2020 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Theo Maledon Declares For Draft

April 5th, 2020 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Potential lottery pick Theo Maledon has submitted paperwork to become eligible for the NBA draft, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Ranked as the 15th best prospect in ESPN’s Top 100, Maledon, 18, plays in the EuroLeague and the French LNB for ASVEL. He is averaging 7.1 points and 2.3 assists in 17 minutes per game and is considered a top candidate for the EuroLeague Rising Star award. Givony notes that Luka Doncic is the only other 18-year-old in the past decade to start the majority of his team’s games in the EuroLeague.

Maledon already has an impressive resume that includes winning a gold medal in the U16 European Championship and serving as captain of the French junior national team that captured a silver medal at the FIBA U17 World Cup. Like the rest of the world, his season is on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he had ASVEL on top of the league at 21-4 when the shutdown began.

“Before COVID-19 stopped basketball, I was looking forward to finishing the EuroLeague season and hopefully winning the LNB Championship,” Maledon said. “Normally, the championship would have run until the second week of June so I would not have much time to train in the U.S. before the draft. Now the landscape has changed, but I have to wait like everyone else to see when and what we are able to do.

“Right now I am doing everything possible at my house to maintain my conditioning. Really all I can do is listen to the experts, the officials, and my team and stay at home. I know this is not what I expected, but knowing I will be in the NBA next year is what I am focused on. One day I will shake Commissioner Silver’s hand.”

Givony notes that Maledon’s assets include exceptional size for at point guard at 6’5″ with a 6’9″ wingspan. He’s considered a good shooter and versatile defender and may have more experience playing against top-level competition than anyone else in the draft.

Draft Notes: Early Entrants, Haliburton, Hayes, Avdija

April 3rd, 2020 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The list of early entrants for the 2020 draft continues to grow, with a trio of guards among the latest underclassmen to announce their intent to test the waters this spring.

Wichita State sophomore guard Dexter Dennis, Colgate junior guard Jordan Burns, and UNC Greensboro junior guard Isaiah Miller all made their draft announcements on Twitter.

Dennis averaged 9.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 28 games (25.8 MPG) for the Shockers in 2019/20; Burns, a former Patriot Tournament MVP, posted 15.8 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 1.7 SPG in 34 games (32.4 MPG) for the Raiders; and Miller recorded a team-high 17.8 PPG to go along with 2.8 SPG as he earned Player of the Year – and Defensive Player of the Year – honors in the Southern Conference.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

Even after the departure of Leon Rose, the head of the agency’s basketball department, Creative Artists Agency is having no problem continuing to fill out its roster with promising young players. CAA announced on Thursday (via Twitter) that projected lottery pick Tyrese Haliburton will be represented by the firm.
Ethan Strauss of The Athletic shares his “unconventional” top five for the 2020 draft, valuing efficiency and production over hype and athleticism and focusing on versatile players who have at least one elite skill. Based on those criteria, French wing Killian Hayes top Strauss’ board, followed by Obi Toppin, Haliburton, Onyeka Okongwu, and Isaac Okoro.
With the help of draft expert Fran Fraschilla, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com takes an in-depth look at Israeli swingman Deni Avdija, who is another candidate to be one of the first five players off the board in the 2020 draft. Fraschilla cautions that Avdija’s shot needs some work, but views him as this year’s top international prospect – above Hayes – and believes he belongs in the upper tier of the draft class.

Draft Notes: White, Collins, Choh, Ball, Toppin

April 2nd, 2020 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Like Arizona State teammate Remy Martin, junior forward Romello White is declaring for the 2020 NBA draft, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, who tweets that White is keeping his options open. In a tweet of his own, White confirmed that he has sought feedback from the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee.

After putting up modest numbers as a sophomore, White had a bounce-back junior year, averaging 10.2 PPG to go along with a team-best 8.8 RPG, and 1.2 BPG in 30 games (28.5 MPG) for the Sun Devils. He’ll have the option of returning for his senior season if he decides to withdraw from the draft pool later in the process.

Here are a few more draft-related notes and updates:

South Florida junior guard David Collins is testing the draft waters, reports Rothstein (Twitter link). Collins was the team’s leading scorer in 2019/20, with 13.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, and 1.8 SPG.
Forward Tamenang Choh is declaring for the draft following his junior season at Brown University, a source tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Choh posted 13.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 3.3 APG, but struggled to score efficiently, with a shooting line of .392/.292/.655.
LaMelo Ball has overtaken Anthony Edwards on Sam Vecenie’s latest big board at The Athletic. Dayton’s Obi Toppin has also moved up in Vecenie’s newest update, coming in at No. 4, behind only Ball, Edwards, and James Wiseman.
Over at SI.com, Jeremy Woo still has Edwards at No. 1 overall in his most recent mock draft, which covers both rounds. Woo isn’t as high as Vecenie on either Ball (No. 5) or Toppin (N0.9).

Draft Decisions: Alston, Mizzou, Diarra, French, More

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

Boise State forward Derrick Alston Jr. has entered his name in the 2020 NBA draft pool, he announced on Twitter. He’ll leave the door open for a possible return to school for his senior season.

Alston, who comes in at No. 98 on ESPN’s big board of 2020 draft prospects, averaged 17.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 32 games (33.0 MPG) in 2019/20. His three-point shooting fell off as his volume increased, dipping from 38.4% as a sophomore to 33.5% as a junior.

Alston’s father, Derrick Alston Sr., is a former NBA player who is currently the head coach of the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate.

Here are more early entrant draft decisions from across the NCAA:

Three Missouri players – sophomore guard Xavier Pinson and junior forwards Mitchell Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon – will test the draft waters, according to a press release from the school. All three played part-time roles for the Tigers in 2019/20, with Pinson averaging 11.1 PPG, good for second-best on the roster.
Jeff Goodman of Stadium reports a pair of early entries, tweeting that Eastern Kentucky sophomore guard Jomaru Brown and Vermont junior guard Stef Smith are declaring. A source expects Smith to return to school, Goodman notes.
According to Goodman (via Twitter), Kansas State junior guard Cartier Diarra is testing the draft waters. If he decides to withdraw, he’ll transfer to Virginia Tech.
Saint Louis junior forward Hasahn French and junior guard Jordan Goodwin are testing the draft waters, according to the school. Goodwin was Saint Louis’ leading scorer with 15.5 PPG, while French chipped in 12.4 PPG. Both players averaged double-doubles, with an impressive 10.4 RPG apiece.
Isiaha Mike (SMU), Nate Pierre-Louis (Temple), Paul Atkinson Jr. (Yale), and Aamir Simms (Clemson) each announced on their personal Twitter accounts that they’re entering the draft while maintaining their NCAA eligibility.

Isaiah Stewart Enters 2020 NBA Draft

April 1st, 2020 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

University of Washington freshman Isaiah Stewart has declared for the 2020 NBA draft, as he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Although Stewart can test the waters while maintaining his remaining college eligibility, the big man sounds prepared to go pro, telling Givony he’ll sign with Roc Nation for representation.

“It feels weird to be declaring for the draft with all this going on,” Stewart told ESPN, referring to the coronavirus pandemic. “I understand that there are bigger issues going on in the world, but I also want to let people know what my plans are. I’m just trying to make this as much of an opportunity as possible and try to gain whatever edge I can.”

In his first college season, Stewart averaged 17.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in 32 games (32.2 MPG) for the Huskies. He projects as a potential first-round pick, ranking 26th overall on ESPN’s big board of 2020 prospects. ESPN also places him third among centers, behind probable lottery selections James Wiseman and Onyeka Okongwu.

In his scouting report on Stewart, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz praises the youngster’s size, frame, and strength, along with his willingness to “do the little things” such as setting hard screens. Schmitz cautions that Stewart struggles to defend on the perimeter and doesn’t have the leaping ability that would make him a great “natural rim protector.”

Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson Entering 2020 Draft

April 1st, 2020 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Ohio State forward/center Kaleb Wesson will test the 2020 NBA draft process, his father Keith Wesson confirmed to Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch. However, as the elder Wesson explained, the possibility of returning to the Buckeyes for another year certainly isn’t out of the question for the junior standout.

“He’ll definitely test the waters, but he’s going to maintain his eligibility based upon information because it’s just so unknown,” Keith said, referring to a pre-draft process that will be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. “There may not be any opportunities to increase your value from the standpoint of workouts and combines and really solidify your position.”

Kaleb, who lost weight and improved his conditioning prior to his junior year, averaged 14.0 PPG and 9.3 RPG in 31 games (29.5 MPG). He also showed off a significantly improved three-point shot, knocking down 42.5% of 3.4 attempts per game.

After testing the draft waters a year ago and withdrawing, Wesson is a stronger candidate to be selected this time around, coming in at No. 54 on ESPN’s big board. However, the uncertainty surrounding the process makes it more likely that he’ll decide to play for Ohio State for one more year.

“Oh, yeah, it definitely increases the chances of coming back,” his father told Jardy. “Nobody knows anything. We’ve talked to several different agents through the process of interviewing and literally none of them know anything. They say the draft is going to be moved back. They don’t know when or if combines or workouts are going to happen or even if the combine will happen.”

Rule Changes, Coronavirus Complicate Draft Process For Early Entrants

March 31st, 2020 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The NCAA adjusted its rules last year to allow early entrants to hire an agent while testing the NBA draft waters, giving those players the chance to maintain their college eligibility if they eventually withdraw from the draft. However, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN explains, the restrictions attached to that rule change and the unusual nature of this year’s pre-draft process will make things more difficult for NCAA underclassmen weighing whether or not to go pro.

In order to maintain his college eligibility, an early entrant testing the waters can’t be represented by an agent who isn’t NCAA-certified. However, as Givony writes, most established NBA agents have opposed the NCAA’s certification process, pointing to its “overly burdensome procedures and oversight.” Only 23 agents are currently NCAA-certified and many of those agents don’t currently represent an NBA player, according to Givony.

NBA agents outside of that group of 23 NCAA-approved reps can still advise early entrants, but they’re prohibited from marketing athletes to professional teams or from providing benefits of any kind, per Givony.

[RELATED: 2020 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]

In other words, dozens of early entrants will have to decide whether to navigate the pre-draft process with a potentially inexperienced agent from the small NCAA-certified group or with a more experienced advisor who can offer limited help due to a lack of NCAA certification. Additionally, given the coronavirus-related uncertainty surrounding the draft, many agents who have NBA clients aren’t actively looking to rep early entrants this spring, Givony notes.

“This is not a time to be adding players to your client list; it’s a time to consolidate,” one agent told ESPN. “I’ll take a no-brainer first-round pick if he falls into my lap, but anything beyond that I’d have to think long and hard about this year. Normally I’d be interested in taking a flier on a kid testing the waters in hopes of developing a relationship for next year, but there’s very little that I can actually do to help someone right now with the amount of uncertainty surrounding the professional basketball world.”

NCAA restrictions related to representation and benefits, combined with an NBA draft calendar that may not include usual events like the combine, will make this year’s pre-draft process more complicated than ever. According to Givony, a number of sources he spoke to were skeptical that players, agents, college coaches, teams, and the NCAA will all be able to comfortably navigate that process. That could result in eligibility issues for college players who test the waters and then want to return to school.

“Are they (the NCAA) really going to forfeit the remaining college eligibility of 90% of the players that come back, including some of the best players in the country?” one college coach asked, per Givony. “This is going to be a total mess that we’ll have to clean up this fall. My guess is some players weren’t aware of the rules, and will end up getting scared they can’t go back, forcing them to leave school and then go undrafted because of this.”

Arizona’s Zeke Nnaji Declares For 2020 Draft

March 31st, 2020 at 12:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 31: Nnaji has confirmed to Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he’s entering the 2020 draft pool. Accoridng to Evan Daniels of 247Sports (Twitter link), the freshman is signing with agent Adam Pensack and intends to forgo his remaining college eligibility.

MARCH 28: Freshman Arizona power forward Zeke Nnaji will declare for the 2020 NBA draft, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Nicola Lupo of Sportando notes that Nnaji is currently slotted as the No. 34 prospect in ESPN’s top-100 list of available college basketball players.

The 6’11”, 240-pound Nnaji was named to the 2019/20 All-Pac-12 Team, as well as the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. The 19-year-old was also honored as the 2019/20 Pac-12 Rooke Of The Year.

Nnaji has averaged 16.1 PPG and 8.6 RPG across 32 games in his lone season for the Wildcats, while shooting 76% from the free throw line and 57% from the field.

Draft Notes: Carr, Martin, Teague, Olaniyi

March 30th, 2020 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

University of Minnesota point guard Marcus Carr is declaring for the draft but won’t hire an agent, Evan Daniels of 247Sports tweets. Carr averaged 15.4 PPG, 6.7 APG and 5.3 RPG in his sophomore season for the Golden Gophers. The 6’2” Carr played one season at Pittsburgh, then sat out a season after transferring.

We have more draft declarations:

Arizona State point guard Remy Martin has entered his name in the draft pool, Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets. Martin averaged 19.1 PPG and 4.1 APG as a junior. The 6’0” Martin is a two-year starter after coming off the bench as a freshman.
Baylor’s MaCio Teague will test the draft waters but he’ll keep his options open, according to his Twitter feed. The 6’3” Teague averaged 13.9 PPG and 4.6 RPG in his junior season. Teague played two seasons at UNC Asheville, then sat out a year after transferring.
Stony Brook’s Elijah Olaniyi is declaring for the draft but won’t hire an agent, he tweets. The 6’5” shooting guard averaged 18.0 PPG and 6.5 RPG in his junior season. Olaniyi has played 91 career games for the Seawolves.

NCAA Basketball Players Won’t Get Extra Year of Eligibility

March 30th, 2020 at 6:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NCAA Division I Council ruled that winter sports athletes will not have their eligibility extended, despite having their seasons shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an NCAA press release.

The decision obviously impacts Division I basketball players, most of whom were preparing for or playing in league tournaments when play was halted. Council members declined to extend eligibility for student-athletes in sports where all or much of their regular seasons were completed.

Seniors now have exhausted their eligibility and won’t have the option of returning to school for another season and a chance to play the NCAA Tournament. The decision shouldn’t have a dramatic impact on the draft with so many potential draft picks being early entrants.

The decision eases the concerns of some college coaches about having an excess of scholarship players due to their commitments with incoming freshmen.

Spring-sport athletes have been granted an additional season of eligibility.