UNC forward Nassir Little is entering the 2019 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility and going pro, reports ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
“I am declaring for the 2019 draft with the intention to start my NBA career,” Little told Givony. “I am going to work extremely hard throughout the pre-draft process and my entire career to continue to grow as a player and person. I feel like I have a very high ceiling as a player and I plan to reach that ceiling through consistent hard work.”
A highly-touted recruit a year ago, Little had an up-and-down freshman season at North Carolina, averaging 9.8 PPG and 4.6 RPG with a shooting line of .480/.269/.770. Last November, the young forward was grouped with top Duke prospects Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett as a potential top-five pick, but he’ll likely fall a little further than that this spring.
Currently, Givony and Mike Schmitz have Little ranked 16th overall on their big board at ESPN.com, writing that the 6’6″ freshman has an “elite physical profile for a modern combo forward,” but also has a “limited feel for the game.”
According to Givony, Little will began to prepare for the pre-draft process right away and hopes to show teams that there’s more to his game than what they saw at UNC.
“I just want teams to see who I am as a player and person,” Little said. “I take a professional approach to everything I do, both on and off the court. I’m coachable. I am a good teammate. I think once everyone sees all these things and sees what I can do as a player, I’ll land in a great situation where I can grow and help a team win.”
It did take him too long to torch the U-Dub zone, but he did eventually. He would have been too slow-reacting to leave in vs Auburn (did not play much), but that is typical vs Auburn.
He did not play much overall and is not very aware. Dion Waiters has not blazed a helpful trail for nonstarting 2/3s in college. Some call him a smallball big. He is a torcher though, a rally-er. He can probe a defense (on his own), find solutions.
PS- my view, not an official consensus. But there is talk of playing him at the 4 (and ZionW at the 5)! Silliness, but it could keep Little in the top 10.
Smart move if he feels his draft stock will only decline from here.
Probably should stay in school but if someone thinks you’re a top 15 draft pick for some reason I say go for it and get that money.
It always looks funny when a guy who is 6′ 6″ tall has the word “Little” on his back…
He’s better off coming out in this draft rather than waiting. Everything is relative. This is the worst group of college FR since one and done started. Still, teams need to draft someone. No upper tier teenage Euros either. Some teams may go with non-FR college players higher than usual. I think lots will (opting for a high floor vs high ceiling). But not all. It’s more wide open. There are still pre-draft events and the like, some of which will emphasize his positives (athleticism).