It’s the thick of draft season in professional sports, with the NFL draft continuing today, the baseball draft less than a month away, and the NBA draft as the showstopper on June 26th. Our sister sites Pro Football Rumors and MLB Trade Rumors will keep you clued in on the football and baseball drafts while we zero in on the NBA. Alex Lee of Hoops Rumors debuted his initial 2014 mock draft today, and he’ll be posting updated versions in the weeks ahead as we continue our Prospect Profile Series, too. For now, here’s more as the NBA draft landscape begins to take shape:
- At least three NBA teams told twins Aaron Harrison and Andrew Harrison shortly before they decided to return to Kentucky that they would be drafted between 15th and 25th this year, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. That’s surprising, since they were widely projected as second-rounders for 2014.
- Several NBA scouts and front office executives expect Kentucky to break its record of five first-round picks next year, when the Harrisons will be two of more than a half-dozen players with first-round talent who could come out of the school, Deveney writes.
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress took team needs into consideration for his latest mock, which agrees with the Hoops Rumors mock through the first four picks. Givony has the Celtics going with Julius Randle instead of Noah Vonleh at No. 5.