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Eastern Notes: Hawks, Quickley, Rubio, Celtics, Redick

May 10th, 2023 at 7:33pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hawks held pre-draft workouts with six college players on Thursday and will be hosting six more on Friday, the team announced (Twitter links).

Thursday’s group featured Alex Fudge (Florida), Logan Johnson (St. Mary’s), Matthew Mayer (Illinois), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), Antonio Reeves (Kentucky) and Hunter Tyson (Clemson), while Marcus Carr (Texas), Kendric Davis (Memphis), Tosan Evbuomwan (Princeton), Landers Nolley (Cincinnati), Drew Peterson (USC) and Erik Stevenson (West Virginia) will be working out tomorrow.

Of the players mentioned, only Evbuomwan — who helped lead the 15th-seeded Tigers to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament — appears on ESPN’s top-100 prospects list ahead of the draft; he’s considered a fringe second-round pick at No. 77. The Hawks control the 15th and 46th overall picks in June’s draft.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Trailing 3-1 and facing playoff elimination tonight, the Knicks will be without Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Immanuel Quickley for the second straight game due to a left ankle sprain, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters, including Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Thibodeau did say the third-year guard’s injury has improved, but obviously not enough to play. He’s still considered day-to-day, Begley adds. Reserve guard Evan Fournier (illness) will also be sidelined, per the Knicks (Twitter link) — the veteran has yet to play this postseason.
  • Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio didn’t have the season he was hoping for after returning from his second left ACL tear, but he and the team are hoping for better results in 2023/24, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Sources tell Fedor the Cavs are encouraging Rubio to play in this summer’s World Cup for Spain, but the veteran hasn’t made a decision on that front. “I think it will help,” Rubio said. “I’m going to meet with my team, my personal team, see what’s the best for me in rehab. I think I’ve got to get more even strength on my lower legs, lower body and see what’s the best for me. I always want to compete up. The World Cup is something special as well. But I will take my time.”
  • Former NBA veteran JJ Redick, who is now an ESPN analyst, recently interviewed for Toronto’s head coaching job. The Celtics are among “several teams” that have shown interest in hiring Redick as an assistant coach since he retired a couple years ago, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
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50 Prospects Reportedly Invited To G League Elite Camp

May 5th, 2023 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

A total of 50 prospects for the 2023 NBA draft have been invited to the NBA’s G League Elite Camp, according to reports from Adam Zagoria of Forbes and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter links).

Those players are as follows:

The name of the G League Elite Camp is a bit of a misnomer — when first introduced, the event showcased NBAGL players, but the field of participants now consists exclusively of draft prospects. The event will take place on May 13 and 14 in Chicago, ahead of this year’s draft combine.

Like the combine, the Elite Camp brings young players to Chicago to meet NBA teams and participate in drills and scrimmages. While the combine focuses on the top prospects in a given draft class, the Elite Camp generally features prospects who are trying to break into that upper echelon of prospects but are more likely to go undrafted. The top performers at the event typically receive invites to the combine.

Of the 50 G League Elite Camp invitees, 15 show up on Jonathan Givony’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects at ESPN.com. However, no Elite Camp invitee ranks higher than No. 58 (Hart) on ESPN’s board.

The G League Elite Camp will give the invitees who declared for the draft as early entrants an opportunity to see where they stand ahead of the draft withdrawal deadline on May 31. Not all of the players who participate in this event will remain in the draft pool.

Some NBA players who have participated in past G League Elite Camps include Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, Pacers forward Oshae Brissett, Clippers guard Terance Mann, and Heat wing Max Strus.

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Draft Notes: Diabate, Branham, Davis, Moore

May 21st, 2022 at 11:25am CST by Dana Gauruder

Following a strong showing at the Draft Combine this week, Michigan freshman forward Moussa Diabate is mulling whether to return to school or go pro, Matt Charboneau of the Detroit News writes.

“It’s a situation where I feel like I’ll be able to rise and get better,” Diabate said. “I don’t want to just go in there and just end up staying in the league for three years and just get out. I’m trying to get something where the structure is going to be solid and it’s going to help me grow as a man and as a basketball player.”

Diabate is ranked just 67th on ESPN’s Best Available board but may have improved his stock since the latest update. Diabate averaged 9.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG as a freshman.

We have more draft-related notes:

  • Malaki Branham created more buzz at the combine than any other player and it’s likely he’ll go in the lottery, Mike Babcock of Basketball News tweets. The Ohio State shooting guard is currently ranked No. 14 on ESPN’s Best Available list. He averaged 13.7 PPG for the Buckeyes as a freshman and made 41.6% of his 3-point attempts.
  • Kendric Davis is withdrawing from the draft and will play for Memphis next season, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. Davis averaged 19.4 PPG and 4.4 APG for SMU last season.
  • Isaih Moore is also withdrawing from the draft, Rothstein adds in another tweet. Previously at St. John’s and Southern Miss, Moore will transfer to Fresno State.
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Draft Updates: Terry, Mayer, Roach, K. Davis

April 22nd, 2022 at 10:48pm CST by Rory Maher

Arizona’s Dalen Terry has decided to enter the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Twitter. The sophomore guard is ranked No. 43 on ESPN’s big board.

In 37 games this season (27.8 minutes), Terry averaged 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals on .502/.364/.736 shooting. The 19-year-old also averaged just 1.4 turnovers per contest, good for a 2.8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Arizona was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but ultimately fell to Houston in the Sweet Sixteen. Terry had an impressive performance despite the loss, putting up 17 points, six rebounds and three assists on 6-9 shooting against the Cougars’ suffocating defense, which was ranked fourth in the country.

Here are a few more draft updates:

  • Baylor’s Matthew Mayer (No. 73 on ESPN’s board) is also testing the draft waters, making the announcement via Instagram. The senior forward started all 33 of his games this season for the first time in his collegiate career, averaging 9.8 points, 5 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .409/.324/.700 shooting. Mayer won a championship with the Bears in 2021. Per Mike Schmitz of ESPN, Mayer is a tall (6’9″), energetic and fluid shot-maker, but loses focus defensively and needs work as a decision-maker.
  • Duke guard Jeremy Roach will return to school for his junior season, he announced on Instagram. The former five-star recruit averaged 8.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists on .410/.322/.763 shooting for the Blue Devils this season. He played a key role in the team’s run to the Final Four, averaging 11.8 points, 2.8 boards, 4 assists and 1.4 steals in five NCAA tournament games.
  • SMU senior Kendric Davis, who’s testing the waters and is on our list of early entrants, has decided to transfer to Memphis if he doesn’t stay in the draft, he announced via Twitter. The point guard averaged an impressive 19.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.5 steals on .439/.372/.868 shooting in 32 games for the Mustangs in 2021/22.
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Isaiah Mobley Among Latest To Enter NBA Draft

April 9th, 2022 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

USC big man Isaiah Mobley announced on Twitter that he will declare for the NBA draft and hire an agent. Mobley also entered the draft last year, along with his brother Evan, who is among the favorites for Rookie of the Year honors. Isaiah decided to return to school for his junior season and averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 32 games.

“These past three years have been amazing,” he wrote. “I’ve had experiences that I’ll never forget, played with teammates that have become brothers (well, one brother that became a teammate), and I’ve done it all in front of the best fans in the country.”

There are a few more draft decisions to pass along:

  • South Carolina forward Keyshawn Bryant also used a tweet to announce his decision to enter the draft and hire an agent. “To Frank Martin and the coaching staff, thank you guys for everything you’ve done,” wrote Bryant, who averaged 8.7 PPG in his senior season with the Gamecocks. “To the fans and the university, this was an amazing four years here. Thanks for all the love and support.”
  • Purdue senior guard Eric Hunter Jr. will also forego an extra year of eligibility and enter the draft. Hunter, who averaged 6.2 PPG this year, also made his announcement on Twitter.
  • Jalen Adaway, a senior guard at St. Bonaventure, will enter the draft as well (Twitter link). He averaged 15.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 32 games this season.
  • SMU guard Kendric Davis, also a senior, will enter the draft but will keep his college eligibility, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Davis scored at a career-best 19.4 PPG clip for the Mustangs this season.
  • A report last week stated that TCU guard Mike Miles was expected to remain in the draft, but he now plans to maintain the option to return to college, according to Rothstein (Twitter link).
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Draft Notes: Juzang, Abmas, Last-Minute Decisions

July 7th, 2021 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

After leading UCLA to the Final Four, Johnny Juzang will withdraw from the NBA draft and return for his junior season. Juzang announced his decision on Twitter about an hour before the NCAA’s Wednesday deadline of midnight Eastern Time for early entrants to pull out of the draft and retain their eligibility.

“Going through the draft process has been an amazing experience,” he wrote. “I was blessed to connect with great people, learn and grow, and get a feel for life at the next level. I want to thank everyone who has helped me in this process including my family, trainers, school and especially my dad who helped me for countless hours!”

There was talk that Juzang might be a first-round pick after an outstanding performance in the NCAA tournament, but a disappointing showing at the combine hurt his status, according to Chad Ford (Twitter link), who speculates that he could be back in first-round consideration next year.

There’s more on last-minute draft decisions:

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Draft Notes: Queta, Davis, Hunt, Harmon, Devoe

March 29th, 2021 at 9:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Utah State center Neemias Queta will enter the draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The seven-foot Queta averaged 14.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 3.3 BPG as a junior this season. The Mountain West Player of the Year is ranked No. 75 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list and 10th among center prospects.

We have more draft decisions:

  • SMU’s duo of Kendric Davis and Feron Hunt are declaring for the draft, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein (Twitter links). Hunt is also signing with an agent, while Davis will maintain his eligibility. Davis, a junior guard, averaging 19.0 PPG and 7.6 APG this season. Hunt, a junior forward, averaging 11.1 PPG and 7.9 RPG.
  • Oklahoma sophomore guard De’Vion Harmon plans on entering the draft, he declared on his Instagram page. He averaged 12.9 PPG, 2.1 APG and 1.1 SPG this season.
  • Georgia Tech 6”5” junior Michael Devoe will also test the draft waters, according to Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He averaged 15.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 3.3 APG and made 40% of his 3-pointers this season.
  • Florida big man Colin Castleton is testing the draft waters, he announced on Twitter. As a junior for the Gators, Castleton averaged 12.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG in 24 games (25.7 MPG).
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Early Entry Deadline For 2020 NBA Draft Has Passed

April 27th, 2020 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for potential early entrants to declare for the 2020 NBA draft fell on April 26 at 11:59pm ET, which means prospects who aren’t automatically draft-eligible can no longer enter this year’s pool.

Players who have entered the draft don’t necessarily have to stay in, as long as they haven’t hired an agent — or as long as they’re working with one of 23 agents certified by the NCAA. Currently, the deadline for NCAA players to withdraw from the draft and maintain their college eligibility is June 3, though it’s possible that date will be adjusted if the NBA draft is postponed.

The NBA has a separate withdrawal deadline from the NCAA’s, allowing prospects to pull out as late as 10 days before the draft. With the draft scheduled for June 25, the NBA’s withdrawal deadline is June 15 — that date is generally the one to watch for international prospects, who don’t have to worry about maintaining NCAA eligibility.

Our full list of early entrants can be found right here. While we did our best to make our list as accurate as possible, some players who declared in recent weeks may have slipped through the cracks, while others reported to have entered the draft may have had a change of heart.

The NBA should formally release its initial early entrant list for 2020 within the next two or three days, so we’ll update our list at that point to reflect the league’s official data.

Here are the latest additions we’ve made to our list:

And here are a couple players who had previously planned to enter the draft who ended up opting to return to school instead. They’ve been removed from our list:

It appears there are approximately 190-ish early entrants in this year’s draft pool, which would be a significant step down from the last couple years, when that total has been in the neighborhood of 235.

Of course, as ESPN’s Jonathan Givony notes (via Twitter), the real question will be how many of these initial early entrants end up staying in the draft. That number landed at 98 last year, and 91 in 2018. It will likely end up lower this year, not just because the early total is lower, but due to the coronavirus pandemic. As Givony observes, many prospects who entered the draft may not have much more info about where they stand by the June 3 withdrawal deadline than they have now.

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Draft Notes: UAC, Hayes, Early Entrants

March 17th, 2020 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe issued a memo to NCAA coaches on Tuesday morning telling them that the league will be accepting applications from college players seeking feedback from the Undergraduate Advisory Committee, per Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The UAC provides potential early entrants with feedback on their stock – based on input from NBA executives – to help them make informed decisions on whether or not to declare for the draft. Prospects who want to test the draft waters must first apply for an evaluation from the UAC.

This year’s deadline to apply for that evaluation is April 16 — it’s not clear whether that date will be pushed back in the coming weeks, given the uncertain nature of the NBA’s hiatus. Adam Zagoria of Forbes tweeted today that multiple sources expect the draft to be postponed until July or August.

Whether or not the UAC application deadline changes, the process figures to be more important than usual this spring for prospects seeking feedback, as ESPN duo points out. Team executives are preparing for the possibility that scouting and workout opportunities will be extremely limited, if not entirely eliminated, leading up to this year’s draft.

According to Wojnarowski and Givony, VanDeWeghe acknowledged the “rapidly evolving” situation in his memo, noting that the league would advise NCAA coaches and players of any changes to the pre-draft process “whenever such information is available.”

Here’s more on the 2020 NBA draft:

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