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Doncic, Okobo, Others Remaining In NBA Draft

June 11th, 2018 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s withdrawal deadline for early entrants right around the corner, top prospect Luka Doncic will keep his name in the 2018 NBA draft, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com. While that doesn’t mean he’s obliged to come to the NBA next season, it makes Doncic draft-eligible next week, when he’s expected to come off the board within the first four or five picks.

According to Givony, a number of teams have inquired about the possibility of acquiring a top-three pick, with an eye toward nabbing Doncic. We heard previously that the Clippers had explored that possibility, but it sounds like they’re not the only team weighing that scenario.

Meanwhile, Givony has several more updates on international prospects who have decided to either keep their names in the draft or withdraw from the 2018 pool. Here’s the latest:

Staying in the draft:

Elie Okobo, G, France (Twitter link via Givony): No. 22 prospect on Givony’s top 100.
Tryggvi Hlinason, C, Spain (Twitter link via Givony): No. 69 prospect on Givony’s top 100.
Arnoldas Kulboka, F, Italy (Twitter link via Givony): No. 70 prospect on Givony’s top 100.

Withdrawing:

Etienne Ca, F, France (Twitter link via Givony)
Yago Dos Santos, G, Brazil (Twitter link via Givony)
Gabriel Galvanini, F, Brazil (Twitter link via Givony)
Louis Olinde, G/F, Germany (Twitter link via Givony): No. 64 prospect on Givony’s top 100.
Tadas Sedekerskis, F, Lithuania (Twitter link via Givony): No. 65 prospect on Givony’s top 100.
Shekinah Munanga, F, France (Twitter link via Givony)
Michael Uchendu, C, Brazil (Twitter link via Givony)

Draft Notes: M. Porter, T. Brown, Sixers, Wizards

June 10th, 2018 at 9:04pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Cavaliers prepared on Friday for what turned out to be their final game of the 2017/18 season, the team also had at least one front office representative present at Michael Porter Jr.‘s Pro Day in Chicago, a source tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Depending on how confident teams are about the health of Porter’s back, the young forward could still be on the board when Cleveland picks at No. 8 in this month’s draft.

While it’s not clear if Porter will last until No. 8, the Knicks – who hold the No. 9 overall selection – are also doing their homework just in case. As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, “top-level” Knicks officials will travel to Chicago this Friday to work out the Missouri product. Porter said at last month’s combine that being drafted by the Knicks would be “awesome,” but sources tell Berman that the 19-year-old is probably a long shot to slip to No. 9.

Here are more notes and updates on pre-draft workouts:

Oregon shooting guard Troy Brown, whose stock has been on the rise as of late, will work out for the Hornets next Sunday, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Brown has been viewed as more of a mid-to-late first-round pick, but Charlotte holds the No. 11 overall selection.
While the headliners of the Sixers‘ Monday workout – Lonnie Walker and Miles Bridges – have been previously reported, the session will also include several more prospects. Drew Eubanks (Oregon State), Shake Milton (SMU), Jared Nickens (Maryland), and Nuni Omot (Baylor) will also participate, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
Bruce Brown (Miami), Melvin Frazier (Tulane), Devon Hall (Virginia), Dzanan Musa (international), Thomas Welsh (UCLA), and Tyler Wideman (Butler) are working out for the Pacers on Monday, according to the team.
The Wizards will also host a Monday workout, as the team takes a closer look at Jaylen Adams (St. Bonaventure), Troy Brown (Oregon), Angel Delgado (Seton Hall), Alan Herndon (Wyoming), Elie Okobo (France), and Zhaire Smith (Texas Tech), per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). Brown, Okobo, and Smith are all top-25 prospects on Jonathan Givony’s ESPN big board, so they could be in play for Washington at No. 15.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Favors, Craig, Jenkins

June 6th, 2018 at 6:22pm CST by clarkcrum

As previously reported, IMG Academy guard Anfernee Simons is scheduled for a workout with the Jazz tomorrow. We now know the other prospects who will be joining him, thanks to an official release from the team.

In addition to Simons, the Jazz will host other potential first round selections Tulane swingman Melvin Frazier and French point guard Elie Okobo. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Frazier coming off the board to Atlanta at No. 34 in his latest mock draft, while he fittingly has Okobo being selected by Utah with the team’s first-round selection at No. 21 overall.

In addition to Okobo, Frazier, and Simons, the Jazz will also play host to workouts from Arizona guard Rawle Alkins and two seniors from the state of Ohio – Ohio State’s Jae’Sean Tate and Davidson’s Peyton Aldridge.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division this evening:

Speaking of the Jazz, free-agent-to-be Derrick Favors may very well return to Utah, as he would reportedly prefer, but as opined by Frank Urbina of HoopsHype, three other potential landing spots include the Wizards, Bucks, and Warriors, all of whom could offer Favors their mid-level exception.
After spending the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the Nuggets, guard Torrey Craig is receiving interest from other NBA teams this offseason, per Sportando. Craig, 27, started five games for Denver this past season, averaging 4.2 points in 16.1 minutes per game.
Former NBA guard John Jenkins, who spent this season with the San Pablo Burgos of the Spanish Liga ACB, will attend a free-agent minicamp with the Trail Blazers, per Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Jenkins, 27, played 145 games in the NBA in five seasons from 2012 to 2017.

West Draft Workouts: Jazz, T-Wolves, Blazers, Suns

June 4th, 2018 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

UCLA point guard Aaron Holiday and Duke guard Grayson Allen were among the first-round prospects that the Jazz evaluated on Monday, according to a team tweet. Holiday is ranked No. 17 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on his latest Top 100 prospects list, while Allen checks in at No. 30. Creighton’s Khyri Thomas (No. 27), Villanova’s Jalen Brunson (No. 34), Louisville’s Ray Spalding (No. 52) and San Diego State’s Malik Pope were the other prospects who visited Utah.

We have some other draft workouts involving Western Conference clubs to pass along:

Villanova point guard Donte DiVincenzo and Miami (Fla.) shooting guard Bruce Brown were the top prospects that the Timberwolves worked out on Monday, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP. DiVincenzo and Brown are ranked No. 28 and No. 29 by Givony. They were joined by Rawle Alkins (Arizona), Jeffrey Carroll (Oklahoma State), D.J. Hogg (Texas A&M) and Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech). Contrary to a previous report, Okogie visited Minnesota for the first time (Twitter links here).
Kentucky shooting guard Hamidou Diallo headlined the prospects that the Trail Blazers brought in on Monday, according to a team press release. Diallo is ranked No. 36 by Givony. Anfernee Simons, Jairus Lyles (UMBC), Victor Sanders (Idaho), Trevon Duval (Duke) and Shake Milton (SMU) were the other guards that Portland checked out.
French guard Elie Okobo topped the list of prospects the Suns evaluated on Monday, according to a team tweet. Okobo is ranked No. 21 by Givony. He was joined by Jevon Carter (West Virginia), Joel Berry (North Carolina), Wenyen Gabriel (Kentucky), Thomas Welsh (UCLA) and Ajdin Penava (Marshall).

Draft Notes: Hornets, Grizzlies, Blazers, Lakers, Nuggets

June 2nd, 2018 at 6:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Villanova’s Mikal Bridges had his conditioning tested during his first pre-draft workout today in Charlotte, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges and St. Joseph’s James Demery were the only players at the hour-long session, which featured full-court sprints mixed with long-range shooting toward the end of the process.

“They pushed us,” Bridges said. “I’m really well conditioned and they [wanted to see me] shoot the ball while I’m tired. [It was about] showing them everything, like some ballhandling that they didn’t see” when he was in college.

Projected as a lottery pick, Bridges may still be available when the Hornets select at No. 11. However, Bonnell notes that the Cavaliers, Knicks and Sixers — the three teams directly in front of Charlotte — could all have interest.

There’s more draft-related news to pass along:

The Hornets have six more players coming in tomorrow, highlighted by potential lottery pick Lonnie Walker of Miami, Bonnell tweets. Dayton’s Kostas Antetokounmpo, whose brother is a star with the Bucks, will also be on hand.
Antetokounmpo will be in Memphis on Monday for a six-player workout, the Grizzlies announced in an e-mail. Joining him will be Missouri’s Jordan Barnett, Temple’s Obi Enechionyia, Virginia’s Devon Hall, Kansas’ Malik Newman and North Carolina’s Theo Pinson.
The Trail Blazers focused on 3-and-D players in today’s workout, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo, Miami’s Bruce Brown and Cincinnati’s Jacob Evans all fit that description, which appears to be what the Blazers want with the 24th pick. “I can guard multiple positions and it’s kind of a role where the responsibility isn’t so great,” DiVincenzo said. “The responsibility is you have two things to really do, really focus on, and be great at. And when you can do that, it just opens up time on the floor.”
The Trail Blazers also held a workout on Friday, relays Casey Holdahl of NBA.com, with UCLA’s Aaron Holiday, Villanova’s Jalen Brunson, Duke’s Gary Trent Jr., Tulane’s Melvin Frazier, Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop and Louisville’s Raymond Spalding attending.
The Lakers will bring in six players for a Sunday workout, the team announced on Twitter. Scheduled to attend are Michigan’s Moritz Wagner, Missouri State’s Alize Johnson, Connecticut’s Terry Larrier, Rhode Island’s Jared Terrell, Western Michigan’s Thomas Wilder and TCU’s Kenrich Williams.
The Nuggets have a pair of sessions set for early next week, the team announced through e-mail. Coming in Monday will be Bates-Diop, along with Creighton’s Marcus Foster, Colorado’s George King, USC’s Chimezie Metu and Oakland’s Kendrick Nunn. Scheduled for Tuesday are Holiday and Williams, as well as Notre Dame’s Matt Farrell, Penn State’s Tony Carr and Elie Okobo of France.
Micah Seaborn of Monmouth, one of the late deciders at Wednesday’s withdrawal deadline, elected to remain in the draft, according to Josh Newman of USA Today.

Elie Okobo Enters 2018 NBA Draft

April 11th, 2018 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

French guard Elie Okobo has become the latest top international prospect to enter his name in the 2018 NBA draft pool, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Agent Herman Manakyan informs Givony that Okobo has submitted the necessary paperwork to make himself draft-eligible for 2018.

“This was not a difficult decision for me. I am confident in my abilities, and I am focused on my goal of playing in the NBA,” Okobo told ESPN. “As I look at the field, I am confident I am one of the best point guards in the draft.”

While Givony ranks several point guards ahead of Okobo on his big board, the 20-year-old comes in at No. 38, giving him a chance to be a first-round pick this June. Okobo has had a very productive season for Pau-Orthez in the French League, averaging 13.0 PPG and 4.3 APG in 27 games (26.4 MPG). He has also knocked down 38.9% of his three-point tries.

As Givony details, Okobo has excellent size and scoring instincts, and has attracted “significant attention” this year from NBA scouts. In 2017, Okobo entered the draft and later withdrew his name, but he looks like a good bet to remain in this year’s class, Givony writes.

“I am confident this is the right time for me, and I am already receiving very strong feedback from the teams that have come to see me play this season,” Okobo said. “I hope to land with a team that is serious about player development that will help me to continue improving my skills.”

Draft Notes: Monk, Wolves, Bell, Knicks

June 7th, 2017 at 11:03pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Selecting Malik Monk is the Sixers‘ best option at No. 3, Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer contends. While taking Monk so high may be considered a reach, Ford doesn’t see it that way. He argues that front office should disregard expert rankings and pick the player who would fit in best with the team.

Only five teams were worse than the Sixers from long-range last season, as I mentioned in the franchise’s offseason preview. The Sixers’ greatness need may be shooting and Monk, who Jonathan Givony of Draft Express ranks as the eighth best prospect in the draft, made 39.7% of his attempts from behind the arc during his lone season in Kentucky.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said other teams have been trying to acquire the No. 7 overall pick, ESPN’s Nick Friedell tweets. Thibs added that he believes there will be high demand for many picks in the draft.
Jordan Bell had an impressive workout with the Sixers, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “For a Dennis Rodman-like player who has the ability to play across a few positions, mainly defensively, we sat with him, had a great interview as we’ve learned more about him,” Sixers executive Brandon Williams said. If Bell falls in the draft, Philadelphia could be a team to watch out for since it has four selections in the second round.
The Knicks worked out Ike Iroegbu and Trevor Thompson, Marc Berman of the New York Post passes along (Twitter link).
Elie Okobo worked out for the Sixers today, Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sports relays (Twitter link). Okobo previously worked out for the Jazz and he plans to meet with the Nets and Hawks.

Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Horford, Celtics, 76ers

June 6th, 2017 at 6:18pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Celtics GM Danny Ainge was impressed by Markelle Fultz after the point guard spent two days in Boston, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston owns the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft and is strongly considering using the pick on Fultz.

“It went well. I had dinner with him last night. He had a physical yesterday and he had a workout this morning with Brad [Stevens]. Everything went well. He’s very talented,” Ainge told Himmelsbach by phone Tuesday.

But that is not all going on in the Atlantic division:

Fresh off the first season of his sizable contract with the Celtics, Al Horford opens up about the high expectations and immense pressures he faces in an article from Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Horford explains how he copes: “My biggest thing, and I learned this at an early stage in my career, was to not read any of that information or see anything, good or bad…One day people love you, the next they hate you, it’s really up and down, and my focus was making sure the team kept getting better as a group, and not worry about anything outside. One thing that helped me was not paying attention to a lot of things.”
76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo is not speeding up the team’s rebuild and instead appears to be patiently and strategically building a contender a la Sam Hinkie‘s “The Process,” writes Bob Cooney of Philly.com.
The 76ers will hold a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, reports Keith Pompey of Philly.com (link via Twitter). The scheduled participants are Jordan Bell (Oregon), Thomas Bryant (Indiana), Tyler Dorsey (Oregon), Elie Okobo (Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez), L.J. Peak (Georgetown), and Steve Vasturia (Notre Dame).

Draft Updates: Milton, Trier, Maten, Okobo

April 13th, 2017 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of notable NCAA underclassmen have decided to return to school for at least one more year, according to reports. Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports tweets that SMU guard Shake Milton will stay in school for his junior year, while Arizona guard Allonzo Trier tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he’ll remain with the Wildcats for his junior season. Both players would have been candidates to be selected if they had entered the 2017 draft — they currently rank back to back at Nos. 59 and 60 on the DraftExpress big board.

Here are a few more draft updates worth passing along:

Georgia power forward Yante Maten will test the draft waters, per Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Maten won’t hire an agent, so he’ll have the opportunity to withdraw from the draft by May 24 and return to Georgia for his senior year.
Elie Okobo, a combo guard from France, has declared for the 2017 NBA draft, agent Herman Manakyan tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Okobo’s ranks ninth on DraftExpress’ list of 1997-born international prospects.
Brandon Goodwin, a Florida Gulf Coast junior guard, has decided to enter the draft without hiring an agent, the school announced in a press release. Despite averaging 18.5 PPG for FGCU in 2016/17, Goodwin is not viewed as a top prospect by DraftExpress.
Southern Utah shooting guard Randy Onwuasor will enter his name into the draft pool without hiring an agent, according to Ryan Miller of The Spectrum. Onwuasor, who is not considered likely to be drafted, is planning to return for his senior season, Miller writes.