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Atlantic Notes: Brown, Pritchard, Embiid, Simmons

March 29th, 2023 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

After having recently made some noncommittal remarks about his future in Boston, Celtics forward Jaylen Brown told reporters that he’s “thinking about clarifying some of the things that have been recently said,” according to Jay King of The Athletic. Asked what he wanted to clarify, however, Brown opted not to explain further.

“Right now the only thing I want to clarify is that the Celtics need to play better and win more games,” Brown said. “If I want to say something in the future about the kind of things that have been floating around I will. But in terms of right now, I like when people hear things from the horse’s mouth and you can see my reaction, my face and everything how I feel about what I’m saying. Sometimes those things can get lost in translation, you know? So if I feel the need to do so I will.”

Brown would be eligible to sign a contract extension anytime during the 2023/24 league year, starting in July. However, because he’s earning well below his maximum salary and would be limited to a 20% raise in the first year of a veteran extension, the Celtics wouldn’t be able to offer him a maximum-salary deal until free agency.

That would change if Brown earns a spot on an All-NBA team this spring, in which case he’d become eligible for a super-max contract extension (worth 35% of the 2024/25 cap) entering the final year of his current deal.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Celtics guard Payton Pritchard returned to action on Tuesday following a nine-game absence due to a left heel injury. According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link), Pritchard said he had plantar fasciitis and a bone bruise in the heel.
In an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic, Sixers center Joel Embiid discussed his health, the MVP race, and why he won’t necessarily take a “title-or-bust” mentality into this year’s postseason. “People have been talking about who has the most pressure to win. People want to mention me,” Embiid said. “I’m not at the top of that list. I’m not a two-time MVP, I’ve never made first team All-NBA, I’ve never won anything. So why is there pressure on me to do something when there are guys that have won two MVPs, a bunch of MVPs and haven’t done anything either?”
Speaking to Ian Begley of SNY.tv and Andrew Crane and Brian Lewis of The New York Post, Ben Simmons‘ new agent Bernie Lee said that Simmons’ back issues are part of the recovery process from the microdiscectomy he underwent last May, adding that the Nets guard/forward won’t require additional surgery and is on track to be ready for training camp in the fall. “Ben is a 26 year-old-guy who is just starting his career and clearly there have been some challenges recently,” Lee told Begley. “But like every truly great person I’ve observed, Ben is motivated internally to continue to develop himself and his talent and test his ability and, most importantly, compete. He simply needs to gain the opportunity to be healthy which we believe we’ve found.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Myers, Rotation, Wiggins

March 29th, 2023 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Draymond Green received his 17th technical foul of the season on Tuesday vs. New Orleans, meaning he’ll be subject to another automatic one-game suspension if it’s not rescinded and he earns one more technical before the team’s finale on April 9.

While he believes Tuesday’s tech should be rescinded, Green also expressed no regrets about the confrontation with Brandon Ingram that led to it (Twitter video link), referring to it as a spark for the team, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes. At the time that Ingram and Green were assessed double T’s in the second quarter, the Warriors trailed by nine points. They eventually won by 11.

“It was perfect. Perfectly executed,” Green said. “We looked dead those first 18 minutes. We had to find some energy somewhere. It wasn’t just going to come, especially after losing the game like we did last game; that can carry over. I felt like it did. I knew we had to do something and do it fast before the game got out of hand.”

Head coach Steve Kerr didn’t disagree with Green’s assessment, crediting the veteran’s energy for keying the comeback win.

“Draymond willed us to victory tonight,” Kerr told reporters. “Just the intensity, the frustration early with the way we were playing. Mad at the world, yelling at everybody — their bench, our bench, me — and frankly, we deserved it.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Green and Stephen Curry, who have heaped praise on Bob Myers in the past, once again expressed admiration for the Warriors’ president of basketball operations on Tuesday after Myers helped calm Green down after he received his fifth personal foul in the fourth quarter (Twitter video link). “Y’all don’t always get to see Bob’s work, other than putting the team together. But he’s so important to everything that we do,” Green said, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “… GMs don’t keep a pulse on the team like Bob keeps a pulse of this team. Maybe two other GMs in the league right there would come down to the bench and say something. And that’s also someone who I have the utmost respect for. If Bob comes and tells me something, that’s Bible to me. I’m going to listen to that.”
Gary Payton II‘s return to action this week has rotation ramifications for the Warriors, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Moses Moody will likely be one player affected — he logged just three total minutes in Payton’s first two games back. Anthony Lamb, Donte DiVincenzo, and Jonathan Kuminga are among the other players whose minutes could dip slightly with Payton back, Slater adds.
Andrew Wiggins remains away from the Warriors, having missed a 20th straight game on Tuesday as he deals with a personal matter. However, the idea of ruling him out for the rest of the season “hasn’t been discussed,” Kerr said on Tuesday (all Twitter links via Slater). Kerr, who expressed hope that Wiggins will return this spring, also noted that the veteran forward has been working out every day during his absence.

Southeast Notes: Yurtseven, Butler, Hornets, Smith, Suggs

March 28th, 2023 at 11:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Omer Yurtseven‘s second season was derailed by an ankle injury that required surgery and caused him to miss the first 65 games of 2022/23. After returning in early March, he struggled to gain traction in the Heat‘s rotation despite feeling “100 percent” healthy, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“It’s not been, I guess, the best,” Yurtseven said regarding the uncertainty currently surrounding his role. “But in terms of the opportunity, it’s there and I think the toughest part has been not knowing and staying ready. But that’s my job right now, so I’m embracing it.”

As Chiang writes, Yurtseven was getting an extended look during the preseason playing alongside Bam Adebayo in a two-big lineup, and Yurtseven started his lone preseason game before the injury. Now his role and future are uncertain — the 24-year-old center will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Heat give him a $2.2MM qualifying offer, Chiang notes.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Heat star Jimmy Butler was ruled out of Tuesday’s loss to Toronto due to neck soreness, Chiang adds in the same story. It’s unclear if he will be available for Wednesday’s game in New York.
The Hornets surprisingly have the NBA’s top defense since the All-Star break, writes Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com, who takes a look at how Charlotte has made strides on the less glamorous end of the court. One player making a major impact is point guard Dennis Smith Jr., according to Duncan. Smith, who missed Tuesday’s win over the Thunder due to a sprained right big toe, is on an expiring minimum-salary contract and is set to his unrestricted free agency in the offseason.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs had a strong performance in Sunday’s win over Brooklyn following a four-game absence due to a concussion, notes Nathaniel Marrero of The Orlando Sentinel. The 2021 No. 5 overall pick recorded 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes. Suggs has been hampered by a variety of injuries in his first two pro seasons, but has been playing better the past couple months when active, averaging 10.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.6 SPG on .444/.388/.732 shooting over his past 19 games (25.2 MPG). Unfortunately, he finished just 1-of-10 from the field in Tuesday’s loss at Memphis.

L.A. Notes: Batum, Morris, Powell, D-Lo, Lakers, Schröder

March 28th, 2023 at 9:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Nicolas Batum is replacing Marcus Morris as the Clippers‘ starting forward and will stay in the role for the rest of the season, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

“It was nothing that Marcus did wrong, just trying something different,” Lue said. “And when you’re not playing well, you want to try something different, and Marcus was all for it. We have to sacrifice if we want to win at a high level.”

As Greif writes, there’s less clarity about who will back up Batum. Morris and Robert Covington are the two primary options, and Lue was noncommittal on which player might have the edge. At least for the immediate future, Covington should receive playing time, as Morris has entered the league’s health and safety protocols and has been ruled out of Wednesday’s game in Memphis (Twitter link via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk).

Here’s more on the two Los Angeles-based teams:

Clippers guard Norman Powell, who is questionable for Wednesday’s contest after missing the past 11 games with a left shoulder subluxation, will be reinserted into the rotation once he returns, Greif writes in the same piece. “We need him back. We need his juice. We need his scoring,” Lue said of Powell.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (hip) and big man Anthony Davis (foot) are probable to play in Wednesday’s game at Chicago, tweets Mark Medina of NBA.com. Forward LeBron James (foot) is questionable. Russell missed the past two games with his injury, while James just returned Sunday after a 13-game absence.
Guard Dennis Schröder, who is playing on a veteran’s minimum contract in his second stint with the Lakers, has provided a valuable spark all season long, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “It’s a lot of energy, man. He plays with such a good passion. He’s energetic,” Davis said. “That’s how he plays, he’s scrappy and he saves a fastbreak, comes back down and draws a foul. He’s kind of another spark. Got the crowd into it. But that’s Dennis. That’s how he plays. … He’s leaving it all on the floor. Everyone is. I mean, the position that we’re in, you got to be able to leave it all on the floor, give 110%. And he’s giving like 150. He’s leaving it all on the floor, laying everything out on the line for us to get a win. And it’s contagious.”
Mirjam Swanson of the Southern California News Group is skeptical the Clippers and Lakers can make deep playoff runs in the West, noting that injuries have played a role in the two teams’ inconsistency. She believes the Nuggets, Grizzlies and even the Kings should be favored over the two L.A. teams due to their continuity.

Central Notes: Haslam, Hield, Omoruyi, Bulls

March 28th, 2023 at 6:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing at the NFL owners’ meetings in Arizona this week, Jimmy Haslam spoke publicly for the first time about his impeding purchase of Marc Lasry‘s stake in the Bucks, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Because the sale hasn’t been officially finalized, Haslam declined to get into specifics, but he did tell reporters that Bucks co-owner Wes Edens would reclaim his role as the team’s governor while the Haslams learn the ropes of NBA ownership. Under the previous agreement, Edens and Lasry traded the governor title every five years — Edens held it from 2014-19.

Haslam, the owner of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns along with his wife Dee, described his purchase of a stake in the Bucks as “opportunistic,” Owczarski relays.

“I mean listen, we never thought we’d own 10% of the Steelers. Never thought we’d own the Browns. Dee and I had never been, beside watching (daughter) Whitney play high school soccer, had never been to a soccer game,” said Haslam, who also owns the Columbus Crew (MLS). “So it’s just opportunistic. It was straightened set of circumstances; we were called on this opportunity. Business, sports, you tend to be optimistic. I have no idea what will happen next. First thing’s first, let’s get this done and then let’s get the Browns winning games.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Pacers sharpshooter Buddy Hield was sidelined for Monday’s game due to a non-COVID illness, marking just the fourth time since he entered the NBA in 2016 that he has missed a game, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Hield started Indiana’s first 73 games this season, but has come off the bench since then so that the team can get a look at different lineup combinations, with an eye toward next season, tweets Agness.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Eugene Omoruyi‘s new contract with the Pistons covers two seasons — it’s guaranteed for the rest of 2022/23, with a team option for ’23/24. In order to give Omoruyi more than the prorated minimum for the rest of this season, Detroit used a portion of its room exception to complete the signing, Hoops Rumors has learned. Instead of the $169,445 he would’ve gotten on a minimum-salary deal, the 26-year-old received $269,445 for ’22/23.
With the Trail Blazers set to miss the postseason again, the Bulls won’t get the lottery-protected first-round pick owed to them by Portland this season, and Chicago’s own top-four protected first-rounder appears ticketed for Orlando. However, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago wonders if the Bulls could end up with a first-rounder in 2023 by negotiating a trade with the Blazers, who are on track to receive the Knicks’ first-round pick. As Johnson observes, Portland may want to reacquire its own first-rounder, which remains lottery-protected through 2028, in order to regain flexibility for future trades.

Lore, A-Rod Make Second Payment, Now Own 40% Of Timberwolves

March 28th, 2023 at 6:17pm CST by Rory Maher

The plan for Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez to succeed Glen Taylor as the controlling owners of the Timberwolves continues to move forward, as they have officially made their second payment and now own 40% of the team, sources tell Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (all Twitter links).

Lore and Rodriguez made a combined $290MM payment this time around and have now paid out more than $500MM in total, according to Charania and Krawczynski. Both owners have committed more than $200MM individually and have invested more than the required amount to this point in their agreement to buy the Wolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.

The incoming owners exercised their option to buy another 20% of the team back in December. A spokesperson for the duo confirmed a couple weeks ago that a second payment would be made on time.

The final stage of the ownership change would see Lore and A-Rod exercise an option to buy another 40% of the team by December 31, 2023. The last payment is on track for March 2024, per The Athletic’s duo — assuming that happens, Lore and Rodriguez would then control 80% of the team, while Taylor would be a minority owner with a 20% stake.

Lore and A-Rod released a statement confirming the news, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

“We are very excited to enter this next phase of ownership. We very much appreciate Glen’s partnership and guidance and will continue to work tirelessly alongside him to bring success to the fans of Minnesota.”

Rodriguez — a former MLB star — has now invested more cash than any former athlete purchasing a professional sports team, according to The Athletic. He has surpassed Michael Jordan, who paid $180MM to buy the Hornets in 2010.

There were reportedly some concerns in 2022 about A-Rod’s liquidity and some speculation that the plan for Rodriguez and Lore to assume majority control of the Wolves could be in trouble, but clearly it remains on track. Lore is a tech entrepreneur who made his fortune in eCommerce.

Baylor’s Keyonte George Entering 2023 NBA Draft

March 28th, 2023 at 4:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Baylor’s Keyonte George will forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the 2023 NBA draft, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The 6’4″ guard is a potential lottery pick, currently ranked ninth overall on ESPN’s big board.

“I don’t really worry about (how high) I’ll be picked – I respect everyone that is trying to fulfill their dreams,” George said. “I’m looking for fit, somewhere where I can learn and grow at the same time. It’s important for me to be an all-around player and not just a scorer. I’m looking forward to showing NBA teams how tough I am and the savvy I carry myself with.”

As a freshman for the Bears in 2022/23, George averaged 15.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.1 SPG on .373/.338/.793 shooting in 33 games (28.6 MPG). He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and was also named the top freshman in the conference.

According to Givony, George is a dynamic scorer with long range who has an impressive ability to change speeds. He also praises George’s creativity, footwork and body control.

Trail Blazers Shut Down Damian Lillard For Rest Of Season

March 28th, 2023 at 4:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 28: Lillard will be shut down for the rest of the season, sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link). In an article for the Athletic, Charania says he expects “serious conversations” between Lillard and the Blazers about what’s next for the two sides.

MARCH 25: All-Star guard Damian Lillard may be shut down for the rest of the regular season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sources tell Charania that the Trail Blazers are leaning toward ending the season for Lillard, who missed Friday night’s game with tightness in his right calf.

Portland has been in the midst of a tight Western Conference playoff race for most of the season, but a recent downturn has dropped the team into 13th place. The Blazers have lost seven of their last 10 games — including a 28-point defeat against the Bulls Friday night with Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons all sidelined — to fall to 32-41, three-and-a-half games out of the 10th spot.

Lillard is having one of his best seasons at age 32, averaging a career-high 32.2 points per night in 58 games, along with 7.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds. He bounced back from core surgery that limited him to 29 games last season and earned his seventh career All-Star appearance.

Although Portland is sliding out of the postseason battle, the team is moving up in the race for a high lottery selection. The Blazers currently own the league’s sixth-worst record and are just a game-and-a-half away from Orlando for the fifth-best lottery odds.

A decision to shut down Lillard, and possibly hold out some of the other rotation members, could have a significant impact on the Western Conference playoff picture. Portland will host the Thunder and Pelicans Sunday and Monday and then has two home games with the Kings to wind up the month. The Blazers will also face the Timberwolves, Grizzlies and Clippers before the season ends.

2023 NBA Draft Early Entrants List

March 28th, 2023 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Early entrants who wish to declare for the 2023 NBA draft have until the end of the day on Sunday, April 23 to make that decision official.

Players who declare for the draft this year will have to withdraw by the end of the day on May 31 if they wish to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s withdrawal deadline, which is more relevant for international prospects, is on June 12 at 5:00 pm Eastern time. The 2023 draft will take place on June 22.

Beginning in 2021, the annual list of “early” entrants has become even bigger than usual because the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means seniors who would’ve typically become automatically eligible for the draft now have the option of either declaring or remaining in college for an extra year.

Last year, 283 prospects initially declared as early entrants, with 149 of those players ultimately keeping their names in the draft and going pro. We’re expecting those totals to end up in the same neighborhood this time around.

We’ll use this post to keep track of reports and announcements on early entrant prospects and their decisions. We’ll archive them all here in a running list, which will be accessible anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” page found in our mobile menu.

The players below are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Last updated 6-13-23 (6:28pm CT)

College Underclassmen

Remaining in draft:

Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (sophomore)
Amari Bailey, G, UCLA (freshman)
Emoni Bates, G/F, Eastern Michigan (sophomore)
Charles Bediako, C, Alabama (sophomore)
Anthony Black, G, Arkansas (freshman)
Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan (sophomore)
Jaylen Clark, G, UCLA (junior)
Noah Clowney, F, Alabama (freshman)
Ricky Council IV, G, Arkansas (junior)
Gradey Dick, G, Kansas (freshman)
Alex Fudge, F, Florida (sophomore)
Keyonte George, G, Baylor (freshman)
Wendell Green, G, Auburn (junior)
Mouhamed Gueye, F/C, Washington State (sophomore)
Jordan Hawkins, G, Connecticut (sophomore)
Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF (freshman)
Jalen Hood-Schifino, G, Indiana (freshman)
Jett Howard, G, Michigan (freshman)
Andre Jackson, G, UConn (junior)
Gregory Jackson II, F, South Carolina (freshman)
Colby Jones, G, Xavier (junior)
Maxwell Lewis, F, Pepperdine (sophomore)
Dereck Lively II, C, Duke (freshman)
Chris Livingston, F, Kentucky (freshman)
Brandon Miller, F, Alabama (freshman)
Mike Miles, G, TCU (junior)
Kris Murray, F, Iowa (junior)
Julian Phillips, F, Tennessee (freshman)
Brandin Podziemski, G, Santa Clara (sophomore)
Justin Powell, G, Washington State (junior)
Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F, Marquette (junior)
Adama Sanogo, F/C, UConn (junior)
Brice Sensabaugh, F, Ohio State (freshman)
Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas (freshman)
Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (sophomore)
Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (junior)
Azuolas Tubelis, F, Arizona (junior)
Jarace Walker, F, Houston (freshman)
Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky (freshman)
Jordan Walsh, F, Arkansas (freshman)
Dariq Whitehead, G/F, Duke (freshman)
Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova (freshman)
Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas (junior)
Tyrese Wineglass, G, Southwestern Adventist (TX) (junior)

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools. The schools listed below are from 2022/23.

Jaden Akins, G, Michigan State (sophomore)
Trey Alexander, G, Creighton (sophomore)
Will Baker, C, Nevada (junior)
TJ Bamba, G, Washington State (junior)
Josh Bannan, F, Montana (junior)
Reece Beekman, G, Virginia (junior)
Adem Bona, C, UCLA (freshman)
Jalen Bridges, F, Baylor (junior)
Johni Broome, F, Auburn (junior)
Lamont Butler, G, San Diego State (junior)
Wesley Cardet Jr., G, Chicago State (sophomore)
Dylan Cardwell, C, Auburn (junior)
Frankie Collins, G, Arizona State (sophomore)
LJ Cryer, G, Baylor (junior)
Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado (junior)
Clarence Daniels II, F, New Hampshire (junior)
Davonte Davis, G, Arkansas (junior)
Johnell Davis, G, Florida Atlantic (junior)
Jordan Dingle, G, Penn (junior)
Zach Edey, C, Purdue (junior)
Enrique Freeman, F, Akron (junior)
Eric Gaines, G, UAB (junior)
PJ Hall, F/C, Clemson (junior)
Jacksun Hamilton, F, Wisconsin-Parkside (sophomore)
Rayshon Harrison, G, Grand Canyon (junior)
Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois (junior)
Blake Hinson, G, Pittsburgh (junior)
A.J. Hoggard, G, Michigan State (junior)
DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (sophomore)
Tyrese Hunter, G, Texas (sophomore)
Jordan Ivy-Curry, G, Pacific (junior)
Sion James, G, Tulane (junior)
Meechie Johnson Jr., G, South Carolina (junior)
Dillon Jones, G/F, Weber State (junior)
Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (junior)
Arthur Kaluma, F, Creighton (sophomore)
Miles Kelly, G, Georgia Tech (sophomore)
Bobi Klintman, F, Wake Forest (freshman)
Bol Kuir, C, San Diego (freshman)
Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona (junior)
Tyrin Lawrence, G, Vanderbilt (junior)
Tramon Mark, G, Houston (sophomore)
Alijah Martin, G, Florida Atlantic (junior)
Judah Mintz, G, Syracuse (freshman)
Isaiah Miranda, F/C, NC State (freshman)
Dillon Mitchell, F, Texas (freshman)
Jelanie Morgan, G/F, Lesley (MA) (freshman)
Matthew Murrell, G, Ole Miss (junior)
Grant Nelson, F, North Dakota State (junior)
Jordan Nesbitt, G/F, Hampton (sophomore)
Toby Okani, G/F, Illinois-Chicago (junior)
Norchad Omier, F, Miami (junior)
Clifford Omoruyi, C, Rutgers (junior)
Nijel Pack, G, Miami (FL) (junior)
Zhuric Phelps, G, SMU (sophomore)
Jeremy Roach, G, Duke (junior)
Mark Sears, G, Alabama (junior)
Mike Sharavjamts, F, Dayton (freshman)
Jamal Shead, G, Houston (junior)
Mady Traore, F, New Mexico State (freshman)
Steele Venters, G, Eastern Washington (junior)
Damjan Vukcevic, F, Los Angeles Trade Tech (freshman)

College Seniors

Remaining in draft:

Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, F, Memphis
Damezi Anderson, F, Detroit
Chase Audige, G, Northwestern
Grant Basile, F, Virginia Tech
Manny Bates, F, Butler
Damion Baugh, G, TCU
Kobe Brown, F, Missouri
Toumani Camara, F, Dayton
Tyger Campbell, G, UCLA
Yuri Collins, G, Saint Louis
Alou Dillon, F, Purdue-Northwest
Tosan Evbuomwan, F, Princeton
Adam Flagler, G, Baylor
Armaan Franklin, G, Virginia
Myron Gardner, G/F, Little Rock
De’Vion Harmon, G, Texas Tech
Joey Hauser, F, Michigan State
Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana
Jaime Jaquez, G, UCLA
Keyontae Johnson, F, Kansas State
Jackson Kenyon, F, Miami (OH)
Seth Lundy, F, Penn State
Demetrius Mims, G, Gannon (PA)
Omari Moore, F, San Jose State
Landers Nolley, G/F, Cincinnati
Jack Nunge, F/C, Xavier
Nick Ongenda, C, DePaul
Uros Plavsic, C, Tennessee
Terry Roberts, G, Georgia
Marcus Sasser, G, Houston
Ben Sheppard, G, Belmont
Grant Sherfield, G, Oklahoma
Dontrell Shuler, G, Cal State San Bernardino
Malachi Smith, G, Gonzaga
Justice Sueing, F, Ohio State
Drew Timme, F/C, Gonzaga
Jacob Toppin, F, Kentucky
Oscar Tshiebwe, F/C, Kentucky
Tyler Willoughby, G, Voorhees (SC)
Isaiah Wong, G, Miami

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools. The schools listed below are from 2022/23.

T.J. Bickerstaff, F, Boston College
Keylan Boone, G/F, Pacific
Jordan Brown, F/C, Louisiana
Boo Buie, G, Northwestern
Tyler Burton, F, Richmond
Branden Carlson, F/C, Utah
Kevin Cross, F, Tulane
RayJ Dennis, G, Toledo
Marcus Domask, F, Southern Illinois
El Ellis, G, Louisville
Jaylen Forbes, G, Tulane
Joseph Girard, G, Syracuse
Hakim Hart, G, Maryland
Jalen Hill, F, Oklahoma
Ithiel Horton, G, UCF
Josiah-Jordan James, G/F, Tennessee
Keshad Johnson, F, San Diego State
Jaedon Ledee, F, San Diego State
Madison McCall, G, Lesley (MA)
Kevin McCullar, G, Kansas
Emanuel Miller, F, TCU
Rayquawndis Mitchell, G, Kansas City
Casey Morsell, G, NC State
Paul Mulcahy, G, Rutgers
Tristen Newton, G, UConn
Olivier Nkamhoua, F, Tennessee
Elijah Pepper, G, UC-Davis
Rob Perry, G, Murray State
Jordan Phillips, G/F, Detroit Mercy
Quinten Post, F/C, Boston College
Zyon Pullin, G, UC-Riverside
Jahvon Quinerly, G, Alabama
Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky
Luis Rodriguez, G, UNLV
Cormac Ryan, G, Notre Dame
Terrence Shannon Jr., G, Illinois
Jamarion Sharp, C, Western Kentucky
Tolu Smith, F, Mississippi State
Isaiah Stevens, G, Colorado State
Russel Tchewa, C, South Florida
Tyler Thomas, G, Hofstra
Keisei Tominaga, G, Nebraska
Nae’Qwan Tomlin, F, Kansas State
Cameron Tyson, G, Seattle
Connor Vanover, C, Oral Roberts
Qudus Wahab, C, Georgetown
Anton Watson, F, Gonzaga
Jaylin Williams, F, Auburn

International players

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

Remaining in draft:

Bilal Coulibaly, F, France (born 2004)
Nadir Hifi, G/F, France (born 2002)
James Nnaji, C, Spain (born 2004)
Rayan Rupert, G/F, Australia (born 2004)
Marcio Santos, F/C, Brazil (born 2002)
Enzo Shahrvin, F, France (born 2003)
Tristan Vukcevic, F/C, Serbia (born 2003)
Victor Wembanyama, C, France (born 2004)

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

Miguel Allen, F, Spain (born 2003)
Idrissa Ba, C, France (born 2002)
Elian Benitez, G, France (born 2003)
William Beugre-Kassi, G/F, France (born 2004)
Mihailo Boskovic, F, Serbia (born 2002)
Michael Caicedo, F, Spain (born 2003)
Sasa Ciani, F, Croatia (born 2003)
Carlin Davison, F, New Zealand (born 2003)
Thijs De Ridder, F, Belgium (born 2003)
Ege Demir, F/C, Turkey (born 2004)
Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
Ruben Dominguez, G, Spain (born 2003)
Quinn Ellis, G, Italy (born 2003)
Juan Fernandez, F/C, Spain (born 2002)
Clement Frisch, F, France (born 2002)
Sananda Fru, F, Germany (born 2003)
Gloire Goma, G, Spain (born 2003)
Hassane Gueye, F, France (born 2003)
Ondrej Hanzlik, F, Spain (born 2002)
Tomislav Ivisic, C, Montenegro (born 2003)
Zvonimir Ivisic, C, Montenegro (born 2003)
Ilias Kamardine, G, France (born 2003)
Konstantin Kostadinov, F, Spain (born 2003)
Oleksandr Kovliar, G, Estonia (born 2002)
Liutauras Lelevicius, G, Lithuania (born 2003)
Gilad Levy, C, Israel (born 2002)
Ruben Lopez, F, Spain (born 2002)
Assemian Moulare, G, France (born 2003)
Ousmane N’Diaye, C, Spain (born 2004)
David Okwera, F, Australia (born 2002)
Daniel Onwenu, G, Brazil (born 2002)
Romain Parmentelot, G, France (born 2004)
Ivan Perasovic, F, Croatia (born 2002)
Mantas Rubstavicius, G, Lithuania (born 2002)
Musa Sagnia, F/C, Spain (born 2003)
Birahima Sylla, G, France (born 2003)
Dez Andras Tanoh, G, Hungary (born 2002)
Hugo Toom, F, Estonia (born 2002)
Armel Traore, F, France (born 2003)
Ricards Vanags, G/F, Latvia (born 2002)

Other notable draft-eligible early entrants

Remaining in draft:

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

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

Gael Bonilla, F, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2003)
Djordjije Jovanovic, G/F, Ontario Clippers (born 2003)

Information from RookieScale.com was used in the creation of this post.

NC State’s Terquavion Smith Entering 2023 NBA Draft

March 28th, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

For a second consecutive year, NC State guard Terquavion Smith is entering the NBA draft, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN. However, after withdrawing his name from the 2022 draft last May, Smith says he’s “going all the way in” this time around and will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility.

Smith’s decision to pull out of last year’s draft pool was a surprising one — he ranked 22nd on ESPN’s big board at the time and was considered a good candidate to be drafted in the first round. However, he said that he wanted “one more season to get everything right and just be a college student.”

One year later, Smith’s stock has dipped slightly (he’s now the No. 30 player on ESPN’s board) following a sophomore season in which his shooting percentages slipped to 38.0% from the field and 33.6% on three-pointers. However, he has no regrets about putting off the NBA for a year and believes he exhibited a more complete game in 2022/23.

“I showed a lot of different things this year,” Smith said. “Teams wanted to see me be more of a point guard, making the right play, making the right decisions. They wanted to see me improve my finishing, and I increased that. I showed I can be a leader.

“… I improved my grades. I’m a year closer to getting my degree now. You only get one chance to be a college student and get that college vibe. There was no rush for me. I’m ready to contribute to an NBA team now.”

Smith was NC State’s leading scorer in 2022/23 with 17.9 points per game. Following a disappointing ’21/22 season that saw the team finish with an 11-21 record, he led the Wolfpack to a 23-11 mark and a spot in the NCAA tournament this year.

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