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Draft Notes: Bufkin, Wizards, Nets, Jazz, Hornets, Hawks, More

June 22nd, 2023 at 4:15pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards recently hosted Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin for a private workout, Michael Scotto reports in his latest aggregate mock draft for HoopsHype.

Bufkin hasn’t worked out for many teams, and his draft status has been somewhat mysterious because of that, though many seem to believe his stock is on the rise. He’s currently ranked No. 18 on ESPN’s best available list, while the Wizards control the No. 8 pick.

Here are a few more notes ahead of the 2023 NBA draft, which kicks off in less than three hours:

  • The Nets recently hosted several potential first-round picks for workouts, including Ohio State’s Brice Sensabaugh, South Carolina’s G.G. Jackson, France’s Sidy Cissoko, and Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper, league sources tell Scotto. Brooklyn currently controls the 21st and 22nd picks in the first round, but the team has reportedly discussed moving up as well.
  • The Jazz have had trade discussions involving packaging two of their three first-rounders (Nos. 9 and 16), according to Scotto, but they’ve also discussed the latter pick on its own in separate deals.
  • Scotto hears from sources who say the Hornets plan to prioritize retaining restricted free agents Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington as well as unrestricted free agent Dennis Smith Jr. Bridges missed all of last season after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence charges.
  • The Hawks have been active in trade discussions, but they’ve also been busy working out prospects. On Tuesday, Atlanta hosted Cason Wallace (Kentucky), Rayan Rupert (New Zealand Breakers), Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara), Mojave King (G League Ignite), Seth Lundy (Penn State) and Miles Norris (UC Santa Barbara), tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. The Hawks control the Nos. 15 and 46 picks. Incidentally, Wallace is the top-ranked prospect of the group according to ESPN, currently ranked No. 15 on their board.
  • Wichita State guard Craig Porter Jr. recently spoke to Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com about a number of topics ahead of the draft.
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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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Pacers Notes: Walker, Hendricks, Clowney, Jackson-Davis, Forwards

June 6th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers hold the No. 7 pick in the lottery and they’ll host two high-level prospects for solo workouts on Wednesday. Houston Cougars forward Jarace Walker and UCF forward Taylor Hendricks will visit separately, the team’s PR department tweets (Twitter links). Walker is listed right at No. 7 on ESPN’s Best Available list; Hendricks sits at No. 9.

We have more on the Pacers:

  • Alabama’s Noah Clowney, who visited the Pacers in a six-player workout on Tuesday, said he can be a defensive force in the NBA, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star writes. “I can guard, but I want people to know I can guard multiple ways,” Clowney said. “I can contain people, but I can also push people a certain way, guard multiple people, guard multiple positions. … I’d imagine when I first start practicing, I’m going to struggle guarding smaller guys. … As far as protecting the rim, that doesn’t really change.” Clowney is ranked No. 20 by ESPN; the Pacers also own picks No. 26, No. 29, No. 32 and No. 55.
  • Marcus Bagley (Arizona State), Josh Bannan (Montana), Alex Gross (Morehead State), G.G. Jackson (South Carolina), and JT Shumate (Toledo) also visited the Pacers on Tuesday, according to a team press release.
  • Indiana University star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis visited on Monday and said he’s been working on his perimeter shooting, according to Dopirak. “I’ve been in Los Angeles working on my game, working on my 3-point shot,” Jackson-Davis said. “It’s something that I’ve showcased in these workouts. The hard work that I’ve put in is paying off. I’ve been able to shoot 3s and hit them in live settings and that’s something I’m going to have to do at the next level. … They’ve never seen me do it. No one could know if I could shoot the ball.” He’s ranked No. 28 by ESPN.
  • The Pacers will likely look to upgrade at forward via either free agency or trade this offseason. Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype believes they could target either Jerami Grant or Kyle Kuzma in unrestricted free agency or put together an offer sheet for either Cameron Johnson and Rui Hachimura. On the trade front, they could make a run at either of the Raptors’ starters, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
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Eastern Notes: Hornets, Hawks, Nets, Knicks, Embiid

June 4th, 2023 at 8:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Adama Sanogo, the starting center on UConn’s national championship team, and Julian Strawther of Gonzaga were among the six draft prospects who worked out for the Hornets on Sunday, the team’s PR department tweets. Memphis’ Kendric Davis, Kent State’s Sincere Carry, Butler’s Manny Bates and Marquette Olivier-Maxence Prosper joined that duo. The latter is currently ranked No. 29 on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Alabama center Charles Bediako and Gonzaga big man Drew Timme are among the six draft prospects who will visit the Hawks on Monday, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. They’ll be joined by Miami’s Jordan Miller, Virginia’s Kihei Clark, DePaul’s Javan Johnson and Washington State’s Justin Powell.
  • Nets GM Sean Marks has a history of making aggressive moves either leading up to the draft or on draft night, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. Brooklyn has back-to-back picks in the first round at No. 21 and 22. If Marks decides to keep them, South Carolina freshman G.G. Jackson, G League Ignite’s Leonard Miller and Frenchman Bilal Coulibaly could be among the players who will get serious consideration.
  • The Knicks are crossing their fingers that the Sixers will eventually implode and Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid will look to be dealt, Tim MacMahon of ESPN said on The Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to the New York Post’s Bridget Reilly). “They’re not hoping for patience, they’re hoping for The Process. I don’t know if that’s coming, but they’ve looked at that situation in Philly and there’s been a hope in New York that stuff in Philly will go haywire to the point where Embiid will ask out,” MacMahon said. “I don’t know the percentage odds on that, I would say they are slim, but that’s been the hope.”
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NBA Reveals Players Expected At 2023 Draft Combine

May 9th, 2023 at 6:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA has announced 78 players that are expected to attend this year’s draft combine, scheduled for May 15-21 at in Chicago, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.

Additionally, a select number of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which takes place May 13-14 in Chicago, will be invited to participate in the combine.

Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five scrimmages, as well as shooting, strength and agility drills. Some top prospects opt out of the scrimmages.

Victor Wembanyama, the projected top pick, is not on the list. His French League season is still ongoing.

The list of invitees is as follows:

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South Carolina’s GG Jackson Among Players Declaring For Draft

March 24th, 2023 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

South Carolina freshman Gregory “GG” Jackson II announced on Friday that he has decided to forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility and declare for the 2023 NBA draft, per a press release from the school.

A 6’9″ forward, Jackson averaged 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds on .384/.324/.677 shooting in 32 games (31.9 MPG) for the Gamecocks in his first and only college season. He earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman team, but has proven to be a difficult player for NBA scouts to evaluate, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

As Givony explains, Jackson was the youngest player in college basketball and wasn’t ready to be a featured option as a freshman, as his shooting percentages show. While he exhibited flashes of brilliance, Givony says NBA evaluators have concerns about his decision-making, his effort on defense, and his body language when things aren’t going well. The 18-year-old also criticized his own coaches in an Instagram Live session last month.

Jackson currently comes in at No. 28 on ESPN’s big board, though Givony had him ranked as a borderline lottery pick earlier in the college season.

Here are a few of the other players who have recently declared for the 2023 NBA draft:

  • Colorado State senior guard Isaiah Stevens announced today on Twitter that he’ll test the draft waters while leaving the door open to return for one more year. Stevens has averaged 15.2 PPG and 5.3 APG with a .390 3PT% in 117 career college games (34.7 MPG).
  • Rutgers junior center Clifford Omoruyi is entering his name in the 2023 draft pool while maintaining his remaining NCAA eligibility, he announced on Instagram. Omoruyi nearly averaged a double-double in 2022/23, with 13.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in 34 appearances (30.3 MPG).
  • Notre Dame senior guard Cormac Ryan has entered the transfer portal while also declaring for the 2023 draft, he tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Ryan could withdraw his name from the draft and play one more college season, but it sounds like it won’t be with the Fighting Irish.
  • Butler forward Manny Bates is testing the draft waters following his senior season, he tells Rothstein (Twitter link). Bates began his college career at NC State before transferring to the Bulldogs last season.
  • Niagara senior guard Noah Thomasson is entering the draft without forgoing his final year of eligibility, according to an announcement from the school. He’s coming off a breakout year in which he averaged a team-leading 19.5 points per game on .481/.386/.667 shooting.
  • Syracuse senior guard Joseph Girard is entering both the draft pool and the transfer portal, he announced on Twitter. Girard put up 16.4 PPG and 3.0 APG with a .381 3PT% for Syracuse in 2022/23.
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2023 Draft Notes: Big Boards, Mocks, Thompson Twins

March 10th, 2023 at 5:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Villanova wing Cam Whitmore has been a polarizing prospect this season, with some scouts viewing him as having the highest upside among all college prospects, while some view him as more of a late lottery pick. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believes the pace-and-space NBA game will better suit Whitmore’s explosiveness and shot creation ability, which has been somewhat hampered by the more congested college game.

Whitmore is ranked No. 5 on Vecenie’s latest top 100 big board ahead of the 2023 draft. Vecenie’s full top 10 is as follows (in order): Victor Wembanyama (Metropolitans 92, France), Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite), Brandon Miller (Alabama), Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite), Whitmore, Ausar Thompson (OTE), Jarace Walker (Houston), Anthony Black (Arkansas), Gradey Dick (Kansas) and Cason Wallace (Kentucky).

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer recently updated his own 2023 big board, and there is a notable difference with Vecenie’s. While nearly all talent evaluators have Wembanyama and Henderson as the top two prospects, O’Connor ranks Miller No. 2 and Henderson No. 3. O’Connor is also high on Baylor’s Keyonte George, ranking him No. 8; he was No. 16 on Vecenie’s board. O’Connor also updated his mock draft for the first round, which can be found right here.
  • In an Insider-only story for ESPN, Jonathan Givony provides his latest two-round mock draft and takes a look at 12 prospects who are likely competing in their final college games due to a lack of team success. According to Givony, a couple of former top high school prospects may have hurt their stock more than they helped it this season. One is South Carolina’s Gregory Jackson II (No. 27 in the mock), who reclassified to 2023 and was the top recruit for ’24. The other is Emoni Bates (No. 52), who transferred to Eastern Michigan after a poor freshman season at Memphis. As Givony writes, both Jackson and Bates struggled with offensive efficiency, poor decision-making, and lackadaisical defense.
  • Twin brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson recently sat down for an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter video link). Both players are projected to go in the top 10 — in Givony’s mock, they’re selected back-to-back at Nos. 4 and 5.
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