Lachlan Olbrich Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Clayton, Flagg, D. Williams, Olbrich

April 6th, 2025 at 5:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Florida senior Walter Clayton Jr. has boosted his NBA draft stock with an outstanding run in the NCAA Tournament, Adam Zagoria writes for NJ.com. In five tournament games (33.4 minutes per contest), the 6’3″ guard is averaging 24.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists on .500/.487/.905 shooting.

Clayton was ranked No. 63 on ESPN’s big board a couple of weeks ago, but most NBA executives and scouts who spoke to Zagoria believe the 22-year-old will be selected somewhere in the range of mid-first round to early second.

“He has helped himself more with his draft stock than any other player in the tournament,” one executive told Zagoria. “He is going in the first round.”

In 38 games in 2024/25, Clayton has averaged 18.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.1 APG and 1.2 SPG on .451/.392/.871 shooting (32.5 MPG). The Gators will face the Houston Cougars on Monday in the final of this year’s tournament.

Here are a few more notes related to June’s draft:

Projected No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg showed last summer in a scrimmage with the Select Team against Team USA ahead of the Olympics that he could more than hold his own against the best players in the world, and his all-around game should help him have a smooth transition to the NBA, per Mark Medina of RG.org. “He looked like a hell of a player, somebody that is only going to get better with more experience,” Kevin Durant said at the time. “He’s 17 years old, coming in and playing like he’s almost a vet. No emotion. He’s just out there doing his job. That’s a good sign.” Flagg’s season with Duke came to an end on Saturday, as the Blue Devils blew a late lead against Houston in the Final Four. Flagg finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks.
Texas Tech junior Darrion Williams intends to declare for the 2025 draft while maintaining his college eligibility, agent Aman Dhesi tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter links). Williams, who was ranked No. 45 on ESPN’s board, will also enter the transfer portal, according to Givony, who says the combo forward should draw “significant” interest in the late first or early second round after helping guide the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight.
Australian forward/center Lachlan Olbrich, who recently helped the Illawara Hawks win an NBL championship, has officially entered his name in the draft, the league announced in a press release. The 21-year-old averaged 8.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 1.6 APG in 29 games this season for the Hawks (16.7 MPG). Olbrich is ranked No. 92 on ESPN’s board.

And-Ones: Whitsitt, Seattle, Brazdeikis, Australia

September 23rd, 2023 at 6:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former SuperSonics and Trail Blazers executive Bob Whitsitt is among the many NBA figures who support having a team in Seattle again, writes Sam Yip of HoopsHype. In an upcoming book, Whitsitt looks back on his experiences in the city and contends that everything is already in place for a successful NBA franchise.

That includes Climate Pledge Arena, where the new team would be based. Whitsitt, who served as a consultant during remodeling work on the facility, said his job was to make sure it has everything the NBA would look for in a home arena. He says NBA executives have already made several trips to Climate Pledge, with another one coming at an October 10 preseason game, and the arena owners are willing make any modifications the league might request.

He also notes that the Sonics had strong support from their fans until the move to Oklahoma City, adding that Seattle residents are eager to get their team back.

“So all we need is the NBA to say they’re willing and wanting to expand, and I believe the Seattle market will be at the top of the list,” Whitsitt said. “It will be a phenomenal market. I believe the team will be super well-supported. Bringing the Sonics back is something that fans have wanted since 2008. I live in Seattle, I hear it every day, I’m asked the question every day. And all I can tell them is yes, I’m 100 percent all in and I’m gonna do everything I can, in a big way or even in a small way, whatever is required to help make that happen.”

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Ignas Brazdeikis has confirmed that he plans to join Greek powerhouse Olympiacos, according to a report from Eurohoops. He’s expected to sign a two-year deal, and Kaunas, where he played last season, will get a buyout worth 500K Euros. Brazdeikis, 24, had brief stops with the Knicks, Sixers and Magic during his time in the NBA.
Former Kentucky guard Isaiah Briscoe has signed with Maroussi BC in Greece after playing in Italy last season, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog. The 27-year-old appeared in 39 games with the Magic during the 2018/19 season.
Lachlan Olbrich of the Illawarra Hawks looked like the best NBA prospect during this week’s NBL Blitz in Australia, observes Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The 6’10” forward averaged 14.7 PPG and made 19 of his 22 shots from the field during the event. Uluc shares several highlights from the Blitz, including Matthew Dellavedova‘s return to Melbourne United, whom he played for in 2021/22.