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2023 NBA Draft

Draft Decisions: A. Jackson, Edey, Beekman, More

May 31st, 2023 at 11:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Andre Jackson Jr., who helped lead Connecticut to a national title, has opted to keep his name in the draft rather than return to the Huskies for another season, writes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Jackson is projected to be taken late in the first round or early in the second round, Wojnarowski adds. The junior shooting guard ranks 32nd on ESPN’s big board and is projected to go to the Pacers with the 32nd pick in the latest mock draft by Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

“My time at UCONN has been filled with ups and downs but through it all I built relationships with my teammates, coaches, friends and fans that will last forever,” Jackson wrote in a Twitter post. “I’ve made so many memories playing in that jersey and I will miss it. But I’ll always be a husky. Thank you.”

Jackson averaged 6.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.3 steals in six tournament games and was believed to have raised his draft stock significantly, although questions remain about his outside shooting. He took part in the draft combine and went through individual workouts with several teams, including the Hawks, Celtics, Nets, Pacers and Trail Blazers, according to Wojnarowski.

Dozens of draft decisions were announced Wednesday ahead of the 11:59 pm EDT deadline to return to school without losing eligibility. Most late deciders opted to pull out of the draft, but a few prominent names will remain in the pool. They are:

National Player of the Year Zach Edey will withdraw from the draft and return to Purdue for another year, according to Jeff Borzello of ESPN. The 7’4″ center averaged 22.9 points and 12.9 rebounds as a junior while shooting 60.7% from the field. Even so, his draft status wasn’t certain as he’s No. 47 in the ESPN rankings.

Another prominent player pulling out of the draft is Virginia’s Reece Beekman, the ACC’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Givony reports. Beekman hopes to boost his draft stock for 2024 after coming in at 43rd in ESPN’s rankings. “I’ve decided to go back to UVA to work towards being a first-round draft pick next year and finish my degree,” he said.

Here are some more players who decided late Wednesday to take their names out of the draft:

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Draft Decisions: Tshiebwe, Phillips, Brown, More

May 31st, 2023 at 5:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

In one of this year’s most anticipated decisions, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe announced that he will keep his name in the NBA draft pool, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

Tshiebwe was selected as the national player of the year in 2022 after averaging 17.4 points and 15.1 rebounds per game as a junior, and he was an All-American again this season with 16.5 PPG and 13.7 RPG. Despite his lofty college status, Tshiebwe isn’t a sure thing to get drafted, ranking 75th on ESPN’s big board.

“What makes me decide what I’m going to do today is not about me,” Tshiebwe said in his press conference, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “Most of the time I pray and I follow the discernment of God. It’s just I am following what God has put in place, because the decision, if you feel peace and joy and happiness in your heart, that’s what you’ve got to go with.”

A few more high-profile players have decided to remain in the draft ahead of the 11:59 pm EDT deadline to withdraw and retain their NCAA eligibility. Among them are Tennessee’s Julian Phillips, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). The freshman small forward has gotten positive feedback from NBA teams during the pre-draft process, Givony adds. Phillips, 19, is listed at 34th on ESPN’s rankings, making him a potential late first-round pick.

Also staying in the draft is Kobe Brown of Missouri, tweets Matt Norlander of CBS Sports. Norlander considers the senior power forward a possible second-round pick, and ESPN has him listed at No. 46.

Baylor’s Adam Flagler, who has one year of eligibility remaining, has decided to remain in the draft as well, Goodman tweets. The shooting guard is listed as No. 80 by ESPN.

Among those deciding to withdraw from the draft, today’s most significant decisions involved Florida Atlantic guards Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin, who helped the Owls reach the Final Four in March, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He projects that their return will make FAU a preseason top-five team for next season.

According to Woj, Martin worked out for the Mavericks, Celtics, Bulls and Clippers, while Davis had sessions with the Celtics, Kings, Bucks, Jazz, Sixers and Pacers.

Here are a few more early entrants who have decided to return to school:

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Draft Decisions: Bona, J. James, Da Silva, More

May 31st, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

College players who declared for the 2023 NBA draft as early entrants while maintaining their NCAA eligibility have until the end of the day on Wednesday to either withdraw from the draft or forgo their remaining eligibility. Players who take the latter route could still technically pull out of the draft before the NBA’s June 12 deadline, but wouldn’t have the option of returning to school if they miss the NCAA’s May 31 deadline.

As a result, we’re getting a flurry of updates today on prospects who had been testing the draft waters.

UCLA’s Adem Bona, for instance, has decided to remove his name from the draft pool and rejoin the Bruins for his sophomore year, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Bona, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, had been the No. 48 player on ESPN’s 2023 big board.

Tennessee wing Josiah-Jordan James, the No. 77 player on ESPN’s board, has also decided to pull out of the 2023 draft and will take advantage of his final year of college eligibility, he announced on Twitter. Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva – ESPN’s No. 83 prospect – will head back to school too, as he tells Givony.

While most players announcing decisions today are withdrawing from the draft, that’s not the case for everyone. Memphis forward Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, for instance, has opted to keep his name in the draft and go pro, agent Scott Nichols tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link).

In our latest batch of updates, however, Akobundu-Ehiogu is a rarity. Here are several more early entrants who are withdrawing from the draft:

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Draft Notes: Strawther, Bagley, LeDee, Flanigan, Nelson, Gaines

May 30th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Gonzaga forward Julian Strawther has decided to remain in the draft, Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets. Strawther averaged 15.2 points and shot 41 percent from beyond the arc last season. He’s ranked No. 56 on ESPN’s Best Available list, making him a potential second round pick.

Arizona’s Marcus Bagley – the younger brother of Pistons big man Marvin Bagley III – has also decided to remain in the draft despite appearing in just five games over the last two seasons, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets.

Several other players who declared for the draft have opted to remove their names as the withdrawal deadline for early entrants nears. Here are some of the players who are headed back to school:

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Draft Decisions: Murrell, Baker, Broome, Cross, Cryer, More

May 30th, 2023 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell is pulling out of the 2023 NBA draft and returning to school for at least one more year, reports ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Murrell, who will be a senior in 2023/24, sounds intent on re-entering the draft next spring.

“After gathering feedback from my workouts and team personnel, I am going to continue to build my game at Ole Miss, so I am in the position I want to be in for the 2024 NBA draft,” he said. “I know who I am as a player and how that can translate to the NBA.”

Murrell’s shooting percentages dipped in his junior season, as he made just 36.5% of his shots from the floor, including 30.4% of his three-pointers. But he established new career highs in points (14.4), rebounds (3.5), and assists (2.6) per game and looks like a potential All-SEC player and 2024 second-round pick, according to Givony, who says the “physically gifted” wing impressed NBA executives at a pro day in Chicago earlier this month.

Like Murrell, several other early entrants have opted to remove their names from this year’s draft as the withdrawal deadline for early entrants nears. Here are several of the other players who are headed back to school:

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Draft Notes: Pacers, Hawks, Kalkbrenner, Harrison, Bates

May 29th, 2023 at 9:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ricky Council IV (Arkansas), Nikola Djurisic (Serbia), Tevian Jones (Southern Utah), Darius McGhee (Liberty), Jordan Miller (Miami) and Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska) will work out for the Pacers on Tuesday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. Council, ranked No. 56 on ESPN’s Best Available list, and Djurisic (No. 59) are the highest-rated players visiting Indianapolis.

We have more draft-related news:

  • Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe (No. 75) headlines the group of six prospects that the Hawks will evaluate on Tuesday, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. Overtime Elite’s Jazian Gortman, North Carolina’s Leaky Black, UAB’s Trey Jemison, TCU’s Emanuel Miller and Texas’ Sir’Jabari Rice will join him.
  • Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner is withdrawing from the draft and returning to school, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. Kalkbrenner was considered a second-round prospect, ranking No. 62 on ESPN’s list.
  • Grand Canyon’s Rayshon Harrison is also returning to school, Rothstein adds in another tweet.
  • Eastern Michigan’s Emoni Bates interviewed well at the combine, which boosted his stock and made a lot of teams take a closer look at him, according to Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Bates is considered a second-round prospect (No. 57).
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Draft Notes: L. Butler, Jaquez, B. Miller, Kings

May 29th, 2023 at 3:23pm CST by Rory Maher

San Diego State guard Lamont Butler hit one of the most memorable shots of the 2022/23 college basketball season, converting the Final Four game-winner over Florida Atlantic to put the Aztecs into the championship game. He had been testing the draft waters, but the junior announced on Twitter that he’s withdrawing and returning to school.

Butler, who averaged 8.8 points, 3.2 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals on .421/.342/.731 shooting in 39 games (25.9 minutes) last season, is not ranked on ESPN’s top-100 prospects list.

Here are a few more draft notes:

  • UCLA wing Jaime Jaquez spoke to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com and ESPN about his preparation for the draft (Twitter video link). Jaquez, who is ranked No. 30 on ESPN’s board, believes he has plenty of upside left after playing four college seasons, noting his consistent improvement with the Bruins. He averaged 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals on .481/.317/.770 shooting as a senior.
  • Alabama wing Brandon Miller, a projected top-three pick, recently had an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link), discussing a number of topics. On Victor Wembanyama and being the No. 1 pick: “I feel like I’m No. 1, but you can’t beat 7-5, 8-foot wingspan,” Miller said.
  • The Kings are hosting a pre-draft workout Monday headlined by Indiana big man Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kansas forward Jalen Wilson, a league source tells Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL (Twitter link). Jackson-Davis is No. 33 on ESPN’s board, while Wilson is No. 40. The Kings control the Nos. 24, 38 and 54 picks. Jackson-Davis put up huge numbers as a senior for the Hoosiers, averaging 20.9 points, 10.8 boards, 4.0 assists and 2.9 blocks in 32 games (34.5 minutes).
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Stein’s Latest: Myers, Nurse, Sixers, Pacers, Draft

May 29th, 2023 at 1:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers was originally going to speak with the media last week for his end-of-season press conference, but it was pushed back to this week. As Marc Stein writes at Substack, there’s a belief that Myers doesn’t want to speak publicly without first deciding whether or not he’s going to stay with the team — the longtime executive’s contract expires at the end of June.

Myers’ presser could come as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Stein, who predicts that the 48-year-old will step away from his post and take a break from basketball for the time being. The Athletic first reported that vice president of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. is viewed as Myers’ “natural successor,” and Stein also believes the former NBA player would take over if Myers departs.

Here’s more from Stein:

  • There was growing buzz linking former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse to the Sixers‘ coaching vacancy late Sunday night, Stein writes. Nurse has interviewed for several open coaching jobs this spring, including Philadelphia, Phoenix and Milwaukee. He’s a finalist for the Suns’ opening and had been a finalist for the Bucks’ lead job until he reportedly withdrew from consideration, leading to speculation that he either knew he wasn’t going to land the position or that he may have had an offer elsewhere. Keith Pompey reported Saturday that Nurse was evaluating his options between the Suns and Sixers.
  • “The rumbles are rising in volume” that the Pacers have designs on moving up in the 2023 NBA draft, according to Stein, who points out that Indiana controls three first-round picks — Nos. 7, 26 and 29. They also have two second-rounders — Nos. 32 and 55. Stein is at least the third reporter to suggest the Pacers might look to package their picks in some fashion.
  • As Stein details, one thing that could be beneficial for the Pacers is there are rumors the Hornets (No. 2), Trail Blazers (No. 3), Rockets (No. 4) and Pistons (No. 5) could be candidates for win-now deals with their own picks. It’s hard to envision what a deal would look like from the Pacers’ perspective in that scenario though, because presumably the rival teams might not be looking for extra draft picks if they want to win now. There aren’t that many win-now players on Indiana’s roster. Not that the Pacers don’t have good players, but several are young and aren’t going anywhere. Maybe Buddy Hield or T.J. McConnell would fit the bill? I’m not sure how enticing that would be, even though they’re both good players in different ways. Myles Turner would draw interest, but I’d be a little surprised if he’s moved after Indiana renegotiated and extended his contract.
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Draft Notes: Mensah, Ellis, Hill, Perry

May 28th, 2023 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Nathan Mensah has workouts coming up with the Hornets, Grizzlies, Pistons, Bucks and Cavaliers, Adam Zagoria tweets. Mensah averaged 6.0 points and 5.9 rebounds for San Diego State last season during its run to the title game.

We have more draft-related info:

  • Arkansas’ El Ellis is withdrawing from the draft and will return to school next season, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. Ellis is transferring from Louisville, where he averaged 17.7 points and 4.4 assists last season.
  • UNLV forward Jalen Hill is also withdrawing the draft, Rothstein reports in another tweet. Hill averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds last season.
  • Tylor Perry is headed to Kansas State after withdrawing from the draft, Rothstein adds (Twitter link). Perry averaged 17.3 points for North Texas last season. Perry announced he was entering the draft in early April, though he wasn’t on the official league entry list.
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2023 NBA Draft Picks By Team

May 27th, 2023 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

Two of the biggest winners on draft lottery night last week were the Hornets and Pacers. Charlotte moved up two spots from the pre-lottery standings to claim the No. 2 overall pick. The Pacers, meanwhile, stayed put in the lottery, but because San Antonio leapfrogged Houston in the first round, Indiana moved up 18 spots from No. 50 to No. 32 in the second round due to a convoluted set of trade criteria.

The Hornets and Pacers have something else in common: Charlotte and Indiana are the only teams that control more than three picks in the 2023 NBA draft. In fact, the two clubs own five selections apiece, accounting for 10 of the 58 total picks in this year’s event.

Nine additional teams each have three 2023 picks, joining the Hornets and Pacers to control nearly two-thirds of the draft — those 11 teams hold 37 of this year’s 58 picks, leaving the other 19 clubs to divvy up the remaining 21 selections.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, three teams don’t own any 2023 draft picks. The Bulls, Knicks, and Sixers will sit out this year’s event unless they acquire a pick via trade.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2023 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 58 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

  • Charlotte Hornets (5): 2, 27, 34, 39, 41
  • Indiana Pacers (5): 7, 26, 29, 32, 55
  • San Antonio Spurs (3): 1, 33, 44
  • Portland Trail Blazers (3): 3, 23, 43
  • Orlando Magic (3): 6, 11, 36
  • Washington Wizards (3): 8, 42, 57
  • Utah Jazz (3): 9, 16, 28
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (3): 12, 37, 50
  • Brooklyn Nets (3): 21, 22, 51
  • Sacramento Kings (3): 24, 38, 54
  • Memphis Grizzlies (3): 25, 45, 56

Teams with two picks:

  • Houston Rockets: 4, 20
  • Detroit Pistons: 5, 31
  • Atlanta Hawks: 15, 46
  • Los Angeles Lakers: 17, 47
  • Los Angeles Clippers: 30, 48

Teams with one pick:

  • Dallas Mavericks: 10
  • Toronto Raptors: 13
  • New Orleans Pelicans: 14
  • Miami Heat: 18
  • Golden State Warriors: 19
  • Boston Celtics: 35
  • Denver Nuggets: 40
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: 49
  • Phoenix Suns: 52
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: 53
  • Milwaukee Bucks: 58

Teams with no picks:

  • Chicago Bulls
  • New York Knicks
  • Philadelphia 76ers
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