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Draft Notes: J. Williams, Sasser, LaRavia, Houstan, Minott, More

May 27th, 2022 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Santa Clara wing Jalen Williams was perhaps the standout of last week’s draft combine in Chicago, while Houston guard Marcus Sasser looked like the best player at the G League Elite Camp, John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic write as part of their analysis of the combine.

Hollinger and Vecenie suggest that Williams’ stock has “exploded into the stratosphere” as a result of his performance in Chicago and that he looks like a safe bet to be a first-round pick. As for Sasser, he got “nearly unanimous praise” from scouts, who believe he has a chance to start his rookie season on a standard NBA contract, rather than a two-way deal.

The Athletic’s duo shares several more combine-related tidbits in their full story, including identifying Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia as a prospect who is drawing legitimate interest from contending teams in the last 10 picks of the first round.

Hollinger and Vecenie also say that chatter about Michigan forward Caleb Houstan having received a promise continues to circulate among league insiders. Those insiders have speculated that Oklahoma City at No. 30 could be the team eyeing Houstan, given the Thunder‘s history of shutting down their targets well ahead of draft night.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Josh Minott, the No. 48 player on ESPN’s 2022 big board, will be keeping his name in the NBA draft, according to his uncle (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports). The freshman forward played fewer than 500 total minutes in his first and only college season at Memphis in 2021/22.
  • Wyoming guard Hunter Maldonado tells Rothstein (Twitter link) that he’ll withdraw from the draft and use his final year of NCAA eligibility. Maldonado had a big senior year in 2021/22, averaging 18.5 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 5.7 RPG and making the All-Mountain West Conference first team.
  • George Washington junior guard James Bishop will withdraw from the draft and return to school for at least one more year, tweets Rothstein. Bishop has been the Colonials’ go-to scorer since transferring for his sophomore season, averaging 17.6 PPG in 47 games over the last two years.
  • Senior guard Emmanuel Bandoumel will also withdraw from the draft as he transfers from SMU to Nebraska, tweets Rothstein.
  • Former Louisiana senior center Theo Akwuba has withdrawn from the draft and Oklahoma State junior guard Avery Anderson III and Tennessee junior guard Santiago Vescovi are expected to do the same, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (all Twitter links). Goodman notes that Akwuba will be transferring to Ole Miss for his final college season.
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Central Notes: Grant, Pistons, Pacers, Haliburton

May 15th, 2022 at 4:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After securing the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft and selecting talented guard Cade Cunningham, the Pistons are hoping to have similar lottery luck this year. Detroit’s landing spot in Tuesday’s draft lottery could help add some clarity to the team’s decision on the long-term future of veteran forward Jerami Grant, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

The Pistons could opt this offseason to extend Grant, whose deal with the club expires in 2023 after he earns $21MM next season. Should the Pistons find a suitable young replacement candidate in the draft, the team may opt to move on from the 28-year-old forward.

During his second season with the Pistons, Grant missed 35 games with a left calf strain. In his 47 healthy contests, he averaged 19.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 BPG, with shooting splits of .426/.358/.838.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • The Pistons will have a variety of players to choose from wherever they land within the NBA lottery, writes James Edwards of The Athletic. Edwards takes a look at a handful of mock draft scenarios for Detroit depending on just where that selection ends up. Edwards notes that Purdue guard Jaden Ivey could rocket up the draft board for several clubs, and may be an intriguing top-four candidate for Detroit.
  • The lottery-bound Pacers held their first pre-draft workout of the 2022 offseason Friday at the St. Vincent Center with six young prospects. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files offers a breakdown of the day, including intriguing tidbits on draft hopefuls Josh Minott, a 6’8″ guard out of Memphis, and Hyunjung Lee, a 6’7″ guard out of Davidson.
  • New Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hopes to stick around in Indiana for the long haul, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. “I want to be here and I want to be part of it,” the 22-year-old said of his future with the franchise. Agness notes that Haliburton has remained in Indiana, working out consistently, since the team’s season came to an official close. He sat courtside to watch the Indiana Fever defeat the Minnesota Lynx 82-76 earlier this week. The 6’5″ guard averaged 17.5 PPG, 9.6 APG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.8 SPG in his 26 games with Indiana after being dealt by the Kings.
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Draft Notes: Withdrawals, Pro Days, Turell, Minott

May 13th, 2022 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

UAB senior guard Jordan Walker, San Francisco senior guard Khalil Shabazz, and Auburn sophomore big man Johni Broome are among the players who have indicated that they’ll withdraw from the 2022 NBA draft class and return to college for at least one more year, according to a series of announcements.

None of the three were considered great bets to be drafted in 2022, so they’ll look to improve their stock in 2022/23 before potentially returning pro a year from now. Walker and Shabazz will have exhausted their NCAA eligibility at that point, while Broome – who recently announced that he’ll transfer to Auburn from Morehead State – will have the option of remaining in school.

Early entrants in this year’s draft have until the end of the day on June 1 to withdraw their names if they want to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s official withdrawal deadline is June 13.

Here’s more on the 2022 draft:

  • Earlier this week, the NBA sent teams a list of 17 Pro Days that will be run by agencies at next week’s draft combine in Chicago, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Shaedon Sharpe, Keegan Murray, Dyson Daniels, and Jeremy Sochan will be among the many prospects in attendance at those various agency-run Pro Days, Givony adds.
  • Yeshiva swingman Ryan Turell, a Division III star, has been forced to withdraw from next week’s NBA G League Elite Camp after suffering a minor injury in a workout, sources tell Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link).
  • Memphis wing Josh Minott has worked out for the Nets, Grizzlies, and Bucks early in the pre-draft process, a league source tells Zagoria (Twitter link).
  • Jeremy Woo of SI.com identifies five of his favorite under-the-radar prospects in the 2022 draft class, including NC State guard Terquavion Smith and UConn forward Tyrese Martin.
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Central Notes: LaVine, Pacers Workouts, White, Pistons Draft

May 12th, 2022 at 7:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Zach LaVine‘s decision to have knee surgery in the offseason shows his commitment to the game and the Bulls, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson. LaVine’s decision to play through his knee injury this season with Chicago heading to the playoffs proved how much he wanted to experience the postseason for himself and give his teammates a chance to do the same. He’ll still get paid this summer in unrestricted free agency, likely a maximum deal, Johnson adds.

We have more on the Central Division:

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Full List Of 2022 NBA Draft Combine Participants

May 10th, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has revealed its list of 76 players who have been invited – and who are expected to attend – next week’s draft combine in Chicago. The combine workouts will take place from May 18-20.

Over the course of the week, players will conduct interviews with NBA teams, participate in five-on-five games, and go through shooting, strength and agility drills.

While several of the prominent names at the top of the draft likely won’t participate in scrimmages, those top prospects are still expected to attend. That group includes Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, and Jaden Ivey.

A handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp could be invited to participate in the combine as well.

Here’s the full list of 76 names announced by the NBA today, in alphabetical order, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link):

  1. Ochai Agbaji, G/F, Kansas (senior)
  2. Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, Milwaukee (freshman)
  3. Paolo Banchero, F, Duke (freshman)
  4. Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
  5. MarJon Beauchamp, G/F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  6. Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001)
  7. Malaki Branham, G/F, Ohio State (freshman)
  8. Christian Braun, G, Kansas (junior)
  9. Kendall Brown, F, Baylor (freshman)
  10. John Butler Jr., F/C, Florida State (freshman)
  11. Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (junior)
  12. Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee (freshman)
  13. Max Christie, G, Michigan State (freshman)
  14. Kofi Cockburn, C, Illinois (junior)
  15. Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  16. Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin (sophomore)
  17. JD Davison, G, Alabama (freshman)
  18. Moussa Diabate, F, Michigan (freshman)
  19. Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003)
  20. Khalifa Diop, C, Spain (born 2002)
  21. Jalen Duren, C, Memphis (freshman)
  22. Tari Eason, F, LSU (sophomore)
  23. Keon Ellis, G, Alabama (senior)
  24. Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  25. Collin Gillespie, G, Villanova (super-senior)
  26. AJ Griffin, F, Duke (freshman)
  27. Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  28. Ron Harper Jr., F, Rutgers (senior)
  29. Chet Holmgren, C, Gonzaga (freshman)
  30. Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford (freshman)
  31. Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue (sophomore)
  32. Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana (junior)
  33. Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003)
  34. Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA (junior)
  35. Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001)
  36. Trevor Keels, G, Duke (freshman)
  37. Walker Kessler, F/C, Auburn (sophomore)
  38. Christian Koloko, C, Arizona (junior)
  39. Jake LaRavia, F, Wake Forest (junior)
  40. Justin Lewis, F, Marquette (sophomore)
  41. E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State (junior)
  42. Bennedict Mathurin, G/F, Arizona (sophomore)
  43. Matthew Mayer, F, Baylor (senior)
  44. Bryce McGowens, G, Nebraska (freshman)
  45. Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003)
  46. Josh Minott, F, Memphis (freshman)
  47. Aminu Mohammed, G/F, Georgetown (freshman)
  48. Iverson Molinar, G, Mississippi State (junior)
  49. Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
  50. Wendell Moore, F, Duke (junior)
  51. Keegan Murray, F, Iowa (sophomore)
  52. Andrew Nembhard, G, Gonzaga
  53. Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (junior)
  54. Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002)
  55. Orlando Robinson, F/C, Fresno State (junior)
  56. David Roddy, F, Colorado State (junior)
  57. Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo (sophomore)
  58. Dereon Seabron, G, NC State (sophomore)
  59. Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky (freshman)
  60. Jabari Smith, F, Auburn (freshman)
  61. Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (freshman)
  62. Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor (freshman)
  63. Matteo Spagnolo, G, Italy (born 2003)
  64. Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (sophomore)
  65. Dalen Terry, G, Arizona (sophomore)
  66. Drew Timme, F, Gonzaga (junior)
  67. Jabari Walker, F, Colorado (sophomore)
  68. TyTy Washington Jr., G, Kentucky (freshman)
  69. Peyton Watson, G/F, UCLA (freshman)
  70. Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame (freshman)
  71. Alondes Williams, G, Wake Forest (super-senior)
  72. Jalen Williams, G, Santa Clara (junior)
  73. Jaylin Williams, F/C, Arkansas (sophomore)
  74. Mark Williams, C, Duke (sophomore)
  75. Trevion Williams, F/C, Purdue (senior)
  76. Fanbo Zeng, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
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Draft Notes: Banchero, Gueye, Minott, L. Miller

May 8th, 2022 at 11:55am CST by Arthur Hill

LIFT Sports Management, operated by former NBA player Mike Miller, landed its biggest client so far when Duke’s Paolo Banchero signed with the agency on Saturday, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium. LIFT released a short video announcing the move and welcoming Banchero to its team (Twitter link).

Banchero was one of the top players in college basketball this season, being named ACC Rookie of the Year and earning second-team All-American honors. He is projected as a top four pick in next month’s draft and is rated as the No. 2 prospect on ESPN’s big board.

Miller launched the agency last year after spending two years as an assistant at the University of Memphis. According to RealGM, he has six other clients who are eligible for this year’s draft.

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

  • Washington State’s Mouhamed Gueye has been invited to participate in the NBA G League Elite Camp, according to JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link). The freshman center averaged 7.4 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Cougars this season.
  • Josh Minott of Memphis has been impressive in his early workouts for a few Eastern Conference teams, tweets Adam Zagoria. He averaged 6.6 and 3.8 rebounds as a freshman with the Tigers.
  • Canadian high school prospect Leonard Miller has been ruled eligible for the draft, tweets Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. Paperwork issues prevented him from being included on the official early entries list, but those problems have been resolved.
  • Woo has released a new list of top 100 prospects, which has Auburn’s Jabari Smith at No. 1. Woo calls Smith “the best pure freshman jump shooter to enter the draft in years” and “a legit No. 1 pick candidate in most drafts.” Rounding out his top five are Purdue’s Jaden Ivey, Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe.
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Draft Notes: Hardy, Minott, Nesbitt, Benitez

March 24th, 2022 at 1:30pm CST by Rory Maher

In an appearance on the Posted Up podcast with Chris Haynes, G League Ignite guard Jaden Hardy sounded confident that he should be a top pick in the 2022 NBA draft (Twitter link via Yahoo Sports).

“I feel like I’m the best player in this draft, if you ask me. Playing in the NBA G League, I mean it’s the second-best league in the world. I’ve played against people that are playing in the NBA right now, like Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga. Like those guys are on the Warriors getting good minutes and they were just playing against me. So I’m playing against NBA talent,” Hardy said.

The 6’4″ guard is currently No. 26 on ESPN’s best available players list, but Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has him No. 13 on his latest Big Board.

Here are some more draft-related notes:

  • Freshman forward Josh Minott is entering the draft and will initially keep his college eligibility, but he has no intention of returning to Memphis, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Minott is No. 54 on ESPN’s best available list, but he hopes to move up draft boards in June. “I plan to be like Josh Primo [a surprise No. 12 pick in the 2021 draft] coming out of the woodwork this spring,” Minott said. “I will listen to the NBA’s feedback. If they feel I’m a first-round talent and want to invest in me, that would be the best situation.” John Hollinger of The Athletic likes Minott as a sleeper, as we previously relayed.
  • Jordan Nesbitt of Saint Louis has declared for the draft (via Twitter). The 6’6″ guard averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds on .391/.337/.692 shooting as a sophomore for the Billikens. Based on the wording of his announcement, it sounds like he plans to forgo his remaining eligibility.
  • French point guard Hugo Benitez will also declare for the draft, his agent Herman Manakyan told ESPN’s Givony (Twitter link). Benitez, who turned 21 in January, is averaging 7.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals on .509/.395/.875 shooting for JL Bourg of the LNB Pro A league. Givony states that Benitez is a good defensive player who displays intelligence and maturity in pick-and-rolls.
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