Pistons’ Hamidou Diallo Out For Season
Pistons swingman Hamidou Diallo will miss the remainder of the 2021/22 season with a left index finger avulsion fracture, the team announced. He suffered the injury against Chicago on March 9.
The high-flying Diallo was the 45th pick of the 2018 draft after a single collegiate season with Kentucky. He spent his first two-plus seasons with Oklahoma City prior to being traded to Detroit last March.
He had a breakout third season in 2020/21, averaging 11.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists on .477/.341/.644 shooting in 52 games (23.6 minutes) with the Thunder and Pistons. Diallo was a restricted free agent last summer and re-signed with the Pistons on a two-year, $10.4MM contract.
In 58 games this season, including 29 starts, Diallo continued to be a valuable contributor. He averaged 11 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals on .496/.247/.650 shooting. The 23-year-old struggles on threes and free throws, but he’s extremely athletic, a great finisher, and plays solid defense.
The Pistons hold a $5.2MM team option on Diallo for next season, so he could technically become an unrestricted free agent in 2022 if the Pistons decline the option, but I think that’s pretty unlikely since it’s an affordable salary for a solid young player.
Projected First-Round Pick Tari Eason Declares For Draft
LSU forward Tari Eason is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft and hiring an agent, thus forgoing his remaining college eligibility, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Eason is currently No. 15 on ESPN’s best available players list and No. 14 on Kevin O’Connor’s latest big board for The Ringer.
The 6’8″ sophomore put up big numbers off the bench for the Tigers, averaging 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks on .521/.359/.803 shooting in 33 games (24.4 minutes). Eason’s per-minute averages are quite eye-opening and he was among the SEC’s leaders in several categories.
Eason has had a unique journey to becoming a potential lottery pick, as he was only a three-star recruit coming out of high school, Givony writes. After a decent freshman season at Cincinnati, he opted to transfer to LSU after the Bearcats switched coaches.
He emerged as one of the most improved players in the country this season and helped lead LSU to a 22-12 season. The No. 6 seed Tigers ultimately fell to Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Eason said he has a strong competitive fire and hopes to become an elite two-way player.
“I hope NBA teams were able to see how passionate I am about this game and competitive fire,” Eason said, per Givony. “I hate losing more than I enjoy winning. I’ll do whatever it takes for my team to secure a win. I also hope they saw that the defensive part of my game is just as important to me as my offensive game. I want the NBA to know that I intend to be an elite two-way player and I will never be complacent. There is never an end to getting better. Never.”
Givony states that Eason was able to guard all five positions at the collegiate level and showcased an intriguing blend of explosiveness, creativity and skill offensively.
Jazz Center Udoka Azubuike Done For Season After Surgery
Jazz center Udoka Azubuike underwent successful surgery on Friday to repair multiple ligaments in his right ankle and foot, the team announced. He’ll miss the rest of the 2021/22 season.
Azubuike appeared to suffer a dislocated ankle in a G League contest on March 10, his third right ankle injury in the past 13 months. He had a partially dislocated ankle back in November and a severe ankle sprain in February of 2021.
In 17 games this season, the second-year big man averaged 4.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per night while shooting 75.5% from the field. He appeared in just 15 games as a rookie last season, logging a total of 57 minutes.
After four seasons at Kansas, Azubuike was the 27th pick in the 2020 draft. Although his NBA run has been brief, the 22-year-old has shown flashes of upside — as Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune notes, Azubuike averaged 9.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks over a six-game stretch between February 2-14.
Since Azubuike was behind Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside on Utah’s depth chart, his absence won’t have much of an impact on the team’s playoff push, but obviously it’s a tough setback for the young center and hopefully he’s able to recover quickly.
At 45-28, the Jazz are currently the No. 4 seed in the West, but their hold on that spot is tenuous, as the Mavs have an identical record and the No. 6 Nuggets and No. 7 Timberwolves trail the Jazz by 2.5 and 3.5 games, respectively.
James Wiseman Out For Season
Warriors center James Wiseman will miss the remainder of the season as he continues to rehab his right knee, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2020 draft, will end up missing the entire season, including the playoffs, as he has yet to play a game at the NBA level in 2021/22.
He suffered a torn right meniscus last April and had the injury surgically repaired, then had a second, more minor surgery in December to address persistent swelling in the same knee.
He’d progressed to the point that he was able to play in three G League games with the team’s affiliate in Santa Cruz before being recalled to practice with Golden State last week, but unfortunately suffered another setback just as he was nearing a potential return.
The Warriors’ PR department sent out a tweet confirming the news that Wiseman will miss the rest of the season.
“We’ve maintained throughout his entire rehabilitation process that we’re going to be patient and look out for James’ best interests in what we anticipate to be a long and successful career,” said president of basketball operations Bob Myers. “As a 20-year-old, his entire career is ahead of him. For us, as an organization, our focus is on James’ long-term health and we’re confident — and our doctors are confident — that this long-term approach will help James become the player he will evolve into when he returns to the court.”
There are no additional plans for surgery and Wiseman will remain in the Bay Area to rehab his knee, the team said.
In 39 games as a rookie last season, Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game. The Warriors are currently 48-25, the No. 3 seed in the West.
Pelicans Notes: Zion, Alvarado, Nance, Hart
As William Guillory of The Athletic observes, it’s no coincidence that Zion Williamson – typically not very active on social media – posted a video of him throwing down a between-the-legs windmill dunk just days after Shams Charania reported that he likely won’t return this season. It also doesn’t seem like a coincidence that the Pelicans cleared him for increased activity shortly after that video was posted, Guillory writes.
There’s “an air of silent cold war brewing” between the Pelicans and Williamson, according to Scott Kushner of NOLA.com, who writes that the star forward clearly wants to play this season, while the team – wary of risking his long-term health – is reluctant to let him.
It’s a difficult spot for the Pelicans, who reportedly frustrated Williamson during his rookie year by playing it safe with his knee injury and holding him out longer than he felt was necessary. The two sides are about to enter a crucial offseason, with the former No. 1 overall pick eligible for a rookie scale extension.
Before that offseason begins, Williamson, his camp, and the Pelicans’ top decision-makers need to come together to agree on a decision about his status for this season, Guillory opines. If all the involved parties can get on the same page on that issue, it should create a more comfortable starting point when they approach extension talks in the summer.
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Christian Clark of NOLA.com examines some of the similarities and differences between Williamson’s lengthy injury rehab process this season and Kawhi Leonard‘s injury recovery process during his final year in San Antonio.
- Within his weekly “10 Things” column for ESPN, Zach Lowe highlights the impact that Jose Alvarado has had in New Orleans and says he’d be shocked if the team doesn’t convert Alvarado’s two-way contract to a standard deal soon. Doing so would ensure that the rookie guard is eligible for the play-in tournament and playoffs.
- William Guillory and John Hollinger of The Athletic discuss several topics related to the Pelicans’ future, weighing the possibility of a Williamson extension, considering whether or not Alvarado’s emergence changes the backcourt plans going forward, and evaluating the team’s chances of earning a playoff spot next month.
- Following up on last month’s revelation that good friends Larry Nance Jr. and Josh Hart temporarily swapped houses when they were traded for one another, Andrew Lopez of ESPN takes an entertaining, in-depth look at what that arrangement has looked like.
Damian Lillard Talks Offseason, Health, Future Goals
The Trail Blazers have lost 11 of 13 games since the All-Star break and rank dead-last in both offensive rating (102.1) and defensive rating (124.3) during that time. After a solid early start to the season, Portland is on track to finish with one of the six or seven worst records in the NBA.
However, star point guard Damian Lillard tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that there’s “no way” next year’s team will be in the same position as the current version. While Lillard acknowledges that the Blazers have “taken some steps back as an organization” by trading away veterans like CJ McCollum, Norman Powell, and Robert Covington last month, he believes the club is well-positioned to add talent this offseason.
“We’ve opened up money, we got (draft) picks, we got a $22 million trade exception, we got a $6 million trade exception, we got the full mid-level, we got the bi-annual,” Lillard said to Haynes. “We have an opportunity, and we got flexibility. There are guys we can bring in that can make us a team that can compete for a championship, but we have to execute that.”
Lillard went on to say that he doesn’t view next season as a championship-or-bust year for Portland, but he’s hopeful that the team will take a major step forward after a disappointing 2021/22 season. He views this summer as “critical” one for the Blazers’ goal of moving back toward title contention.
Here are a few more of the notable comments the All-Star guard made during his conversation with Haynes, which is worth checking out in full:
On whether he’s still dealing with any abdominal pain after undergoing surgery to address a long-standing issue:
“No. It’s the first time that I can say I was pain-free since maybe 2016, 2017. I think that’s when I first started having issues. That was the last time I was probably moving freely, easily and just flowing the way I am right now. It’s a good feeling working out the other day and the coaching staff kept asking what I was thinking about because I had a smile on my face. I was just like, ‘Damn, I got so used to playing with that pain that I didn’t realize how limited I was and how much I was just catering to playing around it.’ So, I’m definitely excited to be playing at 100 percent right now and playing free.”
On why, at age 31, he believes his best is yet to come:
“This is my first time being able to take a step back and just fully address my development. Over the course of my career, there have always been things that I’ve wanted to correct or get better at, but maybe I had a long season and went into the playoffs and then we had a quick turnaround.
“Whatever the case may be, I never had this much time to fully break down my game and really challenge myself development-wise. Working on things that I’m not comfortable with all the time, things that other guys at my position do really well. I’ve had a window of time and opportunity to add to my game and to watch film with my coaches and trainers to really address those things that a lot of times might be uncomfortable.”
On whether he’s still solely focused on winning a title in Portland:
“That’s the only thing I care about, honestly. It seems like after I announced that I was having surgery, people were like, ‘Oh, he’s 31 and having this done.’ Man, 31 is not old. … I’m a sniper. I shoot. I got a good step. I can think the game. I can manipulate the game, and I know how to play. My game will age well, and I don’t have a history of injuries. And the one that I just had is not a bad injury to have. I’m going to come back and be fine.
“Like I said, my best is yet to come. And the only things that I play for at this point is I want to be the MVP of the league and I want to win the championship. And once I do those things, I feel great about the investment that I made to this game over my whole life. If I accomplish those two things, I’m walking away feeling like I literally got the most out of myself as an athlete.”
2022 NBA Draft Early Entrants List
Early entrants who wish to declare for the 2022 NBA draft have until the end of the day on Sunday, April 24 to make that decision official.
Players who declare for the draft this year will have to withdraw by the end of the day on June 1 if they wish to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s withdrawal deadline, which is more relevant for international prospects, is on June 13 at 5:00 pm Eastern time. The 2022 draft will take place on June 23.
Beginning in 2021, the annual list of “early” entrants has become even bigger than usual because the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means seniors who would’ve typically become automatically eligible for the draft now have the option of either declaring or remaining in college for an extra year.
Last year, an incredible 356 prospects declared as early entrants, with 217 of those players ultimately keeping their names in the draft and going pro. Both of those numbers were technically record-breakers due to the influx of college seniors on the early entrant list, though with so many seniors returning to school for another season, the draft pool wasn’t actually significantly larger.
We’ll use this post to keep track of reports and announcements on early entrant prospects and their decisions. We’ll archive them all here in a running list, 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 6-15-22 (10:49am CT)
College Underclassmen
Remaining in the draft:
- Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, Milwaukee (freshman)
- Paolo Banchero, F, Duke (freshman)
- Malaki Branham, G/F, Ohio State (freshman)
- Christian Braun, G, Kansas (junior)
- Kendall Brown, F, Baylor (freshman)
- John Butler Jr., F/C, Florida State (freshman)
- Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (junior)
- Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- Max Christie, G, Michigan State (freshman)
- Kofi Cockburn, C, Illinois (junior)
- Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin (sophomore)
- JD Davison, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Moussa Diabate, F, Michigan (freshman)
- Jalen Duren, C, Memphis (freshman)
- Tari Eason, F, LSU (sophomore)
- Tyson Etienne, G, Wichita State (junior)
- AJ Green, G, Northern Iowa (junior)
- AJ Griffin, F, Duke (freshman)
- Jordan Hall, F, Saint Joseph’s (sophomore)
- Chet Holmgren, C, Gonzaga (freshman)
- Caleb Houstan, G/F, Michigan (freshman)
- Austin Hutcherson, G, Illinois (junior)
- Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue (sophomore)
- Jaden Jones, G, Rutgers (freshman)
- Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA (junior)
- Trevor Keels, G, Duke (freshman)
- Walker Kessler, F/C, Auburn (sophomore)
- Christian Koloko, C, Arizona (junior)
- Jake LaRavia, F, Wake Forest (junior)
- Hyunjung Lee, G/F, Davidson (junior)
- Justin Lewis, F, Marquette (sophomore)
- E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State (junior)
- Kenneth Lofton Jr., F, Louisiana Tech (sophomore)
- Bennedict Mathurin, G/F, Arizona (sophomore)
- Bryce McGowens, G, Nebraska (freshman)
- Josh Minott, F, Memphis (freshman)
- Isaiah Mobley, F, USC (junior)
- Aminu Mohammed, G/F, Georgetown (freshman)
- Iverson Molinar, G, Mississippi State (junior)
- Wendell Moore, F, Duke (junior)
- Keegan Murray, F, Iowa (sophomore)
- Shareef O’Neal, F, LSU (junior)
- Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (junior)
- Lester Quinones, G, Memphis (junior)
- Orlando Robinson, F/C, Fresno State (junior)
- David Roddy, F, Colorado State (junior)
- Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo (sophomore)
- Dereon Seabron, G, NC State (sophomore)
- Jaden Shackelford, G, Alabama (junior)
- Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Jabari Smith, F, Auburn (freshman)
- Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor (freshman)
- AJ Taylor, F, Grambling (junior)
- Dalen Terry, G, Arizona (sophomore)
- Jabari Walker, F, Colorado (sophomore)
- TyTy Washington Jr., G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Peyton Watson, G/F, UCLA (freshman)
- Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame (freshman)
- Donovan Williams, G/F, UNLV (junior)
- Jalen Williams, G, Santa Clara (junior)
- Jaylin Williams, F/C, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Mark Williams, C, Duke (sophomore)
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools.
- Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts (junior)
- Efe Abogidi, C, Washington State (sophomore)
- Fardaws Aimaq, F/C, Utah Valley (junior)
- Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, F, UT Arlington (junior)
- Avery Anderson III, G, Oklahoma State (junior)
- Khalif Battle, G, Temple (junior)
- Damion Baugh, G, TCU (junior)
- James Bishop, G, George Washington (junior)
- Henry Blair Jr., G, Bob Jones (SC) (junior)
- Keion Brooks, F, Kentucky (junior)
- Johni Broome, F/C, Morehead State (sophomore)
- Jordan Brown, F, Louisiana (junior)
- Tyler Burton, F, Richmond (junior)
- Jared Bynum, G, Providence (junior)
- Toumani Camara, F, Dayton (junior)
- Dylan Cardwell, C, Auburn (sophomore)
- Sincere Carry, G, Kent State (junior)
- Yuri Collins, G, Saint Louis (junior)
- Jalen Cook, G, Tulane (sophomore)
- Dhieu Deing, G, UTSA (junior)
- Dylan Disu, F, Texas (junior)
- Boogie Ellis, G, USC (junior)
- Aaron Estrada, G, Hofstra (junior)
- BJ Fitzgerald, G, Virginia State (junior)
- Adam Flagler, G, Baylor (junior)
- Allen Flanigan, G/F, Auburn (junior)
- Joe French, G, Bethune-Cookman (sophomore)
- Ques Glover, G, Samford (junior)
- Quincy Guerrier, F, Oregon (junior)
- Mouhamed Gueye, F/C, Washington State (freshman)
- Jaelen House, G, New Mexico (junior)
- Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford (freshman)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana (junior)
- Josiah-Jordan James, G/F, Tennessee (junior)
- DeMarr Langford Jr., G, Boston College (sophomore)
- B.J. Mack, F/C, Wofford (junior)
- Kevin McCullar, G, Texas Tech (junior)
- Omari Moore, G, San Jose State (junior)
- Isiaih Mosley, G/F, Missouri State (junior)
- Caleb Murphy, G, South Florida (sophomore)
- Kris Murray, F, Iowa (sophomore)
- Josh Oduro, F, George Mason (junior)
- Gus Okafor, F, Southeastern Louisiana (junior)
- Nick Ongenda, C, DePaul (junior)
- Nijel Pack, G, Kansas State (sophomore)
- Zyon Pullin, G, UC-Riverside (junior)
- Marcus Sasser, G, Houston (junior)
- Baylor Scheierman, F, South Dakota State (junior)
- Grant Sherfield, G, Nevada (junior)
- KJ Simon, G, UT-Martin (junior)
- Jamari Smith, F, Queens University (NC) (junior)
- Malachi Smith, G, Chattanooga (junior)
- Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (freshman)
- Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (sophomore)
- Drew Timme, F, Gonzaga (junior)
- Jacob Toppin, F, Kentucky (junior)
- Santiago Vescovi, G, Tennessee (junior)
- Kerwin Walton, G, North Carolina (sophomore)
- Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas (junior)
- Isaiah Wong, G, Miami (junior)
- Jahmir Young, G, Charlotte (junior)
College seniors
Remaining in the draft:
- Jalen Adaway, G, St. Bonaventure
- Ochai Agbaji, G/F, Kansas
- James Akinjo, G, Baylor
- Teddy Allen, F, New Mexico State
- Keve Aluma, F, Virginia Tech
- Eric Ayala, G, Maryland
- Marcus Azor, G, UMass Dartmouth
- David Azore, G, UT Arlington
- Evan Battey, F, Colorado
- Justin Bean, F, Utah State
- Jules Bernard, G/F, UCLA
- Jamal Bieniemy, G, UTEP
- Marcus Bingham, C, Michigan State
- Buddy Boeheim, G, Syracuse
- Luka Brajkovic, F, Davidson
- Izaiah Brockington, G, Iowa State
- Gabe Brown, G/F, Michigan State
- Tevin Brown, G, Murray State
- Maurice Calloo, F, Oregon State
- R.J. Cole, G, UConn
- Vince Cole, G/F, Coastal Carolina
- George Conditt IV, F, Iowa State
- Darius Days, F, LSU
- Adrian Delph, G, Appalachian State
- Michael Devoe, G, Georgia Tech
- Anthony Duruji, F, Florida
- Kyler Edwards, G, Houston
- Keon Ellis, G, Alabama
- Javon Freeman-Liberty, G, DePaul
- Both Gach, G/F, Utah
- Bryce Hamilton, G, UNLV
- Ron Harper Jr., F, Rutgers
- D.J. Harvey, G/F, Detroit
- Jericole Hellems, F, North Carolina State
- Trevor Hudgins, G, Northwest Missouri State
- Bodie Hume, G/F, Northern Colorado
- Drake Jeffries, G, Wyoming
- Andrew Jones, G, Texas
- DeVante’ Jones, G, Michigan
- Noah Kirkwood, G, Harvard
- Peter Kiss, G, Bryant
- Tyrese Martin, G, UConn
- David McCormack, F, Kansas
- Trey McGowens, G, Nebraska
- Justin Minaya, G/F, Providence
- Isaiah Mucius, F, Wake Forest
- Grayson Murphy, G, Belmont
- Nick Muszynski, C, Belmont
- Andrew Nembhard, G, Gonzaga
- JD Notae, G, Arkansas
- Ike Obiagu, C, Seton Hall
- Edward Oliver-Hampton, F, South Carolina State
- Malik Osborne, F, Florida State
- Anthony Polite, G/F, Florida State
- MJ Randolph, G, Florida A&M
- A.J. Reeves, G, Providence
- Jared Rhoden, G/F, Seton Hall
- Ronaldo Segu, G, Buffalo
- Jaylen Sims, G/F, UNC Wilmington
- Amadou Sow, F, Santa Barbara
- Seth Stanley, F, Hendrix College (AR)
- Gabe Stefanini, G, San Francisco
- Sasha Stefanovic, G, Purdue
- Cole Swider, F, Syracuse
- Au’Diese Toney, G, Arkansas
- Ryan Turell, G/F, Yeshiva
- Dallas Walton, F/C, Wake Forest
- Collin Welp, F, UC Irvine
- Aaron Wheeler, F, St. John’s
- Khristien White, G, Southwest Christian
- Jeenathan Williams, G/F, Buffalo
- Trevion Williams, F/C, Purdue
- Vince Williams, F, VCU
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools.
- Emmanuel Akot, G/F, Boise State
- Theo Akwuba, C, Louisiana
- Tez Allen, G/F, Southern Oregon
- Emmanuel Bandoumel, G, SMU
- Rasir Bolton, G, Gonzaga
- Mike Bothwell, G, Furman
- Souley Boum, G, UTEP
- Donald Carey, G, Georgetown
- Xavier Castaneda, G, Akron
- Kendric Davis, G, SMU
- Antonio Daye, G, Coastal Carolina
- Jaiden Delaire, F, Stanford
- Gideon George, F, BYU
- Jacob Grandison, G/F, Illinois
- Tykei Greene, G, Stony Brook
- Cedric Henderson Jr., G/F, Campbell
- D’Moi Hodge, G, Cleveland State
- Eric Hunter Jr., G, Purdue
- Deante Johnson, F, Cleveland State
- Justin Johnson, G/F, Texas-Rio Grande Valley
- Andre Kelly, F, California
- Daylen Kountz, G, Northern Colorado
- Nate Laszewski, F, Notre Dame
- Kyle Lofton, G, St. Bonaventure
- Hunter Maldonado, G, Wyoming
- Matthew Mayer, F, Baylor
- Josh Mballa, F, Buffalo
- Caleb McConnell, G, Rutgers
- Nathan Mensah, F/C, San Diego State
- Isaih Moore, F, Southern Mississippi
- Bryson Mozone, G/F, USC Upstate
- Dwight Murray Jr., G, Rider
- Joel Murray, G, Long Beach State
- Justyn Mutts, F, Virginia Tech
- Pete Nance, F, Northwestern
- KC Ndefo, F, St. Peter’s
- JoirDon Karl Nicholas, F, Texas Southern
- Osayi Osifo, F, Jacksonville
- Osun Osunniyi, F/C, St. Bonaventure
- Drew Peterson, G/F, USC
- Courtney Ramey, G, Texas
- Eric Reed Jr., G, Southeast Missouri State
- Will Richardson, G, Oregon
- Khalil Shabazz, G, San Francisco
- Marcus Shaver, G, Boise State
- Jalen Slawson, F, Furman
- Jordan Walker, G, UAB
- Dominick Welch, G, St. Bonaventure
- DeAndre Williams, F, Memphis
- K.J. Williams, F, Murray State
- Daivien Williamson, G, Wake Forest
International players
Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.
Remaining in the draft:
- Ibou Badji, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001)
- Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003)
- Khalifa Diop, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003)
- Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001)
- Karlo Matkovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2001)
- Yannick Nzosa, C, Spain (born 2003)
- Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002)
- Ziga Samar, G, Spain (born 2001)
- Gui Santos, F, Brazil (born 2002)
- Pavel Savkov, G, Spain (born 2002)
- Matteo Spagnolo, G, Italy (born 2003)
- Luke Travers, G/F, Australia (born 2001)
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
- Hugo Benitez, G, France (born 2001)
- Kay Bruhnke, G/F, Germany (born 2001)
- Malcolm Cazalon, G, Serbia (born 2001)
- Tom Digbeu, G/F, Australia (born 2001)
- Lovro Gnjidic, G, Croatia (born 2001)
- Fallou Gueye, G, Senegal (born 2003)
- Justus Hollatz, G, Germany (born 2001)
- Zvonimir Ivisic, F/C, Montenegro (born 2003)
- Millan Jimenez, G/F, Spain (born 2002)
- Yannick Kraag, G/F, Spain (born 2002)
- Zsombor Maronka, F, Spain (born 2002)
- Leo Menalo, F, Italy (born 2002)
- Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003)
- Mario Nakic, F, Spain (born 2001)
- Leonardo Okeke, C, Italy (born 2003)
- Jaime Pradilla, F/C, Spain (born 2001)
- Luka Scuka, F, Slovenia (born 2002)
- Emil Stoilov, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Matthew Strazel, G, France (born 2002)
- Giorgos Tanoulis, F/C, Greece (born 2002)
- Keye Van Der Vuurst, G, Belgium (born 2001)
- Nicolas Vanel, G, France (born 2003)
- Fedor Zugic, G, Germany (born 2003)
Other notable draft-eligible early entrants
- Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite
- MarJon Beauchamp, G/F, G League Ignite
- Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite
- Henri Drell, G/F, Windy City Bulls
- Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite
- Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite
- Makur Maker, C, Sydney Kings (formerly Howard Bison)
- Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite
- Samson Ruzhentsev, G/F, Mega Basket (formerly Florida Gators)
- Kai Sotto, C, Adelaide 36ers (formerly G League Ignite)
- Zaire Wade, G, Salt Lake City Stars
- Kok Yat, F, Overtime Elite
- Fanbo Zeng, F, G League Ignite
And-Ones: Molinar, All-Defense, Most Influential Players, Collison
Mississippi State guard Iverson Molinar announced on Twitter today that he is declaring for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his NCAA eligibility.
Molinar, who recently completed his junior season with the Bulldogs, led the team in both points (17.5) and assists (3.6) per game in 2021/22. He also chipped in 3.1 RPG and 1.2 SPG in 34 appearances (34.1 MPG).
Although he showed the ability to hit outside shots during his first two college seasons (.419 3PT%), Molinar’s three-point percentage dropped to just 25.2% this season. Still, ESPN ranks him at the No. 64 player on its big board for 2022, so he has a chance to be a second-rounder if he keeps his name in the draft.
Here are a few more odds and ends from across the basketball world:
- Using a series of new advanced metrics, Kirk Goldsberry of ESPN.com (Insider link) identifies the top candidates for the NBA’s All-Defensive teams for 2021/22. Goldsberry’s list includes a pair of Celtics (Marcus Smart and Robert Williams), two recent Defensive Players of the Year (Rudy Gobert and Giannis Antetokounmpo), and a rookie (Herb Jones), among others.
- Michael Scotto of HoopsHype polled 52 current and former NBA players, asking them to name the five most influential players in league history. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson were the leading vote-getters, according to Scotto, who also shared the rest of the top 10 and outlined which other players received votes.
- As expected, the South Bay Lakers have officially added veteran guard Darren Collison to their roster (Twitter link). A report earlier this week indicated that Collison was joining Los Angeles’ G League affiliate.
Draft Notes: T. Brown, K. Williams, Scheierman, J. Murray
Murray State guard Tevin Brown, the No. 81 prospect on ESPN’s big board, announced on Twitter on Thursday that he has decided to enter the 2022 NBA draft and hire an agent, forgoing his remaining eligibility.
Brown has spent four years at Murray State but had the option of playing one more NCAA season due to a 2020 decision related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a senior in 2021/22, Brown averaged 16.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 34 games (35.2 MPG), posting a shooting line of .427/.384/.748. Of his 438 total field goal attempts, 276 came from beyond the three-point line.
Brown’s teammate at Murray State, senior forward K.J. Williams, also put out a Twitter statement announcing his intentions to enter the draft, though he’ll just be testing the waters for now. Williams was the Racers’ leading scorer, recording 18.0 PPG and 8.4 RPG in 34 games (29.0 MPG).
Here are a few more draft-related updates:
- South Dakota State forward Baylor Scheierman is declaring for the 2022 draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Twitter. Scheierman, who put up 16.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 4.5 APG as a junior this season, ranks right behind Brown on ESPN’s big board, at No. 82.
- Long Beach State senior guard Joel Murray is testing the NBA draft waters, he announced on Twitter. Murray led the team with 16.7 PPG on .449/.371/.853 shooting in 33 games (32.1 MPG) after transferring from West Texas A&M.
- Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report explores how the introduction of name, image, and likeness (NIL) eligibility for college players is impacting the NBA draft landscape.
- Over at The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor has shared his latest big board and mock draft for 2022.
Community Shootaround: Top Six In East
On Wednesday, we discussed the race to earn a top-six seed (and a guaranteed playoff spot) in the Western Conference. Today, we’re shifting our focus to the East, where the top four teams in the conference have created some breathing room, but the fifth, sixth, and seventh seeds are bunched up.
After Thursday’s games, the 42-31 Bulls still control the No. 5 seed, but their lead over the No. 6 Cavaliers (41-32) and the No. 7 Raptors (also 41-32) is down to a single game, with just nine games left in the season for all three teams.
Both Chicago and Cleveland have been trending in the wrong direction as of late. The Bulls sat atop the East as recently as one month ago, when their record was 39-21. Since then, they’ve won just three of 13 games and their grip on a guaranteed playoff berth is slipping.
Zach LaVine has battled a knee injury for much of the year and DeMar DeRozan now has a left groin strain. According to Tankathon, Chicago also has the NBA’s fifth-hardest schedule for the rest of the season, beginning with a huge matchup against the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Saturday.
The Cavs should welcome the opportunity to pass the Bulls in the standings by winning that game (a victory would give them the tiebreaker edge for now), but they haven’t played their best basketball in recent weeks either. The No. 3 seed in the East as recently as February 17, Cleveland has six wins in its last 17 contests and dropped a crucial game in Toronto on Thursday.
The absence of starting center Jarrett Allen – on top of all the other injuries affecting the Cavs – has hurt. On the plus side, the team’s schedule the rest of the way, which includes a pair of meetings against Orlando, is manageable — it’s only the NBA’s 18th-hardest, per Tankathon.
The Raptors, meanwhile, don’t have the tiebreaker advantage over Chicago or Cleveland, so they’d need to finish at least one game ahead of one of those teams in order to avoid being relegated to a play-in. They look capable of doing that.
Seven of the Raptors’ last nine games will be at home, and they have the league’s sixth-easiest slate, according to Tankathon. Following a 14-17 start to the season, Toronto has gone 27-15 and is close to finally having a fully healthy starting five. Fred VanVleet is banged up and Gary Trent Jr. missed yesterday’s game with a toe injury, but OG Anunoby is back and Trent was listed as questionable earlier in the day on Thursday, an indication that he shouldn’t be out too long.
While it may be too late for them to make up the necessary ground, the No. 8 Nets (38-35) shouldn’t be excluded from the conversation. Buoyed by the NBA’s fourth-easiest schedule and the full-time return of Kyrie Irving, the Nets are in position to finish the season strong. But they’re still three games behind the Cavs and Raptors with just nine left to play (their tiebreakers vs. both teams remain up for grabs).
We want to know what you think. Will the Bulls and Cavaliers hold onto their top-six spots, or will one of them in a play-in game? If the Raptors move into the top six and secure a guaranteed playoff spot, which team will they pass? Do the Nets still have a chance to avoid the play-in?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the East’s race for the top six!