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2021 NBA Draft

Franz Wagner Enters 2021 NBA Draft

May 4th, 2021 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Michigan sophomore wing Franz Wagner has decided to enter the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility. The program issued a press release announcing the decision, and Wagner also wrote a piece on The Players’ Tribune about it.

“I’ll be honest … I’m definitely feeling a lot of emotions about it,” Wagner wrote of his decision to go pro. “I’m hopeful, more than anything — as playing in the NBA has been a big dream of mine. It’s something I’ve been working extremely hard for. And after talking with my coaches and my family, I know it’s something I’m ready for. From a basketball perspective, this is the move for me to make right now. Plus, I mean, if Moe (older brother Moritz Wagner) can play in the league — obviously they’ll take anyone.”

Wagner, who played for Alba Berlin and SSV Lokomotive Bernau in Germany before his two years with the Wolverines, averaged 12.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 3.0 APG on .477/.343/.835 shooting in 28 games (31.7 MPG) in 2020/21.

As Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN notes, Wagner – who comes in at No. 9 on ESPN’s big board – was considered the highest-rated prospect who had yet to declare for the draft. Wagner was also the ninth pick in ESPN’s most recent mock draft (Insider link).

Over 110 college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are now expected to enter the draft, as our tracker shows. That number figures to keep growing in the next few weeks, before eventually decreasing when the withdrawal deadline approaches.

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Draft Notes: Griffin, Robinson, Stevenson, More

May 3rd, 2021 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Syracuse swingman Alan Griffin won’t be returning to the Orange for his senior year, having opted to go pro and forgo his remaining college eligibility. Griffin announced the decision in a video on Twitter, as Mike Waters of Syracuse.com relays.

After spending two years at Illinois, Griffin transferred to Syracuse for his junior season and emerged as a starter, averaging 13.3 PPG 5.8 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in 28 games (29.3 MPG).

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

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Draft Notes: Carton, Ramey, Culver, International Prospects

April 29th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Marquette sophomore guard D.J. Carton has decided to enter the 2021 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility, the program announced in a press release.

Carton, who transferred to Marquette after spending his freshman year at Ohio State, averaged 13.0 points and 3.4 assists per game in 27 contests (31.1 MPG) in 2020/21. However, he struggled with his three-point shot, making just 28.2% of his attempts after knocking down 40.0% as a freshman. He also turned the ball over 3.2 times per game.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

  • Texas junior guard Courtney Ramey announced on Instagram that he’ll test the draft waters. Ramey averaged 12.2 PPG and 3.9 APG in 26 games (33.5 MPG) for the Longhorns in 2020/21.
  • As 247Sports.com first reported and as Schuyler Callihan of SI.com further details, West Virginia forward/center Derek Culver has decided to leave school and go pro, forgoing his senior year. He put up 14.3 PPG and 9.4 RPG in 29 games (26.3 MPG) for the Mountaineers as a junior.
  • It has been more challenging than ever for NBA teams to scout international prospects in person this year, but there are a handful of players overseas generating buzz as potential first-round picks. Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) and John Hollinger of The Athletic both took a closer look at some of those top international prospects, with a focus on intriguing Turkish big man Alperen Sengun.
  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report identifies three realistic targets for each NBA team with a first-round pick, based on their needs and where they’ll likely be drafting.
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2020/21 NBA Reverse Standings Update

April 28th, 2021 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the 2020/21 NBA season, Hoops Rumors is maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on the tentative 2021 draft order. Our 2020/21 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, is updated daily to reflect the outcomes of the previous night’s games.

Our Reverse Standings are essentially a reflection of what 2021’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. We’ve noted each club’s odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick, based on the league’s current lottery format.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Draft Lottery]

In instances where two non-playoff teams or two playoff teams have identical records, the order in our standings isn’t necessarily definitive — for draft purposes, the NBA breaks ties via random drawings, so those drawings would happen at the end of the year.

Of course, the 14 non-playoff teams all draft before the 16 playoff teams, even if some non-playoff teams have better records than those that made the postseason. Our reverse standings account for playoff seeding, though for now they assume that the Nos. 7 and 8 teams in each conference will earn those final two postseason spots. Since the NBA’s new play-in format opens the door for the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds to sneak into the postseason, we may have to account for a little movement in the draft order at season’s end.

Traded first-round picks are included via footnotes. For example, the note next to Portland’s pick says the Trail Blazers will send their pick to the Rockets if it’s not in the top 14. As of today, the Blazers’ pick projects to be 19th, meaning Houston would receive it.

Those same Rockets are currently in the driver’s seat at the “top” of our reverse standings — their current 4-37 run has dropped their overall record to 15-47, giving them a comfortable 3.5-game “lead” over the league’s next-worst teams, the Magic (18-43) and Timberwolves (19-44).

The league’s bottom three teams will all have an equal chance at the No. 1 overall pick (14.0%) and a top-four selection (52.1%), and the Rockets and Wolves will be especially invested in claiming one of those top lottery positions. Minnesota will send its first-round pick to Golden State if it falls outside of the top three, while Houston will have to swap its own pick for a lesser first-rounder (Miami’s) if it lands outside of the top four.

The Thunder, currently fifth in the lottery standings at 21-41, will also be worth watching closely on lottery night, since they control that Miami pick and the potential Rockets swap. The Thunder’s dream scenario would be moving into the top four themselves, bumping out Houston and claiming a pair of top-five picks.

Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protections will be changing hands in 2021. So be sure to check back often as the season progresses!

Note: Mobile users are advised to turn their phones sideways when viewing the Reverse Standings in order to see team records and lottery odds.

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Possible Lottery Pick Josh Giddey Will Enter 2021 Draft

April 27th, 2021 at 7:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

7:10pm: Giddey confirmed the news on his official Instagram page in a lengthy post.

6:17pm: Agents Daniel Moldovan and Alex Saratsis of Octagon Sports have announced that Adelaide 36ers guard Josh Giddey will enter the 2021 NBA draft, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The 6’8″ Giddey is currently ranked as the No. 13 prospect on ESPN’s big board, fourth among shooting guards. Across 21 games with Adelaide during the 2020/21 season, the ball-handling guard posted averages of 10.9 PPG, 7.1 APG and 6.9 RPG and 1.2 SPG in the Australian NBL, on .411/.308/.686 shooting.

“The 36ers have done a great job developing me, and have put a lot of work into my game over the entire time I’ve been here,” Giddey said in an announcement. “My teammates and the coaching staff here in Adelaide have helped my game reach a new level, and that’s only given me more confidence that this is the right decision for me.”

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Draft Notes: Mathurin, Bagley, Preston, Morales, Lawson

April 26th, 2021 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bennedict Mathurin has decided to stay with Arizona for another season, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. Mathurin, who had been ranked No. 58 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list, is projected as a top-20 pick next year. Mathurin averaged 10.8 PPG in 25.0 MPG for the Wildcats and started 12 of 25 games as a freshman. His perimeter shooting is his strength (41.8% on 3-point attempts).

We have more draft news:

  • Arizona State’s Marcus Bagley will keep his name in the draft for the time being but he’s also entered the transfer portal, according to another Givony tweet. A small forward, Bagley is ranked No. 27 by ESPN. The 6’8” Bagley averaged 10.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG in his freshman year, though he only appeared in 12 games due to leg and ankle injuries.
  • Ohio’s Jason Preston will test the draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets. The junior guard averaged 15.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 7.3 APG this past season.
  • Wagner senior guard Alex Morales will also enter his name in the draft while maintaining college eligibility, according to a school press release. The Northeast Conference Player of the Year, Morales averaged 16.8 PPG , 7.2 RPG and 4.3 APG in his second season with the Seahawks.
  • South Carolina swingman A.J. Lawson has chosen to enter his name in the draft, according to his Twitter feed. Lawson averaged 16.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 1.2 APG in his junior year.
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Draft Notes: Edwards, Alatishe, Cunningham, Mobley, More

April 23rd, 2021 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Pepperdine junior forward Kessler Edwards has decided to enter his name into the 2021 NBA draft pool, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. While Edwards is maintaining his college eligibility for now, he expects to ultimately keep his name in the draft.

“I don’t think there’s a number in particular that I need to stay in the draft,” he told ESPN. “I’m hoping to receive interest from multiple teams and assurances that I would getting a solid deal and not end up being a free agent that no one picks up. I’m planning on going pro, going through this thing. I feel like most of these teams haven’t seen me in person and the work I’m doing getting ready in terms of my body, measurements and how I play on the court.”

Edwards, who is the No. 48 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board, has an intriguing combination of size, defensive versatility, and outside shooting that appeals to NBA teams, says Givony. In 27 games (33.9 MPG) in 2020/21, Edwards averaged 17.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG on .491/.378/.876 shooting.

Let’s round up a few more draft-related items…

  • Oregon State junior forward Warith Alatishe has decided to test the draft waters, a source tells Givony (Twitter link). The MVP of this year’s Pac-12 tournament, Alatishe averaged 9.5 PPG and 8.6 RPG in 33 games (27.4 MPG) for the Beavers in 2020/21.
  • Even though Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs had more memorable runs in the NCAA tournament, scouts and evaluators still widely view Cade Cunningham as this year’s probable No. 1 pick, writes Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Mobley, Suggs, and Jalen Green are very likely to be the next three players off the board, though there’s still no consensus on the order, according to Wasserman, who says Mobley may have the slight edge at No. 2.
  • Within the same story, Wasserman examines the mixed opinions that evaluators have about a handful of draft prospects, including Davion Mitchell, Josh Christopher, and Cameron Thomas. He also suggests that Florida State forward RaiQuan Gray is a potential riser to watch during the pre-draft process, adding that Gray looks like a top-40 pick.
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Kentucky’s Terrence Clarke Dies Following Car Accident

April 23rd, 2021 at 6:41am CST by Luke Adams

Kentucky shooting guard Terrence Clarke passed away on Thursday after sustaining fatal injuries during a car accident in Los Angeles, the University of Kentucky confirmed in a statement. Clarke was 19 years old.

WKYT in Kentucky reported that Clarke, who had declared for the 2021 NBA draft and was a potential second-round pick (ranked 72nd on ESPN’s board), had worked out with Wildcats teammate Brandon Boston Jr. before the accident occurred on Thursday afternoon.

The Valley Traffic Division of Los Angeles Police said that Clarke was the only person in the car at the time of the crash, per WKYT. He ran a red light going “at a very high rate of speed,” collided with another vehicle, then ran into a street pole and a block wall, according to police. Clarke was pronounced dead after being transported to Northridge Hospital.

“I am absolutely gutted and sick tonight,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said in a statement. “A young person who we all love has just lost his life too soon, one with all of his dreams and hopes ahead of him. Terrence Clarke was a beautiful kid, someone who owned the room with his personality, smile and joy. People gravitated to him, and to hear we have lost him is just hard for all of us to comprehend right now. We are all in shock.”

Clarke only played in eight games for Kentucky as a freshman in 2020/21, as an ankle injury sidelined him for much of the college season. However, he was prepared to go pro, having signed with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports for representation.

“We are saddened and devastated by the tragic loss of Terrence Clarke,” Paul said in a statement, per ESPN. “Terrence was an incredible, hard-working young man. He was excited for what was ahead of him and ready to fulfill his dreams. Our prayers go out to Terrence and his family, who ask for privacy during this difficult time.”

Clarke grew up in Boston and had established with relationships with a handful of NBA players, including Celtics stars Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. They were hit hard on Thursday by the news of the 19-year-old’s passing.

“I did (know him), yes,” Walker said (via ESPN). “Yes, I did. Very well. Very well. Very, very, very tough. Very tough news, man. He’s a very, very good kid. Just always smiling, always energetic. And he was about to get his opportunity, too. My condolences to his family.”

We at Hoops Rumors also send our condolences to Clarke’s family and friends.

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Draft Notes: Juzang, Primo, Santos, Garrett

April 21st, 2021 at 9:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Breakout NCAA Tournament star Johnny Juzang has decided to test the draft waters, he revealed in a Twitter post. Juzang averaged 22.8 PPG in six tournament games to carry the 11th-seeded UCLA Bruins to the Final Four. The 6’7” Juzang will keep his options open by maintaining his college eligibility. He’s currently rated No. 50 on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft news:

  • Alabama freshman wing Joshua Primo, like Juzang, will explore his draft prospects while maintaining his college eligibility, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony relays. Primo, who also announced his decision on social media, was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team after averaging 8.1 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 22 MPG while shooting 38% from distance. He’ll stay in the draft if teams inform him that he’ll go in the first round, he told Givony. He’s ranked No. 38 by ESPN.
  • Brazilian forward Gui Santos has submitted the required paperwork to enter the draft, Givony writes in a separate story. The 6’8”, 18-year-old forward is averaging 8.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 1.7 APG while shooting 37% from deep for Brazil’s Minas Tenis Clube. He was not originally expected to enter this year’s draft but positive feedback from teams and the removal of NBA travel restrictions for scouting purposes convinced him to determine if he might get drafted.
  • Kansas’ Marcus Garrett has declared for the draft and will not use his extra year of eligibility, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. The point guard is ranked No. 86 by ESPN. He averaged 11.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 3.7 APG this past season.
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Draft Notes: Hyland, Cockburn, Mobley, Wheeler, More

April 20th, 2021 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

VCU guard Nah’Shon Hyland has opted to declare for the 2021 NBA draft and will sign with an agent, signaling his decision to go pro, he announced this weekend on Twitter.

The 20-year-old known as “Bones” had a breakout sophomore year in 2020/21, averaging 19.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.9 SPG with a shooting line of .447/.371/.862 in 24 games (31.9 MPG). The performance earned him Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors. Hyland currently ranks 68th on ESPN’s big board, making him a borderline candidate to be drafted in July.

Here are a few more draft updates:

  • Illinois sophomore center Kofi Cockburn, who tested the draft waters a year ago, has once again declared for the draft, he announced on Twitter. Cockburn, who averaged 17.7 PPG and 9.5 RPG in 31 games (27.0 MPG) in 2020/21, didn’t explicitly state that he’s forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, but his statement strongly suggests that.
  • Like his brother Evan, USC sophomore forward Isaiah Mobley will enter the 2021 NBA draft, he announced on Twitter. While Evan – a probable top-four pick – is definitely going pro, Isaiah will test the draft waters, maintaining his college eligibility throughout the process.
  • Georgia sophomore guard Sahvir Wheeler is entering the NCAA transfer portal and will simultaneously test the draft waters, he told Jonathan Givony of ESPN. A member of the All-SEC Second Team in 2021, Wheeler averaged 14.0 PPG and 7.4 APG this season, and is considered one of the best passers in the NCAA, says Givony. However, his 115 turnovers were the second-most among D1 players.
  • Auburn forward Allen Flanigan, a projected second-round pick, has decided to return to school for his junior season rather than entering the draft, he tells Givony. “The tremendous unwavering support these fans and university show is one of a kind and one of the best in the country,” Flanigan said. “The NBA has always been my lifelong dream and goal, but I couldn’t pass up being a part of something special.”
  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his big board for the 2021 NBA draft, writing that you could make a reasonable case for any of Evan Mobley, Jalen Green, or Jalen Suggs as the No. 2 player in this year’s class. Wasserman ultimately gives Green that spot, with Cade Cunningham continuing to hold the No. 1 place on the board.
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