Croatian power forward Roko Prkacin has officially declared for the 2021 NBA draft, according to a report from Uroš Vezonik of Sportando.
Prkacin, who will turn 19 in November, is ranked No. 39 on ESPN’s big board of 2021 prospects. The 6’9″ forward spent the 2020/21 season with KK Cibona in the Adriatic League and played well, averaging 13.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 24 contests (27.7 MPG), with a shooting line of .492/.394/.654.
Prkacin will have until July 19 to decide whether to keep his name in the draft pool or withdraw, but given that he has a strong chance of being selected this summer, I’d be a little surprised if he pulls out.
Here are a few more draft-related items:
- ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) has updated his mock draft to reflect the newest tentative draft order and specific team needs. The Pacers and Warriors, who were eliminated in the final games of the play-in tournament, now project to draft 13th and 14th overall, and Givony has them selecting the top two international prospects in this year’s draft — Josh Giddey to Indiana and Alperen Sengun to Golden State.
- The NBA has let teams know that team and league personnel must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend the June combine in Chicago, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The league will consider exceptions for those who have medical or religious reasons for not being vaccinated, Charania adds. Previous reports stated that negative coronavirus tests would be required for those attending the combine.
- The tiebreakers to determine the lottery standings and the draft order outside of the top 14 will reportedly be conducted early on Tuesday afternoon, so we should have more information for you later today on those results, along with the full pre-lottery draft order. Key tiebreakers include the Thunder vs. the Cavaliers for the No. 4 spot, and the Kings vs. the Pelicans vs. the Bulls for the No. 8 spot, as we outlined last week.
Seriously, what is taking them so long to flip a coin to determine order? Do they think building suspense for a coin flip is going to build better ratings? Are they having a custom coin stamped to commemorate the occasion? I will give them a quarter (any state they want) if they just do it already.
hiflew, you know the NBA, everything is an event. I should know.., I’ve been a Warriors fan since 1987. The draft lottery to determine the top picks was ALWAYS a highlight of my year LOL. I read all the newspapers and tuned in to the halftime in which the lottery occurred every single time.
And then the draft itself, I had to call in sick sometimes… I would never miss it. It was a big deal for me. I’d have the radio on to hear the analysts on ESPN Radio and then the TV on to listen to Jay bilas and Doug Collins and Hubie Brown analyze who the Warriors and other teams picked. Always great fun for the losing teams in my opinion. Instills optimism for the next season, even if it’s false and unrealistic.
I love the lottery. It is the most exciting event that mostly consists of opening envelopes ever. And the draft is great as well. Although it has recently become too much about fashion for me.
But a coin flip? Who knows maybe they could get Stephen A Smith out there to yell at the guy for not flipping the coin correctly and Dick Vitale can be there to praise the guy doing the flipping as long as he went to Duke. Could be interesting I suppose.
Lol, yes. Agreed.
Gary, been a GSW diehard since 91 run-tmc, you definitely know the pain of knowing the draft will be the only interesting thing that happens that season, was the norm for like 30 years, haha
Definitely was rough Marty. A lot of tough years. But that made the last six or seven that much more sweet.
How about Chris Mullin as the GM ruining the team for the future and Don Nelson had to come in and fix it all. Big contracts to Dunleavy and Murphy (and Derek Fisher!) had to ship them off to Indiana and that was the beginning of the good times of 07. Defense of Stephen Jackson and also brought in Baron Davis somehow buying low. That was the only bright spot after Run TMC 91-93.
I remember opening night 92 or so, (93?) the warriors were set with Hardaway, Richmond, Mullen and the two big guys. Gatling, Webber. Then my buddy comes running out of the break room at work.. and this is opening night,
“Hey your warriors made a big trade just now… Mitch Richmond is gone.”
WHAT !!!!!?
Oh man, that Billy Owens trade. There were two major divas in the NBA draft in my childhood, Billy Owens and Danny Ferry. Both refused to go to the teams that drafted them and demanded trades before they ever set foot on an NBA court. I don’t if it is cause & effect or just a coincidence, but those two players became two of the biggest draft busts of the era as well.
I never liked Hardaway, but I always liked Mullin & especially Richmond since his last name was the same as my hometown.
As a kid, I loved watching GSW. Thurmond was my favorite. Was kinda unknown nationally. In 1974 they trade him to Bulls for Cifford Ray and a first round pick. I was angry. They drafted Joe Bryant, father of Kobe. They trade Bryant to 76ers cuz owner Franklin Meuli is cheap. Thurmond gets quadruple in his first Bulls game. It was the first quadruple double ever. I dont even know if there was a name for that yet. So now I’m angrier. Rick Barry leads GSW to the title. Ray was okay but no Thurmond. Barry was probably the least appreciated player of his time. Amazing. Practically single handedly won that title. They underdogs in every playoff series. In finals, they were HUGE underdogs to Washington who had Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld and Phil Chenier. GSW swept them in 4. Then my suffering began. 1980 trade with Celtics was likely worst trade in sports history. GSW traded Robbert Parrish and #3 pick for Celtics 2nd and Ricky Brown. GSW drafts Joe Barry Carroll ahead of Celtics who draft Kevin McHale. Essentially, GSW traded Parrish and McHale for Carroll and Brown. 25 years of suffering before next title.
40 YEARS! duh
Alperen Sengun is an 18 year old 6’10” C project-type, just like Wiseman, so GSW absolutely are not taking him – he is an excellent prospect though, he’s a great pick for a rebuilding team. GSW will be taking the most-NBA ready or highest IQ+ceiling they can, even if that ceiling is only immediate rotation piece.
Strange they would equate the ESPN top 100 list with how teams will draft because it almost never matches that, I know its “best available” but that’s a stupid way to list them because it’s literally never going to happen. At least go off what we know right now.
Yes, correct, i agree Marty. But also, my guess, and it’s just a guess I could be wrong, is that the Warriors do pick the best players available and as I’ve said 100 times, look to deal all this young stuff for a stud.
They say Sengun could be the next Jokic. I doubt they would pass on him if he was there. Some have him goin in the top 10. Great passer and there is a video of him just draining 3-pointer after 3-pointer.
He could also be the next Jan Vesely or Nikolai Tsvikilikili or however you spell it.
I really hate pre-draft comps because it always sets either unrealistic goals or perceived ceilings that may or may not be accurate. The best one I remember was before the 2009 MLB draft. When Mike Trout was drafted, the “expert” writing the analysis gave him a comp of Aaron Rowand. Take all comps with a grain of salt.
@Skute23 That’s the thing with this draft, there’s like 15 guys who could all go top 5, I’m not doubting any of them as future studs, and we are going to see a lot of surprise “falls” simply due to so many high quality prospects here, any of them really could land anywhere with the exception of Suggs probably #1 everywhere. That’s why I think GSW goes for fit first, ceiling second this time around, they are going to get possibly a superior player to Wiseman with either pick or both.
@Gary I think “taking the best possible player” just did not work out for them, as Ball and Hailburton proved much better fits on GSW this year than Wiseman. So this year they will draft based on rotation-readyness and IQ, along with as high a ceiling as possible.
I agree, maybe they will trade the player/pick before or after the draft. Sengun, Mulder and Wiggins for Kawhi? Ha, I’m going to be saying Kawhi’s name all summer I think….
Just remember Bigs always take longer to develop than guards. Wiseman could still become really good. He is only 20 and didn’t get to play college basketball or overseas like the other draft picks did.
Fansided web site came out with a mock draft yesterday. It had gsw drafting Jalen Johnson with the 17th pick.
Look at this report on Jalen Johnson. Doesn’t look good.
link to google.com
I saw. Point of my post though was the mock draft had them drafting 17th. Gotta love mock drafts.
Right !!
Romp is a player. I like him a lot. He’s a big SF to me. Knicks should be looking at him. He’d be a steal in the 2nd rd. Definitely 20-30.
Roko ….