2018 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: M. Bridges, Pinson, Farrell, Rowsey

June 1st, 2018 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

With the deadline passing for underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA draft, pre-draft workouts are taking on a new level of importance. Here are a few notes to pass on as the draft looms 20 days from now:

Villanova’s Mikal Bridges and North Carolina’s Theo Pinson will work out for the Hornets on Saturday, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
Notre Dame guard Matt Farrell has sessions scheduled Monday with the Lakers and Wednesday with the Nuggets, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog (Twitter link).
Marquette’s Andrew Rowsey has workouts upcoming with the Raptors, Mavericks, Lakers and Kings, tweets Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox.
The Kings are welcoming six players for a session today, relays Sean Cunningham of ABC10 in Sacramento (Twitter link). On hand will be Creighton’s Marcus Foster, West Virginia’s Daxter Miles, SMU’s Ben Emelogu and Seton Hall’s Desi Rodriguez, along with Missouri’s Alize Johnson and Jordan Barnett.
The Jazz have a workout set for today with Oregon’s Troy Brown, West Virginia’s Jevon Carter, Georgia’s Yante Maten, Michigan’s Moritz Wagner and Kansas’ Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Malik Newman, the team announced on Twitter.
Newman was in Phoenix for a workout on Thursday, the Suns tweeted. He was joined by Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop, Virginia’s Devon Hall, Colorado’s George King, Xavier’s J.P. Macura and USC’s Chimezie Metu.

Knicks To Host Trae Young For Private Workout

May 31st, 2018 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma guard Trae Young has elected to grant the Knicks a private workout, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Young, who intends to work out for “a handful” of clubs, is still figuring out his schedule, so the date of the workout remains unclear, per Berman.

Young, widely viewed as a top-eight prospect, isn’t expected to be on the board when the Knicks pick at No. 9. Even if he’s available, he may not be the first choice for a New York club with multiple point guards already on the roster and a more glaring need on the wing. Still, Young is very much on the Knicks’ radar due to his high upside, sources tell Berman.

According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link), the Suns, Kings, Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, and Sixers have already “passed through” Oklahoma to talk to staff and faculty about Young. The Cavaliers have also been in touch with the program about Young, Zagoria adds.

In Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft for ESPN.com, he has Young coming off the board at No. 6 to Orlando, writing that the 19-year-old is a “highly skilled scorer and passer with unlimited range on his jump shot and tremendous instincts in the pick-and-roll.”

Checking In On NCAA Early Entrants For Draft

May 31st, 2018 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed about 24 hours ago, Wednesday represented a key deadline for NCAA underclassmen who had declared for the 2018 NBA draft. Early entrants who haven’t yet hired an agent technically have until June 11 to pull their names out of the draft, based on NBA rules. But the NCAA has its own set of deadlines, and May 30 was the last day for early entrants to withdraw from the draft and retain their college eligibility.

As such, we saw a flurry of announcements on Wednesday, with players like Kevin Huerter (Maryland), Omari Spellman (Villanova), Jarred Vanderbilt (Kentucky) deciding to remain in the draft, while other notable prospects like Tyus Battle (Syracuse), Jontay Porter (Missouri), and PJ Washington (Kentucky) elected to return to school.

Our full early entrant list has been updated with the latest news, but there are still a small handful of gaps in that list. The NBA won’t release an official list of early entrants for 2018 until after the league’s own June 11 deadline, so we’ll have to wait nearly two weeks for confirmation on this year’s draft class. However, here’s a breakdown of our numbers for now:

NCAA early entrants who are believed to be staying in the draft: 79
NCAA early entrants who reportedly withdrew from the draft: 96
NCAA early entrants who showed up on the NBA’s initial list in April whose decisions haven’t been announced or reported, as far as we can tell: 7

The seven players whose statuses we’re unsure about are Tashawn Berry (Dakota College), Dextor Foster (ASA College), Tremaine Fraiser (Westchester CC), Victor Lewis II (West Texas A&M), Jordan Murdock (Friends University), Keanu Peters (Salt Lake CC), and Micah Seaborn (Monmouth). If we missed any updates on any of those players, please let us know in the comment section.

Meanwhile, even though that June 11 NBA withdrawal deadline isn’t overly important for college prospects, it’s a key date for international early entrants. Over the next week and a half, we’ll likely hear plenty of updates on that group of 55 players, many of whom will remove their names from the 2018 draft pool.

Draft Decisions: McDaniels, Cody & Caleb Martin

May 30th, 2018 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Forward Jalen McDaniels will return to San Diego State for his sophomore season, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN. McDaniels is part of a crop of late decision makers who waited until shortly before tonight’s deadline of 11:59pm Eastern to announce whether they are staying in the draft.

“After thoughtful consideration with my family and coaching staff, I have decided to return to San Diego State for my sophomore year.” McDaniels posted on Twitter. “I’m looking forward to furthering my education and returning to the NCAA Tournament. Go Aztecs!”

McDaniels averaged 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in his first year at San Diego State. He held workouts with Cavaliers, Clippers, Timberwolves, Jazz, Warriors, Celtics, Nets, Hawks, Bucks, Spurs and Bulls, according to Mark Zeigler of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

In another significant last-minute decision, Nevada stars Cody Martin and Caleb Martin will both return to school, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Cody is ranked 90th and Caleb is 91st in the list of top 100 prospects compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, but Jeff Goodman of ESPN suggests the Wolf Pack could be a top 10 team next season with both staying (Twitter link).

There’s also news to pass along on pre-draft workouts:

The Lakers have a session set for Thursday with Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham and Billy Preston, Wichita State’s Landry Shamet, Penn State’s Tony Carr, Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie and Gonzaga’s Johnathan Williams, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
The Kings will hold a workout Thursday for SMU’s Shake Milton, Arizona’s Allonzo Trier, Vanderbilt’s Jeff Roberson, Rhode Island’s E.C. Matthews, Cincinnati’s Gary Clark and Missouri’s Jordan Barnett.
On Tuesday, the Suns brought in Temple’s Obi Enechionyia, Cincinnati’s Jacob Evans, Arizona State’s Shannon Evans and Kodi Justice, Wyoming’s Alan Herndon and Australia player William McDowell-White.
Donte Ingram of Loyola Chicago had “solid” workouts with the Bulls and Bucks last week, according to Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox (Twitter link). The Bucks also brought in UCLA’s Thomas Welsh.
Texas center Mo Bamba will work out Friday for the Bulls, tweets Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago.

Jarred Vanderbilt To Remain In Draft

May 30th, 2018 at 8:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kentucky forward Jarred Vanderbilt plans to sign with an agent and stay in the draft, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.

Vanderbilt’s freshman season was derailed by injuries, as a foot problem kept him out for the first 19 games of the year and a bad ankle sidelined him for the final six.

“This season wasn’t easy for me,” he told Jon Hale of The Louisville Courier Journal. “God works in mysterious ways and presented me with a number of challenges to overcome. I believe I became a better man and player because of them, but it’s also made me think about my future and what’s best for me.”

Vanderbilt didn’t attend the combine but had meetings with “a team or two,” according to Kentucky coach John Calipari. Vanderbilt appeared in 14 games for the Wildcats, averaging 5.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in 17 minutes per night.

He comes in 59th on the list of top 100 prospects compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and doesn’t appear in his latest mock draft.

Draft Decisions: Happ, Matthews, Gabriel, Riley

May 30th, 2018 at 7:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

Draft decisions have been rolling in all day as we move closer to the 11:59pm Eastern deadline. While some prominent names such as Jontay Porter, PJ Washington, Brian Bowen, Tyus Battle and Lindell Wigginton have announced their choices, we’re still waiting to hear from prospects such as Kentucky’s Jarred Vanderbilt, Nevada’s Caleb Martin and Cody Martin and a few others.

Here are some of the players who reached decisions today:

Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ will return to the Badgers for his senior season, tweets Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’s Press Box. He averaged 17.9 points and 8.0 rebounds this season and was a first team All-Big 10 selection for the second straight year.
Charles Matthews will return to Michigan for his senior season, according to Tom Wywrot of MGoBlue.com. Matthews averaged 13.0 points per night in helping the Wolverines reach the national title game. “I learned a lot throughout this process, but my main focus will now be completing my education at Michigan and leading my teammates to more success next season,” he said.
Kentucky’s Wenyen Gabriel plans to sign with an agent and remain in the draft, relays Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). He appeared in 38 games as a freshman, averaging 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Cody Riley will play another season at UCLA, Rothstein adds (Twitter link). Riley was held out the entire year after being involved in an alleged shoplifting incident in China.
Iowa’s Tyler Cook will also leave the draft, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). He averaged 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds as a sophomore.
Noah Dickerson will return to Washington for another season, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. Dickerson earned first team All-Pac 12 honors as a junior, averaging 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Wyoming’s Justin James has withdrawn from the draft, according to a story on GoWyo.com. The 6’7″ guard averaged 18.9 points and 6.0 rebounds as a junior. “I received some very promising feedback from around the NBA,” James said. “I will continue to grow my game here in Laramie and put myself in position to live my dream and play at the next level following one more season playing for the Cowboys.”
Robert Franks will play his senior season at Washington State, tweets the school’s basketball program. Franks posted a 17.4/6.6/1.9 line this year.

Lindell Wigginton Withdraws From Draft

May 30th, 2018 at 5:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

Iowa State’s Lindell Wigginton has tweeted his decision to pull out of the NBA draft and return to school for another season.

“Was a blessing going through the draft process but I have made my decision,” he wrote. “I’m now looking forward to helping lead the Cyclones to a great year and getting us back on the national map! Thanks so much to all of the support from CyclONEnation during this process!”

The 20-year-old guard averaged 16.7/3.7/2.8 as a freshman. He has international experience with Canada, winning a silver medal at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in 2016 and a gold medal at the Under-19 tournament in 2017.

Wigginton is 67th on the list of top 100 prospects compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and doesn’t appear in his mock draft.

Wigginton’s pre-draft workouts included sessions with the Lakers, Hawks and Suns.

Tyus Battle Returning To Syracuse

May 30th, 2018 at 4:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Syracuse swingman Tyus Battle will return to the Orange for another season, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.

Battle was an iron man at Syracuse in his sophomore season, leading all of Division I by playing 39.0 minutes per game. He posted a line of 19.2/2.9/2.1 while earning second-team All-ACC honors.

He appears at No. 40 in the list of top 100 prospects compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and was projected as the 40th pick by the Nets in Givony’s latest mock draft.

Battle’s reported workouts were with the Clippers, Nets, Magic, Lakers and Knicks.

Brian Bowen Elects To Stay In Draft

May 30th, 2018 at 4:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Brian Bowen, a Louisville recruit who transferred to South Carolina but never played a game for either school, has decided to remain in the NBA draft, reports GamecocksOnline.

The NCAA probably influenced Bowen’s decision by informing South Carolina officials that Bowen would be ineligible for at least another season because of benefits allegedly provided to his family by Louisville and the requirement to sit out a transfer year.

“I am completely devastated by the NCAA’s ruling,” Bowen said. “All I ever wanted to do was continue my education and play college basketball, however, after learning of the ruling, and discussing it with my family and attorney, I’ve decided to pursue my professional career. I’m grateful to the University of South Carolina and Frank Martin for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a Gamecock.”

Bowen remains a long shot to be drafted, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who places him at No. 87 on his list of the top 100 prospects. He was a McDonald’s All-American last year as a high school senior and was considered a five-star recruit.

Bowen has been active through the pre-draft process, with workouts reported for the Hawks, Jazz, Spurs, Celtics, Nets, Bulls, Lakers and Knicks. He also held draft combine interviews with the Pistons, Trail Blazers, Kings, Raptors and Timberwolves.

PJ Washington To Return To Kentucky

May 30th, 2018 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Kentucky forward PJ Washington intends to return to the Wildcats for the 2018/19 season, he announced today (via Twitter). Washington posted a video that featured several of his highlight-reel plays and ended with the text, “I’m back.”

The No. 54 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s top-100 list at ESPN.com, Washington averaged 10.8 PPG and 5.7 RPG with a .519/.238/.606 shooting line in his freshman year with John Calipari‘s club.

When he announced his decision to test the draft waters earlier this spring, Washington stressed that he loves the Kentucky program and wasn’t in a hurry to decide on going pro, but was encouraged by Calipari to get feedback on where he stands.

Washington was one of several Kentucky underclassmen to declare for the 2018 NBA draft. Wenyen Gabriel and Jarred Vanderbilt, who were testing the waters like Washington, have yet to announce their decisions. Kevin Knox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Hamidou Diallo are all going pro.