Lakers Notes: Horton-Tucker, Bigs, Roster Spot, Schedule
In a comprehensive new mailbag covering the Lakers, Jovan Buha of The Athletic discussed the impending free agency of second-year shooting guard Talen Horton-Tucker, the team’s unwillingness to meet the Raptors’ asking price for point guard Kyle Lowry, and more.
Buha expects the Lakers to match any contract offer extended to Horton-Tucker this summer, even if a rival team were to offer a backloaded contract using the Arenas provision. The promising 20-year-old guard’s athleticism and ball-handling abilities are intriguing enough to warrant a wager on his future potential.
There’s more out of the Staples Center:
- Lakers head coach Frank Vogel discussed how he would utilize reserve big men Montrezl Harrell and Marc Gasol, with Andre Drummond set to become the long-term solution as the team’s starting center, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. Vogel anticipates using Gasol, known for his passing and jump-shooting, as a power forward on offense while the rim-rolling Harrell would function as a de facto center. Vogel plans to reverse their assignments on the other end.
- LA coach Frank Vogel indicated that the Lakers could use their final open roster spot to add any kind of player regardless of position or skill set, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. The recent signing of center Andre Drummond and the club’s abundance of competent veterans at the power forward and center positions would seem to make adding a guard or wing the most pragmatic option.
- The Lakers have been struggling to stay afloat in a crowded West without injured All-Stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James, writes Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. The team is 2-5 since James suffered a high-ankle sprain on March 20, though the club boasts a solid 104.8 defensive rating across those seven games. With L.A. embarking on a seven-game road trip, the team is hoping to get improved offensive performances from its role players. “We know what we capable of,” power forward Markieff Morris said. “We know that this was a quick turnaround from winning a championship last year, so nobody got any rest, and we know our two top guys are down right now, but we know they [are] coming back well-rested.”
Atlantic Notes: Aldridge, Celtics, Thibs, Raptors
Speaking to reporters for the first time since signing with the Nets, big man LaMarcus Aldridge discussed his willingness to fulfill whatever role Brooklyn has in mind for him, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. Aldridge started at center in his Nets debut tonight, a 111-89 victory over the Hornets. He scored 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field, pulled down nine rebounds, and dished out six dimes.
“I’m just trying to bring value, try to bring the things I’m good at, and trying to help this team win,” Aldridge said to reporters following a Nets practice Tuesday. “I’m not worried about being an All-Star anymore.
“If you could start, you’re always going to want to start,” Aldridge added of his potential role with the Nets. “As far as minutes, I think if you go out and you compete and you do everything you can, everything is going to be fine. And we’re all here to win, so it’s not about that.”
Aldridge did draw the start tonight. Nicolas Claxton earned the lion’s share of bench minutes at center, and DeAndre Jordan was a healthy scratch. The team rested oft-injured veteran power forward Blake Griffin given that the game took place on the second night of a back-to-back.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics did not acquire their top trade or buyout targets, and rival front office executives believe their days as a top East threat may be over for now, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report. Boston had to settle for the third-most coveted Orlando trade target in shooting guard Evan Fournier, and was unable to lure big men Andre Drummond or LaMarcus Aldridge on the buyout market. That doesn’t mean the team won’t continue trying to build around All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the months ahead, however. “I would be very surprised if [Celtics team president Danny Ainge] doesn’t make a big, bold move this summer,” an Eastern Conference executive opined.
- Steve Popper of Newsday discusses how Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau used his ill-fated tenure with the Timberwolves to improve his methodology, New York’s recent 102-101 loss to Minnesota notwithstanding. “For me, I loved having the opportunity to step away [after being let go in Minnesota],” Thibodeau had commented during his first press conference as Knicks head coach. “Part of it was just to recharge and get away and relax, and the other part was to learn. Whatever your circumstances are at that particular time, you try to make of those.”
- Several big Raptors contributors, including Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, are struggling with the aftereffects of COVID-19 as they try to work themselves back into NBA condition, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “There’s spurts where we play high-level basketball and spurts where we suck, and it’s just fighting uphill,” VanVleet said after the Raptors’ 113-103 loss to the rebuilding Thunder Wednesday night. The club posted a 1-13 record in March, but are currently just two games behind the Bulls for the No. 10 seed and a play-in berth in the East.
Southwest Notes: Ball, Mavericks, Porter, Dieng
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball expressed his excitement to remain in New Orleans beyond the trade deadline and his enthusiasm for the club’s trajectory beyond this season, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
“I’m just comfortable here,” Ball said of the Pelicans. “I also love playing with [Zion Williamson] and [Brandon Ingram]. We have a lot of young guys. I think we can be good in the time coming.” The point guard, selected with the second pick in 2017, will be a restricted free agent this summer.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Mavericks center Willie Cauley-Stein and point guard Tyrell Terry remain indefinitely away from the club, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Cauley-Stein is still in the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, while Terry has been absent due to personal reasons for the past two weeks. “We don’t have timetables,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ll let you [reporters] know when we know something. Other than that, there’s not much we can talk about.”
- After trading away shooting guard Victor Oladipo, the 13-34 Rockets have clearly embraced their rebuild. In a happy surprise, 20-year-old new acquisition Kevin Porter Jr.‘s development has proven to be a bright spot just four games into his Houston tenure, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “He’s done everything that we need him to do,” head coach Stephen Silas said. “We have a lot of trust in him. There’s going to be ups and downs and conversations to be had just like every other player, but my door is always open and there’s a support system that can help him be successful on and off the floor.”
- Newly-signed Spurs center Gorgui Dieng sprained his shoulder during his San Antonio debut and will miss tonight’s contest against the Hawks, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. Head coach Gregg Popovich speculated that, while there was fortunately no structural damage to the shoulder, the big man will miss at least a week, per Orsborn (Twitter link). “I am just going to make a guess, which is probably not wise, but it’s pretty much going to be on pain tolerance,” Popovich said. “I think it’s going to be another good week before he is able to use that.”
Dellavedova Available For First Time This Season
Veteran Cavaliers point guard Matthew Dellavedova, a longtime fan favorite who was a key role player on the 2016 title-winning team led by superstars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, is available to return to action for Cleveland for the first time in the 2020/21 season tonight, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavaliers will host the Sixers, the No. 2 seed in the East.
Earlier today, we relayed that a Dellavedova return tonight was looking like a possibility.
Dellavedova has been sidelined since December 12 following a major concussion. The reserve, who has a long history of concussions, was kept in protocols for an extended period of time. An emergency appendectomy on February 20 further delayed his return to game action.
“Our conversation, he just talked about how appreciative he was, how we’ve dealt with this and been patient in giving him this opportunity,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Dellavedova’s return. “He loves the game of basketball, he throws his heart into it completely.”
The 6’3″ Dellavedova has spent parts of six NBA seasons in Cleveland. The 30-year-old holds career averages of 5.6 PPG, 3.7 APG and 1.8 RPG.
Fedor adds that former All-Star power forward/center Kevin Love, another member of that 2016 title team, will suit up for just his fifth game this season tonight as he recovers from a calf injury that has hampered him for most of the season. Kelsey Russo of The Athletic tweets that Love will start in the frontcourt tonight alongside Dean Wade.
Warriors Sell Minority Stake In Franchise
The Warriors have sold an estimated 5% of their franchise to private equity firm Arctos Sports Partners, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico.
The team’s total value was most recently estimated at $5.21 billion by Sportico ($4.7 billion by Forbes), but the minority stake was purchased using a $5.5 billion overall valuation, per Sportico.
Soshnick and Novy-Williams note that this purchase marks the first instance that a private equity firm has procured a portion of an NBA club, following the league’s decision to expand its pool of prospective owners to include “institution investors.”
Arctos, founded by private equity veteran Ian Charles and former Madison Square Garden Company CEO David “Doc” O’Connor, holds roughly $1 billion in assets that it hopes to invest across multiple sports teams.
Majority owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the franchise in 2010 for a then-record $450MM. Eleven years, five Finals appearances, and three titles later, they have turned quite a profit.
Warriors’ Myers Talks Curry, Payroll, Oubre, Draft
The Warriors and Stephen Curry discussed a contract extension last offseason, when Curry was eligible to tack on three years to the two seasons still left on his deal. However, the two sides ultimately didn’t reach an agreement, opting to put those talks off for at least another year, as president of basketball operations Bob Myers told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.
“It was just one of those things, let’s just talk about it,” Myers said. “It was such a rushed season and preseason … and with what was going on and dealing with Klay (Thompson’s Achilles injury) and all the things we had going on. … We just very congenially said, ‘Let’s talk about it next season.'”
As Kawakami notes, when the 2021/22 season begins, Curry will be eligible to add four seasons to his remaining one. That extra year could be important to the two-time MVP, who recently turned 33.
“In his mind, the length matters,” Myers said. “It wasn’t contentious. Nobody was upset. It was just, ‘Hey, let’s talk about this at the end of next season.’ And I think that probably meant everybody feels good about the situation. No one was feeling badly about it.”
While it’s no guarantee that the Warriors will offer Curry four fully guaranteed maximum-salary years when they revisit talks this offseason, such a deal would be an incredibly lucrative one, worth more than $215MM over four seasons.
Myers touched on a few other topics of note during his conversation with Kawakami. Here are some of the highlights:
On whether he expects Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber to continue approving massive payrolls and tax bills:
“I’ve been fortunate enough to work for Joe and Peter, where winning has always been the No. 1 goal and the No. 1 mission in how we’ve moved forward in all our decisions. But at the same time, it’s not ‘spend recklessly.’ This year, we haven’t or didn’t use the ($9.3MM disabled player exception), haven’t used it yet. Didn’t find a reason to use it, didn’t feel like it was worth it to use it.
“Joe has always (said) to me, when the question has been asked, ‘Do you want to do this?’ The response from him has been, ‘Does this help us win?’ We’ll see when the time comes, if it’s a move that Joe thinks makes a lot of sense and economic ramifications are there but worth it, he’ll usually do it. But again, not to no end, not to a $400MM payroll or something of that nature.”
On Kelly Oubre‘s comments suggesting he wouldn’t want to come off the bench next season if he re-signs with the Warriors:
“Obviously, (head coach) Steve (Kerr) had to speak to (Andre) Iguodala about coming off the bench, a very, very accomplished player. And when you win, everybody seems content and happy. But I have no problem with players that want to start. They all want to start and they probably should feel that. I don’t think that’s an issue. I don’t think that prevents a guy from signing, if he wants to be in a certain situation, if he feels the money is fair, commensurate with what he deserves.”
On the Warriors’ 2021 draft strategy, and the top-three protected Timberwolves first-rounder the team controls:
“If we do end up getting a couple picks and the Minnesota pick does convey, that’s going to be an attractive thing in a trade or an attractive thing to look at. Because it’s rare that you have, if we do get the Minnesota pick and our pick, to have picks kind of in that high range, multiple picks. We’ll see. When that time comes, we’ll look at drafting, we’ll look at trading, we’ll look at everything on the table.”
2021 NBA Draft Early Entrants List
The NBA announced in March that early entrants who wish to declare for the 2021 NBA draft have until the end of the day on Sunday, May 30 to make that decision official.
In recent years, we’ve generally had over 200 players declare for each draft as early entrants, with fewer than half of those players ultimately keeping their names in the draft and going pro. We can expect that pattern to continue in 2021, with many early entrants declaring before the end of May, and then withdrawing from consideration by the NCAA’s deadline (July 7) or the NBA’s deadline (July 19).
The list of “early” entrants is even bigger than usual this season because the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic. That means seniors who would’ve typically become automatically eligible for the draft now have the option of declaring or remaining in college for an extra year.
We’ll use this post to keep track of reports and announcements on early entrant prospects and their decisions. We’ll archive them all in a running list here, which will be accessible anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” page found in our mobile menu.
The players below are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.
Last updated 7-20-21 (8:50pm CT)
College Underclassmen:
Remaining in the draft:
- 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)
Note: Kentucky freshman guard Terrence Clarke declared for the draft and signed with an agent, but was killed in a car accident on April 22.
Withdrew from the draft after testing the waters:
- Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts (sophomore)
- Ochai Agbaji, G, Kansas (junior)
- Josiah Agnew, G, Denmark Technical College (SC) (freshman)
- Fardaws Aimaq, F/C, Utah Valley (sophomore)
- Warith Alatishe, F, Oregon State (junior)
- Keve Aluma, F, Virginia Tech (junior)
- Eric Ayala, G, Maryland (junior)
- Armando Bacot, F, North Carolina (sophomore)
- Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (freshman)
- Justin Bean, F, Utah State (junior)
- Izaiah Brockington, G, Penn State (junior)
- Keyshawn Bryant, F, South Carolina (junior)
- D.J. Burns Jr., F, Winthrop (sophomore)
- Maurice Calloo, F, Oregon State (junior)
- Marcus Carr, G, Minnesota (junior)
- Colin Castleton, C, Florida (junior)
- Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (sophomore)
- Moussa Cisse, C, Memphis (freshman)
- Kofi Cockburn, C, Illinois (sophomore)
- Jermaine Couisnard, G, South Carolina (sophomore)
- Kendric Davis, G, SMU (junior)
- Darius Days, F, LSU (junior)
- Hunter Dickinson, C, Michigan (freshman)
- Tyson Etienne, G, Wichita State (sophomore)
- Dawson Garcia, F, Marquette (freshman)
- Patrick Greene Jr., G, National Park College (AR) (sophomore)
- Quincy Guerrier, F, Syracuse (sophomore)
- Jordan Hall, F, St. Joseph’s (freshman)
- Bryce Hamilton, G, UNLV (junior)
- De’Vion Harmon, G, Oklahoma (sophomore)
- Ron Harper Jr., G/F, Rutgers (junior)
- Trevor Hudgins, G, NW Missouri State (junior)
- DeVante’ Jones, G, Coastal Carolina (junior)
- Latrell Jones, G, Portland (junior)
- Johnny Juzang, G/F, UCLA (sophomore)
- Miller Kopp, F, Northwestern (junior)
- E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State (sophomore)
- Makur Maker, C, Howard (freshman)
- Matthew Mayer, G/F, Baylor (junior)
- Josh Mballa, F, Buffalo (junior)
- Sean McNeil, G, West Virginia (junior)
- Isaiah Mobley, F, USC (sophomore)
- Issa Muhammad, F, Daytona State (FL) (sophomore)
- Kevin Obanor, F, Oral Roberts (junior)
- Jordan Phillips, G/F, UT Arlington (junior)
- Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (sophomore)
- Courtney Ramey, G, Texas (junior)
- Antonio Reeves, G, Illinois State (sophomore)
- Cody Riley, F, UCLA (junior)
- Orlando Robinson, F/C, Fresno State (sophomore)
- Shawn Royal Jr., G/F, Victory Rock Prep (FL) (post-graduate)
- Kevin Samuel, C, TCU (junior)
- Marcus Sasser, G, Houston (sophomore)
- Ronaldo Segu, G, Buffalo (junior)
- Jaden Shackelford, G, Alabama (sophomore)
- Terrence Shannon Jr., G/F, Texas Tech (sophomore)
- Deon Stroud, G, Fresno State (sophomore)
- C.J. Walker, F, UCF (sophomore)
- Sahvir Wheeler, G, Georgia (sophomore)
- Jeenathan Williams, G/F, Buffalo (junior)
- Trevion Williams, F, Purdue (junior)
- Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas (freshman)
- Sidney Wilson, G/F, SIU-Edwardsville (junior)
- Isaiah Wong, G, Miami (sophomore)
College seniors
Remaining in the draft:
- 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
Withdrew from the draft after testing the waters:
- Geo Baker, G, Rutgers
- Dalonte Brown, F, Miami (Ohio)
- Navar Elmore, F, Livingstone (NC)
- David Jean-Baptiste, G, Chattanooga
- Jalen Johnson, F, Mississippi State
- Christiaan Jones, G, Stetson
- John Knight III, G, Southern Utah
- Kameron Langley, G, North Carolina A&T
- Jaizec Lottie, G, Flagler (FL)
- Loudon Love, F, Wright State
- Remy Martin, G, Arizona State
- Kameron McGusty, G, Miami
- Davion Mintz, G, Kentucky
- Alex Morales, G, Wagner
- Darius Perry, G, UCF
- Quentin Scott, F, Texas State
- Roman Silva, C, Oregon State
- Maleek Taylor, F, Allen University (SC)
- Clyde Trapp, G, Clemson
- Stanley Umude, G, South Dakota
- Alonzo Verge Jr., G, Arizona State
- Richard Washington Jr., G/F, San Jose State
- Fabian White Jr., F, Houston
- Keith Williams, G, Cincinnati
- Jacob Young, G, Rutgers
International players
Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.
Remaining in the draft:
- 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)
Withdrew from the draft after testing the waters:
- Carlos Alocen, G, Spain (born 2000)
- Mert Akay, G, Serbia (born 2000)
- Ibou Badji, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Aleksander Balcerowski, C, Spain (born 2000)
- Kenny Baptiste, F, France (born 2000)
- Hugo Besson, G, France (born 2001)
- Tarik Biberovic, G/F, Turkey (born 2001)
- Danko Brankovic, C, Croatia (born 2000)
- Gora Camara, C, Italy (born 2001)
- Malcolm Cazalon, G, Serbia (born 2001)
- Vinicius Da Silva, C, Spain (born 2001)
- Tom Digbeu, G/F, Lithuania (born 2001)
- Ousmane Diop, F, Italy (born 2000)
- Mouhamet Diouf, F, Italy (born 2001)
- Matthieu Gauzin, G, France (born 2001)
- Gregor Glas, G, Serbia (born 2001)
- Haowen Guo, F, China (born 2000)
- Justus Hollatz, G, Germany (born 2001)
- Ariel Hukporti, C, Lithuania (born 2002)
- Dalibor Ilic, F, Bosnia (born 2000)
- Kenan Kamenjas, C, Bosnia (born 2000)
- Jovan Kljajic, G, Spain (born 2001)
- Yoan Makoundou, F, France (born 2000)
- Zsombor Maronka, F/C, Spain (born 2002)
- Karlo Matkovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2001)
- Nikita Mikhailovskii, F, Russia (born 2000)
- Aristide Mouaha, G, Italy (born 2000)
- Mario Nakic, F, Belgium (born 2001)
- Barra Njie, G, Sweden (born 2001)
- Vladislav Odinokov, F/C, Russia (born 2000)
- Joel Parra, F, Spain (born 2000)
- Tomas Pavelka, C, Spain (born 2000)
- Marko Pecarski, F/C, Serbia (born 2000)
- Ivan Perasovic, F, Croatia (born 2002)
- Franger Pirela, G, Spain (born 2002)
- Nemanja Popovic, F, Serbia (born 2001)
- Jaime Pradilla, F/C, Spain (born 2001)
- Roko Prkacin, F, Croatia (born 2002)
- Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002)
- Sitraka Raharimanantoanina, F, France (born 2001)
- Hugo Robineau, G, France (born 2000)
- Nikos Rogavopoulos, F, Greece (born 2001)
- Ziga Samar, G, Spain (born 2001)
- Gui Santos, F, Brazil (born 2002)
- Pavel Savkov, G/F, Spain (born 2002)
- Alexander Shashkov, C, Russia (born 2000)
- Boris Tisma, F, Spain (born 2002)
- Bojan Tomasevic, F, Serbia (born 2001)
- Uros Trifunovic, G, Serbia (born 2000)
- Luc van Slooten, F, Germany (born 2002)
Draft Notes: Cooper, Guerrier, Bryant, NCAA Tournament
Eligibility issues and an ankle injury limited Sharife Cooper to just 12 games during his first year at Auburn, but the freshman guard still may be prepared to go pro. Sources tell Adam Zagoria of Forbes (Twitter link) that Cooper is expected to declare for the 2021 NBA draft.
While Cooper hasn’t confirmed that decision yet, it won’t be a surprise if he decides to forgo his remaining college eligibility. After averaging 20.2 PPG and 8.1 APG in his 12 games with the Tigers, he’s currently the No. 17 player on ESPN’s big board of 2021 prospects, making him a strong candidate to be a first-round pick this summer.
Here’s more on the draft:
- Syracuse sophomore forward Quincy Guerrier will test the draft waters this spring, his former coach and longtime advisor Ibrahim Appiah told Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com. Guerrier, who averaged 13.7 PPG and 8.4 RPG in 28 games in 2020/21, could return to the Orange for at least one more year, depending on the feedback he receives.
- South Carolina junior forward Keyshawn Bryant is declaring for the draft without hiring an agent, he announced on Twitter. Bryant averaged 14.4 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 18 games (27.0 MPG) in 2020/21.
- Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) take a closer look at some of this year’s top prospects fared during the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, examining the play of Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs, and Franz Wagner, among others.
John Collins To Miss At Least One Week With Ankle Injury
Hawks big man John Collins, who suffered a sprained left ankle during Tuesday’s loss in Phoenix, underwent an MRI on Wednesday, according to the team. Following that MRI, Collins has been diagnosed with a lateral ankle sprain and associated bone bruise, the Hawks announced today.
Although Collins has begun “low-level” rehab activities, he’ll miss some time as a result of the injury. Atlanta said Collins will be reevaluated in one week, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to return at that point.
Collins, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, is having a strong contract year for the Hawks, averaging 18.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG on .545/.380/.838 shooting in 47 games (30.3 MPG).
The 23-year-old has been Atlanta’s second-leading scorer and a full-time starter this season, so the team will miss him as it jockeys for playoff position. Currently, the Hawks rank seventh in the East with a 23-24 record, but only a half-game separates them from the teams ahead of and behind them in the standings.
With Collins out, the Hawks figure to lean more heavily on Danilo Gallinari and Solomon Hill in the frontcourt.
Pacers Sign Oshae Brissett On 10-Day Contract
APRIL 1: A week after his deal was first reported, Brissett has officially signed a 10-day contract with the Pacers, the club announced today in a press release. It’ll be worth approximately $99K and will run through April 10.
MARCH 25: With small forward T.J. Warren now officially out for the entire 2020/21 season, the Pacers will audition second-year small forward Oshae Brissett on a 10-day deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
As Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets, Brissett had a stellar season for the Pacers’ G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, earning All-G League Second Team honors for his play in the NBAGL Orlando “bubble.”
In 12 games (including 10 starts), the 22-year-old averaged 18.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.7 BPG. He also connected on a respectable 33.3% of his 6.5 three-point looks per game.
After going undrafted out of Syracuse in 2019, the 6’7″ Brissett played out his rookie year for the Raptors during the 2019/20 season, where current Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren was an assistant, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. He appeared in 19 games for Toronto, averaging 7.1 MPG.
The Pacers waived Jalen Lecque earlier today to open a spot on the 15-man roster, which Brissett will fill.