Bucks Notes: Giannis, Holiday, Budenholzer
As recently as last fall, there was major uncertainty about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo would remain with the Bucks for the long term, as his second contract with the team was nearing an end and he was weighing whether or not to sign a super-max extension.
Antetokounmpo, of course, eventually accepted that super-max offer last December, a decision that paid off in a major way on Tuesday, when the Bucks secured their first championship in 50 years. After the Game 6 victory, Giannis expressed satisfaction that he opted to stick with Milwaukee rather than joining forces with other stars elsewhere.
“I could go to a super-team and just do my part and win a championship,” he said on Tuesday, according to Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. “But this is the hard way to do it and this is the way to do it. And we did it.”
As Megargee writes, Antetokounmpo spent much of his post-game press conference thanking the people who helped him get to this point, including the current and former Bucks officials who had a hand in his development. He also reiterated his love for the city of Milwaukee.
“This is my city,” Giannis said. “They trust me. They believe in me. They believe in us.”
Here’s more on the new NBA champions:
- Kevin Durant, whose Nets nearly got by the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals said after Team USA practice in Tokyo on Wednesday that he wasn’t dwelling on “what-ifs,” per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Durant also referred to the Bucks as “somewhat of a dynasty,” as Joe Vardon of The Athletic relays. “I know it’s the first chip and a lot of people call you a dynasty after a few,” Durant said. “But the continuity of that team is something that’s impressive and how they continue to build and add and now they’re champions, and you can appreciate that.” Durant will be seeking a gold medal alongside Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton at the Olympics.
- Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic take a deep dive into the road the Bucks took to the 2021 championship. The in-depth report includes several interesting tidbits, including that Antetokounmpo required fluid IV treatment after Game 5 due to dehydration and that Holiday was “ecstatic” last offseason to be traded to the Bucks, who were on his list of preferred destinations.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) examines what’s on tap for the Bucks this summer and how they can keep their championship roster intact. The first step the team takes this offseason may be to reward head coach Mike Budenholzer – who is entering a contract year – with an extension, Marks notes.
- In case you missed it, Holiday earned a $1MM bonus as a result of the Bucks’ title. Milwaukee will now be a taxpayer this season for the first time since 2003, and it’s safe to assume team ownership is just fine with that.
And-Ones: Jefferson, Somacescu, Musa, FAs By Position
Veteran power forward Amile Jefferson, who appeared in 30 games for the Magic between 2018-20 and was in camp with the Celtics last December, has returned to his alma mater and will be part of the Duke staff going forward. The Blue Devils announced today in a press release that Jefferson has been named the director of player development for the men’s basketball team.
“This is an honor to be back at Duke and I’m so grateful to Coach (Mike) Krzyzewski for considering me for this opportunity,” Jefferson said in a statement. “I’d also like to thank Coach (Jon) Scheyer for his help through the process and look forward to his leadership in the future. Duke has been a part of my story and my life and it’s a privilege to give back to the program and the University that has meant so much. I can’t wait to work with these guys — helping them develop, grow and learn — and be a small part of something bigger than myself.”
In addition to playing in the NBA and the G League since going pro in 2017, Jefferson – who won a title with Duke in ’15 – has spent some time overseas, playing for Turkish team Galatasaray in 2020/21. It’s unclear if the 28-year-old will look to resume his playing career at some point or if he’s prepared to transition to coaching full-time.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Up-and-coming Romanian-born point guard Tudor Somacescu, who turned 16 in June, became the 12th player to sign with the Overtime Elite league, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN writes. Somacescu is the youngest player to sign with Overtime Elite to date, per Givony.
- Dzanan Musa, a first-round pick in 2018, has joined Spanish team CB Breogan, according to agent Misko Raznatovic. Musa appeared in 49 across two seasons with Brooklyn before being traded to Detroit last November. The Pistons waived him a month later and he spent most of the 2020/21 season with Anadolu Efes.
- Point guard looks like the strongest position in this year’s free agent class, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who writes that as many as 10 starting-caliber players could be available on the open market. Based on Hollinger’s system, Dennis Schröder barely cracks the top-10 list of free agent point guards, while Derrick Rose comes in at No. 11.
- In two more stories for The Athletic, Hollinger also previewed this year’s crop of free agent shooting guards and small forwards. There are no elite shooting guards available, but the class includes several reliable rotation options. At small forward, despite his injury, Kawhi Leonard easily headlines a group that doesn’t include a ton of surefire starters.
A-Rod, Lore Approved By Board Of Governors, Join Wolves Ownership Group
JULY 21: Rodriguez and Lore have officially closed their deal to assume control of 20% of the Wolves and the succession plan is now underway, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The team put out a press release formally welcoming A-Rod and Lore to the ownership group.
JULY 20: The NBA’s Board of Governors conducted a vote today to formally approve Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore as minority shareholders in the Timberwolves, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Rodriguez and Lore reached an agreement with current Wolves owner Glen Taylor that will see the duo eventually take majority control of the franchise, but that won’t happen right away. The succession plan A-Rod and Lore negotiated with Taylor calls for the new owners to take the reins by the 2023/24 season.
Given that arrangement, the league’s Board of Governors only needed to approve Rodriguez and Lore as limited partners for the time being. Once it’s time for majority control to change hands in 2023, another vote will be required, and there’s no reason to believe the new owners won’t be approved at that time.
Rodriguez was a 14-time All-Star as an MLB player, winning three MVP awards in 2003, 2005, and 2007, along with a title in 2009. Since retiring from baseball in 2016, A-Rod has become an entrepreneur and media star. His investments include fitness gyms, coconut water, e-sports, Fanatics, and a digital delivery service called goPuff.
Lore began his fortune with Quidsi, which sold to Amazon for $545MM in 2021, and later founded Jet.com, which Walmart bought for $3.3 billion in 2016. He served as Walmart’s eCommerce chief from 2016-21 before stepping down from that position earlier this year.
Rodriguez and Lore are said to be equal partners in the purchase, which also includes the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.
Lakers Eyeing Veteran Point Guards
After failing to sign Dennis Schröder to a contract extension during the 2020/21 season, the Lakers will get another chance to sign the veteran to a new deal in free agency this summer. However, it sounds like the team is considering contingency plans to address the point guard spot.
According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, the Lakers “have been on the hunt” for a veteran point guard. Chris Paul of the Suns and Russell Westbrook of the Wizards are among the players on Los Angeles’ list as possible targets, says Spears.
[RELATED: 2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Los Angeles Lakers]
While those names will raise some eyebrows, they come with several caveats. For one, the capped-out Lakers don’t have a clear path to acquiring an impact player in free agency — if Paul turns down his player option with Phoenix, L.A. wouldn’t be able to sign him outright unless he were willing to take a massive discount.
A sign-and-trade is a possibility for CP3. And if he were to pick up his option, he could be acquired via a standard trade. But the Lakers surrendered multiple future draft picks in the Anthony Davis blockbuster and aren’t in position to put together an especially tantalizing trade package for a star. It seems unlikely that Phoenix would want to send Paul to the division-rival Lakers unless the return was significant.
Westbrook is under contract for two more seasons, so he’d also require a trade and there has been no indication so far that the Wizards are looking to move him.
Spears suggests that “there have been talks” about the Lakers acquiring Westbrook in a deal that includes Schröder, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Kyle Kuzma. However, it’s unclear which parties have been involved in those “talks” — the wording could indicate internal Lakers conversations or even just speculation amongst league sources. Schröder and Horton-Tucker would both have to agree to be signed-and-traded to D.C. in such a move, further complicating matters.
Paul and Westbrook both have strong ties to Los Angeles – Paul and his family live in the L.A. area, while Westbrook was born and raised in Southern California – but a number of obstacles would have to be overcome for either player to end up with the Lakers this offseason . Still, the fact that the Lakers are considering such options suggests that the team is willing to get creative and isn’t resigned to simply meeting Schröder’s asking price in order to address the point guard position.
Suns Notes: Paul, Payne, Ayton, Bridges
Over the course of his 16 years in the NBA, point guard Chris Paul has never come closer to winning a championship than he did this season with the Suns. But ultimately, his season ended like most of those other 15 did — with a playoff elimination. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Paul now holds the ignominious distinction of being the only player in NBA history to lose four different series in which his team held a 2-0 lead.
Paul has a $44MM player option for the 2021/22 season and it remains unclear what his plan is for that option. Picking it up and trying to work out an extension with the Suns would be one viable path. Opting out in search of a new multiyear deal would be another. After Tuesday’s loss, the 36-year-old wasn’t ready to discuss his intentions, simply confirming that he’s not considering the possibility of retirement.
“It will take a while to process this or whatnot, but it’s same mentality,” Paul said, per McMenamin. “Get back to work. I ain’t retiring, if that’s what you’re asking. That’s out. So, back to work.”
While Paul didn’t specifically address his contract situation, his comments after Game 6 made it sound as if he’s leaning toward remaining in Phoenix, McMenamin notes. The veteran guard spoke about the Suns’ desire to continue improving and to compete for a championship again in 2022.
“Everybody in that locker room knows we had enough, but it wasn’t enough,” Paul said. “So, we got to figure it out. I think for me, I just look at myself and figure out how can I get better, what I could have done more and make sure I come back next season ready to do it again.”
Here’s more on the Suns:
- Although the Suns’ loss adds to Paul’s list of playoff disappointments, his legacy as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and one of the all-time great point guards has already been cemented, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Mark Medina of USA Today makes a similar case, arguing that CP3’s legacy shouldn’t be tarnished by Phoenix’s loss.
- In his preview of the Suns’ offseason, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) takes a closer look at Paul’s contract situation and several of the other decisions facing the Suns, including Cameron Payne‘s free agency and possible rookie scale extensions for Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges. Adding backcourt bench depth will also be a priority this summer for Phoenix, Marks adds.
- Anthony Slater of The Athletic also explores what’s next for the Suns, suggesting that the team should be open to moving the No. 29 pick in next week’s draft for veteran help if the right deal arises.
Jrue Holiday Earns $1MM Bonus For Title, Pushing Bucks Into Tax
Bucks guard Jrue Holiday secured a $1MM bonus on Tuesday night when his team won the 2021 NBA championship, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter).
Holiday’s contract includes a series of incentives that he can earn on top of his base salary, and he has reached many of the necessary benchmarks in 2020/21. As Marks detailed earlier this year, the 31-year-old received three separate $255K bonuses for meeting criteria related to games, minutes played, and rebounds per game. He also earned $100K for making the All-Defensive First Team and $200K when the Bucks made the NBA Finals.
The Bucks, whose team salary had been right up against the luxury tax line at the end of the regular season, have now crossed that line and will officially be a taxpayer for the 2020/21 league year, according to Marks.
As Marks observes, Milwaukee’s tax bill will be modest and it’s a price team ownership will happily pay in exchange for the franchise’s first championship in 50 years. Still, it’s a detail worth noting, since teams face increased tax penalties when they become “repeat” taxpayers, having paid the tax in three of the previous four seasons.
The Bucks haven’t been a taxpayer since 2003, so the repeater tax won’t apply this year. But with lucrative long-term deals on the books for Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton, the Bucks may well find themselves in tax territory again in future seasons and are now more likely to face repeater penalties down the road.
Southeast Notes: Magic, Kuminga, Unseld, Oladipo, Hawks
Projected top-eight pick Jonathan Kuminga worked out for the Magic on Tuesday, writes Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com. Kuminga has also worked out for the Cavaliers, Raptors and Thunder, and has an upcoming workout with the Warriors.
According to Chris Hays of The Orlando Sentinel, Kuminga said that the workout with Orlando went well and that his shooting is better than he showed during his time with the G League Ignite.
“I’m not for sure if I’m a top-five pick, but I’m not worried about that,” Kuminga said. “That’s just the rankings. We don’t know where I might end up, so I don’t really be concerned about draft picks.”
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- New head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has already been in touch with Wizards stars Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “I felt like I was talking to the same person, and I say that because the message was clear: They want to be coached, they are looking for the accountability,” Unseld said. According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, Unseld has spent his years as an assistant learning how to balance his natural calm with the ability to challenge star players and stand his ground when necessary.
- Heat unrestricted free agent Victor Oladipo has changed agents, reports Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. He will now be represented by Jeff Schwartz and Javon Phillips of Excel Sports Management. Oladipo is currently rehabbing from surgery on his right quad.
- Jason Preston, Matt Mitchell, DJ Funderburk, DeJon Jarreau, Herb Jones, Austin Reaves, and Ariel Hukporti are among the prospects the Hawks have worked out, tweets The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. Hukporti has since withdrawn from the draft.
- Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets that the Hawks will also work out Boston College forward Steffon Mitchell before the draft.
Team USA’s Zach LaVine Clears COVID-19 Protocols
JULY 20: LaVine has cleared the health and safety protocols and will join Team USA in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon, USA Basketball announced late on Tuesday night (Twitter link).
With the NBA Finals now over, Booker, Middleton, and Holiday should all be able to report to the U.S. squad in Tokyo with plenty of time to spare before Sunday’s game as well.
JULY 19: Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been placed under the healthy and safety protocols related to COVID-19, according to USA Basketball (Twitter link). As a result, LaVine won’t be on the team’s flight to Tokyo today.
LaVine has not yet been ruled out for the Olympics like Bradley Beal was last week. According to Team USA, the hope is that LaVine will be cleared to travel to Japan later this week.
LaVine’s situation is the latest hurdle to overcome for a U.S. squad that has faced a series of challenges during the lead-up to the Tokyo games. Last week, Beal and Jerami Grant were placed in the health and safety protocols and Kevin Love withdrew from the roster for health reasons. Grant has since been cleared and will travel to Tokyo with Team USA, but Beal and Love were replaced on the roster by Keldon Johnson and JaVale McGee.
While it sounds like LaVine may follow in Grant’s footsteps and exit the protocols within a few days, Team USA runs the risk of being shorthanded until there’s clarity one way or the other on LaVine. The roster was already temporarily down three players, since Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday remain active in the NBA Finals through at least Tuesday (or Thursday, if a Game 7 if necessary). The U.S. will play its first game of the Olympics on Sunday morning vs. France.
For what it’s worth, LaVine tested positive for the coronavirus in April.
Bucks Win 2021 NBA Title, Giannis Named Finals MVP
The Bucks closed out the Suns on Tuesday night, winning the 2021 NBA Finals by a 4-2 margin and earning the franchise’s first championship in 50 years. Milwaukee last won a title in 1971, led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and hadn’t earned a spot in the Finals since 1974 before this year.
Two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks, improbably earning NBA Finals MVP honors in a unanimous vote just three weeks after suffering what initially looked like it might be a season-ending knee injury.
Antetokounmpo’s knee hyperextension caused him to miss the last two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against Atlanta, but Milwaukee advanced to the Finals without him and he was able to get back on the court for Game 1 vs. Phoenix. The 26-year-old subsequently showed no ill effects from the injury, averaging an incredible 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 61.8% shooting in the six-game series.
Antetokounmpo’s performance on Tuesday was especially remarkable, as he became the first player in postseason history to register at least 50 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a single game, per Justin Kubatko (Twitter link). Giannis’ 50 points tied the record for most points in an NBA Finals closeout game, according to ESPN Stats and Info (Twitter link).
Antetokounmpo becomes the third player in NBA history to win an MVP award, a Finals MVP award, and a Defensive Player of the Year award over the course of his career, joining Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.
The Bucks’ championship victory is especially meaningful not just for Antetokounmpo but also for head coach Mike Budenholzer, whose job would have been in jeopardy if Milwaukee had been eliminated earlier in the playoffs, and for general manager Jon Horst, who took a big swing by giving up several first-round picks and swaps for Jrue Holiday during the 2020 offseason.
Although Holiday’s offensive production was up and down during the series, his defense on Suns guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker was a crucial part of the Bucks’ success and ensured that Horst’s gamble paid off.
While the Bucks will have some roster issues to address in free agency, especially if Bobby Portis and Bryn Forbes opt out, the team has its entire starting lineup under contract for next season, with Antetokounmpo, Holiday, and Khris Middleton all locked up for multiple years. The Suns will be in a similar position if Paul returns to Phoenix.
The NBA offseason is now officially underway.
Official Early Entrants List For 2021 NBA Draft
The NBA has officially announced that 217 early entrant prospects will be eligible to be selected in the 2021 NBA draft next Thursday. Of those early entrants, 209 are players from college or other educational institutions, while the remaining eight are international prospects.
That’s a massive number of early entrants that easily dwarfs the previous record, but there’s a reason for that — due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA granted seniors an extra year of college eligibility, meaning that any senior who declared for this year’s draft is technically considered an early entrant.
Of the 209 college early entrants who remain in this year’s draft pool, 137 are seniors and just 72 are underclassmen. In a typical year, the full early entry list would be comprised of those 72 underclassmen and the eight international prospects, for a total of 80 players. That would be more in line with the usual total.
Here’s the complete list of early entrant prospects eligible for the 2021 NBA draft:
College Seniors:
- Derrick Alston Jr., G/F, Boise State
- Jose Alvarado, G, Georgia Tech
- Jonah Antonio, G, Wake Forest
- Jonathan Baehre, F, Clemson
- Mitch Ballock, G, Creighton
- Troy Baxter Jr., F, Morgan State
- Chudier Bile, F, Georgetown
- Jahvon Blair, G, Georgetown
- Isaac Bonton, G, Washington State
- Chaundee Brown, G, Michigan
- Marcus Burk, G, IUPUI
- Jordan Burns, G, Colgate
- Manny Camper, G/F, Siena
- Nahziah Carter, G, Washington
- Arinze Chidom, F, UC-Riverside
- Matt Coleman III, G, Texas
- Trevion Crews, G, Bethel (IN)
- T.J. Crockett, G, Lindenwood (MO)
- Jalen Crutcher, G, Dayton
- Oscar Da Silva, F, Stanford
- Ryan Daly, G, St. Joseph’s
- Zaccheus Darko-Kelly, G/F, Univ. of Providence (MT)
- Cartier Diarra, G, Virginia Tech
- Marek Dolezaj, F, Syracuse
- Chris Duarte, G, Oregon
- Ian DuBose, G, Wake Forest
- Juwan Durham, F, Notre Dame
- Tahj Eaddy, G, USC
- Lydell Elmore, F, High Point
- Romeao Ferguson, G, Lipscomb
- LJ Figueroa, G, Oregon
- Aleem Ford, F, Wisconsin
- Blake Francis, G, Richmond
- Hasahn French, F, Saint Louis
- DJ Funderburk, F, N.C. State
- Ty Gadsden, G, UNC Wilmington
- Gorjok Gak, C, California Baptist
- Marcus Garrett, G, Kansas
- Luka Garza, C, Iowa
- Samson George, F, Central Arkansas
- Asante Gist, G, Iona
- Terrell Gomez, G, San Diego State
- Jordan Goodwin, G, Saint Louis
- Justin Gorham, F, Houston
- Elyjah Goss, F, IUPUI
- Jayvon Graves, G, Buffalo
- Quade Green, G, Washington
- Dou Gueye, F, Louisiana
- Matt Haarms, C, BYU
- Javion Hamlet, G, North Texas
- Deion Hammond, G, Monmouth
- Amauri Hardy, G, Oregon
- Romio Harvey, G, Harding University (AR)
- Sam Hauser, F, Virginia
- Kashaun Hicks, G/F, Norfolk State
- Taveion Hollingsworth, G, Western Kentucky
- Jay Huff, F/C, Virginia
- Anthony Hughes Jr., G, Millsaps College (MS)
- Jhivvan Jackson, G, UTSA
- Loren Cristian Jackson, G, Akron
- Casdon Jardine, G/F, Hawaii
- DeJon Jarreau, G, Houston
- Tristan Jarrett, G, Jackson State
- Justin Jaworski, G, Lafayette
- Damien Jefferson, G/F, Creighton
- Bryson Johnson, G, Univ. of The Ozarks (AR)
- Carlik Jones, G, Louisville
- Herb Jones, F, Alabama
- Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga
- Cameron Krutwig, C, Loyola Chicago
- Matt Lewis, G, James Madison
- Spencer Littleson, G, Toledo
- Isaiah Livers, F, Michigan
- Denzel Mahoney, G/F, Creighton
- Makuach Maluach, G/F, New Mexico
- Sandro Mamukelashvili, F/C, Seton Hall
- Kyle Mangas, G, Indiana Wesleyan
- JaQuori McLaughlin, G, UCSB
- Jadyn Michael, F, Colorado Christian
- Asbjorn Midtgaard, C, Grand Canyon
- Isaiah Miller, G, UNC Greensboro
- Damek Mitchell, G, Lewis-Clark State College (ID)
- Matt Mitchell, F, San Diego State
- Steffon Mitchell, F, Boston College
- Ruot Monyyong, F/C, Little Rock
- Clay Mounce, F, Furman
- Matthew Moyer, F, George Washington
- Obadiah Noel, G, UMass-Lowell
- Kobi Nwandu, F, Niagara
- Eugene Omoruyi, F, Oregon
- EJ Onu, F, Shawnee State (OH)
- Chris Parker, G, Liberty
- Jock Perry, C, UC-Riverside
- John Petty Jr., G, Alabama
- Jamorko Pickett, F, Georgetown
- Danny Pippen, F, Kent State
- Yves Pons, G/F, Tennessee
- Micah Potter, F/C, Wisconsin
- Brandon Rachal, G/F, Tulsa
- Austin Reaves, G, Oklahoma
- Alex Reese, F, Alabama
- Nate Reuvers, F, Wisconsin
- Elvin Rodriguez, G, Science & Arts of Oklahoma
- Colbey Ross, G, Pepperdine
- Olivier Sarr, C, Kentucky
- Jordan Schakel, G, San Diego State
- Taz Sherman, G, West Virginia
- Devontae Shuler, G, Ole Miss
- Aamir Simms, F, Clemson
- Jericho Sims, F/C, Texas
- Chris Smith, F, UCLA
- Dru Smith, G, Missouri
- Justin Smith, F, Arkansas
- Mike Smith, G, Michigan
- Anthony Tarke, G/F, Coppin State
- Jalen Tate, G, Arkansas
- Terry Taylor, G/F, Austin Peay
- MaCio Teague, G, Baylor
- Christian Terrell, G, Sacramento State
- Koby Thomas, G/F, Coppin State
- Ethan Thompson, G, Oregon State
- Jeremiah Tilmon, C, Missouri
- D’Mitrik Trice, G, Wisconsin
- Jordy Tshimanga, C, Dayton
- Justin Turner, G, Bowling Green
- Chandler Vaudrin, F, Winthrop
- Eric Vila, F, UTEP
- Mark Vital, G/F, Baylor
- M.J. Walker, G, Florida State
- Keaton Wallace, G, UTSA
- Josh Washburn, G, Carthage (WI)
- Isaiah Washington, G, Long Beach State
- Ibi Watson, G, Dayton
- Romello White, F, Mississippi
- Devin Whitfield, G, Lincoln Memorial Univ. (TN)
- McKinley Wright IV, G, Colorado
- Moses Wright, F, Georgia Tech
College Underclassmen:
- Santi Aldama, F, Loyola Maryland (sophomore)
- Joel Ayayi, G, Gonzaga (junior)
- Dalano Banton, G, Nebraska (sophomore)
- Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State (freshman)
- Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky (junior)
- Giorgi Bezhanishvili, F, Illinois (junior)
- Brandon Boston Jr., G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
- James Bouknight, G, UConn (sophomore)
- Pedro Bradshaw, G/F, Bellarmine (junior)
- Greg Brown, F, Texas (freshman)
- Jared Butler, G, Baylor (junior)
- D.J. Carton, G, Marquette (sophomore)
- Justin Champagnie, G/F, Pittsburgh (sophomore)
- Josh Christopher, G, Arizona State (freshman)
- Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn (freshman)
- Derek Culver, F/C, West Virginia (junior)
- Sam Cunliffe, G/F, Evansville (junior)
- Cade Cunningham, G, Oklahoma State (freshman)
- Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois (junior)
- David Duke, G, Providence (junior)
- Nojel Eastern, G, Howard (junior)
- Kessler Edwards, F, Pepperdine (junior)
- RaiQuan Gray, F, Florida State (junior)
- Alan Griffin, G/F, Syracuse (junior)
- Quentin Grimes, G, Houston (junior)
- Aaron Henry, G/F, Michigan State (junior)
- Feron Hunt, F, SMU (junior)
- Matthew Hurt, F, Duke (sophomore)
- Nah’Shon Hyland, G, VCU (sophomore)
- Isaiah Jackson, F, Kentucky (freshman)
- David Johnson, G, Louisville (sophomore)
- Jalen Johnson, F, Duke (freshman)
- Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- Kai Jones, F, Texas (sophomore)
- Balsa Koprivica, C, Florida State (sophomore)
- A.J. Lawson, G, South Carolina (junior)
- Scottie Lewis, G, Florida (sophomore)
- Sterling Manley, F/C, North Carolina (junior)
- Tre Mann, G, Florida (sophomore)
- Miles McBride, G, West Virginia (sophomore)
- Mac McClung, G, Texas Tech (junior)
- Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor (junior)
- Evan Mobley, F/C, USC (freshman)
- Moses Moody, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Trey Murphy III, G, Virginia (junior)
- RJ Nembhard, G, TCU (junior)
- Joel Ntambwe, F, Texas Tech (sophomore)
- Jason Preston, G, Ohio (junior)
- Joshua Primo, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Neemias Queta, C, Utah State (junior)
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F, Villanova (sophomore)
- Damion Rosser, G, New Orleans (junior)
- Day’Ron Sharpe, F/C, North Carolina (freshman)
- Javonte Smart, G, LSU (junior)
- Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- TJ Starks, G, Cal State Northridge (junior)
- DJ Steward, G, Duke (freshman)
- D.J. Stewart, G, Mississippi State (sophomore)
- Jalen Suggs, G, Gonzaga (freshman)
- Cameron Thomas, G, LSU (freshman)
- JT Thor, F, Auburn (freshman)
- Franz Wagner, G/F, Michigan (sophomore)
- Kyree Walker, G/F, Hillcrest Prep Academy (AZ) (post-graduate)
- Duane Washington, G, Ohio State (junior)
- Trendon Watford, F, LSU (sophomore)
- Romeo Weems, F, DePaul (sophomore)
- Joe Wieskamp, G/F, Iowa (junior)
- Aaron Wiggins, G, Maryland (junior)
- Brandon Williams, G, Arizona (sophomore)
- Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford (freshman)
- Bryce Wills, G/F, Stanford (junior)
- Marcus Zegarowski, G, Creighton (junior)
International Players:
Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.
- Juhann Begarin, G/F, France (born 2002)
- Vrenz Bleijenbergh, G/F, Belgium (born 2000)
- Biram Faye, F/C, Spain (born 2000)
- Usman Garuba, F/C, Spain (born 2002)
- Josh Giddey, G, Australia (born 2002)
- Rokas Jokubaitis, G, Lithuania (born 2000)
- Alperen Sengun, C, Turkey (born 2002)
- Amar Sylla, F/C, Belgium (born 2001)
For details on which other prospects originally declared for the draft, then withdrew their names, be sure to check out our previous unofficial early entrant list.