2017 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dennis Smith Jr. Will Enter NBA Draft

March 28th, 2017 at 2:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith Jr. has declared for the NBA draft, writes Aaron Beard of The Associated Press.

Smith, a freshman, made the announcement today on ESPN. He is considered a top 10 pick, being ranked seventh in the DraftExpress list of Top 100 prospects and sixth by ESPN’s Chad Ford.

“I believed I had a good chance [to reach the NBA] whenever I hit college,” Smith said. “I thought it was definitely an obtainable dream for me, and I knew I would chase it with all my might.”

The 6’3″ Smith averaged 23.1 points and 6.3 assists per game during his only season with the Wolfpack. He was named Freshman of the Year by the ACC and conference Newcomer of the Year by the AP.

Smith’s father, Dennis Sr., said the family is “weighing our options” about hiring an agent at this stage of the process.

Duke’s Harry Giles To Enter NBA Draft

March 28th, 2017 at 1:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

Duke freshman Harry Giles will enter the NBA draft, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com.

The news was officially announced in a release from the university. Giles is ranked 27th on the DraftExpress list of top 100 prospects and 14th by ESPN’s Chad Ford.

“Playing in the NBA has been my goal for as long as I can remember, and I’m so excited to take the next step in that journey,” Giles said. “My time at Duke has been a dream come true. I’ve built so many strong relationships here and I have so many people to thank, from my teammates and coaches to our medical staff and strength coach. I can’t understate how proud I am to be part of the Duke Basketball program forever.”

A 6’10” forward, Giles came to Duke as one of the top prospects in the nation, but left knee surgery in October, his third procedure since 2013, slowed his development. He appeared in 26 games, playing 11.5 minutes per night, while averaging 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Giles will sign with an agent, according to John Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link), which means he cannot decide to pull out of the draft and return to school.

Draft Notes: Carroll, D. Fox, J. Bell, Elmore

March 27th, 2017 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma State guard Jeffrey Carroll has decided to test the waters for the 2017 draft, tweets Dylan Buckingham of KFOR. Carroll enjoyed a breakout junior season, comfortably establishing new career bests in PPG (17.5), RPG (6.6), and FG% (.537), among other categories. However, he isn’t considered a top prospect for 2017 by DraftExpress. Since Carroll won’t hire an agent, he’ll have the opportunity to withdraw his name from the draft pool before May’s deadline and return to Oklahoma State for his senior year.

Here are a few more draft-related updates worth passing along:

Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox and Oregon forward Jordan Bell top David Aldridge’s list of 10 prospects who have boosted their NBA stock in this year’s NCAA tournament. Aldridge’s full list is available in his latest Morning Tip column at NBA.com.
In an Insider article for ESPN.com, draft guru Chad Ford also examines how the tournament’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games affected prospects’ stocks. That list overlaps several times with Aldridge’s, though Ford also provides a list of players whose stocks have slipped a little as of late.
Marshall junior guard Jon Elmore is expected to test the draft waters without hiring an agent, reports ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (via Twitter). Elmore averaged 20.0 PPG and 6.0 APG for Marshall this season.
Panathinaikos guard Michalis Lountzis has decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft, a source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). Lountzis, who is just 18 years old, ranks 19th among international prospects born in 1998, according to DraftExpress.
Antelope Valley Community College center Antone Warren has signed with an agent and will enter the 2017 draft, according to Brendan Walker of JucoRecruiting.com. Warren is one of the top-ranked junior college players of this year’s class, as Walker details.

Poll: Best Point Guard In The Draft?

March 25th, 2017 at 8:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

In 2017, we may see a draft class that contains the greatest collection of point guards in the history of the league, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link). Ford added that as many as four point guards could be selected in the first five picks. Here’s a brief breakdown of the point guards who could have their name called early on draft night:

Markelle Fultz is expected to be the top pick in the draft, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. He averaged 23.2 points and 5.9 assists per game while sporting a 27.9 player efficiency rating during his lone season in Washington. His massive wingspan, coupled with his ability to make plays, should allow his game to translate to the next level. However, he wasn’t able to elevate his college team to the NCAA Tournament and he struggled against better competition, which are worrisome factors when evaluating the young prospect.
Lonzo Ball is not better than Stephen Curry. He is one of the best point guards in the draft and if you can get past all the noise his father is making, you can see why teams are placing Ball near the top of their draft boards. There aren’t many 19-year-olds who can control the game the way Ball does. His passing ability and court vision are top-notch and it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s the first player to have his name called in the upcoming draft.
Dennis Smith Jr. is an explosive athlete with great awareness on the court. He’s not the best shooter and like Fultz, Smith wasn’t able to get his team into the NCAA Tournament. Ford has him going to the Magic with the No. 5 pick in his latest mock draft.
De’Aaron Fox outdueled Ball and UCLA to lead his team to the elite eight. Fox is one of the fastest point guards in the draft. He’s an athletic prospect who excels on the defensive end. If Fox isn’t selected in the top-5, it’ll be because of his shaky jump shot has scared teams off. He made just 23.1% of the 3-point attempts during his lone season at Kentucky.
Frank Ntilikina is a long-armed, quick point guard from France with a smooth game that should transition well to the league. Givony believes he has plenty of room to grow and adds that the 18-year-old’s versatility and basketball IQ will reward whichever team selects him on draft night.

Assuming all five of these prospects declare for the draft (Fox can’t declare until his team either wins the NCAA Championship or is eliminated. Fultz and Ball have officially declared. Smith is expected to declare; same with Ntilikina), which point guard selected in the 2017 draft will have the best career?

Don’t limit yourself to just a click of a button. Take to the comment section below to explain your selection. Think another point guard will have a better career than the aforementioned prospects? Let us know and make your case below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Lonzo Ball To Enter 2017 NBA Draft

March 24th, 2017 at 11:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after his UCLA Bruins fell to Kentucky in the Sweet 16, star freshman guard Lonzo Ball announced that Friday’s game would be his last as a college player, tweets Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Ball will enter the 2017 NBA draft, and will be a candidate to be the first player off the board in June.

Ball, who is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in this year’s draft class by both DraftExpress and ESPN.com, averaged 14.7 PPG, 7.6 APG, and 1.9 SPG in his freshman year at UCLA. Although Markelle Fultz ranks ahead of him on most big boards, Ball is considered the better prospect by multiple NBA teams, and has certainly received more public hype lately, thanks to his outspoken father LaVar Ball.

On Friday night, Ball was outplayed by Wildcats star De’Aaron Fox, who figures to be a lottery pick three months from now as well. In a game that featured a handful of top prospects, Fox looked like the best player on the court, racking up 39 points. However, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes, Ball’s mediocre showing in the Sweet 16 won’t have much of an impact on his draft stock — he’s still a near-lock to be a top-three pick.

You can check out our full list of the early entrants for the 2017 draft right here.

Jonathan Isaac To Enter NBA Draft

March 24th, 2017 at 1:52pm CST by Milo Taibi

Florida State freshman Jonathan Isaac is declaring for the NBA draft, according to Evan Daniels of Scout.com (Twitter link). Isaac, who is expected to sign with an agent, thanked Seminoles fans in a video on his Instagram page (link). Isaac was regarded as the draft’s No. 5 prospect in CBS Sports’ rankings.

Isaac’s announcement comes six days after Florida State’s tournament elimination against Xavier. The 19-year-old Isaac was a collegiate standout in his freshman season, averaging 12 PPG with 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over 32 games. Isaac has long been on draft radars, working out for NBA scouts before the start of his Seminoles career.

As Wayne E. McGahee III of the Tallahassee Democrat points out, Isaac is the third Seminole to declare for the draft in the last three days, as Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes also announced their intent to enter the draft. Current Seminoles in the NBA include Malik Beasley, Okaro White, and Toney Douglas.

“I’m here with my mom to officially announce I’ve decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft,” Isaac stated in his video post. “I’d like to thank all of Florida State for making my time here worthwhile, and a special thanks to all you fans and FSU’s amazing staff. I truly enjoyed my time here, and it’s all because of you guys. I know the season didn’t end as well as everyone expected, but I’m proud of what my team accomplished, and I’m honored to be a part of the Seminoles’ basketball family.”

Draft Updates: C. Sanders, Rathan-Mayes, Kohs

March 23rd, 2017 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Rutgers guard Corey Sanders has decided to test the draft waters without hiring an agent, the school announced today in a press release. “We support Corey’s choice to enter his name into consideration for the draft,” Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said in a statement. “The evaluation process will provide valuable information. It is in everyone’s best interest that he makes a thorough and informed decision about his future.”

Here’s more draft-related news:

Florida State guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes announced today in a statement that he’ll enter the 2017 NBA draft, and it doesn’t sound as if he’s planning to return to the Seminoles for his senior year. The 22-year-old, who tested the draft waters a year ago, ranks as the 37th-best junior on DraftExpress’s list.
La Salle forward B.J. Johnson will test the draft waters without hiring an agent, tweets Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Johnson isn’t considered likely to be drafted, but had a solid junior year for La Salle, averaging 17.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG.
Nineteen-year-old Latvian forward Verners Kohs will apply for the draft as an early-entry candidate, according to agent Arturs Kalnitis (via Twitter). So far, most of the early-entry news we’ve heard has involved NCAA underclassmen, but more international players figure to follow Kohs’ lead in the coming weeks.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has published a new mock draft for The Vertical based on updated info on who’s in and out of 2017’s draft pool.

Semi Ojeleye To Test 2017 NBA Draft Waters

March 23rd, 2017 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

SMU forward Semi Ojeleye will test the NBA draft waters, sources tell Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). While Ojeleye will declare for the draft, he won’t immediately hire an agent, giving him the flexibility to withdraw his name by May’s deadline.

A 6’7″ junior, Ojeleye joined SMU for the 2016/17 season after spending two years with Duke. The 22-year-old never saw major minutes for the Blue Devils, but enjoyed a breakout season at SMU, averaging 19.0 PPG and 6.9 RPG with a .487/.424/.785 shooting line.

There appears to be no clear consensus on Ojeleye’s draft stock, with DraftExpress ranking him 31st on the site’s top-100 list, while ESPN’s Chad Ford places him just 82nd on his big board. Going through the pre-draft process over the next couple months should allow Ojeleye to get a sense of how he’s viewed by NBA teams, allowing him to make a more informed decision on whether or not to return to SMU for his senior year.

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

Draft Updates: Bacon, Peak, Adel, Mika

March 22nd, 2017 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Florida State forward Dwayne Bacon has decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft, he announced today on Twitter. Although Bacon didn’t explicitly state that he’ll hire an agent and forgo his remaining years of NCAA eligibility, the 21-year-old sophomore didn’t sound like a player who plans to return to school next year.

“This organization has been instrumental in my path and as I look to embark on my professional career, I will carry the many lessons learned,” Bacon said in a statement. “We are truly family here and I’d like to thank Coach Ham, Coach C.Y., Coach Jones, Coach Gates, and the entire faculty and coaching staff for a great two years.”

Assuming Bacon does remain in the draft, as expected, he looks like a possible second-round pick. ESPN and DraftExpress have him ranked 56th and 57th, respectively, on their big boards.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

Georgetown’s L.J. Peak will forgo his senior season in college, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, who reports that the junior forward intends to sign with an agent. DraftExpress ranks Peak as the No. 76 prospect on its big board.
We heard earlier today that Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell will test the NBA draft waters, but he’s not the only Cardinal who will declare his intent. Sophomore forward Deng Adel and junior forward Jaylen Johnson will also test the draft waters without agents, Louisville coach Rick Pitino tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Mitchell is the most promising prospect of the three, though Adel ranks 34th on DraftExpress’ list of top sophomores.
BYU sophomore Eric Mika will enter the 2017 NBA draft, but won’t hire an agent, tweets Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. While the 6’10” Mika will have the opportunity to test the draft waters, he could withdraw his name before May’s deadline.
With the Sweet 16 set to get underway on Thursday, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer identifies six under-the-radar NBA prospects to keep an eye on during this week’s NCAA games.

Donovan Mitchell To Test NBA Draft Waters

March 22nd, 2017 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell will declare for the draft, but won’t hire an agent yet, he tells ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. Without an agent, Mitchell will have the ability to withdraw his name later in the process, retaining his NCAA eligibility.

“I want to see if I can improve my draft stock and I am still not 100% leaving,” Mitchell told Evan Daniels of Scout.com. “I just want to be able to see where I stand in the draft and if I can improve in any way.”

Mitchell took on a more significant role in his sophomore season for Louisville, with his minutes per game increasing from 19.1 to 32.3. For the season, Mitchell averaged 15.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.1 SPG. He tells Daniels that he’s happy with his performance, though he believes there’s still room for further growth.

“I think I played well,” Mitchell said. “There are many things I feel I improved on from freshman year. I do feel as though I have other things to work on as well and I will heading into this summer.”

Mitchell’s decision on whether or not to keep his name in the draft may depend on how confident he is that he can be a first-round pick. ESPN’s Chad Ford suggests the 6’3″ shooting guard is probably on the first-round bubble right now, ranking him 29th in his top 100 list. Mitchell comes in at 22nd on DraftExpress.com’s big board.