinese NBL. Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia relayed a tweet by David Pick, who reported the news.
  • Greek point guard prospect Antonios Koniaris will enter the 2017 NBA Draft, Jonathan Givony of Draft Express tweets. The athletic playmaker already has an agent.
  • Redshirted Gonzaga forward Johnathan Williams will test the waters for the NBA Draft, the Bulldogs announced on their official website. The junior has not hired an agent.
  • Junior guard Victor Sanders has declared for the NBA Draft, Idaho head coach Don Verlin told Ryan Horlen of the Idaho Statesman. He has not hired an agent.
  • Count Texas Tech’s Zach Smith among those looking to test their draft stock. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets that the junior big man has declared but not hired an agent.
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Cameron Oliver To Enter 2017 Draft, Hire Agent

April 20th, 2017 at 9:21pm CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 20: Oliver tells News 4-Fox 11 in Nevada that he intends to hire an agent for the 2017 draft, forgoing his remaining two years of college eligibility.

MARCH 23: Nevada power forward Cameron Oliver has decided to enter the NBA draft, but won’t hire an agent right away, reports Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Oliver will have until May 24 to decide whether to withdraw his name from the 2017 draft pool and return to school.

Oliver, a 20-year-old sophomore, played well in Nevada’s loss to Iowa State in the NCAA tournament, scoring a team-high 22 points to go along with seven rebounds, four blocks, and four three-pointers. It capped a productive sophomore season for Oliver, in which he averaged 16.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and an impressive 2.6 BPG.

Still, the 6’8″ forward is probably not more than a bubble first-rounder at this point, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford, who has him at No. 43 overall on his big board. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com is a little less bullish on Oliver, placing him at No. 59 in his top 100.

Oliver joins an ever-growing list of NCAA underclassmen who intend to at least test the draft waters for 2017.

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Ike Anigbogu To Enter 2017 NBA Draft

April 20th, 2017 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 20: Glushon Sports Management posted a tweet today welcoming Anigbogu to the agency, signaling that the former UCLA center will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility.

APRIL 5: UCLA freshman Ike Anigbogu has decided to declare for the 2017 NBA draft, a source tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Although Anigbogu won’t sign with an agent right away, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t keep his name in the draft, since he’s “trending up,” tweets Evan Daniels of Scout.com.

A 6’10” center, Anigbogu is just 18 years old and remains very raw, particularly on the offensive end. He played sparingly in his first season for the Bruins, averaging just 13.0 minutes per game and contributing modest numbers when he saw the court, with 4.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.2 BPG.

Although he’s a project of sorts and had next to no impact in this year’s NCAA tournament, Anigbogu is still drawing interest from several NBA teams who believes he has “enormous” upside, per ESPN’s Chad Ford. Anigbogu comes in at No. 31 on Ford’s big board at ESPN, while he cracks the top 20 over at DraftExpress — Jonathan Givony currently has the UCLA big man at No. 19 on his big board.

Anigbogu is the latest addition to our list of early entrants for the 2017 draft. That list currently exceeds 65 names, and figures to grow up until April 24, the early entry deadline. After that time, it will start shrinking again, as some players decide to withdraw their names from the draft pool.

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Jonathan Jeanne Enters 2017 NBA Draft

April 19th, 2017 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

French center Jonathan Jeanne has entered the 2017 NBA draft, agent Bouna Ndiaye tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link). According to Givony (via Twitter), Jeanne intends to stay in the draft and will be looking to make the jump to the NBA immediately — he doesn’t intend to accept draft-and-stash offers.

Jeanne, a 7’2″ center who will turn 20 in July, ranks 49th on Chad Ford’s big board at ESPN.com. Other draft experts are even more bullish on the young big man, who comes in at No. 35 on DraftExpress’ top-100 list and ranks 20th on Kevin O’Connor’s big board for The Ringer (Twitter link).

Still, while Jeanne has plenty of upside, he remains fairly raw, so it remains to be seen how NBA scouts will value him. NBA teams may have the opportunity to scout Jeanne in June, according to Givony, who reports (via Twitter) that the big man is willing to participate in five-on-five games at this year’s Adidas Eurocamp, assuming he gets an invite to the event.

Jeanne, currently on loan to SLUC Nancy Basket in France, is playing modest minutes for the team, with 3.1 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 16 contests (12.3 MPG).

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Nigel Williams-Goss To Enter Draft, Hire Agent

April 19th, 2017 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss has declared for the NBA draft, the school announced on Tuesday night in a press release. Williams-Goss won’t just be testing the draft waters — according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the 22-year-old redshirt junior will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility by signing with agent Greg Lawrence of Wasserman.

The 2016/17 season was Williams-Goss’s first with Gonzaga, as he was forced to sit out in 2015/16 after coming over from Washington two years ago. In a statement posted on his Instagram account, he called transferring to Gonzaga “the best decision I ever made,” and thanked Zags fans for their support.

“After many discussions with my coaches and family, I have decided to enter the 2017 NBA Draft with representation,” Williams-Goss wrote. “I am 100% confident in this decision and believe I am prepared both mentally and physically to take this step in my career and my life.”

Williams-Goss doesn’t show up on Chad Ford’s top-100 list on ESPN.com, but he comes in at No. 61 on Jonathan Givony’s big board at DraftExpress. The 6’3″ guard is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.7 SPG while helping lead Gonzaga to an appearance in the national championship game.

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Grayson Allen Returning To Duke

April 18th, 2017 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Duke has already lost several key players this spring, with Jayson Tatum, Luke Kennard, and Harry Giles entering the draft with the intent of hiring agents. However, another top prospect, Grayson Allen, announced today that he’ll be returning to the Blue Devils for his senior season (Twitter link).

[RELATED: 2017 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]

Allen, who ranks 45th on DraftExpress’ top-100 list and 61st on ESPN’s big board, struggled during his junior year at Duke as several of his teammates took big steps forward in their development. After averaging 21.6 PPG on .466/.417/.837 shooting in his sophomore year, Allen saw those averages dip to 14.5 PPG and .395/.365/.811 in 2016/17.

Although Allen played well in the NCAA tournament before Duke was bounced, ESPN’s Chad Ford suggested last month that the 21-year-old shooting guard could use another year in college to “really rehabilitate his image on and off the court.”

A strong showing in his senior season could get Allen back into the first-round discussion for 2018 — DraftExpress currently has him coming off the board at No. 26 in its ’18 mock draft.

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NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results, Tentative 2017 Order

April 18th, 2017 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA conducted its draft tiebreakers today, determining which teams who finished tied in the standings at the end of the season will receive higher picks in the 2017 draft.

There was one tie in the lottery, for the No. 6 spot, and the Timberwolves won today’s tiebreaker over the Knicks. However, both teams will have essentially equal odds to jump into the top three, since their lottery chances will be split evenly.

In instances where the two teams are splitting up an odd number of chances, the Wolves will receive very slightly better odds by virtue of winning today’s tiebreaker. For instance, they’ll have a 7% chance at the No. 3 pick, while the Knicks will have 6.9% odds.

Here are today’s tiebreaker results:

  • Timberwolves win tiebreaker over Knicks for 6th pick (pending lottery results).
  • Trail Blazers win tiebreaker over Bulls for 15th pick.
  • Bucks win tiebreaker over Pacers for 17th pick.
  • Hawks win tiebreaker over Grizzlies for 19th pick. Portland receives the Grizzlies’ pick.
  • In four-way tie for picks 23-26, the tiebreaker order is Clippers (23), Jazz (24), Raptors (25), Cavaliers (26). Three of these picks will be traded, as noted below.

Listed below is the tentative draft order for the 2017 NBA draft, pending next month’s lottery results. The order below isn’t set in stone, but it’s what the 2017 draft will look like if the lottery doesn’t result in any changes. This draft order includes all traded first-round and second-round picks.

First round:

  1. Boston Celtics (via Nets)
  2. Phoenix Suns
  3. Los Angeles Lakers
  4. Philadelphia 76ers
  5. Orlando Magic
  6. Minnesota Timberwolves
  7. New York Knicks
  8. Sacramento Kings
  9. Dallas Mavericks
  10. Sacramento Kings (via Pelicans)
  11. Charlotte Hornets
  12. Detroit Pistons
  13. Denver Nuggets
  14. Miami Heat
  15. Portland Trail Blazers
  16. Chicago Bulls
  17. Milwaukee Bucks
  18. Indiana Pacers
  19. Atlanta Hawks
  20. Portland Trail Blazers (via Grizzlies)
  21. Oklahoma City Thunder
  22. Brooklyn Nets (via Wizards)
  23. Toronto Raptors (via Clippers)
  24. Utah Jazz
  25. Orlando Magic (via Raptors)
  26. Portland Trail Blazers (via Cavaliers)
  27. Brooklyn Nets (via Celtics)
  28. Los Angeles Lakers (via Rockets)
  29. San Antonio Spurs
  30. Utah Jazz (via Warriors)

Second round:

  1. Atlanta Hawks (via Nets)
  2. Phoenix Suns
  3. Orlando Magic (via Lakers)
  4. Sacramento Kings (via Sixers)
  5. Orlando Magic
  6. Philadelphia 76ers (via Knicks)
  7. Boston Celtics (via Timberwolves)
  8. Chicago Bulls (via Kings)
  9. Philadelphia 76ers (via Mavericks)
  10. New Orleans Pelicans
  11. Charlotte Hornets
  12. Utah Jazz (via Pistons)
  13. Houston Rockets (via Nuggets)
  14. New York Knicks (via Chicago)
  15. Houston Rockets (via Trail Blazers)
  16. Philadelphia 76ers (via Heat)
  17. Indiana Pacers
  18. Milwaukee Bucks
  19. Denver Nuggets (via Grizzlies)
  20. Philadelphia 76ers (via Hawks)
  21. Oklahoma City Thunder
  22. Washington Wizards
  23. Boston Celtics (via Cavaliers)
  24. Phoenix Suns (via Raptors)
  25. Utah Jazz
  26. Boston Celtics (via Clippers)
  27. Brooklyn Nets (via Celtics)
  28. New York Knicks (via Rockets)
  29. San Antonio Spurs
  30. Atlanta Hawks (via Warriors)

We detailed lottery odds for each of the teams in the top 14 last week. Here are the lottery scenarios that could affect which teams receive draft picks:

  • If the Lakers‘ first-round pick falls outside the top three, the Sixers will receive it. In that scenario, the Lakers would retain their own second-round pick rather than sending it to the Magic.
  • If the Pelicans‘ first-round pick jumps into the top three, they’ll keep it rather than sending it to the Kings.
  • If the Kings‘ own first-round pick falls outside the top 10, the Bulls will receive it, and the Kings will keep their second-round pick rather than sending it to Chicago. If the Kings’ pick jumps into the top three, the Sixers will have the opportunity to swap their first-round pick for Sacramento’s.
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Jordan Bell To Enter Draft, Sign With Agent

April 18th, 2017 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 18, 12:20pm: As expected, Bell announced today that he has decided to enter the draft and hire an agent (link via RiseLongBeach.com).

APRIL 17, 12:00pm: According to a tweet from Bell, he has not yet made the decision to enter the draft and sign with an agent. Charania has a solid track record and hasn’t changed his initial story, so I’d still expect the Oregon big man to go pro, but it’s worth noting that it’s not official yet.

8:16am: Oregon power forward Jordan Bell has elected to put his name in the 2017 NBA draft pool and will sign with an agent, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. According to Charania, Bell held meeting with agents in the past week and finalized his decision over the weekend.

Bell, 22, saw his stock rise after a terrific NCAA tournament performance, in which he recorded double-doubles in four of five games for the Ducks. After averaging 10.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 2.1 BPG during the regular season, Bell increased those marks to 12.6 PPG, 13.2 RPG, and 3.2 BPG in the tournament, helping to lead Oregon to a spot in the Final Four.

Currently, the 6’9″ junior ranks 39th on Chad Ford’s big board at ESPN and 41st on DraftExpress’ top 100. In his analysis, Ford suggests that Bell looked like a possible second-round pick a month ago, but after his strong showing during Oregon’s Final Four run, there’s speculation that his defensive upside could make him a late first-round pick.

Bell joins teammates Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey as Oregon underclassmen going pro this year. Here’s our full list of early entrants so far.

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