2020 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley Enters 2020 Draft

April 13th, 2020 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

Kentucky sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley has become the latest Wildcat to declare for the 2020 NBA draft, telling ESPN’s Jonathan Givony that he’ll forgo his remaining college eligibility and sign with an agent.

Quickley, who started 20 of 30 Kentucky games in 2019/20, averaged a team-high 16.1 PPG to go along with 4.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, and a .417/.428/.923 shooting line. His breakout sophomore season earned him SEC Player of the Year honors.

Givony, who has Quickley ranked 58th overall on ESPN’s big board for the 2020 draft, notes that the guard’s impressive wingspan helped him defend guards, wings, and forwards. While Quickley’s defense and his outside shot will intrigue NBA teams, those clubs likely won’t get a chance to evaluate his play-making and shot-creating abilities during pre-draft workouts, given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Givony writes.

Quickley is the fourth Kentucky underclassman to declare for the NBA draft so far this spring, joining Tyrese Maxey, Ashton Hagans, and Kahlil Whitney. Junior big man Nick Richards is expected to be the next Wildcat to enter the draft, tweets Adam Zagoria of Forbes.

LSU’s Trendon Watford Declares For Draft

April 12th, 2020 at 2:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

LSU power forward Trendon Watford has declared for the NBA draft, confirming his decision to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

“I am announcing my decision to declare for the NBA draft,” Watford. “Thank you to all who have supported me throughout all the years and a special thanks to my family and friends who have been along this journey.”

Watford is the No. 73 prospect in 2020’s draft class, according to ESPN. He was a top recruit out of high school and a McDonald’s All-American, then averaged 13.6 PPG and a team-best 7.2 RPG in 31 games (31.6 MPG) as a freshman in 2019/20.

Watford will maintain his college eligibility as he goes through the draft process, his brother tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). The 2020 draft is still scheduled for June 25, though with the COVID-19 crisis ongoing, it’s possible the event gets pushed back.

“I really don’t know what the draft process will look like,” Watford told Givony. “I’m just hopeful that things will return to normal somewhat and I can get a chance to audition and work out for teams. If not then I will be focused on handling the interview process as best as I possibly can with the outcome of being a first round pick. I really want to go through the process because you dream about these things as a kid. I think I would raise my stock also. I’m still hopeful that we will have a combine and some workouts.

“In the meantime, the thing we all can do to help this situation is take it serious and practice social distancing. That’s the simplest thing but also the most effective. People are really losing their lives and loved ones so you can’t be selfish in that aspect. You may wonder why this would happen during this moment of my career, but it’s way bigger than that.”

Wizards Notes: Sheppard, Beal, Hachimura, Bertans

April 11th, 2020 at 4:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards may be in position to gamble in this year’s draft, general manager Tommy Sheppard said in a Q&A session on the team’s Twitter account (hat tip to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington). Last year, Washington used its first pick on Rui Hachimura, who was ready to contribute right away, but Sheppard believes the team can now consider long-term prospects.

“I think when you look at our roster and you see eight players 23 or younger, we can probably take a swing at somebody and they’re not going to have to help us immediately next year. If that player is there, certainly we do that,” Sheppard said.

The Wizards will start their draft process Monday by interviewing college seniors and international prospects. Everything will be different this year because of coronavirus restrictions, which means chatting remotely with potential picks and no in-person workouts. However, Sheppard doesn’t put great value on those individual sessions as the team didn’t work out Hachimura before last year’s draft.

“Workouts are important, but these players have played all season,” Sheppard said. “If we’re going to decide whether to take a player based on one workout, we’re in a lot of trouble. We’ve done our homework.”

There’s more from Washington:

Appearing on The Lowe Post podcast with ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Bradley Beal said he considered a lot of positives and negatives before agreeing to a two-year extension last fall. “Ultimately, I felt staying, the positives outweighed leaving,” Beal explained. “The reason being is because I had more control here. I have an organization who basically gave me the keys. We’re gonna build around you, we’re gonna get guys around. If I go anywhere else, granted, it may be a good team, but I would be a piece. Who knows if my role would be the same? My role here, I love what it is.”
Beal admits he was among those who laughed on draft night when ESPN’s Chauncey Billups compared Hachimura to Kawhi Leonard, but Beal has become a huge supporter of his rookie teammate. “He’s not Kawhi, but he plays like him,” Beal said. “He has a high ceiling. He’s not really a four. We can really make him into a three. We can make him into a playmaker. He can post up smaller guys. He can guard bigger guys. He’s very versatile in a lot of ways. I love him. He’s a workhorse. I don’t know who he’s really comparable to, because his ceiling’s that high.”
Fred Katz of The Athletic examines how expected changes to the salary cap will affect Washington’s chances of re-signing Davis Bertans. The Wizards will have to keep Bertans’ $13.3MM cap hold on their books to retain his Bird rights, so they are expected to operate as an over-the-cap team when the offseason arrives.

International Notes: Kalaitzakis, Broekhoff, Milutoniv, NBL

April 11th, 2020 at 12:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Euro guard Georgios Kalaitzakis has submitted paperwork to make himself eligible for the draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports. Kalaitzakis is ranked as the No. 96 prospect in the ESPN Top 100. The native of Greece averaged 12.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 2.3 APG in 29 MPG for Nevezis in Lithuania this season. The 6’7” Kalaitzakis led the U20 European Championship in scoring last summer at 19.7 PPG.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Former Mavericks swingman Ryan Broekhoff has reportedly received an offer from Greece’s Olympiacos, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Israeli reporter Roi Cohen broke the news on Broekhoff, who was waived by Dallas in February. The 6’6″, 29-year-old Broekhoff appeared in 59 games during his two seasons with the Mavericks, including one start this season.
Spurs draft-and-stash prospect Nikola Milutinov is signing a three-year deal with CSKA Moscow, Carchia reports in another tweet. Barcelona also made a multi-year offer for the center, Carchia adds. The 7-footer, the 26th pick in the 2015 draft, averaged 10.3 PPG and 8.2 RPG in 24 games for Olympiacos this season.
NBL players in Australia have been asked by the league to take a 50% pay cut next season, Carchia reports. The league and team owners have also threatened to pull the players’ health insurance and career-ending injury insurance.

Draft Notes: Whitney, Scouting, Bruner, Mock Draft

April 10th, 2020 at 7:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Freshman forward Kahlil Whitney, who dropped out of Kentucky in January, has declared for the draft and will hire an agent, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reports. Whitney’s stock has taken a major hit since he arrived at Kentucky. He was the No. 12 recruit in the 2019 ESPN 100, but he struggled to keep his spot in the Wildcats’ rotation, averaging 3.3 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 12.8 MPG. He appeared in 18 games before dropping out of school. The 6’7” Whitney is ranked as the No. 80 NBA draft prospect in ESPN’s top 100 for the 2020 draft.

We have more draft-related news:

The limitations for scouting prospects due to the pandemic has some executives worried about their evaluations, Keith Smith of NBC Sports reports. For the time being, they can only look at film. As the process moves along, they can conduct virtual meetings with prospects but workouts, and even watching live workouts remotely, are prohibited. There are other concerns as well. “If there are medical red flags, it can take a guy right off our draft board,” an Eastern Conference GM told Smith. “Now, we have to trust what we get from the agent, and there’s different motivation there. Then we, of course, want to see the guy work out.”
Jordan Bruner has apparently opted to change schools rather than enter the draft pool. The former Yale forward is transferring to Alabama, Tyler DeLuca of Sooner Sportspad tweets. An earlier report suggested that Bruner, who has one year of eligibility remaining, would enter the draft.
The latest ESPN mock draft has the Warriors selecting Georgia guard Anthony Edwards with the No. 1 overall pick. Edwards is ranked No. 1 on ESPN’s best available list. The mock draft, conducted by Givony and Mike Schmitz, has the Cavaliers selecting center James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick and the Hawks taking Auburn swingman Isaac Okoro at No. 3.

Arizona’s Josh Green Entering 2020 NBA Draft

April 10th, 2020 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Arizona freshman swingman Josh Green is entering his name into the 2020 NBA draft pool, he confirmed today to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

Green is the third Wildcats underclassman to declare for the draft, joining teammates Nico Mannion and Zeke Nnaji. All three project to be possible first-round picks. Coming in at No. 21 overall on ESPN’s big board, Green slots in between Mannion (No. 14) and Nnaji (No. 34).

In 30 games (30.9 MPG) as a freshman, Green averaged 12.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.5 SPG with a .424/.361/.780 shooting line.

In his scouting report, Mike Schmitz of ESPN notes that Green doesn’t have an elite skill on the offensive end, but is a versatile defender and improved shooter who has an ideal physical profile for an NBA wing.

Green is the second potential first-round pick to declare today for the draft, joining Duke’s Vernon Carey Jr. Carey’s father confirmed that his son has officially declared for the draft and will sign with agent Jeff Wechsler for representation, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Duke’s Vernon Carey Jr. Expected To Go Pro

April 10th, 2020 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Duke freshman center Vernon Carey Jr. is expected to be declare for the NBA draft with the intention of staying in and going pro, a source tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link).

In his first and potentially only season as a Blue Devil, Carey averaged 17.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in 31 games (24.9 MPG). He shot 57.7% from the field and even made 38.1% of his tries from beyond the arc, albeit on just 21 three-point attempts.

Carey, currently ranked No. 28 on ESPN’s big board, has shown the makings of an inside-outside game and is a very strong positional rebounder, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz writes in his scouting report. Schmitz cautions that the big man has dealt with some health and conditioning issues and struggles with defending in space and seeing the floor when passing.

Here’s more on the 2020 NBA draft:

Iowa big man Luka Garza, ranked 81st on ESPN’s big board, announced on Twitter that he is entering the draft while maintaining his college eligibility. Garza had a big year in 2019/20 as a junior, averaging 23.9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 1.8 BPG on .542/.358/.651 shooting in 31 games (32.0 MPG).
Mississippi State junior guard Nick Weatherspoon, who tweeted a farewell message today to fans, will be declaring for the draft and going pro, sources confirm to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Weatherspoon, who first tested the draft waters in 2018, increased his averages to 11.6 PPG and 4.1 APG in 2019/20. He projects to go undrafted.
Creighton junior guard Ty-Shon Alexander is expected to enter the draft and will likely forgo his remaining college eligibility, a source tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Alexander is coming off a big year in which he led the Bluejays with 16.9 PPG while chipping in 5.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG while making 39.9% of his threes.
In case you missed it, we wrote earlier this afternoon about how NBA teams hope to convince the league to push the draft back until at least August.

NBA Teams Want To Delay Draft Until At Least August 1

April 10th, 2020 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of NBA teams are united in their hopes of convincing the league to delay its June 25 draft until at least August 1, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

As Wojnarowski and Givony explain, top team executives around the NBA want to postpone the draft since it would increase the possibility of salvaging certain aspects of the pre-draft process, including in-person workouts, interviews, and medical evaluations. The coronavirus pandemic makes those in-person meetings impossible for the time being.

The NBA recently sent out guidelines to its teams for the pre-draft process, prohibiting clubs from watching live video workouts or from conducting more than four total hours of virtual meetings – including up to two in a single week – with a single prospect.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports notes (via Twitter) that teams also aren’t permitted to request or watch any videos of player workouts that took place after April 6. Essentially, teams are limited to studying film of games and practices that occurred before the NBA and NCAA shut down play last month.

While delaying the draft is certainly an idea the NBA has discussed, commissioner Adam Silver has said the league won’t make any major decisions on its calendar until at least May 1, and the NBA is sticking to that timeline for now, as Woj and Givony report.

Wojnarowski and Givony also point out that a tentative draft-date change from June 25 to August 1 could give the NBA additional flexibility as it gets more clarity in the coming months. If the remainder of the 2019/20 season is canceled, the draft could continue as planned on August 1. If the league is able to resume play, the event could be pushed back further, perhaps even to September.

Essentially, teams don’t want a situation where the draft takes place before the 2019/20 season is officially over, since it would prevent clubs from making any trades that involve players. Team officials around the league believe the draft and free agency should “stay connected,” taking place after the season formally ends, per ESPN’s report.

As for the impact that a postponed draft might have on the NCAA, Jeremy Woo of SI.com writes that college programs are already facing a series of new challenges during this year’s recruiting period due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pushing back the draft would only exacerbate the roster-building process for college coaches.

Givony acknowledges in a pair of tweets that a draft delay would complicate things for college coaches — especially those whose underclassmen are testing the draft waters. However, Givony adds that he has spoken to several prospects who like the idea of a postponement, particularly if it increases the chances of restoring part of the pre-draft process and ensuring there’s some form of Summer League.

Mississippi State’s Robert Woodard II Entering Draft

April 9th, 2020 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Mississippi State forward Robert Woodard II has elected to enter the 2020 NBA draft, informing Jonathan Givony of ESPN of his decision. His plan is to go pro and forgo his final two years of college eligibility, though he’s keeping his options open for now.

“I am going in to the draft with the intention of not going back to school,” Woodard told ESPN. “I am maintaining my eligibility because of the uncertainty about the dates and what workouts will look like, but I don’t look it at is as testing the waters. I am all-in with this thing.”

[RELATED: 2020 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]

After playing a modest role off the bench as a freshman, Woodard moved into the starting lineup and took an impressive step forward in his sophomore season, averaging 11.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.1 SPG. In 31 games (33.1 MPG), he posted an impressive .495 FG% and .429 3PT%.

According to Givony, Woodard’s 7’1″ wingspan, “chiseled” frame, defensive versatility, and improving outside shot could make him an ideal combo forward at the NBA level. The youngster ranks 24th overall on ESPN’s big board, meaning he projects as a likely first-round pick.

Draft Decisions: Diane, Cockburn, Darling, Jones

April 8th, 2020 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

Two-time Big West Player of the Year Lamine Diane is among the latest NCAA underclassmen to declare for the 2020 NBA draft, announcing his decision on Instagram.

A 6’7″ forward, Diane put up monster numbers for Cal State Northridge in his two college seasons, averaging 25.1 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in a total of 52 games (35.5 MPG). The sophomore forward currently ranks as the No. 73 prospect on ESPN’s big board, making him a candidate to be drafted this summer.

Here are a few more updates on early entrants declaring for the 2020 draft:

Illinois freshman center Kofi Cockburn announced on Instagram that is entering the draft, and the wording of his statement suggests he intends to go pro, forgoing his remaining eligibility. The big man averaged 13.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 1.4 BPG in 31 games (27.4 MPG) during his first – and potentially only – season with the Fighting Illini.
Delaware junior guard Nate Darling announced on Twitter that he’ll test the draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility. Darling averaged 21.0 PPG on .446/.399/.854 shooting in 2019/20 after transferring from UAB.
Middle Tennessee guard C.J. Jones is forgoing his final year of college eligibility to enter the draft and go pro, according to an announcement from the program (Twitter link). Jones was the team’s leading scorer in 2019/20, averaging 16.2 PPG with a .400 3PT%.