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2017 NBA Draft

Chimezie Metu Returning To USC

April 18th, 2017 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

Sophomore big man Chimezie Metu would have had a good chance to be drafted if he had decided to go pro this year, but rather than entering the draft, he’ll return to USC for his junior season, the school confirmed on Monday, per Joey Kaufman of The Orange County Register. Metu announced the decision on Monday, publishing an Instagram photo with the caption “Year 3 coming soon…”

Metu, a 6’11” center, enjoyed a breakout season for USC in 2016/17, averaging 14.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.5 BPG. Although he’ll return to school for at least one more year, Metu is already considered a top-50 prospect by draft experts. He ranks 38th on DraftExpress’ big board, and 44th on ESPN’s.

According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, Metu’s lack of strength, particularly in his lower body, is a cause for concern for some NBA scouts. However, if he’s able to add strength and weight to his frame in the coming year, he’s a potential first-round pick next summer. DraftExpress currently has the 20-year-old going 15th overall in its 2018 mock draft.

Metu’s return will be a boon for the Trojans, who won a game last month in the NCAA tournament, and could start next season as a top-25 program.

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Rodions Kurucs Enters 2017 NBA Draft

April 18th, 2017 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs has declared for the 2017 NBA draft as an early entrant, according to agent Arturs Kalnitis (via Twitter). The 1998-born prospect will have until June 13 to reverse course and withdraw his name, though he appears likely to remain in the draft pool based on expert projections.

A 6’8″ wing for Barcelona 2 in Spain, Kurucs is the 21st-best prospect on DraftExpress’ big board, and comes in at No. 33 on Chad Ford’s board at ESPN.com. According to Ford, Kurucs remains a “major work in progress,” since he still doesn’t play a ton in Spain. However, the 19-year-old has displayed good athleticism and length, as well as solid shooting range.

Assuming Kurucs remains in this year’s draft, he’s a candidate to be drafted-and-stashed by a team in the second half of the first round, writes Ford. Teams with multiple first-round picks, in particular, could be landing spots for the Latvian — in Ford’s most recent mock draft, he had Kurucs coming off the board at No. 24 to the Magic, with Orlando’s second first-rounder.

Our full list of early entrants for this year’s draft can be found right here.

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Draft Notes: Dozier, McIntosh, Key

April 17th, 2017 at 9:46pm CST by ChrisCrouse

P.J. Dozier is staying the draft and signing an agent, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. Dozier had previously said he would test the draft waters. Wojnarowski notes that the South Carolina product is considered a second-round prospect who will contribute on the defensive end before being able to produce offensively.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

  • Illinois State’s MiKyle McIntosh will declare for the draft, but will not hire an agent, according to Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. McIntosh will graduate this fall and should he return to college, he’ll be eligible to transfer to any school without having to sit out a year.
  • Alabama’s Braxton Key has declared for the draft, but won’t hire an agent, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Key is not ranked in Givony’s Top 100.
  • William Lee will test the draft waters, Drew Champlin of Alabama.com relays. “UAB has provided me with an unbelievable opportunity to play college basketball against some of the best players and teams in the nation,” Lee said in a UAB release. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA, and this decision allows me to safely see where I am projected at this point in my career without jeopardizing my last year of eligibility.”
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Josh Jackson Signs With Agent, Enters 2017 Draft

April 17th, 2017 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Kansas small forward Josh Jackson has entered the 2017 NBA draft and will keep his name in the draft pool, he announced today, per an Associated Press report (link via Kansas City Star). Jackson, who signed with B.J. Armstrong of the Wasserman Media Group, will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility by going pro.

“[After] consulting with my family, I have decided to enter the 2017 NBA Draft and pursue my dream of playing professional basketball,” Jackson said in a statement.

A probable top-five pick, Jackson is currently ranked third overall on the big boards at DraftExpress and ESPN.com. In his first and only season with the Jayhawks, the freshman forward averaged 16.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, and 1.1 BPG, with a shooting line of .513/.378/.566.

According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, NBA scouts view Jackson as the best two-way player in the draft — he’s probably the only player who could challenge Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball for the No. 1 spot on big boards. However, there are questions about whether or not he can keep knocking down jump shots at the same rate he did in 2016/17. His poor free throw shooting and his tendency to turn the ball over are also red flags, but the positives certainly outweigh the negatives.

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Draft Updates: D. Robinson, McDuffie, Rowan

April 16th, 2017 at 7:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Florida junior Devin Robinson, who was previously reported to be testing the draft waters, will hire an agent, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, a source tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Robinson’s 2016/17 averages were somewhat modest (11.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG), and he ranks just 63rd on Chad Ford’s ESPN big board, but the 6’8″ forward exhibited an improved outside shot in his junior year, shooting 39.1% on threes, and comes in at No. 37 on the DraftExpress board. He’ll have a chance to be drafted in the second round this June.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

  • A pair of Arkansas guards have decided to test the 2017 NBA draft waters, the school announced on Friday in a press release. Juniors Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford won’t sign with agents, meaning they could opt out of the draft by May 24 and retain their NCAA eligibility. Neither player is considered likely to be drafted, so there’s a good chance they’ll both be back with the Razorbacks.
  • Wichita State forward Markis McDuffie will put his name into the draft pool, but won’t hire an agent, reports Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog (Twitter link). McDuffie ranks 49th on DraftExpress’ list of sophomore prospects.
  • North Carolina State sophomore shooting guard Maverick Rowan will also enter the draft without hiring an agent, giving him the opportunity to withdraw his name, as he tells Jon Rothstein (Twitter link). Rowan comes in a little behind McDuffie on DX’s sophomore rankings, at No. 55.
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Miles Bridges Returning To Michigan State

April 14th, 2017 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 14: Bridges officially announced on Thursday night that he’ll return to Michigan State for at least one more year, as Larry Lage of The Associated Press details. While Bridges’ mother made it clear she’d go pro if she were in his shoes, the young forward said he has some “unfinished business” at MSU.

APRIL 12: Michigan State forward Miles Bridges is leaning strongly toward returning to school for his sophomore year, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter links). According to Wojnarowski, Bridges has cancelled meetings with agents, but is expected to meet with MSU head coach Tom Izzo before finalizing his decision.

If Bridges does elect to return to Michigan State for at least one more year, it would shake up the 2017 NBA draft lottery a little. ESPN’s Chad Ford ranks Bridges 10th on his big board, while the 6’6″ forward comes in at No. 11 on the DraftExpress board.

Ford recently wrote that Bridges can “be a bit wild on the court,” but suggested that the 19-year-old might be one of the more underrated prospects near the top of draft boards. As Ford notes, Bridges did a little bit of everything for Michigan State in his freshman season, averaging 16.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.5 BPG, and 2.0 3PT.

If Bridges doesn’t enter this year’s draft, he would likely be penciled in as at least a top-10 prospect on 2018 big boards. Next year’s draft class has some major talent at the very top, but isn’t considered to be as deep as the 2017 class.

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Draft Updates: Milton, Trier, Maten, Okobo

April 13th, 2017 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of notable NCAA underclassmen have decided to return to school for at least one more year, according to reports. Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports tweets that SMU guard Shake Milton will stay in school for his junior year, while Arizona guard Allonzo Trier tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he’ll remain with the Wildcats for his junior season. Both players would have been candidates to be selected if they had entered the 2017 draft — they currently rank back to back at Nos. 59 and 60 on the DraftExpress big board.

Here are a few more draft updates worth passing along:

  • Georgia power forward Yante Maten will test the draft waters, per Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Maten won’t hire an agent, so he’ll have the opportunity to withdraw from the draft by May 24 and return to Georgia for his senior year.
  • Elie Okobo, a combo guard from France, has declared for the 2017 NBA draft, agent Herman Manakyan tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Okobo’s ranks ninth on DraftExpress’ list of 1997-born international prospects.
  • Brandon Goodwin, a Florida Gulf Coast junior guard, has decided to enter the draft without hiring an agent, the school announced in a press release. Despite averaging 18.5 PPG for FGCU in 2016/17, Goodwin is not viewed as a top prospect by DraftExpress.
  • Southern Utah shooting guard Randy Onwuasor will enter his name into the draft pool without hiring an agent, according to Ryan Miller of The Spectrum. Onwuasor, who is not considered likely to be drafted, is planning to return for his senior season, Miller writes.
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UNC’s Justin Jackson Enters 2017 NBA Draft

April 13th, 2017 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

North Carolina forward Justin Jackson has entered the 2017 NBA draft and won’t withdraw his name before next month’s deadline, the school announced today in a press release. Jackson will hire an agent, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility.

Jackson tested the draft waters a year ago but decided to return to UNC for his junior year. That decision ended up paying off, as the 2017 ACC Player of the Year helped lead the Tar Heels to a national championship this spring. With another year of college ball under his belt, the 22-year-old tells Evan Daniels of Scout.com that he feels like the time is right to go pro.

“I think I put myself in a pretty decent position,” Jackson said. “I can obviously still get better in a bunch of different area. I think I put myself in one of the best positions I could be in. I accomplished a lot while I was here winning a national championship and I just felt like ending it that way and moving along. I felt like it was the right time.”

Jackson is currently the 14th-best prospect on DraftExpress’ big board, and No. 27 on Chad Ford’s list at ESPN.com. Ford notes that some scouts are still on the fence about Jackson’s NBA potential, but a consistent three-point shot in 2016/17 brought many scouts around on him as a mid-first-round pick.

After making just 29.7% of his long-distance attempts in his first two college seasons, Jackson shot 37.0% on three-pointers this season, to go along with averages of 18.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.8 APG.

Jackson’s UNC teammate Tony Bradley is also testing the draft waters this year.

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2017 NBA Draft Lottery Odds

April 13th, 2017 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s 2016/17 regular season now in the books, the odds for this year’s draft lottery have been set. With the help of our Reverse Standings, as well as information from LotteryBucket.com, here is the 2017 lottery order, along with each team’s chances of landing a top pick:

  1. Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn Nets)
    • No. 1: 25.0%
    • Top-3: 64.3%
    • Lowest pick: No. 4
    • Note: Celtics acquire pick due to ability to swap first-round picks with Nets.
  2. Phoenix Suns
    • No. 1: 19.9%
    • Top-3: 55.8%
    • Lowest pick: No. 5
  3. Los Angeles Lakers
    • No. 1: 15.6%
    • Top-3: 46.9%
    • Lowest pick: No. 6
    • Note: Pick will be sent to Sixers if not in top 3 (odds: 53.1%).
  4. Philadelphia 76ers
    • No. 1: 14.7%
    • Top-3: 45.3%
    • Lowest pick: No. 7
    • Note: Sixers have right to swap picks with Kings, so their No. 1 and top-3 odds are a little higher than they otherwise would be. No. 1 and top-3 odds for Sixers’ own pick are 11.9% and 37.8%, respectively.
  5. Orlando Magic
    • No. 1: 8.8%
    • Top-3: 29.12%
    • Lowest pick: No. 8
  6. Minnesota Timberwolves
    • No. 1: 5.3%
    • Top-3: 18.3%
    • Lowest pick: No. 9
    • Note: Timberwolves won tiebreaker with Knicks.
  7. New York Knicks
    • No. 1: 5.3%
    • Top-3: 18.2%
    • Lowest pick: No. 10
    • Note: Knicks lost tiebreaker with Timberwolves.
  8. Sacramento Kings
    • No. 1: N/A
    • Top-3: 2.5%
    • Lowest pick: No. 11
    • Note: Sixers have right to swap picks with Kings, rendering No. 1 pick impossible and greatly reducing odds of top-3 pick.
    • Note: Pick will be sent to Bulls if not in top 10 (odds: 0.01%).
  9. Dallas Mavericks
    • No. 1: 1.7%
    • Top-3: 6.1%
    • Lowest pick: No. 12
  10. New Orleans Pelicans
    • No. 1: 1.1%
    • Top-3: 4.0%
    • Lowest pick: No. 13
    • Note: Pick will be sent to Kings if not in top 3 (odds: 96.0%).
  11. Charlotte Hornets
    • No. 1: 0.8%
    • Top-3: 2.9%
    • Lowest pick: No. 14
  12. Detroit Pistons
    • No. 1: 0.7%
    • Top-3: 2.5%
    • Lowest pick: No. 14
  13. Denver Nuggets
    • No. 1: 0.6%
    • Top-3: 2.2%
    • Lowest pick: No. 14
  14. Miami Heat
    • No. 1: 0.5%
    • Top-3: 1.8%
    • Lowest pick: No. 14
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Draft Notes: Tatum, Smith, Bridges, Alkins

April 12th, 2017 at 9:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Jayson Tatum is rising up draft boards and Chad Ford of ESPN.com believes he could be a dark horse for the No.1 overall pick. Ford notes that Tatum is widely regarded by scouts as being the most NBA-ready right now. The Duke product sits at No. 4 in the scribe’s latest Big Board.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

  • Dennis Smith‘s stock is falling with teams questioning how he handled himself in the midst of disappointing college season, Ford writes in the same piece. The scribe adds that Smith has elite athletism, so his stock could rise after individual workouts take place.
  • Miles Bridges is undecided on whether or not he’s going to return to MSU, but Ford notes that he appears to be a “lock” for the lottery should he opt to declare for the draft.
  • Arizona’s Rawle Alkins will test the draft waters, but won’t yet sign with an agent, according to his Twitter feed. The shooting guard is the 79th best prospect in the draft, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
  • Kansas’ Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has declared for the draft, but will also not hire an agent, according to University’s website. The junior is the 68th best prospect in the draft, according to Givony.
  • PJ Dozier will declare for the draft, but will not hire representation, according to the University of South Carolina’s website. Dozier, who Givony pegs as the 65th best prospect in the draft, helped lead the school to its first-ever Final Four this past season.
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