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Pacific Notes: Allen, Ighodaro, Warriors, Bamba

November 16th, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The short-handed Suns are hoping Grayson Allen can return for Sunday’s game at Minnesota, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Allen is listed as probable after missing the last two contests with soreness in his right hamstring, and coach Mike Budenholzer said he’ll be a “game-time decision.”

“We’ve been day-to-day with it,” Allen said. “I don’t have any serious hamstring strains. We’ve been able to do a lot of stuff, test it out, make sure I’m ready. Been able to do a lot of stuff on the court. It’s just how much I can get through without pain or without making it worse.”

Phoenix won’t have Bradley Beal, who will sit out his third straight game with a strained left calf. He left in the fourth quarter on Tuesday after feeling pain in the area and hasn’t played since. He’s made some progress, according to Rankin, but isn’t ready to return.

The Suns are also missing leading scorer Kevin Durant, who is dealing with a left calf strain as well and won’t be reevaluated until later this month. With much of its rotation sidelined, Phoenix has lost its last two games to Sacramento and Oklahoma City by 39 combined points.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Rookie Oso Ighodaro was used ahead of Mason Plumlee as the Suns‘ backup center Friday night, Rankin adds. Ighodaro put up six points and seven rebounds in a career-high 27 minutes as Budenholzer explained that the decision was based on the opponent. “The athleticism, the way Oklahoma City plays, felt like Oso could help us and I was happy with how Oso impacted the game,” he said. “Some games, some nights, it’s just different matchups and you’ve got to use your roster the best you can. I thought it was a good night for Oso.”
  • Among the reasons the Warriors want to win the NBA Cup is so their younger players can collect the bonus money, per Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. Players on the winning team receive $515K each, while the runners-up get $206K. Teams that lose in the semifinals earn more than $50K per player. “It’s a lot of money,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It may not be to Draymond (Green) and (Stephen Curry), but it’s a lot for the guys on the back end.”
  • Mohamed Bamba will be available to make his debut with the Clippers on Sunday, a source tells Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bamba, who is recovering from a left knee injury, was able to play for the team’s G League affiliate in San Diego on Thursday.
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Suns CEO Bartelstein Talks Durant, Jones, Budenholzer, More

August 15th, 2024 at 8:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked during an extensive interview with PHNX Sports about Kevin Durant‘s future with the Suns, team CEO Josh Bartelstein reiterated the same message that he delivered to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic two weeks ago. While Bartelstein offered no guarantees that Durant will sign a contract extension before the season begins, he stressed that the relationship between the franchise and its star forward is in a very good place.

“He loves it here. We talk to Rich Kleiman, who’s his partner, all the time about the vision and what we’re building, and everyone’s really happy, and I think we’re gonna have a really really good year,” Bartelstein said. “And Kevin’s part of all the discussions about the vision for the team, all the stuff we’re doing on the court, off the court. So the fact that we have all that dialogue, there’s equity built into it. If you do those things, everything else will take care of itself.”

Bartelstein’s conversation with PHNX Sports covered a wide range of additional topics, including his day-to-day duties for the organization, his expectations for the Suns’ new G League affiliate, navigating the second apron, and much more.

The interview is worth checking out in full, especially for Suns fans, but here are a few of Bartelstein’s most noteworthy comments:

On unexpectedly landing Tyus Jones on a minimum-salary deal late in free agency:

“We pulled it out of the back pocket. I think it’s why relationships matter so much. His agent, Kevin Bradbury, and I are friendly, and there’s a balance of just checking in and knowing what’s going on. And (Suns general manager) James (Jones) and I would talk all the time about, ‘Hey, if we could get Tyus, it would be a home run.’ But the first 10 days of free agency, you’re kind of just sitting there and seeing how the market plays out. I think with the new rules and, like, the cap space, a lot of people got squeezed.

“So our first real meeting with Tyus and his agent Kevin was in Vegas during Summer League, and we had a nice drink and kind of talked about the role and vision, how it could be a perfect fit, but also just that they were gonna take their time and see how things played out. And from there, then we said, like, ‘Let’s go all in and recruit him, and the worst thing they can do is say no to us.’ But we went all in on recruiting him, from little gift bags to videos for their kids, to all the small details and showing the care factor.

“… Obviously if someone offers you way more money, like, that matters. But if it’s close or it’s on the margins, we think the community we have here, the relationships we have here, the concierge service we have here, we can really give ourselves an advantage, and it’s worked in getting some of these guys to pick us.”

On the impact he expects new head coach Mike Budenholzer to have on the team:

“He is awesome. I mean, he’s the real deal. We’ve become very, very close over the three months. It’s crazy it’s been that fast. He’s so detail-oriented. He thinks Phoenix Suns all day, every day, from the biggest things of where is Kevin gonna get the ball to the smallest things of how do we maximize our two-way guys’ days? Like, he’s just always thinking Suns basketball, and he’s a basketball savant. The way he uses players, the success he’s had, the wins, you’re talking about one of the best coaches in the NBA.

“And he’s a great person too. I think he’ll be great in the community. He’s so happy to be here that he can’t wait to get started. So just seeing how he thinks has been cool, about the things he values, how we want to play. We’ve had so many discussions. He was a huge part of the recruiting. I mean, Tyus Jones said it, Bud was a big part of why Tyus picked here. How Bud has gotten players paid, how Bud uses guys, how he optimizes them, so all of our free agents, all of our guys, Bud has a say in it, ’cause he’s the head coach and we’re really, really lucky to have him.”

On why the Suns are excited about 2024 draftees Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro:

“As good of a basketball player as (Dunn) is, he’s an amazing person. Like, he’s a really, really good young man, and he works his tail off. He’s always, always in the gym. And I think for us, that athleticism, size, defensive versatility — that’s what we need, right? Like, if you checked the box of what we’re missing, it’s him. It’s a lot to ask him to go play 20 minutes a game in year one, but we’re gonna develop him. He’ll have a lot of opportunities to play.

“And Oso is someone that came here twice to work out and we loved him. His passing, his play-making, incredibly high IQ. He’s today’s NBA big, and I think with Nurk (Jusuf Nurkic) and Mason (Plumlee), he’ll learn a ton too, ’cause they have a similar archetype player-wise.”

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Suns Sign Oso Ighodaro To Four-Year Contract

July 4th, 2024 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have signed second-round pick Oso Ighodaro to a four-year contract using the second-round exception, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who reports (via Twitter) that the deal is worth approximately $7.9MM.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the contract will be fully guaranteed for the first two seasons, with a partial guarantee in year three and a team option for year four. The $7.9MM total suggests it will be worth the minimum across all four seasons.

The No. 40 overall pick last week, Ighodaro was involved in a series of draft-night trades that ultimately saw him land in Phoenix. The Marquette forward, who spent four college seasons with the Golden Eagles, averaged 13.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 32.5 minutes per game in 2023/24, starting all 36 games he played and making 57.6% of his shot attempts from the floor.

While the Suns are on track to pay a significant luxury tax bill next year, Ighodaro’s contract will create some savings for the team, since he’ll only count for $1,157,153 for cap and tax purposes. A veteran’s minimum-salary contract in that roster spot would have come in at $2,087,519, increasing Phoenix’s tax bill by a few extra million dollars.

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Suns Acquire No. 40 Pick Oso Ighodaro From Knicks

June 27th, 2024 at 7:59pm CST by Luke Adams

7:59pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Suns. Rather than trading the No. 51 pick back and forth, the Knicks are simply receiving No. 56 pick Kevin McCullar and the Celtics’ top-45 protected 2028 second-round pick in exchange for Ighodaro.

4:32pm: Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports has clarified (via Twitter) that the Suns sent Boston’s 2028 second-round pick (top-45 protected) to the Knicks for No. 51, then traded No. 51 back to New York along with No. 56 in exchange for No. 40.

Essentially, then, the Knicks are receiving No. 56 and Boston’s protected 2028 second-rounder for No. 40 (Ighodaro), while still holding No. 51.

4:21pm: Marquette forward Oso Ighodaro was selected with the 40th overall pick in Thursday’s draft. We can say that with certainty. Tracking which team controls that pick is a little trickier.

While the Trail Blazers entered the day with control of No. 40, they agreed to trade it in a deal with the Thunder involving the No. 52 pick, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Oklahoma City then agreed to send it – along with cash – to the Knicks in a deal for the No. 38 pick, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), the Knicks subsequently reached a deal to send No. 40 to the Suns, who will ultimately control Ighodaro’s draft rights. Phoenix is sending No. 56 to New York as part of that trade, tweets Charania.

We’re still waiting for details on what else Portland is getting to move down from No. 40 to No. 52 and what else the Knicks are getting to move down from No. 40 to No. 56. Wojnarowski reported (via Twitter) that New York is receiving the No. 51 pick in addition to 56, but the Knicks already acquired that pick from Washington in an earlier deal.

We’ll update this story when we have more clarity on those trade details.

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Thunder Officially Confirm Three Trades

June 27th, 2024 at 7:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have issued a press release confirming that three separate minor trades reported earlier in the day have been officially completed. The following trades were finalized, per the team:

  • The Thunder sent Lindy Waters to the Warriors in exchange for the draft rights to No. 52 pick Quinten Post (story).
  • The Thunder then sent Post’s rights and cash to the Trail Blazers in exchange for the draft rights to No. 40 pick Oso Ighodaro (story).
  • Finally, the Thunder sent the rights to Ighodaro and cash to the Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to No. 38 pick Ajay Mitchell (story). The Knicks received $500K in cash, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While the deals were completed as three separate transactions, the upshot is that the Thunder sent out Waters (to the Warriors) and cash (to both the Blazers and Knicks) in exchange for Mitchell, the No. 38 pick in today’s second round.

Post eventually landed with Golden State, while Ighodaro was sent to Phoenix.

[RELATED: 2024 NBA Offseason Trades]

A native of Belgium, Mitchell had an impressive junior season for UC Santa Barbara in 2023/24, averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals on .504/.393/.858 shooting in 29 games (31.5 minutes per contest).

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Draft Workouts: Spurs, Suns, Pacers, Blazers, Lakers, Wolves, Thomas

June 20th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs, who are widely expected to draft at least one guard next Wednesday, recently worked out both Stephon Castle of UConn and Devin Carter of Providence, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

As we relayed on Wednesday, recent mock drafts from ESPN and Bleacher Report both have San Antonio drafting Castle at No. 4, and the team is said to be high on Carter as well. Iko confirms as much, writing that the Spurs have “strong interest” in Carter, Castle, and Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, with Carter’s private workout “resonating” among the team’s decision-makers.

Here’s more pre-draft workout news from around the NBA:

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Rockets Rumors: Clingan, Sheppard, No. 3 Pick, Smart, More

June 20th, 2024 at 1:43pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets have UConn center Donovan Clingan and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard at the top of their board heading into next week’s draft, league sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Houston controls the No. 3 overall pick.

According to Iko, Clingan seems to have the edge over Sheppard, but it’s not a sure thing the 7’2″ big man will be available with the third pick. ESPN recently reported that while Zaccharie Risacher remains the favorite to go No. 1 to the Hawks, Atlanta is also high on Clingan, who may be Risacher’s top competition. Ken Seguira of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also heard the Hawks are high on Clingan.

The Rockets already have Alperen Sengun at center and he shares an agent with Clingan, Iko writes. Those factors — plus the trade deadline addition of Steven Adams — would seemingly work against Houston selecting Clingan, and the team has been unable to get him in for a private workout to this point. Sheppard, meanwhile, will visit the Rockets this week, sources tell Iko.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman recently suggested Houston might not have much leverage if they decide to trade the No. 3 selection due to a perception that there’s a minimal difference in value between that pick and those later in the lottery. However, Iko has heard differently, writing that there’s “rapidly growing interest” from rival teams in Clingan and Sheppard. Those teams may also be motivated to move up ahead of the Spurs, who control the Nos. 4 and 8 picks.

While several teams have shown interest in the third pick, team and league sources tell Iko the Hornets, Grizzlies and Trail Blazers have been “the most vocal” in their pursuit of the selection, with Memphis and Charlotte particularly “aggressive.”

Iko hears all three clubs are fans of both Clingan and Sheppard. The Hornets control the 6th and 42nd overall picks; the Grizzlies control Nos. 9, 39 and 57; and the Blazers control Nos. 7, 14, 34 and 40.

Here are some more Rockets rumors, all from Iko:

  • In an ideal situation, Houston would prefer to use the No. 3 pick as part of a package to acquire a star player like Donovan Mitchell, but there hasn’t been much league-wide “activity or movement” when it comes to stars this offseason, according to Iko. The Pelicans are rumored to have floated a proposal of Brandon Ingram for Sengun, but Houston has “no interest” in that deal, team sources tell Iko. Iko also hears New Orleans discussed Ingram with the Sixers.
  • If the Rockets can’t land a star and still decide to move the third pick, Iko wonders if a Grizzlies offer centered around Marcus Smart and the ninth pick could make sense for both sides. According to Iko’s sources, GM Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka are fans of Smart, who played under Udoka in Boston. In a move-back scenario, Houston might be interested in selecting Tennesee forward Dalton Knecht, says Iko.
  • Houston also controls a second-round pick (No. 44) in the upcoming draft. San Francisco’s Jonathan Mogbo, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Illinois’ Terrence Shannon, Colorado’s KJ Simpson, UCLA’s Adem Bona and Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro are among the prospects who have been discussed at that spot, though Iko acknowledges some of those players might get drafted before then. Clemson forward/center PJ Hall, Texas forward Dylan Disu, St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins and Washington State forward Jaylen Wells are among the players who will work out for Houston this week, Iko reports.
  • For free agency, Iko hears the Rockets have placed a high priority on adding shooting, but the team is only interested in two-way contributors — Alec Burks, Gary Harris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Saddiq Bey are names to watch. Bey, however, will be a restricted free agent if he’s given a qualifying offer, which complicates matters (he’s also recovering from a torn ACL). A source close to Eric Gordon tells Iko that the veteran guard is “50-50” on exercising his player option to remain with the Suns, but the longtime former Rocket is also open to a reunion with Houston. The Rockets will have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to dangle in free agency, Iko notes.
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Northwest Notes: Blazers’ Draft Options, Wolves’ Workouts, Adelman

June 12th, 2024 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the draft just two weeks away, there’s no consensus on which players the Trail Blazers might land with the seventh and 14th picks, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. He examines several mock drafts and notes they have varied widely on Portland’s selections since last month’s lottery.

With a talented backcourt already in place in Portland, Highkin believes the only certainty is that the Blazers won’t take a guard with their first choice. That would eliminate Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, along with Serbia’s Nikola Topic. However, if a recent ACL injury causes Topic to slide down to the end of the lottery, Highkin thinks Portland might be interested.

UConn center Donovan Clingan is a popular projection to the Blazers in recent mock drafts, but there’s also a chance he could be taken in the top three. Highkin doesn’t expect Portland to trade up for Clingan or any other prospect because there’s a strong chance the team can get a player it likes by staying at No. 7.

Highkin observes that the Blazers’ front office typically focuses on potential upside rather than looking for a player with a high floor. He hears Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht had a strong showing when he worked out in Portland.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Trail Blazers are planning to upgrade and expand their practice facility, Highkin adds in a separate story. In February, the team advanced the project by spending $4.6MM to buy a plot of land next to the current facility. The move suggests that owner Jody Allen is in no hurry to sell the franchise, Highkin states.
  • The Timberwolves hosted Texas’ Dylan Disu, Stanford’s Spencer Jones, Serbia’s Bogoljub Markovic, Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves, UConn’s Cam Spencer, and Clemson’s PJ Hall for a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, the team announced (via Twitter). A Sunday workout brought in Utah’s Branden Carlson, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Serbia’s Nikola Djurisic, Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro, Weber State’s Dillon Jones, and UConn’s Tristen Newton (Twitter link).
  • Bennett Durando of The Denver Post questions why Nuggets assistant David Adelman isn’t getting more consideration from teams that are looking for head coaches. Sources confirmed to Durando that Adelman interviewed this year with the Hornets, Cavaliers and Lakers, but he hasn’t been reported as among the frontrunners for any of those jobs. The Nuggets believe it’s just a matter of time before Adelman gets an opportunity, Durando adds.
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Warriors Rumors: Thompson, Ham, Ingram, Butler, Paul, Ighodaro

May 31st, 2024 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

With Klay Thompson about to enter the final month of his current contract with the Warriors, there has been “no notable movement from either side” toward a resolution, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Most teams have to wait until after the NBA Finals to discuss new contracts with their pending free agents, but the Warriors and Thompson are allowed to talk now because the veteran sharpshooter is extension-eligible up until June 30. However, Slater suggests that even though Golden State has interest in retaining Thompson, the team hasn’t exactly been “beating down his door” to get a new deal done.

Thompson appears prepared to test the free agent market in July, but he still wants to win, so he’s unlikely to join a retooling team like the Pistons or Hornets, Slater writes. The cap-room teams who are closer to contention – including the Sixers, Thunder, and Magic – are the bigger threats to the Warriors, in Slater’s view, since those clubs are in position to potentially outbid Golden State for the next year or two without tying up their long-term cap space by offering Thompson a lucrative shorter-term contract (similar to the ones signed by Fred VanVleet and Bruce Brown last summer).

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • Whether or not Kenny Atkinson ends up leaving the Warriors for a head coaching job (he’s reportedly a leading candidate in Cleveland’s search), the club is expected to seriously consider adding at least one new assistant to Steve Kerr‘s staff this offseason. League sources tell Slater that Golden State has talked to Darvin Ham since his dismissal from the Lakers. While Ham isn’t considered likely to join Kerr’s staff, that conversation signals the Warriors’ interest in adding a “big-name” assistant, according to Slater, who says it appears the team is seeking a former head coach or a former player to fill that role.
  • Slater doesn’t expect the Warriors to have any real interest in Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram if he’s on the trade block this summer, but views the club as more likely to “enter the conversation to at least some degree” on Heat forward Jimmy Butler if he becomes available.
  • Chris Paul has been “extremely flexible” and seems willing to work with the Warriors through all the possible scenarios involving his $30MM non-guaranteed contract for 2024/25, Slater writes. It’s very unlikely that Golden State will simply guarantee that $30MM and bring Paul back, but there are multiple viable paths the team could take, including guaranteeing a portion of that cap hit for trade purposes. Resolution is due by June 28 if the two sides don’t agree to push back Paul’s salary guarantee date.
  • It doesn’t look like the Warriors will be formally announcing the prospects who visit them for pre-draft workouts, but Ben Steele of The Journal Sentinel tweets that Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro was among the players who auditioned for the club on Thursday. Golden State controls the No. 52 pick in next month’s draft, while Ighodaro is the No. 54 player on ESPN’s big board.
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NBA Announces 78 Invitees For 2024 Draft Combine

May 3rd, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 78 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 12-19.

In addition to those 78 players, a handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which is also held in Chicago just before the combine begins, are expected to receive invites to stick around for the main event.

Not all of the prospects invited to the combine will end up remaining in the 2024 draft pool, since some are early entrants who are testing the waters while retaining their NCAA eligibility. College players must withdraw from the draft by the end of the day on May 29 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 16. The feedback they receive from NBA teams at the combine may be a deciding factor for players who are on the fence.

Here’s the list of players who have been invited to the 2024 draft combine:

(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)

  1. Michael Ajayi, F, Pepperdine (junior)
  2. Melvin Ajinca, G/F, France (born 2004)
  3. Trey Alexander, G, Creighton (junior)
  4. Izan Almansa, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
  5. Reece Beekman, G, Virginia (senior)
  6. Adem Bona, F/C, UCLA (sophomore)
  7. Trevon Brazile, F, Arkansas (sophomore)
  8. Jalen Bridges, F, Baylor (senior)
  9. Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
  10. Carlton Carrington, G, Pitt (freshman)
  11. Devin Carter, G, Providence (junior)
  12. Stephon Castle, G, UConn (freshman)
  13. Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa (born 2005)
  14. Cam Christie, G, Minnesota (freshman)
  15. Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State (senior)
  16. Donovan Clingan, C, UConn (sophomore)
  17. Isaiah Collier, G, USC (freshman)
  18. Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado (senior)
  19. Pacome Dadiet, G/F, Germany (born 2005)
  20. N’Faly Dante, C, Oregon (super-senior)
  21. Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky (freshman)
  22. Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
  23. Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia (sophomore)
  24. Zach Edey, C, Purdue (senior)
  25. Justin Edwards, G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
  26. Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Duke (sophomore)
  27. Trentyn Flowers, G/F, Australia (born 2005)
  28. Johnny Furphy, G/F, Kansas (freshman)
  29. Kyshawn George, G/F, Miami (FL) (freshman)
  30. Tyon Grant-Foster, G, Grand Canyon (senior)
  31. PJ Hall, C, Clemson (senior)
  32. Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois (senior)
  33. Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
  34. DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (junior)
  35. Ariel Hukporti, C, Germany (born 2002)
  36. Oso Ighodaro, F, Marquette (senior)
  37. Harrison Ingram, F, UNC (junior)
  38. Bronny James, G, USC (freshman)
  39. A.J. Johnson, G, Australia (born 2004)
  40. Keshad Johnson, F, Arizona (super-senior)
  41. David Jones, F, Memphis (senior)
  42. Dillon Jones, F, Weber State (senior)
  43. Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (senior)
    • Note: Kalkbrenner indicated this week that he intends to return to school, so it’s unclear if he’ll continue to go through the pre-draft process.
  44. Alex Karaban, F, UConn (sophomore)
  45. Bobi Klintman, F, Australia (born 2003)
  46. Dalton Knecht, G, Tennessee (super-senior)
  47. Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette (senior)
  48. Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona (senior)
  49. Jared McCain, G, Duke (freshman)
  50. Kevin McCullar, G, Kansas (super-senior)
  51. Yves Missi, C, Baylor (freshman)
  52. Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara (junior)
  53. Jonathan Mogbo, F/C, San Francisco (senior)
  54. Tristen Newton, G, UConn (super-senior)
  55. Juan Nunez, G, Germany (born 2004)
  56. Quinten Post, F/C, Boston College (super-senior)
  57. Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky (super-senior)
  58. Zaccharie Risacher, F, France (born 2005)
  59. Jaxson Robinson, G/F, BYU (senior)
  60. Tidjane Salaun, F, France (born 2005)
  61. Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (junior)
  62. Payton Sandfort, G/F, Iowa (junior)
  63. Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
  64. Baylor Scheierman, G/F, Creighton (super-senior)
  65. Mark Sears, G, Alabama (senior)
  66. Terrence Shannon, G, Illinois (super-senior)
  67. Jamal Shead, G, Houston (senior)
  68. Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky (freshman)
  69. KJ Simpson, G, Colorado (junior)
  70. Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
  71. Cam Spencer, G, UConn (super-senior)
  72. Nikola Topic, G, Serbia (born 2005)
  73. JT Toppin, F, New Mexico (freshman)
  74. Jaylon Tyson, G, California (junior)
  75. Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor (freshman)
  76. Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana (sophomore)
  77. Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (junior)
  78. Cody Williams, F, Colorado (freshman)

It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to a few combine-related changes in their latest Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here are a few of those changes:

  • A player who is invited to the draft combine and declines to attend without an excused absence will be ineligible to be drafted. He would become eligible the following year by attending the combine. There will be exceptions made for a player whose FIBA season is ongoing, who is injured, or who is dealing with a family matter (such as a tragedy or the birth of a child).
  • Players who attend the draft combine will be required to undergo physical exams, share medical history, participate in strength, agility, and performance testing, take part in shooting drills, receive anthropometric measurements, and conduct interviews with teams and the media. Scrimmages won’t be mandatory.
  • Medical results from the combine will be distributed to select teams based on where the player is projected to be drafted. Only teams drafting in the top 10 would get access to medical info for the projected No. 1 pick; teams in the top 15 would receive medical info for players in the 2-6 range, while teams in the top 25 would get access to info for the players in the 7-10 range.

Regarding that last point, Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link) has the details on the top 10 played out this year, noting that the composite ranking was generated based on a combination of publicly available rankings and feedback from a panel of experts, as well as a retained-scouting service.

Sarr is considered the No. 1 overall prospect, per Givony, so only teams drafting in the top 10 will get access to his medicals. Buzelis, Castle, Clingan, Risacher, and Topic are in the 2-6 range, while Dillingham, Holland, Knecht, and Sheppard round out the top 10.

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