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2023 NBA Draft

Draft Rumors: Lively, Miller, Henderson, Amen Thompson, Whitmore

June 19th, 2023 at 8:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Dereck Lively’s strong showing during the pre-draft process could make him a top-10 pick, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. The Duke center was considered to be a mid-to-late first-rounder when he declared for the draft, but sources tell Wasserman that he has been impressing teams with his shooting touch during his pro day and workouts.

Lively didn’t have a large role in the Blue Devils’ offense, averaging just 5.2 points and 3.4 field goal attempts per game. However, teams have watched his videos from high school and believe he may have potential as a stretch four. That combined with his shot-blocking ability give him the profile of a modern NBA big man.

The Wizards at No. 8 are considered the highest potential draft spot for Lively, according to Wasserman, who hears that the Mavericks at 10, Magic at 11, Thunder at 12 and Pelicans at 14 are also interested.

There are more draft rumors to pass along, all from Wasserman:

  • Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson both have supporters in the Hornets‘ front office, sources tell Wasserman. Today’s planned workout and meeting with owner Michael Jordan could tip the scales on which player is selected at No. 2. Miller has been the presumed pick for several weeks, but Wasserman hasn’t been able to track down how that rumor began. Most scouts that he’s talked to see Henderson as the better player, but Charlotte has to consider who would fit best alongside LaMelo Ball.
  • The Rockets‘ choice at No. 4 appears to be coming down to Amen Thompson or Cam Whitmore. Sources tell Wasserman that the team likely views Thompson as the best player available, but its confidence in landing James Harden in free agency could influence whether it wants a play-maker like Thompson or a scorer like Whitmore. The Villanova forward has been impressive during pre-draft workouts and has made the decision more difficult for Houston’s front office, Wasserman adds. Sources tell him that Thompson is still considered the more likely choice because of his fit with Jalen Green.
  • Olivier-Maxence Prosper has raised his stock continuously since the draft combine and may go in the top 20, according to Wasserman’s sources. The Marquette guard has worked out for at least 16 teams, displaying defensive skills, a competitive attitude and shooting potential. Several lottery teams are interested, according to Wasserman, but they may consider trading down for him.
  • Arkansas’ Anthony Black is considered to be the most likely choice for the Wizards, and sources tell Wasserman that the Jazz are expected to take Black at No. 9 if Washington passes on him.
  • Michigan’s Kobe Bufkin appears to have reached lottery status, with rival teams seeing the Raptors as his floor at No. 13. Wasserman notes that Bufkin hasn’t taken part in many workouts, which could indicate that he has received a draft promise.
  • Wasserman identifies Lively, Bufkin, Indiana’s Jalen Hood-Schifino and France’s Bilal Coulibaly as players who have probably risen into the lottery, leaving Baylor’s Keyonte George and Arkansas’ Nick Smith Jr. as the most likely to slide into the 15-20 range.
  • Belmont’s Ben Sheppard may be a target for teams looking to trade up into the middle of the first round, Wasserman adds.
  • Wasserman hears that the Rockets aren’t expected to keep their pick at No. 20 and appear willing to trade it for a future first-rounder.
  • Once Kansas sharpshooter Gradey Dick is off the board, UConn’s Jordan Hawkins will be the next target for teams in need of shooting help, according to Wasserman, who states that the Magic might consider him at No. 11.
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Draft Notes: Wembanyama, Coulibaly, Lewis, Clowney

June 18th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Although Victor Wembanyama may be the best NBA draft prospect in 20 years, the Spurs understand that his body type carries a certain amount of injury risk, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. McDonald notes that foot injuries have interrupted or even ended the careers of numerous big men, such as Bill Walton, Yao Ming, Arvydas Sabonis and Greg Oden. The latest example is Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, who suffered a foot fracture in an exhibition game last summer that forced him to miss his entire first season.

Wembanyama possesses an agility that has rarely been seen in someone so tall, and he has a team of advisors who have created a specialized training regimen to help him avoid stress injuries. Their prescription includes an all-natural diet with five meals each day, along with 10 hours of sleep.

“When you talk about a generational talent, it often times goes beyond your ability to make a shot or your ability to jump or put the ball on the floor,” Spurs general manager Brian Wright said. “As we’ve studied Victor, he’s very in depth with everything he does. It’s all those little details that go into becoming great.”

There’s more draft news to pass along:

  • Wembanyama is advocating for his French teammate, Bilal Coulibaly, to be selected in the lottery, relays NBA reporter Esfandiar Baraheni (Twitter link). “When I see the top 10 prospects announced at the draft, and for example the twins, Amen and Ausar Thompson, whose profile is similar to Bilal’s,” Wembanyama said, “I tell myself, very factually, that if these players are announced in the first five picks while playing in a league, Overtime Elite, whose level is light years away from what we experience here, then Bilal must be at least a top five.”
  • Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis, who worked out for the Trail Blazers on Thursday, views himself as a definite first-round pick, per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “In my opinion, after just being in this environment, I feel like I’m a top-20 guy,” Lewis said. “We’ll see. Sky’s the limit.”
  • Alabama’s Noah Clowney is the 20th player to receive a Green Room invitation for draft night, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).
  • Washington State guard Justin Powell has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Rockets and Nets, tweets Adam Zagoria of NJ.com.
  • The Hornets are hosting six players on Sunday for a pre-draft workout (Twitter link). They are Kam’Ron Blue of Coppin State, GG Jackson of South Carolina, Terry Roberts of Georgia, Vincent Valerio-Bodon of Sopron KC, Jalen Wilson of Kansas and Isaiah Wong of Miami.
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Draft Notes: Ausar Thompson, Nnaji, Hornets, Hawks, Wizards

June 17th, 2023 at 7:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ausar Thompson pulled out of a scheduled workout with the Pacers on Friday, according to an Indianapolis Star story. No official reason was given, but it’s possible that the Overtime Elite star has received information that he’s likely to be selected before Indiana picks at No. 7. The article also suggests that Thompson may prefer to be drafted by a team picking later in the lottery.

The canceled workout doesn’t mean the Pacers wouldn’t consider Thompson if he’s still on the board, as he would provide a defensive boost to a team that ranked 29th in that category this season. The Star story notes that president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard is looking for a player with a “high ceiling” in the draft, and Thompson appears to fit that description.

Indiana holds five picks and has brought in more than 60 players during the pre-draft process. Most have been in group sessions, but projected lottery picks such as Thompson have been given individual workouts. The Pacers have already hosted Villanova’s Cam Whitmore, Houston’s Jarace Walker, Central Florida’s Taylor Hendricks and Kansas’ Gradey Dick.

There’s more on the draft:

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Draft Notes: K. Murray, Rankings, Prosper, Wolves, W. Green

June 17th, 2023 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

Iowa forward Kris Murray, the twin brother of Keegan Murray, received an invite to the NBA draft’s Green Room next Thursday, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). However, Murray has decided to turn down the invite, opting to watch the draft at home with his family rather than attending the event in person, per Givony.

Here’s more on the 2023 NBA draft:

  • Sam Vecenie of The Athletic published his final pre-draft rankings this week, listing the top 100 players in the 2023 class and providing full scouting reports for the top 75. Vecenie’s 179-page PDF draft guide is incredibly in depth and is worth checking out for anyone with a subscription to The Athletic. The most notable deviation from the norm at the top of Vecenie’s draft board is his decision to rank Cam Whitmore at No. 3, one spot ahead of Brandon Miller.
  • Marquette forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper, the No. 29 player on ESPN’s big board and the No. 24 prospect in Vecenie’s rankings, tells Givony (Twitter link) that there’s “no reason” he shouldn’t be a first-round pick. “My game translates really well to the NBA,” Prosper said. “It’s a positionless league, and wings like me who can guard multiple positions, finish in transition and make threes find ways to make winning plays and impact games.”
  • The Timberwolves hosted a pre-draft workout on Friday that featured Damion Baugh (TCU) Marcellus Earlington (San Diego) Caleb McConnell (Rutgers) Mike Miles Jr. (TCU) Justyn Mutts (Virginia Tech), and Race Thompson (Indiana), according to the team (Twitter link). The Nets are among the other teams to have worked out Thompson, adds Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
  • Former Auburn guard Wendell Green worked out for the Rockets this week, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
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Draft Rumors: Cavs, Pacers, Jazz, Warriors, Suns, Bucks

June 16th, 2023 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers currently only hold a second-round pick (No. 49) in the 2023 NBA draft, but they’ve been exploring ways they might be able to move into the first round, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have an “organizational desire” to trade up in the draft and have made calls to teams in the 20-30 range to determine what it would cost to move up.

As Fedor explains, there’s a belief that there will be some older prospects available in that range who might be ready to claim NBA rotation roles as rookies. Several of those players are wings, which would appeal to a Cleveland team that has been on the lookout for help at that spot for the last year. Fedor identifies UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez as one of several prospects who could intrigue the Cavaliers.

It may be tricky for the Cavaliers to put together a package capable of getting them into the first round, however. They dealt several future first-rounders away in last year’s Donovan Mitchell blockbuster and would probably only be able to offer second-rounders along with a player or two. Lamar Stevens, Cedi Osman, Dean Wade, and Ricky Rubio are among the Cavs players who could be moved, Fedor writes, but none of them are likely to have substantial value on the trade market.

Here are a few more draft-related rumors from around the league:

  • The Pacers and Jazz are among the teams with multiple first-round picks who are worth keeping an eye on as the draft nears, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, rival teams continue to mention that Indiana is interest in packaging some combination of No. 26, No. 29, and No. 32 in order to move up. Utah has talked to teams about various trade scenarios involving the No. 9, No. 16, and No. 28 picks, Fischer adds.
  • Sources who spoke to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believe the Warriors may be focused on landing an older, more experienced prospect at No. 19 after getting mixed results when investing in young lottery picks in recent years. Meanwhile, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has heard that Golden State have some interest in trading down from No. 19 or out of the draft entirely.
  • Sources around the NBA have named the Suns and Bucks – in addition to the Cavaliers – as teams interested in trading up into the late-20s or early-30s to draft an NBA-ready player, Vecenie writes for The Athletic. Phoenix and Milwaukee would have to move up even further than Cleveland — their second-round picks are at No. 52 and No. 58, respectively.
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Eastern Notes: Pacers, Quickley, Hawks, Bucks, Beal

June 15th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

No team holds more picks in the 2023 NBA draft than the Pacers, who have had another full week of pre-draft workouts at the Ascension St. Vincent Center in Indianapolis.

The Pacers hosted Marcus Carr (Texas), Kendric Davis (Memphis), Zvonimir Ivisic (Croatia), Drew Peterson (USC), Julian Phillips (Tennessee), and Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) for a group workout on Monday, then brought in D’Moi Hodge (Missouri), Colby Jones (Xavier), Omari Moore (San Jose State), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette), and Malachi Smith (Gonzaga) on Tuesday.

The most notable workout of the team’s week so far is happening on Thursday, with the Pacers scheduled to host Gradey Dick. The Kansas guard could be a player Indiana considers with its lottery pick at No. 7.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • With Immanuel Quickley becoming eligible next month for a rookie scale extension, Fred Katz of The Athletic polled 15 front office members around the NBA to get a sense of what a “fair” extension for the Knicks guard would look like. Of those 15 participants, 11 projected an annual salary between $16-20MM, with five specifically suggesting $72MM over four years.
  • Discussing his newly completed coaching staff, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder told Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he wanted a strong player development group made up of “selfless” individuals who would help instill that philosophy in Atlanta’s players. “It’s like putting any team together that whether it’s, tactical experience, analytics experience, literally different cultures and genders and all the different things that go into making a unique, strong group,” Snyder said. “But ‘The Thin Red Line’ to me that runs through all of it was, just selfless people that are able to put the group in front of themselves and I really want our staff to model that because that’s what we’re asking of our team.”
  • Eric Nehm of The Athletic breaks down the rumor identifying the Bucks as a possible Bradley Beal suitor, examining how Milwaukee could build a package to acquire Beal and weighing whether or not the star guard would actually make a better long-term building block than Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton. As Nehm notes, while Beal is younger than Holiday or Middleton, he’s not as solid a defender as either of those current Bucks.
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Spurs Rumors: Popovich, Wembanyama, Draft, Jones, PGs

June 14th, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t yet have a contract for the 2023/24 season, but the team is operating as if he’ll return, and there’s a sense that the impending addition of French phenom Victor Wembanyama may inspire him to stick around for longer than just one more year, writes LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com.

According to Ellis, a team source says there’s an expectation that Popovich will sign a three-year contract worth approximately $14MM per year. That would presumably make him the NBA’s highest-paid head coach in terms of annual salary, edging out Monty Williams‘ new deal with Detroit.

Here’s more from Ellis on the Spurs:

  • Ellis hears from a team source that Wembanyama is unlikely to play for the Spurs during either of July’s Summer Leagues (Sacramento or Las Vegas). Although the No. 1 pick may practice with the team, San Antonio wants to give him some time off from competitive action, since he has played into June in the LNB Pro A playoffs and hopes to suit up for France in the World Cup in August and September.
  • The Spurs, who control the 33rd and 44th overall picks in addition to No. 1, are active in draft-related trade talks, Ellis reports, adding that the club would like to acquire another first-round pick. Whether or not they land another first-rounder, the Spurs are unlikely to keep and use both of their second-rounders, Ellis says.
  • Popovich has conveyed a “strong preference” that San Antonio retains restricted free agent guard Tre Jones this offseason, according to Ellis, who says the head coach likes Jones’ competitiveness and what he brings to the locker room.
  • A scout for a Western Conference team believes the Spurs will be in the market for a veteran point guard this summer, identifying Chris Paul and Fred VanVleet as possible targets, Ellis says. While it would be a bit of a surprise if San Antonio spends big on a free agent, Wembanyama could certainly benefit from teaming up with a reliable play-maker.
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Draft Rumors: Trades, Hornets, Blazers, Whitmore, Pistons, Mavs, More

June 14th, 2023 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers, Warriors, Nets, Grizzlies, and Pacers are among the teams with draft picks in the back half of the first round who are believed to be exploring trade scenarios, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo report within their latest mock draft for ESPN.com (Insider link).

According to Givony, the Lakers are especially interested in talking to teams that hold multiple picks, which suggests they may be open to trading down from No. 17 in order to acquire an extra selection or two. The Warriors are looking into the possibility of moving up from No. 19 by moving a young player like Jonathan Kuminga, sources tell ESPN.

The Nets, who hold the Nos. 21 and 22 picks, are investigating whether they might be able to move into the lottery or the middle of the first round by packaging those two selections, according to Givony, who says Memphis (No. 25) is another team seeking opportunities to move into the late lottery or mid-first round.

As for the Pacers, they have a lottery pick at No. 7 and are thought to be interested in adding an “explosive, defensive-minded power forward,” so Givony has them selecting Jarace Walker in that spot, noting that Ausar Thompson and Taylor Hendricks are also very much on their radar. Indiana also controls the 26th, 29th, and 32nd overall picks and has been engaged in trade discussions about those selections. It seems unlikely the club will use all of them, per Woo.

Here’s more from ESPN’s two draft experts:

  • Scoot Henderson had a “highly impressive” workout with the Hornets over the weekend, but Brandon Miller still looks like the favorite to be the pick at No. 2, says Givony. If a team like the Pelicans were willing to include an impact player such as Brandon Ingram in an offer for the second overall pick, that could shake up the top of the draft, but it’s still too early to say whether that’s a realistic possibility, according to Givony.
  • While the Trail Blazers continue to explore trade opportunities at No. 3 and have done due diligence by working out prospects outside of the consensus top three, they seem content to select either Henderson or Miller if they hang onto the pick, Givony reports.
  • Villanova forward Cam Whitmore is receiving consideration from the Rockets at No. 4 and is viewed as one of the leading candidates to be drafted there, along with Amen Thompson, says Woo. If he’s not picked fourth overall, Whitmore seems like a good bet to go fifth, Givony writes, given the makeup of the Pistons‘ roster.
  • Givony suggests that a trade of Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic for Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. and the No. 10 pick is one scenario that could be “in play.” Based on Givony’s wording, it’s unclear whether that offer has been put on the table by either team or if it has even been seriously considered. But the specific terms suggest it has at least been discussed.
  • Arkansas guard Anthony Black has worked out – or will work out – for several lottery teams, including the Magic (Nos. 6 and 11), Jazz (Nos. 9 and 16), and Mavericks (No. 10), says Woo. The ESPN mock has Black being drafted at No. 8 by the Wizards, who are said to be focused primarily on backcourt players.
  • The Raptors are believed to be a “strong suitor” for Kansas wing Gradey Dick, according to Givony, though there’s also speculation that Toronto could be major movers on the trade market and might not end up picking at No. 13.
  • The Jazz (Nos. 9 and 16) and Thunder (No. 12) sent decision-makers to Europe this week to watch French wing Bilal Coulibaly in the LNB Pro A playoffs, according to Woo, who has Coulibaly coming off the board at No. 14 to the Pelicans in ESPN’s mock.
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Official Early Entrants List For 2023 NBA Draft

June 13th, 2023 at 6:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced that 44 additional early entrant prospects withdrew from the draft before Monday’s deadline, leaving a total of 92 eligible to be selected in this year’s draft.

Of those draft-eligible early entrants, 84 are players from colleges (40 seniors and 44 underclassmen), while the remaining eight are international prospects.

This year’s 92 early entrants falls well short of the record set in 2021 (217), as well as the 2022 total (149). Of course, there are still more early entrants than there are slots available in next Thursday’s draft. With two teams’ second-round picks forfeited due to past free agency violations, there will be just 58 players drafted on June 22.

[RELATED: Full 2023 NBA Draft Order]

A total of 242 prospects initially declared as early entrants, with more than 100 of those players removing their names from consideration prior to the NCAA’s May 31 withdrawal deadline to retain their college eligibility.

Here’s the complete list of early entrant prospects eligible for the 2023 NBA draft:

College seniors:

  1. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, F, Memphis
  2. Damezi Anderson, F, Detroit
  3. Chase Audige, G, Northwestern
  4. Grant Basile, F, Virginia Tech
  5. Manny Bates, F, Butler
  6. Damion Baugh, G, TCU
  7. Kobe Brown, F, Missouri
  8. Toumani Camara, F, Dayton
  9. Tyger Campbell, G, UCLA
  10. Yuri Collins, G, Saint Louis
  11. Alou Dillon, F, Purdue-Northwest
  12. Tosan Evbuomwan, F, Princeton
  13. Adam Flagler, G, Baylor
  14. Armaan Franklin, G, Virginia
  15. Myron Gardner, G/F, Little Rock
  16. De’Vion Harmon, G, Texas Tech
  17. Joey Hauser, F, Michigan State
  18. Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana
  19. Jaime Jaquez, G, UCLA
  20. Keyontae Johnson, F, Kansas State
  21. Jackson Kenyon, F, Miami (OH)
  22. Seth Lundy, F, Penn State
  23. Demetrius Mims, G, Gannon (PA)
  24. Omari Moore, F, San Jose State
  25. Landers Nolley, G/F, Cincinnati
  26. Jack Nunge, F/C, Xavier
  27. Nick Ongenda, C, DePaul
  28. Uros Plavsic, C, Tennessee
  29. Terry Roberts, G, Georgia
  30. Marcus Sasser, G, Houston
  31. Ben Sheppard, G, Belmont
  32. Grant Sherfield, G, Oklahoma
  33. Dontrell Shuler, G, Cal State San Bernardino
  34. Malachi Smith, G, Gonzaga
  35. Justice Sueing, F, Ohio State
  36. Drew Timme, F/C, Gonzaga
  37. Jacob Toppin, F, Kentucky
  38. Oscar Tshiebwe, F/C, Kentucky
  39. Tyler Willoughby, G, Voorhees (SC)
  40. Isaiah Wong, G, Miami

College underclassmen:

  1. Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (sophomore)
  2. Amari Bailey, G, UCLA (freshman)
  3. Emoni Bates, G/F, Eastern Michigan (sophomore)
  4. Charles Bediako, C, Alabama (sophomore)
  5. Anthony Black, G, Arkansas (freshman)
  6. Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan (sophomore)
  7. Jaylen Clark, G, UCLA (junior)
  8. Noah Clowney, F, Alabama (freshman)
  9. Ricky Council IV, G, Arkansas (junior)
  10. Gradey Dick, G, Kansas (freshman)
  11. Alex Fudge, F, Florida (sophomore)
  12. Keyonte George, G, Baylor (freshman)
  13. Wendell Green, G, Auburn (junior)
  14. Mouhamed Gueye, F/C, Washington State (sophomore)
  15. Jordan Hawkins, G, Connecticut (sophomore)
  16. Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF (freshman)
  17. Jalen Hood-Schifino, G, Indiana (freshman)
  18. Jett Howard, G, Michigan (freshman)
  19. Andre Jackson, G, UConn (junior)
  20. G.G. Jackson, F, South Carolina (freshman)
  21. Colby Jones, G, Xavier (junior)
  22. Maxwell Lewis, F, Pepperdine (sophomore)
  23. Dereck Lively II, C, Duke (freshman)
  24. Chris Livingston, F, Kentucky (freshman)
  25. Mike Miles, G, TCU (junior)
  26. Brandon Miller, F, Alabama (freshman)
  27. Kris Murray, F, Iowa (junior)
  28. Julian Phillips, F, Tennessee (freshman)
  29. Brandin Podziemski, G, Santa Clara (sophomore)
  30. Justin Powell, G, Washington State (junior)
  31. Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F, Marquette (junior)
  32. Adama Sanogo, F/C, UConn (junior)
  33. Brice Sensabaugh, F, Ohio State (freshman)
  34. Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas (freshman)
  35. Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (sophomore)
  36. Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (junior)
  37. Azuolas Tubelis, F, Arizona (junior)
  38. Jarace Walker, F, Houston (freshman)
  39. Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky (freshman)
  40. Jordan Walsh, F, Arkansas (freshman)
  41. Dariq Whitehead, G/F, Duke (freshman)
  42. Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova (freshman)
  43. Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas (junior)
  44. Tyrese Wineglass, G, Southwestern Adventist (TX) (junior)

International players:

Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.

  1. Bilal Coulibaly, F, France (born 2004)
  2. Nadir Hifi, G/F, France (born 2002)
  3. James Nnaji, C, Spain (born 2004)
  4. Rayan Rupert, G/F, Australia (born 2004)
  5. Marcio Santos, F/C, Brazil (born 2002)
  6. Enzo Shahrvin, F, France (born 2003)
  7. Tristan Vukcevic, F/C, Serbia (born 2003)
  8. Victor Wembanyama, C, France (born 2004)

There are also a handful of prospects whom the NBA doesn’t technically consider early entrants, but who became automatically eligible for the draft before what would have been their senior season at college. Here are a few of the most notable players in that group:

  1. Scoot Henderson, G, G League Ignite (born 2004)
  2. Leonard Miller, F, G League Ignite (born 2003)
  3. Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite (born 2003)
  4. Ausar Thompson, G/F, Overtime Elite (born 2003)

For the full list of the players who declared for the draft and then withdrew, click here.

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Draft Notes: Rockets, Thompsons, Black, Green Room Invites, Osunniyi, Burton

June 13th, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets hold the No. 4 pick and they were visited this week by three candidates who could potentially be selected at that spot. The Overtime Elite brother duo of Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson and Arkansas’ Anthony Black met with Houston’s brass. Amen and Ausar are currently ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, on ESPN’s Best Available list with Black slotted at No. 8. The Thompsons reportedly met recently with the Pistons, who hold the No. 5 pick. They’ve also visited the Hornets (No. 2) and Trail Blazers (No. 3). There has been much less intel on Black’s pre-draft visits.

We have more draft-related info:

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