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2019 NBA Draft

Virgina’s De’Andre Hunter Entering 2019 NBA Draft

April 15th, 2019 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

For the second time today, a member of Virgina’s title-winning team has confirmed his intent to enter the 2019 NBA draft. Following Ty Jerome‘s announcement earlier in the day, sophomore wing De’Andre Hunter has made an announcement of his own, revealing in an Instagram post that he’s declaring for the draft and signing with an agent.

Hunter, who scored 27 points to go along with nine rebounds in the NCAA championship game last Monday, had a big year for the Cavaliers, posting 15.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 2.0 APG with an impressive .520/.438/.783 shooting line.

A probable top-10 pick, Hunter considered entering the draft a year ago after his freshman season, but ultimately decided to stay with Virginia for another year, and that decision paid off in a big way. Besides winning a title in his sophomore year, the youngster is also a more promising NBA prospect now, having moved up from No. 18 on ESPN’s big board a year ago to No. 5 now.

In his scouting report on Hunter, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony praises the sophomore’s efficiency on offense and his versatility on defense, observing that the 21-year-old has “prototypical physical tools” for a modern NBA forward. Givony has Hunter going fifth overall to the Hawks in his latest mock draft, noting that Atlanta could use a big wing/combo forward alongside scorers like Trae Young and Kevin Huerter.

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Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura Declares For Draft

April 15th, 2019 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Gonzaga’s junior power forward Rui Hachimura has entered his name in the 2019 NBA draft pool, he announced on Monday. According to a press release from the program, Hachimura will hire an agent and pursue a professional career.

“The last three years at Gonzaga have been a dream come true, and now I’d like to pursue my next dream of playing in the NBA,” Hachimura said in a statement. “This was a significant decision for my family and myself. I just want to thank everyone at Gonzaga, especially the coaching staff and all of my teammates who went to battle with me and are my brothers for life.”

The West Coast Conference Player of the Year, Hachimura took a huge step forward in his junior year for the Zags, averaging 19.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.5 APG while shooting 59.1% from the field.

Hachimura is ranked 18th on ESPN’s big board, though Jeff Goodman of Stadium notes (via Twitter) that many NBA executives believe he’ll be drafted in the 8-to-15 range. Wherever he comes off the board, the 21-year-old is set to become the first Japanese player ever selected in the NBA draft.

As Mike Schmitz details in ESPN’s scouting report, Hachimura projects as a versatile frontcourt defender and has a promising shooting touch, though he’s much stronger from mid-range than from beyond the arc. The 6’9″ forward has an “intriguing physical profile” for a modern power forward, Schmitz writes.

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Virginia’s Ty Jerome Enters 2019 NBA Draft

April 15th, 2019 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

After winning the NCAA championship with Virginia a week ago, junior guard Ty Jerome has announced via Instagram that he’s entering the 2019 NBA draft and hiring an agent.

The NCAA’s new eligibility rules would allow Jerome to change his mind and withdraw from the draft by May 29 even after he signs with an agent. However, the wording of his announcement suggests he’s leaning strongly toward going pro, as he indicated that he’ll “forgo” his senior year of college.

Jerome is coming off a junior year in which he averaged 13.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.5 SPG with a .435/.399/.736 shooting line for the national champs. He also played a key role in the squad’s March Madness run, averaging 20.3 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 6.7 RPG in the Elite Eight, Final Four, and national title games.

Jerome ranks 29th on ESPN’s big board, which would make him a borderline first-round pick in this year’s draft.

De’Andre Hunter, Jerome’s teammate at Virginia, will likely join him in 2019’s draft pool soon. Hunter has yet to make an announcement one way or another, but ranks as the No. 5 prospect in ESPN’s top 100.

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Kansas’ Devon Dotson To Enter NBA Draft

April 14th, 2019 at 3:58pm CST by clarkcrum

Freshman guard Devon Dotson has submitted paperwork to make himself eligible for the 2019 NBA draft, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Dotson, a 2018 McDonald’s American and the No. 72 overall prospect by ESPN, has made it clear that this decision is in order to gauge the NBA’s interest in him and that he may very well still return to Lawrence next season.

“After careful consideration with my family and coaches, I have decided to test the waters and enter into the 2019 NBA draft process.” Dotson told ESPN. “I feel it’s a great opportunity to obtain feedback from NBA personnel… I would like to thank God, my family, coach [Bill] Self, the entire coaching staff and teammates, along with the fans of the University of Kansas for their continued support.”

In his first – and possibly only – season at Kansas, Dotson became the Jayhawks’ starting point guard and averaged 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 32 minutes per game. He was named Third-Team All-Big 12 and to the All-Freshman team. Per Givony, the 19-year-old has outstanding quickness and perimeter defense skills, which should earn him an invite to an NBA combine.

Here are several more NBA draft decisions:

  • Markus Howard, G, Marquette (junior), has decided to return to Milwaukee for his senior season with the Golden Eagles (Twitter link via Howard). Howard was ranked the No. 87 overall prospect by Givony on ESPN.
  • Brandon Randolph, G, Arizona (sophomore), will enter his name into the 2019 NBA Draft (Instagram link via Randolph).
  • Neemias Queta, C, Utah State (freshman), will test the NBA Draft waters, per an official release from the Aggies.
  • Keith Braxton, G, St. Francis (PA) (junior), has declared for the 2019 NBA Draft, per an official release from his college program.
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2019 Pre-Lottery NBA Draft Order

April 13th, 2019 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA conducted its draft tiebreakers on Friday evening, further cementing the draft order for 2019. While we’ll have to wait until the May 14 draft lottery to determine the exact order for this year’s event, we now know what most of the 60 selections look like.

Listed below is the pre-lottery 2019 NBA draft order. Each lottery team’s chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick are noted in parentheses. We’ve also included notes for picks whose status remains up in the air — for instance, the Grizzlies‘ first-round pick could still technically end up with either Memphis or the Celtics.

For teams with identical records, Friday’s tiebreakers only determined the first-round order — that order is reversed in the second round. As such, some second-round picks may hinge on next month’s lottery results.

For instance, even though the Cavaliers won the tiebreaker vs. the Suns for the No. 2 spot in the lottery order, Phoenix could still leapfrog Cleveland in the lottery, in which case the Cavs’ second-round pick (owned by the Sixers) would move ahead of the Suns’ second-rounder.

We’ll update this list after the May 14 lottery once the official order is set, but here’s the tentative 2019 NBA draft order:

First Round:

  1. New York Knicks (14.0%)
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers (14.0%)
  3. Phoenix Suns (14.0%)
  4. Chicago Bulls (12.5%)
  5. Atlanta Hawks (10.5%)
  6. Washington Wizards (9.0%)
  7. New Orleans Pelicans (6.0%)
  8. Memphis Grizzlies (6.0%)
    • Note: The Celtics will receive this pick if it falls out of the top eight (42.6% chance).
  9. Atlanta Hawks (from Mavericks) (6.0%)
    • Note: The Mavericks will keep this pick if it moves up into the top four (26.2% chance).
  10. Minnesota Timberwolves (3.0%)
  11. Los Angeles Lakers (2.0%)
  12. Charlotte Hornets (1.0%)
  13. Miami Heat (1.0%)
  14. Boston Celtics (from Kings) (1.0%)
    • Note: The Sixers will receive this pick if it moves up to No. 1 (1.0% chance).
  15. Detroit Pistons
  16. Orlando Magic
  17. Brooklyn Nets
  18. Indiana Pacers
  19. San Antonio Spurs
  20. Boston Celtics (from Clippers)
  21. Oklahoma City Thunder
  22. Boston Celtics
  23. Utah Jazz
  24. Philadelphia 76ers
  25. Portland Trail Blazers
  26. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Rockets)
  27. Brooklyn Nets (from Nuggets)
  28. Golden State Warriors
  29. San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)
  30. Milwaukee Bucks

Second Round:

  1. Brooklyn Nets (from Knicks)
  2. Phoenix Suns
  3. Philadelphia 76ers (from Cavaliers)
    • Note: Sixers would swap places with Suns if Phoenix gets higher first-round pick than Cleveland via lottery.
  4. Philadelphia 76ers (from Bulls)
  5. Atlanta Hawks
  6. Charlotte Hornets (from Wizards)
  7. Dallas Mavericks
  8. Chicago Bulls (from Grizzlies)
  9. New Orleans Pelicans
    • Note: If Mavericks or Grizzlies move ahead of Pelicans via first-round lottery, their pick(s) would fall behind New Orleans’ in second round.
  10. Sacramento Kings (from Timberwolves)
  11. Atlanta Hawks (from Lakers)
  12. Philadelphia 76ers (from Kings)
  13. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Heat)
  14. Atlanta Hawks (from Hornets)
    • Note: If Kings or Heat move ahead of Hornets via first-round lottery, their pick(s) would fall behind Charlotte’s in second round.
  15. Detroit Pistons
  16. Orlando Magic (from Nets)
  17. Sacramento Kings (from Magic)
  18. Los Angeles Clippers
  19. San Antonio Spurs
  20. Indiana Pacers
  21. Boston Celtics
  22. Charlotte Hornets (from Thunder)
  23. Utah Jazz
  24. Philadelphia 76ers
  25. New York Knicks (from Rockets)
  26. Los Angeles Clippers (from Trail Blazers)
  27. New Orleans Pelicans (from Nuggets)
  28. Golden State Warriors
  29. Toronto Raptors
  30. Sacramento Kings (from Bucks)

Information from NBA.com and Tankathon.com was used in the creation of this post.

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USC’s Kevin Porter Jr. Declares For 2019 NBA Draft

April 12th, 2019 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

Another probable first-round pick has joined the 2019 NBA draft pool, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who reports that USC freshman Kevin Porter Jr. is declaring for the draft and signing with Roc Nation Sports for representation.

[RELATED: 2019 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]

“Starting off freshman year I really wasn’t focused on the NBA draft, but now that the season is over and I see the opportunity that I have I just want to pursue it for my family, my friends and everyone that has been supporting me,” Porter told Givony.

Although Porter ranks No. 14 on ESPN’s big board, Givony acknowledges that a number of NBA scouts consider the 6’6″ guard a top-five talent in this year’s draft class. One of the youngest prospects projected to be draft, Porter possesses an intriguing combination of “size, strength, ball-handling, shot-making ability, and long-term upside,” according to Givony.

Porter did have an inconsistent freshman year at USC due in part to injuries, averaging 9.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and a .471/.412/.522 shooting line in a total of 21 games (22.1 MPG). His decision-making ability and his shot selection also remain a work in progress, Givony writes in his scouting report.

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Kentucky’s Tyler Herro Enters 2019 NBA Draft

April 12th, 2019 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Freshman guard Tyler Herro has become the latest Kentucky prospect to announce that he’s entering his name in the 2019 NBA draft pool, posting a message on Twitter to confirm his intentions. While Herro is leaving his options open, he writes that he plans to go pro if he gets positive feedback during the pre-draft process.

Herro, who joins Wildcats teammates P.J. Washington and Keldon Johnson as potential first-round picks testing the draft waters, is currently the No. 17 prospect on ESPN’s big board. Scouts like the youngster’s “dynamic shooting stroke, feel for the game, and defensive energy,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony writes in his scouting report.

In his first – and possibly only – season at Kentucky, Herro averaged 14.0 PPG on .462/.355/.935 shooting. Although he was limited to seven points in the Wildcats’ overtime loss to Auburn in the Elite Eight, he had a big game vs. Houston in the Sweet 16, scoring 19 of Kentucky’s 62 points.

Here are several more early entrants who have declared their intent to join the 2019 NBA draft pool:

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Stanford’s KZ Okpala Declares For NBA Draft

April 11th, 2019 at 6:40pm CST by clarkcrum

Stanford sophomore forward and potential lottery pick KZ Okpala has declared for the 2019 NBA draft, per Evan Daniels of 247Sports. Per new rules, he is permitted to sign with an NBA certified agent and still return to school if he withdraws his name by May 29.

“I have decided to declare for the NBA Draft,” Okpala said. “I have learned so much over these last two years at Stanford and am looking forward to continuing to improve along this journey. I am excited to see where it will take me.”

A rather interesting story, Okpala stood only 5’10” as a freshman in high school before spurting to a relatively incredible 6’7” as a senior. He is now listed at 6’9”. Because of his size, he wasn’t recruited by any high-major programs until late in his high school career, when Stanford saw him play on the AAU circuit.

As a sophomore this past season, Okpala averaged 16.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG while connecting on 36.8% of his three-point attempts. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony currently ranks Okpala as 2019’s No. 26 overall prospect, with his scouting report detailing how Okpala fits the modern NBA with his defensive versatility and greatly improved jumper. Per Givony, the 19-year-old may potentially generate some interest in back-end of the lottery.

In addition to Okpala, several other prospects have made themselves early entrants for the 2019 NBA draft:

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Cam Reddish Declares For 2019 NBA Draft

April 11th, 2019 at 5:29pm CST by clarkcrum

Duke freshman Cam Reddish has declared for the 2019 NBA Draft, as relayed by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Reddish is the second Duke freshman to enter his name into the draft following yesterday’s announcement from R.J. Barrett. Point guard Tre Jones is returning to school for his sophomore season while the all-but-assured top pick in this year’s draft, Zion Williamson, has yet to announce a decision.

Reddish, 19, was a McDonald’s All-American and Mr. Basketball in his home state of Pennsylvania before making his way to Durham as a consensus top-5 recruit for the class of 2018. As a freshman this season, he averaged a respectable 13.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.6 SPG while largely playing third fiddle to both Barrett and Williamson. He also started in all but one of the 36 games he played during the 2018/19 campaign.

Once considered a potential top-3 pick, Reddish has slipped a bit in the latest set of prospect rankings by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The 6’9” wing is now only rated as the No. 7 overall prospect for 2019, but he is still the highest-ranked small forward just ahead of Indiana’s Romeo Langford. Givony’s scouting report notes Reddish’s outstanding size and fluidity for the position, but a lack of effort and consistency overall.

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Jaxson Hayes Declares For 2019 NBA Draft

April 11th, 2019 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

Texas freshman forward/center Jaxson Hayes has entered the 2019 NBA draft and is hiring an agent, the school announced on Thursday morning in a press release.

While Hayes could technically withdraw from the draft by May 29 even after signing with an agent, he appears ready to go pro. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year currently projects as a lottery pick, with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony ranking him as 2019’s No. 9 prospect.

In his first – and likely only – season as a Longhorn, Hayes averaged 10.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and an impressive 2.2 BPG in 32 games (23.3 MPG). He wasn’t a huge factor for Texas’ offense, but didn’t miss often when he did shoot, recording a .728 FG%.

In his scouting report on Hayes, Givony notes that the big man is still “fairly raw in a lot of areas” and isn’t a great defensive rebounder. However, Givony adds that Hayes has major upside and an “excellent physical profile.” Because the youngster began playing basketball late, his trajectory gives him plenty of potential for long-term growth, Givony writes.

Hayes joins an ever-growing list of early entrants for the 2019 NBA draft. Here are a few more prospects who have recently declared for the draft:

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