2020 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Duke’s Cassius Stanley Declares For 2020 Draft

April 7th, 2020 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Duke freshman guard Cassius Stanley has entered his name in the 2020 NBA draft pool, the Blue Devils announced today in a press release. Stanley is the second Duke underclassman to declare this spring, joining teammate Tre Jones.

“As much as I feel a burning desire to make another run at the Final Four, I feel compelled to make the best decision for my professional success, and therefore, I have decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft,” Stanley said in a statement, adding that he believes the Blue Devils would have reached the Final Four and contended for a championship if the season hadn’t been interrupted.

Stanley, a 6’6″ shooting guard, averaged 12.6 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 29 games (27.4 MPG) in 2019/20. He knocked down 47.4% of his field goal attempts, including 36.0% of his threes.

The 20-year-old, who ranks 50th overall on ESPN’s big board, will be represented by his father Jerome Stanley, a certified agent, as Adam Zagoria writes at ZagsBlog.com. It sounds as if the younger Stanley intends to forgo his remaining college eligibility and go pro this year.

Villanova’s Bey, Robinson-Earl To Test Draft Waters

April 7th, 2020 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after being announced as this year’s winner of the Julius Erving award – given annually to the nation’s top small forward – Villanova sophomore Saddiq Bey confirmed that he’ll be entering the 2020 NBA draft, per Adam Zagoria of Forbes (Twitter link).

“I will be definitely testing the waters and going through that process whenever I’ll be able to, and keeping my options open,” Bey said, per Zagoria.

Villanova head coach Jay Wright said last month that he expected both Bey and freshman forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to test the 2020 draft waters, but Bey hadn’t announced that decision himself until today. Wright also confirmed today that Robinson-Earl will indeed go through the draft process (Twitter link via Zagoria).

The No. 21 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board, Bey averaged a team-high 16.1 PPG in 31 games (33.9 MPG) in 2019/20. He also contributed 4.7 RPG, 2.4 APG, and an eye-popping .451 3PT% on 5.6 three-point attempts per game. After earning Big East All-Freshman honors a year ago, the forward – who turns 21 on Thursday – was a unanimous All-Big East First Team pick this year.

Robinson-Earl, meanwhile, recorded 10.5 PPG with a team-best 9.4 RPG in 31 games (32.7 MPG). He was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year and comes in at No. 66 on ESPN’s board.

Bey and Robinson-Earl are the latest additions to our list of early entrants for the 2020 NBA draft, which has now surpassed 100 total names.

Potential Lottery Pick Nico Mannion Declares For Draft

April 7th, 2020 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Arizona freshman point guard Nico Mannion is entering the 2020 NBA draft class, as he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Wildcats head coach Sean Miller said last month that Mannion would enter the draft, but his father clarified at the time that a decision hadn’t yet been finalized — now it has.

Mannion, who started 32 games for Arizona as a freshman, averaged 14.0 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 1.2 SPG with a .392/.327/.797 shooting line. He ranks 14th overall on ESPN’s big board, with Mike Schmitz praising his scoring, play-making, demeanor, and ability to make reads. Schmitz does note that the 19-year-old’s “lack of tools” may limit his defensive upside and that his shot needs to get more consistent.

Mannion tells ESPN that, despite the COVID-19 lockdown, he has access to a gym where he can train and shoot as he prepares for the draft.

“I’m just getting reps every day trying to perfect what I can perfect on and off the court, be it passing, ball-handling or ball-screen drills, and trying to get stronger,” Mannion said. “I’m working on extending my range. This time off gives us me an opportunity to get better. That’s where I have a little bit of an advantage. I’m watching a lot of film on Steve Nash and Chris Paul. How they use ball screens to get in the lane and finish with floaters.”

Maryland’s Jalen Smith Entering 2020 NBA Draft

April 7th, 2020 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Maryland sophomore forward Jalen Smith is entering the 2020 NBA draft, he announced today in a statement on Twitter.

Although Smith is eligible to test the draft waters without forgoing his college eligibility, his comments makes it sound as if he’s ready to go pro, and Evan Daniels of 247Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the youngster is expected to remain in the draft.

“The time is right for me to move forward to the next phase in my basketball career,” Smith said in his statement after thanking his family, his teammates, Maryland’s coaches and staffers, and Terrapins fans.

In 31 games (31.3 MPG) as a sophomore, Smith averaged a double-double, recording 15.5 PPG and a team-high 10.5 RPG and 2.4 BPG. The 6’10” power forward, who earned spots on the All-Big Ten First Team and the Big Ten All-Defensive team, also showed off an improved three-point shot, converting 36.8% of 87 total attempts from beyond the arc.

Smith is a candidate to come off the board in the first round of this year’s draft. He currently ranks 30th overall on ESPN’s big board, including sixth among power forwards.

UCLA’s Chris Smith, Others Declare For 2020 Draft

April 7th, 2020 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

UCLA junior forward Chris Smith is among the latest early entrants to declare for the 2020 NBA draft, telling Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he’s “100% committed to the process.”

Smith, who was named the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player last month, averaged 13.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.6 APG in 31 games (28.3 MPG), with a shooting line of .458/.341/.840.

Givony, who has Smith coming in at No. 72 on ESPN’s big board for 2020, notes that the UCLA forward is the youngest junior in ESPN’s top 100, since he enrolled in college as a 17-year-old — he just turned 20 in December.

Givony adds that Smith’s age, improving shot, and defensive versatility will make him an intriguing target for NBA teams. However, Smith is the sort of prospect who may have benefited from in-person workouts and interviews, which likely won’t be possible during this year’s pre-draft process, as we detailed on Monday.

Here are a few more of the latest early entrants for the 2020 draft:

Stanford guard Tyrell Terry will test the 2020 draft waters, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Terry, who is ranked by ESPN as the 20th-best freshman prospect, is considered one of the country’s best young shooters, having knocked down 40.8% of his three-pointers and 89.1% of his free throws in 2019/20.
North Carolina State recruit Josh Hall will test the draft waters, he announced on Twitter. Hall, a former standout forward at Moravian Prep, previously re-classified from the 2019 recruiting class to 2020, so he has the option of going pro or joining the Wolfpack for next season.
Utah sophomore swingman Both Gach is declaring for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he tells Evan Daniels of 247Sports (Twitter link). Gach averaged 10.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.9 APG in 27 games (30.4 MPG) as a sophomore, but struggled with his shot, making just 39.7% of his field goals and 25.0% of his threes.

NBA Establishes Guidelines For Virtual Meetings With Prospects

April 6th, 2020 at 7:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NBA teams will be allowed to conduct virtual meetings with 2020 draft prospects but they will be prohibited from in-person workouts, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Teams will also be banned from requesting and watching live video of prospects during the coronavirus pandemic (Twitter links).

Until further notice, teams can conduct up to four hours of virtual meetings per prospect during the predraft process. However, they will be prohibited from meeting for more than two hours a week with any player, Charania adds.

Teams are still restricted from having contact with underclassmen until the early entry list is sent by the NBA, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. The last day for underclassmen to declare is April 26 but the list last year was sent out three days after the deadline, Marks notes.

With practice and training facilities shuttered around the league, front office staff have been holding meetings via video conferences and conference calls. They’ll now be doing the same with potential draft prospects, though it will be more difficult for unheralded players to improve their stock without team workouts.

The draft lottery is still tentatively scheduled for May 19 with the draft itself on June 25. Those dates could obviously change, especially if the league continues to hold out hope of resuming the season.

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2020 NBA Draft

Louisville’s Jordan Nwora Enters 2020 NBA Draft

April 6th, 2020 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Junior Louisville forward Jordan Nwora has elected to add his name to the 2020 NBA draft pool, he confirmed today in a Twitter announcement. Nwora intends to go pro rather than testing the waters while maintaining his college eligibility, as he tells Evan Daniels of 247Sports.

“I really just think and feel that now is the best time for me to reach my dreams and I got to go for it,” Nwora said. “Now is the best time for me. I think I did enough at Louisville and now is the best time for me to go.”

A two-time All-ACC player, Nwora averaged 18.0 PPG and 7.7 RPG in 31 games (33.1 MPG) as a junior, with a solid shooting line of .440/.402/.813. He ranks 39th overall on ESPN’s big board of 2020’s draft prospects, including ninth among power forwards.

Nwora, who tested the draft waters a year ago and participated in the combine before withdrawing his name, is optimistic that he can be a first-round pick in 2020, as he tells Daniels.

“I think I can go anywhere after 20, between 20 and 30 probably if I had to guess,” Nwora said. “With what I do, I think that depending on what teams need, especially with shooting there’s a chance I could go higher, it all depends. … At the end of the day I have confidence in my work ethic and my game. I don’t think there’s anyone else at my position that shoots better than me.”

Draft Decisions: S. Lewis, Armstrong, Camper, Santos-Silva, More

April 6th, 2020 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Florida freshman shooting guard Scottie Lewis had been considered a strong candidate to be drafted this spring, ranking 38th overall on ESPN’s big board. However, Lewis has opted not to declare for the draft, as he confirms to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

“I was so stuck on going to the NBA when I got home, but then I thought long and hard about it and with all the uncertainty about the draft process, and if there will even be a combine and team workouts, I felt like it was the right move to go back to school,” Lewis told Stadium.

As Goodman details, Lewis got feedback from the NBA’s advisory committee, and while he was confident he’d be selected if he entered, he received a wide range of opinions on when exactly he might come off the board. With few opportunities during this year’s pre-draft process to boost his stock, Lewis has opted to play at least one more college season in the hopes of showing individual improvement and enjoying more team success.

“There’s so much more I think I can show, that we can show as a team,” Lewis said. “I want to leave a legacy at Florida. … I’m an optimistic person and no matter where I get drafted, I’m going to work my butt off. But with all this uncertainty, it was best for me to play it safe and put myself in a better position a year from now.”

Although Lewis isn’t entering his name in the 2020 NBA draft pool, several NCAA underclassmen are doing so. In addition to Kentucky guards Tyrese Maxey and Ashton Hagans, whose decisions we covered earlier today, here are some of the recent prospects who will at least test the draft waters:

Terry Armstrong, G, Australia (born 2000) (Twitter link)
Manny Camper, G/F, Siena (junior) (press release)
Joel Ekamba, G, France (born 2001) (link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando)
Mason Faulkner, G, Western Carolina (junior) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium)
Blake Francis, G, Richmond (junior) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium)
Javon Freeman-Liberty, G, Valparaiso (sophomore) (Twitter link)
Jacob Gilyard, G, Richmond (junior) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium)
Grant Golden, F, Richmond (junior) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium)
Nate Hinton, G/F, Houston (sophomore) (Twitter link)
Darius Quisenberry, G, Youngstown State (sophomore) (Twitter link)
Marcus Santos-Silva, F, VCU (junior) (Instagram link)

Potential Lottery Pick Tyrese Maxey Declares For Draft

April 6th, 2020 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey has declared for the NBA draft, per ESPN’s Malika Andrews. The freshman joins fellow Wildcats guard Ashton Hagans, who has also entered the 2020 draft class. Maxey tells Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com that he intends to forgo his remaining eligibility and keep his name in the draft.

“I felt like now that I’ve gone through the process of college and played for a great coach (John Calipari) and I feel like he has prepared me to declare the Draft and move on to the next level,” Maxey said to Daniels.

Maxey was Kentucky’s third-leading scorer in 2019/20, averaging 14.0 PPG in 31 games (34.5 MPG), to go along with 4.3 RPG and 3.2 APG. He recorded a shooting line of .427/.292/.833.

ESPN has Maxey ranked eighth overall on its big board, projecting him to be a versatile two-way combo guard at the NBA level. According to Jonathan Givony, Maxey is an “instinctive scorer who excels in transition” and is very physical defensively, though his shot selection and decision-makers are considered “works in progress.”

Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans Enters 2020 NBA Draft

April 6th, 2020 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

Kentucky guard Ashton Hagans is entering the 2020 NBA draft, he announced on Twitter on Sunday. Although the sophomore could test the waters while retaining his college eligibility, the wording of his statement suggests he’s ready to go pro.

“I just wanted to let you all know that even though I love Kentucky with all of my heart and really wish I could have played for a (championship), it’s time for me to live out my life-long dream and declare for the NBA draft,” he wrote. “It’s been my No. 1 goal since I first picked up a ball to take this step and I know my time is now. It’s so hard for me to say goodbye to the best fans in the world, because these last two years have been some of the best of my life.”

In 2019/20, Hagans averaged 11.5 PPG, 6.4 APG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.9 SPG in 30 games (33.1 MPG) as the Wildcats’ starting point guard.

Although Hagans is a strong candidate to be drafted, ranking 49th on ESPN’s big board, his inconsistent shooting may give some NBA teams pause. As a sophomore, he made just 40.4% of his attempts from the field, including 25.8% from beyond the arc.