2018 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Updates: Daum, Olinde, Echodas, Cate

April 21st, 2018 at 5:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Daum of South Dakota State has tweeted his intention to enter the NBA draft. The junior forward averaged 23.9 points and 10.3 rebounds this year and has been an Associated Press honorable mention All-American the past two seasons.

“After speaking with my coaches and family I have decided to declare for the 2018 NBA Draft without an agent,” Daum wrote on Twitter. “I’m excited to pursue my dream and see where this process will take me!”

Daum is joined by a slew of international prospects who elected to test the draft waters as we move toward tomorrow night’s deadline. All the decisions relayed by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony:

Louis Olinde, 20, of Germany, a 6’10” combo forward who appeared in 32 games for Bamberg in the Euroleague and BBL. (Twitter link)
Lithuania’s Martynas Echodas, 20, a 6’10” center who plays for Lietuvos Rytas and is posting 9.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in 20 minutes per game (Twitter link).
Emanuel Cate, 20, of Romania, a 6’10 forward who plays in Spain and was named MVP of last year’s under-20 European Championship in Division B (Twitter link).
The Congo’s Romaric Belemene, 21, a 6’8″ combo forward who averages 9.5 points in 24 minutes for Oviedo in the Spanish second division. (Twitter link).
Yago Dos Santos, 19, of Brazil, a 5’10” point guard who recently participated in the Nike Hoop Summit (Twitter link).
Brazil’s Gabriel Galvanini, 19, a 6’9″ combo forward averaging 7.5 points and 4.6 rebounds for Bauru in the first division. He ranks 12th in ESPN’s 1998 international class ranking, according to Givony (Twitter link).

Rodions Kurucs To Enter 2018 NBA Draft

April 21st, 2018 at 2:16pm CST by clarkcrum

Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs is declaring for the 2018 NBA draft, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 6-foot-10 combo forward is now projected as a possible second-round selection after seeing his stock plummet because of a lack of playing time with Barcelona this season.

Kurucs, 20, is currently slated to be picked 39th in the latest ESPN mock draft, as his combination of size, skill, and versatility is coveted in today’s NBA.

Kurucs’ ability to attend private workouts will be a key factor for his chances of being drafted, as few teams have been able to scout him thoroughly because it’s been hard to make a trip out to watch him not knowing whether he’ll see any minutes. Regardless, many scouts consider him to be the third-best international prospect in this year’s draft.

Luka Doncic To Enter 2018 NBA Draft

April 21st, 2018 at 11:02am CST by marksuleymanov

Luka Doncic of Real Madrid, a potential lottery pick, has submitted paperwork to enter the 2018 NBA Draft, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

Donic, 19, enjoyed his best season as part of Liga ACB, averaging 15.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.7 APG for Real Madrid. The Slovenian is currently playing in the EuroLeague postseason. That means Doncic’s season could potentially drift into May or June.

The early entry deadline for the 2018 NBA Draft is Sunday.

The 6’7″ guard has long intrigued NBA teams due to his versatile ability to shoot and be a playmaker. There is a real possibility that Doncic is among the top three picks in the draft, if not the first overall selection.

Draft Updates: Matthews, Shine, Huerter, Vital

April 20th, 2018 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Junior guard Charles Matthews, a key contributor during Michigan’s Final Four run in this year’s NCAA tournament, announced today (via Twitter) that he’ll test the draft waters, entering his name in the pool without hiring an agent.

Although he’s not viewed as a first-round prospect, Matthews enjoyed a successful March Madness run for the Wolverines, averaging 16.6 PPG and 6.8 RPG with a .532 FG% in Michigan’s five wins. He posted just six points and three boards in the championship game before fouling out.

We have a few more draft updates to pass along, so let’s dive in…

Oklahoma State guard Tavarius Shine, who is forgoing his final year of NCAA eligibility and going pro, has signed with JCK Sports Group for representation, the agency announced today (via Twitter). Shine is one of two redshirt juniors leaving Oklahoma State a year early, joining teammate Yankuba Sima, as Nathan Ruiz of The Oklahoman detailed last month.
Maryland sophomore Kevin Huerter will enter the draft without hiring an agent, the school announced today in a press release. The 6’7″ shooting guard had a nice year for the Terrapins in 2017/18, averaging 14.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 3.4 APG with an efficient .503/.417/.758 shooting line.
UConn sophomore guard Christian Vital is testing the NBA draft waters, as Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports tweets. Vital is considered unlikely to be drafted, so he could withdraw his name before the May 30 deadline and return to school for his junior year.
According to Rothstein (via Twitter), invitations for this year’s NBA draft combine will be sent out next Friday, April 27. The event is scheduled to take place from May 16-20 in Chicago, right after the league conducts the draft lottery on May 15.

Syracuse’s Tyus Battle To Test Draft Waters

April 20th, 2018 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Syracuse wing Tyus Battle, one of the last notable NCAA underclassmen to announce a draft decision, has elected to enter his name in this year’s draft pool, reports ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). However, according to Givony, Battle won’t hire an agent, preserving his NCAA eligibility.

Battle, the No. 28 prospect on Givony’s big board, averaged 19.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.5 SPG in his sophomore year at Syracuse. He also led the nation in minutes per game, playing 39.0 MPG in 37 contests.

Givony has Battle coming off the board 29th overall in his most recent mock draft, observing that the sophomore is a “solid-sized shooting guard with smooth athleticism and a frame that will fill out nicely in time.”

Confirming that Battle is testing the draft waters, Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com writes that it hasn’t been an easy decision for the youngster, who loves attending Syracuse and would like to graduate from college. Testing the waters will allow Battle to postpone his final decision a little longer — he’ll have until May 30 to withdraw from the draft and continue his college career.

De’Andre Hunter Returning To Virginia

April 20th, 2018 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Potential first-round pick De’Andre Hunter will return to Virginia for his sophomore year rather than entering this year’s draft, he announced today (via Twitter).

A 6’7″ wing, Hunter put up modest numbers for the Cavaliers in his freshman year, averaging 9.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.1 APG before a broken wrist ended his season. However, he posted an impressive shooting line (.488/.382/.755), and his 7’2″ wingspan creates impressive versatility on defense.

Hunter is ranked as the No. 18 on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com for 2018. In Givony’s most recent mock draft for 2019, the Virginia freshman is projected as the No. 11 pick.

Hunter will have a chance to improve his stock even further and potentially solidify himself as a lottery pick for 2019 with a strong sophomore year at Virginia.

Kentucky’s Jarred Vanderbilt Testing Draft Waters

April 20th, 2018 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Kentucky freshman forward Jarred Vanderbilt has become the latest Wildcats underclassmen to confirm that he’s entering the 2018 NBA draft, announcing his decision today on Twitter. He won’t hire an agent at this time, so he’ll be eligible to withdraw later in the process and return to Kentucky for his sophomore year, the school confirmed (via Twitter).

“I know I have more to my game to show, but now I’ve got to figure out if the time is right for me to do it at the next level or if I would be better to return to school,” Vanderbilt said in his statement. “This wasn’t an easy decision, but I want to use this process to get an evaluation from the NBA and see where I’m at.”

Injury issues limited Vanderbilt, a 6’9″ forward, to 14 games in 2017/18. Even when he was healthy, the freshman was just a part-time player for Kentucky, averaging 5.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG in 17.0 minutes per contest. While he wasn’t able to make a major impact for the Wildcats in his first college season, his potential will intrigue NBA teams.

Currently, Vanderbilt is ranked as the No. 64 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com.

Vanderbilt is the sixth Kentucky underclassman to declare for the 2018 NBA draft. Wenyen Gabriel and PJ Washington are also testing the waters, while Hamidou Diallo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Kevin Knox are going pro.

Draft Updates: Sedekerskis, Kulboka, Azubuike

April 20th, 2018 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of international prospects that rank within the top 100 on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com have declared for the 2018 NBA draft, Givony reports.

Tadas Sedekerskis, a 6’10” Lithuanian combo forward, is one of those two prospects declaring for the draft as an early entrants, according to Givony, who refers to Sedekerskis as “one of the most decorated players of his generation in Europe.” Although his rights were acquired by Spanish powerhouse Baskonia, Sedekerskis has been on loan in his native Lithuania for Nevezis this season. The 1998-born forward is the No. 86 prospect on Givony’s big board.

Meanwhile, Givony’s 76th-ranked prospect, Lithuanian wing Arnoldas Kulboka, is also entering the 2018 draft (Twitter link). Kulboka, a 1998-born forward who entered the draft a year ago but ultimately withdrew from consideration, is currently averaging 8.3 PPG for Italian team Capo D’Orlando.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

Kansas sophomore center Udoka Azubuike has decided to test the 2018 NBA draft waters without hiring an agent, the school announced today in a press release. “I’m going to wait and see where I stand among other bigs out there,” Azubuike said in a statement. “I appreciate everyone’s support, but I’m not saying goodbye. I’m saying I want to find out. Like many other players, I’m curious.” The seven-footer enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in 2017/18, averaging 13.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.7 BPG, and a .770 FG% for the Jayhawks.
Over at ESPN.com, Jonathan Givony has put out an early mock draft for 2019 (Insider link). Among the players picked: Azubuike, who goes 48th overall.
Kent State guard Jaylin Walker is also entering the 2018 draft without hiring an agent, per a press release. In his junior year, Walker averaged 16.6 PPG, but struggled a little with his efficiency (.380 FG%, .328 3PT%).
Marshall junior forward Ajdin Penava has elected to forgo his senior year and go pro, according to an announcement from the school. After posting modest numbers in his first two years at Marshall, Penava set career highs in PPG (15.6), RPG (8.5), BPG (3.9), and several other categories in 2017/18.

Donte DiVincenzo To Test NBA Draft Waters

April 19th, 2018 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

The star of the 2018 NCAA National Championship is considering going pro, as Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo confirmed today he’ll test the NBA draft waters. According to a press release from the Wildcats, DiVincenzo won’t hire an agent, retaining his remaining NCAA eligibility if he decides to withdraw before next month’s deadline.

[RELATED: 2018 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]

A redshirt sophomore, DiVincenzo enjoyed a breakout season for Villanova in 2017/18, recording 13.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 3.5 APG with a .481/.401/.710 shooting line for the eventual champs. He capped the year by racking up 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting off the bench in the Wildcats’ title game win over Michigan.

DiVincenzo is the 33rd-ranked prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com. However, the Villanova guard didn’t show up on Givony’s most recent two-round mock draft.

Villanova underclassmen Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson have already declared for the 2018 NBA draft and won’t return to school. DiVincenzo now joins teammate Omari Spellman among potential Wildcats early entrants who are testing the waters. The school announced today that two more underclassmen – Phil Booth and Eric Paschall – will return for their senior years.

Draft Updates: Govindy, Pansa, Faye, Seaborn

April 19th, 2018 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

The list of international prospects declaring for the 2018 NBA draft as early entrants continues to grow. As ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports (via Twitter), three 1997-born big men currently playing in France are entering this year’s draft pool, per their agency Comsport. Those players are Melvyn Govindy, Jean-Marc Pansa, and Ibrahima Fall Faye. They’ll have until June 11 to decide whether to remain in the 2018 draft or withdraw their names. If they pull out of this year’s event, they’ll be draft-eligible in 2019.

Here are a few more draft notes:

Givony has updates on two more international early entrants declaring for the draft, reporting that Turkish forward Muhaymin Mustafa and Congolese center Viny Okouo have both made themselves eligible (Twitter link). While Okouo was born in 1997, Mustafa was born in 1999, which means he’d have two more chances to enter the draft early if he withdraws his name this year.
Slovenian shooting guard Blaz Mesicek has elected to enter the draft as an early entrant, per agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link). The 1997-born prospect has averaged 9.7 PPG and shot 40.8% on three-pointers in 26 games for Brindisi in the Italian League.
Monmouth junior guard Micah Seaborn announced in a post on Instagram that he has opted to enter the NBA draft without hiring an agent. Seaborn established new career highs in 2017/18 with 13.7 PPG and a .436/.442/.887 shooting line.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders breaks down the 2018 NBA draft class in tiers, with a three-player top tier of “potential future All-Stars” leading the way.