2023 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Amen, Ausar Thompson Declare For 2023 NBA Draft

April 21st, 2023 at 5:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Projected lottery picks Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson — identical twin brothers who played for the City Reapers of the Overtime Elite league — have declared for the 2023 NBA draft, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

Amen is currently ranked No. 4 on ESPN’s big board ahead of June’s draft, while Ausar, who was born one minute after Amen, is ranked just behind him at No. 5.

Although they share many traits, including top-notch athleticism, terrific frames, and excellent defense, they also have some differences. According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Amen is considered a lead guard due to his superior passing and ball-handling, while Ausar is more of a wing — he’s stronger, faster and a better shooter.

The Thompson twins are the latest draft early entrants to declare ahead of Sunday’s deadline. Projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama formally entered the draft on Friday as well.

Draft Notes: Phillips, James, Vukcevic, Hifi, Alexander, More

April 21st, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of Tennessee prospects will enter the 2023 NBA draft while preserving their remaining NCAA eligibility, Vols head coach Rick Barnes told reporters on Thursday. As Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports relays (via Twitter), freshman forward Julian Phillips and senior wing Josiah-Jordan James both intend to test the draft waters.

Phillips, the No. 52 player on ESPN’s big board, had an underwhelming freshman season, averaging just 8.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG on .411/.239/.822 shooting in 32 games (24.1 MPG). However, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony suggests Phillips has good size and length for his position and has the frame of a prototypical small forward. He could boost his stock with strong workouts this spring, but may benefit from another year in college, Givony adds.

James, meanwhile, averaged 10.0 PPG and 4.7 RPG with a .372/.313/.861 shooting line in his fourth year at Tennessee. He ranks 61st on ESPN’s board, with Givony lauding his toughness and defensive versatility, but is far from a lock to be drafted if he opts to go pro.

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

Tristan Vukcevic, a 20-year-old forward/center playing for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia, has declared for the draft, a source tells Givony (Twitter link). Vukcevic is a talented three-point shooter who is a candidate to be drafted in the second round, currently ranking 53rd overall on ESPN’s top 100.
Nadir Hifi, a 20-year-old French-Algerian wing having a big year for Le Portel in LNB Pro A (France’s top league), is entering the draft, agent Olivier Mazet tells Givony (Twitter link). Hifi comes in at No. 78 on ESPN’s board.
Creighton sophomore guard Trey Alexander will test the draft waters this spring, he announced on Twitter. Alexander boosted his numbers across the board in his second college season, averaging 13.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.6 APG with an impressive .410 3PT% in 37 games (32.1 MPG). He’s the No. 89 prospect on ESPN’s list.
Auburn senior forward Jaylin Williams (Twitter link via Rothstein), Pitt redshirt junior guard Blake Hinson (press release), and UConn senior guard Tristen Newton (Instagram link) are among the other early entrants who have recently declared for the draft. All three will test the waters while maintaining their NCAA eligibility.

Victor Wembanyama Officially Enters 2023 NBA Draft

April 21st, 2023 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Projected No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama has entered the 2023 NBA draft, he announced today during an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today (link via ESPN’s Jonathan Givony).

“Declaring for the draft…it’s something crazy I’m not realizing yet,” Wembanyama told ESPN. “I realized pretty young I wanted to play in the NBA but it becomes a reality more every day. I’m so lucky to have this dream within the reach of my hand.”

The announcement is a formality, since Wembanyama has long been considered the top prospect in the 2023 draft class. In fact, the 7’5″ French phenom has widely been viewed as the NBA’s best prospect since LeBron James entered the league 20 years ago.

Playing this season for the Metropolitans 92 in France as a 19-year-old, Wembanyama has averaged 21.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, and 2.3 assists in 32.2 minutes per game across 29 LNB Pro A appearances. He has led the club to a 19-10 record, good for second place in France’s top basketball league, and is the favorite to earn MVP honors.

Wembanyama’s combination of size and length, as well as his shooting and rim protecting ability, makes him a unique prospect whom every lottery team would love to build around.

The draft lottery, which will be known this year as the Wembanyama sweepstakes, will take place on May 16.

James Nnaji, Bilal Coulibaly Entering 2023 NBA Draft

April 20th, 2023 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Barcelona center James Nnaji has submitted the paperwork necessary to make himself eligible for the 2023 NBA draft, his agents, Gerard Raventos and Deirunas Visockas of YouFirst/Tandem Sports, tell Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Nnaji is a projected first-round pick, currently ranked No. 24 on ESPN’s big board. According to Givony, Nnaji is the second-youngest player projected to be selected in June, as he won’t turn 19 years old until August.

Barcelona, which is currently atop the standings in the Spanish ACB league and ranks second in the EuroLeague, features several former NBA players on its roster, which is why Nnaji’s role has been modest. However, he is considered one of the top athletes in the class, standing 6’11” with a 7’5″ wingspan, Givony notes.

The young Nigerian only started playing basketball in 2016, Givony writes, making him something of a late bloomer. Barcelona’s season could extend into late June, so Nnaji’s agents are trying to work with the team so he can conduct interviews and workouts with NBA clubs, Givony adds.

Another possible first-rounder, French wing Bilal Coulibaly, is entering the draft, he tells Givony. Coulibaly is a teammate of projected No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama on Metropolitans 92, and is currently ranked No. 26 on ESPN’s board.

“The NBA has always been a dream of mine, and now it’s a goal,” Coulibaly said. “It’s the natural next step in my evolution.”

Like Nnaji, Coulibaly is one the youngest players in the class — he turns 19 at the end of July. According to Givony, Coulibaly was a relative unknown as recently as last year, but he had an enormous growth spurt in the past couple years — going from 5’11” to 6’8″ — and has impressed scouts this season with his defense and guard skills.

As Givony writes, both players will have until June 12 to decide whether or not to keep their names in the draft — that’s the withdrawal deadline for international early entrants. Givony believes Coulibaly could be a potential top-10 pick in 2024 based on his upward trajectory.

Draft Notes: Bona, Walsh, Nelson, Broome

April 19th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

UCLA big man Adem Bona has decided to test the 2023 NBA draft waters after wrapping up his freshman season, he tells ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. He’ll maintain his remaining NCAA eligibility during the process.

Bona had a promising year in 2022/23, averaging 7.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 22.9 MPG (33 games) for the Bruins, earning Pac-12 All-Defensive and Rookie of the Year honors. He’s the No. 45 player on ESPN’s big board, making him a solid candidate to be drafted.

However, Bona injured his shoulder in the Pac-12 tournament last month, then aggravated the injury during the NCAA tournament. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum and isn’t expected to fully recover until the fall, Givony writes.

Bona will be able to go through interviews with NBA teams during the pre-draft process, but will be unable to conduct full workouts, so it remains to be seen whether he’ll opt to keep his name in the draft pool or withdraw and return to school for his sophomore year.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

Freshman forward Jordan Walsh has decided to test the NBA draft waters following his first college season at Arkansas, he tells Curtis Wilkerson of HawgSports.com. The No. 51 prospect on ESPN’s board, Walsh started 22 of 36 games as a freshman for the Razorbacks, averaging 7.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.1 SPG while playing strong, versatile defense.
North Dakota State junior power forward Grant Nelson is entering the draft while preserving his remaining NCAA eligibility, he announced on Instagram. A member of the All-Summit first team and the conference’s All-Defensive team in 2022/23, Nelson averaged 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds in 30 games (30.7 MPG). He ranks 94th on ESPN’s list of 2023 prospects.
Auburn junior forward Johni Broome is testing the NBA draft waters for a second straight year, he announced on Instagram. Broome transferred to Auburn after two standout seasons at Morehead State, where he was named the Ohio Valley Conference’s Rookie of the Year in 2021 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. He averaged 14.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 2.4 BPG in 33 games (26.5 MPG) as a junior with the Tigers.

French Prospect Rayan Rupert Declares For 2023 NBA Draft

April 19th, 2023 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

French wing Rayan Rupert has declared for the 2023 NBA draft as an early entrant, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 18-year-old is viewed as a possible lottery pick, according to Givony, who has him ranked 17th overall on ESPN’s big board of 2023 prospects.

Rupert signed with the New Zealand Breakers of Australia’s National Basketball League prior to the 2022/23 season as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program. A broken wrist sidelined him for two months starting in November, but when healthy, he showed some promise as a three-point shooter, including knocking down 10-of-16 threes during the NBL Blitz tournament in the fall, Givony writes.

While Rupert’s overall numbers, including 6.6 points per game on 36.4% shooting, were underwhelming, NBA teams are intrigued by his size – 6’7″ with a 7’3″ wingspan – as well as his maturity and his unselfish playing style, per Givony.

Rupert, who says he can “change the game” with his defense, named Nets forward Mikal Bridges as an NBA player he models himself after, adding that the year he spent in the NBL helped him grow his game.

“The NBL is a good league for young players,” Rupert said. “They play fast like in the NBA. The Breakers helped me become a better player and person, competing against pros every day. It was a good decision for me to play in the NBL. I had to earn my minutes, focus on my defense, learn how to play off the ball, become a smarter player and use my IQ to impact the game.”

Andre Jackson, Zach Edey Among Draft’s Latest Early Entrants

April 18th, 2023 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

UConn junior guard Andre Jackson has opted to enter his name in the 2023 NBA draft pool and will test the waters, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

[RELATED: 2023 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]

Jackson, who started 31 of 36 games for the national champions in 2022/23, averaged just 6.7 points per game with a modest .432/.281/.646 shooting line. However, he chipped in 6.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.1 SPG while playing strong defense.

According to Wojnarowski, team executives believe Jackson’s play in the NCAA tournament boosted his stock and view him as a borderline first-round pick if he remains in the draft. The junior is currently the No. 30 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board for 2023.

In addition to Jackson, Purdue center Zach Edey also announced today that he’ll test the draft waters without forgoing his remaining college eligibility (Twitter link).

Unlike Jackson, who is considered a promising NBA prospect despite underwhelming scoring numbers at the college level, Edey was an NCAA star, earning National Player of the Year honors after averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 31.7 minutes per game across 34 starts as a junior for the Boilermakers.

However, there are questions about Edey’s NBA ceiling due to his lack of lack of agility and versatility on defense, Jonathan Givony of ESPN writes in his scouting report. The 7’4″ Edey still ranks 49th overall on ESPN’s board, but is referred to by Givony as a “Boban Marjanovic-style player” unless he can add some range to his jump shot.

Finally, Adam Flagler, who won a national championship with Baylor in 2021, is also declaring for the 2023 draft, per Givony (Twitter link). The redshirt senior guard only ranks 74th overall on ESPN’s board, but is coming off a strong 2022/23 season in which he posted 15.6 PPG and 4.6 APG while making 40.0% of his three-pointers.

Flagler has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining, but neither Givony’s report nor his own Instagram announcement indicates whether he plans to forgo that final year or keep the door open to return to school. When he withdrew from last year’s draft, his comments strongly hinted that he planned to go pro in 2023.

2023 NBA Draft Lottery Odds

April 17th, 2023 at 4:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA will be using its revamped lottery system for the fifth time this year. The format, instituted in 2019, smoothed out the odds for top picks, reducing the league’s worst team’s chance of getting the No. 1 selection from 25.0% to 14.0%.

The changes had an immediate impact in 2019, when the Pelicans and Grizzlies were tied for the seventh-best lottery odds, but jumped up to No. 1 and 2, respectively, allowing them to land Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.

In 2020, the Bulls and Hornets landed picks in the top four despite entering lottery night with the seventh- and eighth-best odds, respectively. That stroke of luck was especially meaningful in Charlotte, where the Hornets were able to land LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 pick.

The lottery results in 2021 and 2022 featured fewer surprises, though the seventh team in the lottery standings did move up to No. 4 in both years, allowing the Raptors to nab Scottie Barnes in 2021 and the Kings to select Keegan Murray in 2022.

Perhaps, after a couple relatively by-the-numbers lottery outcomes in a row, we’ll see a more significant shake-up in 2023. This year’s draft lottery will take place on Tuesday, May 16.

With the help of data from Tankathon.com – which is worth checking out for all sorts of draft-related info – the draft lottery odds for 2023 are listed in the chart below.

The numbers in the chart indicate percentages, so the Pistons‘ pick, for instance, has a 14% chance of becoming the No. 1 selection and a 47.9% chance of ending up at No. 5. If a team’s odds are listed as >0, that percentage is below 0.1%.

Here’s the full chart (if you’re on our mobile site or app and can’t see the whole thing, try turning your phone sideways):

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
DET	14	13.4	12.7	12	47.9	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
HOU	14	13.4	12.7	12	27.8	20	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
SAS	14	13.4	12.7	12	14.8	26	7	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
CHA	12.5	12.2	11.9	11.5	7.2	25.7	16.7	2.2	–	–	–	–	–	–
POR	10.5	10.5	10.6	10.5	2.2	19.6	26.7	8.7	0.6	–	–	–	–	–
ORL	9	9.2	9.4	9.6	–	8.6	29.8	20.6	3.7	0.1	–	–	–	–
IND	6.8	7.1	7.5	7.9	–	–	19.7	35.6	12.9	1.4	>0	–	–	–
WSH	6.7	7.0	7.4	7.8	–	–	–	32.9	31.1	6.6	0.4	>0	–	–
UTH	4.5	4.8	5.2	5.7	–	–	–	–	50.7	25.9	3	0.1	>0	–
DAL	3	3.3	3.6	4	–	–	–	–	–	65.9	19	1.2	>0	>0
CHI	1.8	2.0	2.2	2.5	–	–	–	–	–	–	77.6	13.5	0.4	>0
OKC	1.7	1.9	2.1	2.4	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	85.2	6.7	0.1
TOR	1.0	1.1	1.2	1.4	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	92.9	3.3
NOP	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.7	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	97.6

Notes:

The Mavericks‘ pick will be sent to the Knicks if it lands outside the top 10.
The Bulls‘ pick will be sent to the Magic if it lands outside the top four.

The full pre-lottery 2023 draft order can be found right here.

2023 Pre-Lottery NBA Draft Order

April 17th, 2023 at 4:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA conducted its draft tiebreakers on Monday, further cementing the draft order for 2023. While we’ll have to wait until the May 16 draft lottery to learn the exact order for this year’s event, we now know what most of the 58 selections look like.

Listed below is the pre-lottery 2023 NBA draft order. Each lottery team’s chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick are noted in parentheses. We’ve also included notes for picks whose status remains up in the air — for example, Chicago’s first-round pick could still technically end up with either the Bulls or Magic, while the Celtics‘, Pacers‘, and Thunder‘s exact second-round picks have yet to be locked in.

[RELATED: 2023 NBA Draft Lottery Odds]

The second-round draft order for teams with identical regular season records is the inverse of their first-round order. This rule applies even when one club made the playoffs and one didn’t. For instance, the 42-40 Timberwolves will pick ahead of the 42-40 Pelicans in the second round (though neither team still controls its pick).

We’ll provided an updated list after the May 16 lottery, once the official draft order is set, but here’s the tentative 2023 NBA draft order:

First Round:

Detroit Pistons (14.0%)
Houston Rockets (14.0%)
San Antonio Spurs (14.0%)
Charlotte Hornets (12.5%)
Portland Trail Blazers (10.5%)
Orlando Magic (9.0%)
Indiana Pacers (6.8%)
Washington Wizards (6.7%)
Utah Jazz (4.5%)
Dallas Mavericks (3.0%)
- Note: The Knicks will receive this pick if it falls out of the top 10.
Orlando Magic (from Bulls) (1.8%)
- Note: The Bulls will retain this pick if it moves into the top four.
Oklahoma City Thunder (1.7%)
Toronto Raptors (1.0%)
New Orleans Pelicans (0.5%)
Atlanta Hawks
Utah Jazz (from Timberwolves)
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets (from Clippers)
Brooklyn Nets (from Suns)
Brooklyn Nets
Portland Trail Blazers (from Knicks)
Sacramento Kings
Memphis Grizzlies
Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)
Charlotte Hornets (from Nuggets)
Utah Jazz (from Sixers)
Indiana Pacers (from Celtics)
Los Angeles Clippers (from Bucks)

Second Round:

Detroit Pistons
San Antonio Spurs
- Note: This pick would move to No. 33 if the Spurs end up with a higher first-round pick than the Rockets via the lottery.
Boston Celtics (from Rockets)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 32 and would be sent to the Pacers if the Spurs end up with a higher first-round pick than the Rockets via the lottery.
Charlotte Hornets
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Trail Blazers)
- Note: This pick would be sent to the Celtics if the Spurs end up with a higher first-round pick than the Rockets via the lottery.
Orlando Magic
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Wizards)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 38 if the Wizards end up with a higher first-round pick than the Pacers via the lottery.
Sacramento Kings (from Pacers)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 37 if the Wizards end up with a higher first-round pick than the Pacers via the lottery.
Charlotte Hornets (from Jazz)
Denver Nuggets (from Mavericks)
Charlotte Hornets (from Thunder)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 42 if the Thunder end up with a higher first-round pick than the Bulls via the lottery.
Washington Wizards (from Bulls)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 41 if the Thunder end up with a higher first-round pick than the Bulls via the lottery.
Portland Trail Blazers (from Hawks)
San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)
Memphis Grizzlies (from Timberwolves)
Atlanta Hawks (from Pelicans)
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Clippers
Cleveland Cavaliers (from Warriors)
Indiana Pacers (from Heat)
- Note: This pick would be sent to the Thunder if the Spurs end up with a higher first-round pick than the Rockets via the lottery.
Brooklyn Nets
Phoenix Suns
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Knicks)
Sacramento Kings
Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)
Memphis Grizzlies
~~Chicago Bulls (from Nuggets)~~
- Note: The Bulls forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
~~Philadelphia 76ers~~
- Note: The Sixers forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
Washington Wizards (from Celtics)
Milwaukee Bucks

2023 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results

April 17th, 2023 at 4:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tiebreakers among teams with identical regular-season records were broken on Monday through random drawings to determine the order for this year’s draft prior to the lottery.

The results of the drawings were as follows:

The Rockets (No. 2) won a tiebreaker with the Spurs (No. 3).
- Note: The lottery odds remain the same for both teams. The Rockets will draft ahead of the Spurs if neither lands in the top four.
The Pacers (No. 7) won a tiebreaker with the Wizards (No. 8).
- Note: The Pacers will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Wizards.
The Bulls (No. 11) won a tiebreaker with the Thunder (No. 12).
- Note: The Bulls will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Thunder. Chicago’s pick will be conveyed to the Magic if it doesn’t move into the top four.
The Heat (No. 18) won a tiebreaker with the Warriors (No. 19, who won a tiebreaker with the Clippers (No. 20).
- Note: The Clippers’ pick will be conveyed to the Rockets.
The Suns (No. 21) won a tiebreaker with the Nets (No. 22).
- Note: The result is negligible for the first round, since the Suns’ pick was traded to the Nets.
The Grizzlies (No. 25) won a tiebreaker with the Cavaliers (No. 26).
- Note: The Cavaliers’ pick will be conveyed to the Pacers.

In the case of tiebreakers, second round order is the reverse of first round order except for the lottery teams. In that case, the second-round order could still change, depending on which team finishes higher in the lottery.

In the case of the three-way tie at 18-20, the Clippers will pick first in the second round at No. 48, followed by the Warriors at No. 49 and the Heat at No. 50. Golden State’s pick has been traded to the Cavaliers, while Miami’s pick will be conveyed to the Thunder or Pacers, depending on the lottery results.

The tiebreaker between the Rockets and Spurs didn’t decide which team gets the Rockets’ second-round pick, which is top-32 protected. It will be conveyed to either the Pacers or Celtics once the lottery is conducted.