2018 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Updates: Metu, Kalaitzakis, Foster, Froling

March 26th, 2018 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

USC big man Chimezie Metu has decided to enter the 2018 NBA draft, he announced last week (via Twitter). As Joey Kaufman of The Orange County Register details, the decision was expected, since Metu had sat out this month’s National Invitation Tournament in order to avoid a potential injury as he prepares for his professional career.

Metu, a junior, is expected to graduate early this spring and will forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility. After deciding last spring to return to USC for another season, Metu averaged 15.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 34 games. He currently comes in at No. 37 on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com.

Let’s round up a few more draft-related notes and news items…

Greek guard Georgios Kalaitzakis has joined the ranks of 2018’s international early entrants, telling Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he’s declaring for the draft. “I am very happy with Panathinaikos, but I decided to enter the draft because it’s my dream to play in the NBA,” Kalaitzakis told ESPN. “With hard work and commitment, I think I will achieve my goal.”
SMU swingman Jarrey Foster will test the draft waters without hiring an agent, he tells Givony (Twitter link). “This has been my dream ever since I started playing basketball,” said Foster, who averaged 13.2 PPG and 5.9 RPG in his junior year.
After Marquette announced that sophomore center Harry Froling wouldn’t be returning to the program next season, Olgun Uluc of FoxSports.com.au hears that the Australian will hire an agent and begin his professional career.
In a piece for NBA.com, TNT’s David Aldridge identifies 11 college prospects who impressed NBA scouts with their play during the NCAA tournament.

Keita Bates-Diop To Enter 2018 NBA Draft

March 26th, 2018 at 9:39am CST by Luke Adams

Ohio State junior Keita Bates-Diop has decided to declare for the NBA draft a year early, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that Bates-Diop is entering the 2018 draft pool. A formal announcement is expected later today, Wojnarowski adds.

While Wojnarowski’s report doesn’t specify whether or not Bates-Diop will hire an agent, Woj writes that the prospect will “pass on his final year of college eligibility,” which makes it sound like he doesn’t intend to return to school. Holding off on hiring an agent would give Bates-Diop the opportunity to withdraw from draft consideration later in the spring.

A 6’7″ forward, Bates-Diop enjoyed a breakout season for Ohio State in 2017/18, averaging 19.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 1.6 BPG with a shooting line of .480/.359/.794. As Wojnarowski notes, the youngster’s ability to play – and guard – multiple positions makes him an ideal fit for the modern NBA.

Bates-Diop currently ranks 19th on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com. In Givony’s most recent mock draft, the Buckeye came off the board at No. 17 to the Pacers.

Draft Notes: Edwards, Ponds, Davis, Wiggins

March 25th, 2018 at 3:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Purdue guard Carsen Edwards plans to test the draft waters without hiring an agent, Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star tweets. The 6’1” Edwards averaged 18.5 PPG and 2.8 APG as a sophomore for the Boilermakers, who were knocked out in the Sweet Sixteen by Texas Tech. Edwards will get some feedback and likely return to Purdue unless he gets some sort of draft guarantee, Doyel adds. Edwards is currently ranked No. 72 on the prospect list by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

In other draft-related news:

St. John’s guard Shamorie Ponds has declared for the draft but won’t hire an agent, according to Sportando. The 6’1” Ponds averaged 21.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 4.7 APG in his sophomore season with the Red Storm. Ponds is ranked No. 60 by Givony.
Mississippi junior guard Terence Davis will enter the draft, Givony reports. “I am hoping for an invitation to the NBA combine,” Davis told Givony. “I just want to show NBA executives that I have the physical tools and the skills to play in the NBA.” Davis, a 6’4” junior, averaged 13.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG for Ole Miss. He’s ranked No. 79 by Givony.
Bowling Green junior big man Demajeo Wiggins will enter the draft without hiring an agent, Givony tweets. The 6’10” Wiggins averaged a double-double this season at 13.7 PPG and 10.1 RPG. He’s not ranked among the Top 100 prospects.

Draft Notes: Antetokounmpo, Adel, Chatman

March 23rd, 2018 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

Dayton redshirt freshman Kostas Antetokounmpo, the brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo,will declare for the 2018 NBA draft, a source tells ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The younger Antetokounmpo, a 6’10” forward, isn’t necessarily forgoing his remaining NCAA years, as he’ll test the draft waters without hiring an agent.

Antetokounmpo, who is 20 years old, saw inconsistent playing time during his first season with Dayton, but won’t request a transfer if he decides to continue his college career, a source tells Givony. Mike Schmitz of ESPN.com (Insider link) took an in-depth look at Antetokounmpo back in November, suggesting that Giannis’ younger brother “has a long development curve ahead of him, and certainly isn’t ready to jump to the NBA soon” — as such, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him withdraw from draft consideration this spring.

Here are more draft-related notes and updates, with a focus on early entrants:

As he did a year ago, Louisville forward Deng Adel will test the 2018 draft waters, he confirmed this week (Twitter link via Jody Demling of CardinalAuthority.com). Adel is a junior, so if he decides to withdraw again, he’d be draft-eligible in 2019.
Detroit junior Kameron Chatman will enter the draft without hiring an agent, a source tells ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). The 6’7″ swingman averaged 17.8 PPG and 8.2 RPG in his first year with Detroit this season.
Hofstra guard Justin Wright-Foreman announced his intent to test the draft waters (via Twitter). Wright-Foreman, a junior, was the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year for 2017/18, averaging 24.4 PPG on .449/.366/.799 shooting.
What exactly does it mean to test the NBA draft waters, and what rules and deadlines must prospects be aware of? Jonathan Givony explores that topic in depth at ESPN.com, outlining one hypothetical scenario in which a player could become an undrafted NBA free agent while retaining his NCAA eligibility.

Robert Williams To Enter 2018 NBA Draft

March 23rd, 2018 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

Following his team’s Sweet 16 loss to Michigan on Thursday night, Texas A&M sophomore Robert Williams told a group of reporters, including Olin Buchanan of TexAgs.com and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic (Twitter links), that he’ll enter his name in the 2018 NBA draft pool.

“Yeah, I’m declaring (for the draft). Definitely, I’m declaring,” Williams said (video link via Matt Trent of KAGS Sports). “I’m finishing the semester at school, but I’m declaring.”

Williams, a 6’10” forward/center, was viewed as a possible lottery pick for 2017, but elected to remain at Texas A&M for a second season. In his sophomore year, he averaged 10.4 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 2.6 BPG with a .632 FG%. Williams also made his presence felt in the Aggies’ two NCAA tournament wins, shooting 9-of-12 from the floor and racking up 27 total rebounds in those two games.

Currently ranked 13th on ESPN’s big board, Williams is projected as the No. 11 overall pick in Jonathan Givony’s most recent mock draft at ESPN.com. Givony likens Williams to Rockets big man Clint Capela, observing that the youngster’s ability to get to the rim, finish pick-and-rolls, block shots, and grab offensive rebounds is “tailor-made for the NBA.”

While Thursday night’s announcement from Williams came in a post-game scrum, he figures to issue more official confirmation at some point in the near future. He’ll likely specify at that point whether he’ll hire an agent or simply test the draft waters — based on his comments on Thursday, I’d bet on the former.

Anfernee Simons To Enter 2018 NBA Draft

March 22nd, 2018 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

Top prospect Anfernee Simons will enter the 2018 NBA draft rather than heading to college, agents Drew Rosenhaus and Bobby Petriella tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Simons, who will be one year removed from high school this June, has spent the last year at IMG Academy in Florida. He had been eligible to play college ball next season and was being recruited by North Carolina State and Tennessee, among others, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). However, Simons has instead decided to go pro.

A 6’4″ guard out of Orlando, Simons is currently ranked 23rd on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com. In his most recent mock draft, Givony has Simons coming off the board at No. 19 to the Jazz, noting that the 18-year-old is one of the least NBA-ready players in the draft, but will intrigue teams “due to his combination of youth, explosiveness and shot-making prowess.”

Ricky O’Donnell of SBNation and Jeremy Woo of SI.com took in-depth looks at Simons earlier this season, so be sure to check out those pieces for more info on the young guard.

Draft Notes: Spalding, Davis, Wigginton, Colson

March 21st, 2018 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

Louisville power forward Ray Spalding will enter the 2018 NBA draft, as Jody Demling of 247Sports.com details. However, Spalding – a junior – won’t necessarily forfeit his final year of NCAA eligibility. He’ll hold off on hiring an agent for now before deciding whether to go pro or to return to Louisville for one more season.

“I didn’t get to test the waters last year, but I will be testing the waters this year,” said Spalding, who ranks 58th on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com. “I want to see where I fit. There’s nothing to lose doing that.”

Here are a few more draft-related notes, including more updates on prospects deciding to test the waters in 2018:

Charlotte guard Jon Davis will declare for the 2018 NBA draft without hiring an agent, a source close to the situation tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Davis averaged 17.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 3.8 RPG in his junior year, though he struggled a little with his shot (.392 FG%).
Iowa State guard Lindell Wigginton will test the draft waters for 2018 without hiring an agent, his father tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Wigginton, who averaged 16.7 PPG in his freshman year, is a strong candidate to receive an invite to the NBA combine, according to Givony.
Wofford junior Fletcher Magee announced (via Twitter) that he’ll declare for the 2018 draft without hiring an agent and losing his NCAA eligibility. The 6’4″ guard increased his scoring average to 22.1 PPG in 2017/18, with an impressive shooting line of .484/.439/.907.
Notre Dame senior Bonzie Colson, viewed as a potential second-round pick, suffered a fractured left foot during Saturday’s loss to Penn State, sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. While Colson is expected to be healthy for predraft workouts, it’s the second time he has fractured that foot, so NBA teams figure to keep a close eye on his recovery.

Mohamed Bamba To Enter 2018 NBA Draft

March 20th, 2018 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Texas freshman Mohamed Bamba has elected to enter the 2018 NBA draft, a source tells Evan Daniels of 247Sports. While Daniels’ report doesn’t specify whether or not Bamba will hire an agent, the young center has confirmed the decision himself and said he won’t be returning to school, so he’ll forgo his remaining college eligibility (Twitter link via Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com).

Bamba, long viewed as a potential top-five pick in the 2018 NBA draft, averaged a double-double during his lone college season. In 30 games for the Longhorns, he recorded 12.9 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and an impressive 3.7 BPG.

Jonathan Givony’s most recent mock draft at ESPN.com has Bamba coming off the board at No. 5 to the Kings. Noting that every NBA team is looking for a big man capable of anchoring a defense, Givony suggests Bamba has that potential, pointing to his “rare combination of length, shot-blocking instincts and offensive promise.”

Bamba is the second probable lottery pick to announce his intent to go pro today, along with Oklahoma’s Trae Young. We’re tracking all of the early entrants for the 2018 NBA draft right here.

Trae Young To Enter 2018 NBA Draft

March 20th, 2018 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma freshman Trae Young has decided to forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility and enter the 2018 NBA draft, multiple sources tell Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Young confirmed his decision to ESPN, telling Adrian Wojnarowski that he and his family will soon start meeting with possible agents.

In addition to reporting Young’s move to the NBA, Wojnarowski also worked with the 19-year-old to craft a first-person account on ESPN.com explaining his decision.

“I’ve been preparing most of my life to join the NBA, and that time has come for me now,” Young said in that piece, via Wojnarowski. “After an unforgettable year at the University of Oklahoma, I will enter the June NBA draft and fully immerse myself in the pursuit of a pro basketball career.”

Young, a 6’2″ guard, led the nation with 27.4 PPG in 2017/18, en route to a first-team All-American season. He also ranked first in APG (8.7), and chipped in 3.9 RPG and 1.7 SPG. His Sooners had a very brief run in the NCAA tournament, having been bounced on Thursday, but Young is viewed as a probable lottery pick for this year’s draft.

In his most recent mock draft, Jonathan Givony of ESPN has Young coming off the board at No. 8 to the Bulls. Within that piece, Givony praises Young’s “ability to navigate pick-and-rolls, make shots off the dribble and find the open man with impressive creativity.”

And-Ones: NCAA Prospects, BIG3 Draft, McDaniels

March 19th, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trae Young‘s late-season struggles have put Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Kentucky’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on even terms with the much-hyped Oklahoma freshman for the status of top point guard in the draft. That’s one of the observations made by ESPN’s Mike Schmitz and Jonathan Givony in a look at first-round prospects whose teams were knocked out early in the NCAA tournament.

Missouri forward Michael Porter will have to show more than other players projected in the top half of the lottery during predraft workouts to solidify his status after a back injury sidelined him most of the season, according to Givony. Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s poor and abbreviated performance against Syracuse Sunday didn’t help the Michigan State freshman’s cause in comparisons to the draft’s other top big men, in Givony’s opinion.

In other news:

The BIG3 league will hold a combine on April 11th and its draft the following evening, according to a league press release. Approximately 100 players will compete for 19 available roster spots at the combine. All but two of the league’s eight teams will fill three roster spots during the draft. Championship team Trilogy must retain its existing roster to defend its title, while runner-up 3-Headed Monsters exercised its option to retain Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Kwame Brown and elected to place Eddie Basden back into the draft pool.
San Diego State freshman forward Jalen McDaniels will declare for the draft but won’t hire an agent, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. He averaged 10.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG this season.
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill provided insights on the Spurs, Wizards and top prospects in the NCAA tournament in his weekly mailbag column. Check it out here.