Josh Okogie Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Workouts: Sexton, Hornets, Lakers, Wizards

June 13th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Alabama point guard Collin Sexton will headline the Hornets‘ pre-draft workouts on Thursday, according to a press release from the team. Sexton’s stock is high enough that he’s a decent bet to come off the board within the first 10 picks of next week’s draft, but if he slips to No. 11, Charlotte would face an interesting decision — drafting Sexton would almost certainly increase the trade buzz surrounding the team’s current standout point guard Kemba Walker.

In addition to Sexton and previously-reported participant Zhaire Smith, Josh Newkirk (Indiana), Matt Mobley (St. Bonaventure), Deng Adel (Louisville), Gary Clark (Cincinnati), and Devon Hall (Virginia) will also get a look from the Hornets on Thursday.

Here are more updates on pre-draft workouts from around the NBA:

The latest group workout for the Lakers featured Rawle Alkins (Arizona), Jeffrey Carroll (Oklahoma State), Angel Delgado (Seton Hall), Kelan Martin (Butler), Brandon McCoy (UNLV), and Kendrick Nunn (Oakland), the club announced on its website. As previously noted, it’s Delgado’s second audition for L.A.
Josh Okogie‘s busy workout schedule includes visits to the Suns, Jazz, Clippers, and Pacers, with possible returns to the Lakers and Celtics also possible, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Okogie is considered a potential first-round pick.
The Wizards will audition Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State), Khadeen Carrington (Seton Hall), Bryant Crawford (Wake Forest), Brandon McCoy (UNLV), Doral Moore (Wake Forest), and Jonathan Stark (Murray State) on Thursday, according to the team.
Billy Preston, who last played in Bosnia, has workouts on tap with the Trail Blazers, Bucks, Hornets, and Nets, he said today (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington). Preston is one of 91 early entrants hoping to be drafted this year.

Draft Notes: Okogie, Bagley, Bulls, Hawks

June 8th, 2018 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie is drawing plenty of interest from teams with middle or late first-round picks, according to Adam Zagoria of the New York Times. Okogie has already worked out for the Grizzlies, Nets, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Nuggets, Bulls and Spurs. He’s got a second workout scheduled with the Spurs, along with visits to the Warriors and Trail Blazers, Zagoria adds (Twitter links). The 6’4” shooting guard is currently ranked No. 26 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

In other draft-related news with the big day less than two weeks away:

Duke big man Marvin Bagley III believes Deandre Ayton is being disrespectful by stating that he knows he’ll be the top pick, Bob Baum of the Associated Press reports. Bagley feels the Suns, who own the top pick, should bestow him that status. “I definitely believe I’m the No. 1 pick and if the Suns take me I’ll definitely show them why,” Bagley said after working out for Phoenix on Friday.
The Bulls not only worked out Okogie on Friday but also Aaron Holiday (UCLA), Chimezie Metu (USC), Kameron Chatman (Detroit), Giddy Potts (Middle Tennessee) and Scottie Lindsey (Northwestern), according to a team release. Holiday was the headliner, as he’s rated No. 17 by Givony.
The Hawks were among the teams at Michael Porter Jr.‘s workout in Chicago on Friday, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Atlanta owns the No. 3 overall pick.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Atkinson, Sixers, Celtics, Sullivan

June 6th, 2018 at 5:08pm CST by clarkcrum

After a record-breaking regular season, the Raptors once again laid an egg in the postseason, leading to the firing of Coach of the Year candidate Dwane Casey. Now, barring any trades, the team is faced with a potential luxury tax issue with a roster that cannot seem to compete in the weaker Eastern Conference come playoff time.

Eric Koreen of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at the luxury tax concerns for Toronto, focusing on who the Raptors could afford to surrender in order to get under the tax threshold while also remaining competitive.

Koreen opines that in a perfect world, the Raptors would probably love to unload one or both of the contracts of Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell, who are scheduled to make over $21.6MM and $9.3MM next season, respectively.

More realistically, the club may decide to let young guard Fred VanVleet sign somewhere else instead of matching what is expected to be an offer in the $7.5MM per season range. Koreen also explores the possibility of moving on from big man Jonas Valanciunas or the player the Raptors used their MLE on last summer – C.J. Miles.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets have been relatively uncompetitive for the last three seasons, but head coach Kenny Atkinson expects significant growth next season, reports Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The Nets have limited cap space and traded away their own first-round pick in this month’s NBA Draft, so Atkinson will need to rely on his reputed prowess as a player developer if the Nets hope to show meaningful improvement.
Regardless of whether or not the Sixers succeed in signing a superstar free agent this offseason, the team will need to make sure to also sign both a guard with long-range shooting ability who is capable of guarding opposing point guards (e.g. Patrick Beverley) and a backup center capable of protecting the rim when Joel Embiid isn’t on the court, per David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Celtics‘ first selection in the upcoming draft, barring a trade, isn’t until pick No. 27, but according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston, the team can still add some quality wing depth with versatile players such as Gary Trent Jr. or Josh Okogie, both of whom are likely to be available towards the end of the first round.
Per Ian Begley of ESPN, former Clippers’ assistant coach Pat Sullivan will join the Knicks staff as an assistant for new head coach David Fizdale. Sullivan, a New Jersey native, worked as an assistant coach for the Pistons when Knicks’ GM Scott Perry was an executive with the team.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Jazz, Wolves, Nuggets

June 5th, 2018 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

While most NBA teams are focusing on workouts for 2018 draft prospects these days, this is also a time of year when clubs take a closer look at veteran free agents, bringing them in for auditions of their own. The Trail Blazers are doing just that at a mini-camp this week, as Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype details (Twitter link).

According to Kennedy, former Sixers, Rockets, and Nets swingman K.J. McDaniels is among the players earning a look from the Trail Blazers, along with Casper Ware, Kadeem Jack, Isaiah Cousins, Kyle Randall, and a number of others. A handful of current Portland players, including Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan, participated in those sessions alongside the free agents on Monday, Kennedy notes.

Here’s more from around the Northwest division:

Former Duke guard Grayson Allen, who worked out for Utah on Monday, is “very much in consideration” for the Jazz with their No. 21 pick, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz say that Aaron Holiday, Jalen Brunson, and Khyri Thomas, who have also auditioned for the team, are options for that first-round selection as well, Jones adds.
Britt Robson of The Athletic (subscription required) identifies six potential – and realistic – free agent targets for the Timberwolves, who are need of another shooter or two. Virtually all of Robson’s suggestions, including Joe Harris, Wayne Ellington, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, fit that bill.
The Nuggets will work out Troy Brown Jr. (Oregon), Matt Farrell (Notre Dame), Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech), Zhaire Smith (Texas Tech), Khyri Thomas (Creighton), and Gary Trent Jr. (Duke) on Wednesday, according to the club. Farrell had originally been scheduled to audition on Tuesday, but he was bumped a day back, with Jalen Brunson (Villanova) and Justin Tillman (VCU) joining Tuesday’s session.

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 Decisions: McDaniels, Cody & Caleb Martin

May 30th, 2018 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Forward Jalen McDaniels will return to San Diego State for his sophomore season, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN. McDaniels is part of a crop of late decision makers who waited until shortly before tonight’s deadline of 11:59pm Eastern to announce whether they are staying in the draft.

“After thoughtful consideration with my family and coaching staff, I have decided to return to San Diego State for my sophomore year.” McDaniels posted on Twitter. “I’m looking forward to furthering my education and returning to the NCAA Tournament. Go Aztecs!”

McDaniels averaged 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in his first year at San Diego State. He held workouts with Cavaliers, Clippers, Timberwolves, Jazz, Warriors, Celtics, Nets, Hawks, Bucks, Spurs and Bulls, according to Mark Zeigler of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

In another significant last-minute decision, Nevada stars Cody Martin and Caleb Martin will both return to school, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Cody is ranked 90th and Caleb is 91st in the list of top 100 prospects compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, but Jeff Goodman of ESPN suggests the Wolf Pack could be a top 10 team next season with both staying (Twitter link).

There’s also news to pass along on pre-draft workouts:

The Lakers have a session set for Thursday with Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham and Billy Preston, Wichita State’s Landry Shamet, Penn State’s Tony Carr, Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie and Gonzaga’s Johnathan Williams, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
The Kings will hold a workout Thursday for SMU’s Shake Milton, Arizona’s Allonzo Trier, Vanderbilt’s Jeff Roberson, Rhode Island’s E.C. Matthews, Cincinnati’s Gary Clark and Missouri’s Jordan Barnett.
On Tuesday, the Suns brought in Temple’s Obi Enechionyia, Cincinnati’s Jacob Evans, Arizona State’s Shannon Evans and Kodi Justice, Wyoming’s Alan Herndon and Australia player William McDowell-White.
Donte Ingram of Loyola Chicago had “solid” workouts with the Bulls and Bucks last week, according to Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox (Twitter link). The Bucks also brought in UCLA’s Thomas Welsh.
Texas center Mo Bamba will work out Friday for the Bulls, tweets Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago.

Draft Notes: Chatman, Fernando, White, McDuffie

May 28th, 2018 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Detroit redshirt junior Kameron Chatman, who initially entered the draft without an agent, is officially going pro after testing the waters, his father tells ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). Chatman, who will sign with an agent, spent his first two college seasons at Michigan but saw limited minutes with the Wolverines. After transferring to Detroit and sitting out the 2016/17 campaign, Chatman had a breakout season this past year, averaging 17.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 2.1 APG with a shooting line of .472/.414/.849.

With the NCAA’s early entrant withdrawal deadline just two days away, we’ve got more draft updates to pass along:

Maryland forward Bruno Fernando is headed back to school for his sophomore season, the program announced today in a press release. “I think Bruno learned a lot during this process, and it will only make him a better basketball player,” head coach Mark Turgeon said in a statement. “We’re really excited to have his energy and passion in our locker room next year.”
Charlotte guard Andrien White, who tested the draft waters without an agent, is withdrawing his name and returning to school for his senior year, he confirms to Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports (Twitter link).
Rothstein also passes along an update on Wichita State’s Markis McDuffie, tweeting that the 20-year-old forward will rejoin the Shockers for his senior season. McDuffie, who is withdrawing from the draft for a second straight year, will be looking to build on a junior season in which he averaged 8.5 PPG and 3.1 RPG.
Georgia Tech prospect Josh Okogie suffered a grade 1 right adductor strain during a workout with the Grizzlies last Wednesday, his agent tells ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). The injury, which was diagnosed by the Spurs on Thursday, brought Okogie’s workout schedule to a temporary halt — he’ll be re-evaluated tomorrow.

Draft Workouts: Grizzlies, Delgado, Huerter, Alkins

May 24th, 2018 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

While the Grizzlies hold the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, the group of prospects working out for the team on Thursday won’t be candidates to come off the board that early. Memphis also holds the No. 32 selection, so today’s workout participants will vie to receive consideration at that spot. According to a team release, Braian Angola (Florida State), Justin Bibbs (Virginia Tech), Chris Chiozza (Florida), Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech), Admiral Schofield (Tennessee), and Jonathan Stark (Murray State) are getting a look today from the Grizzlies.

Here’s more pre-draft workout news:

Seton Hall big man Angel Delgado and Maryland guard Kevin Huerter each have workouts on tap with the Lakers and then the Jazz, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter links).
In addition to his previously reported workouts, Arizona guard Rawle Alkins has an audition with the Suns scheduled for next week, according to Zagoria, who adds that Alkins will also have a Pro Day next Thursday.
Zagoria provides another workout update, tweeting that Miami’s Dewan Huell has auditioned for the Thunder, Cavaliers, Bucks, Hawks, and Grizzlies so far. Huell, who is testing the waters without an agent, remains undecided about whether or not to stay in the draft.
After working out for Washington this week, Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham will work out for the Suns, Hawks, Rockets, Grizzlies, and about six or seven teams after that, he tells Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).
Xavier’s J.P. Macura, who has a workout lined up with the Spurs, met with the Bucks, Clippers, Magic, and Pacers at this week’s Pro Basketball Combine, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.

Josh Okogie Opts To Stay In Draft

May 21st, 2018 at 12:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Georgia Tech shooting guard Josh Okogie has decided to remain in the draft, he announced in a Twitter statement.

Okogie is ranked N0. 50 among ESPN’s Jonathan Givony’s Top 100 prospects. The 6’4” sophomore averaged 18.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 2.5 APG in his final college season.

He also showed a good stroke from long range, making 38% of his 100 attempts, and displayed quick hands by averaging 1.8 SPG. As a freshman, he posted 16.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 1.6 APG.

Okogie was influenced by his good showing last week at the draft combine, as Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. Okogie may even have a shot at getting picked in the first round.

He was one of the players that improved his stock at the combine, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. Woo noted, “His strong build and athletic tools are ideal for his role as an off-guard who plays both ends of the floor and adds a little bit of everything. After spending the season anchoring a struggling Georgia Tech team in a large role, it was positive to see Okogie rise to the level of talent around him.”

Draft Workouts: Raptors, Lakers, Knicks, Wolves

May 9th, 2018 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors won’t have any picks in the 2018 NBA draft unless they trade back in, having sent their first-rounder to the Nets in last summer’s DeMarre Carroll trade and their second-rounder to the Suns as part of their deal for P.J. Tucker. Still, Toronto should be able to bring in several prospects for workouts in the coming weeks. Given the success they had with an undrafted rookie like Fred VanVleet, the Raptors will be keeping an eye out for draft-eligible players who might not be selected with one of this year’s 60 picks.

According to an announcement from the team (Twitter link), the Raptors are holding a pre-draft workout on Wednesday with Giddy Potts (Middle Tennessee State), Joe Chealey (Charleston), Alan Herndon (Wyoming), and – most notably – Kostas Antetokounmpo (Dayton). Antetokounmpo is, of course, the younger brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

The Lakers‘ workouts will continue on Wednesday, with the team bringing in D.J. Hogg (Texas A&M), Cody Martin (Nevada), Chimezie Metu (USC), Shake Milton (SMU), Allonzo Trier (Arizona), and Lindell Wigginton (Iowa State), according to a press release.
The Knicks worked out Georgetown center Jessie Govan earlier this week, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Scotto notes, Govan – who is testing the draft waters – was coached by former Knicks star Patrick Ewing at Georgetown.
The Timberwolves will host a workout on Thursday, with Deng Adel (Louisville), Devon Hall (Virginia), and Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech) among the prospects expected to take part, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.