Southeast Notes: Kulboka, Sanon, Taylor, Walker
The Hornets plan to stash 6’10” forward Arnoldas Kulboka in Europe, Chapel Fowler of the Charlotte Observer relays. The Hornets took the Lithuanian native with the No. 55 pick with that plan in mind. “He’s got a buyout that’s manageable, but we’ve talked to his representative …” GM Mitch Kupchak told Fowler and other media members. “At least right now, the plan is to keep him over there and hopefully watch him develop and then, when he’s ready, bring him back over here and see how good he is.”
In other developments around the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards will go the draft-and-stash route with the No. 44 pick, Issuf Sanon, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post tweets. The Ukrainian combo guard is just 18 years old and played in the Slovenian League last season.
- The Hawks have pushed back the date of Isaiah Taylor‘s partial guarantee from Friday until the end of the month, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Taylor would receive a $300K guarantee by remaining on the roster through the due date. The remainder of his $1,544,951 salary for next season would become guaranteed if he’s on the roster through July 27th. The 6’3” point guard appeared in 67 games last season and averaged 6.6 PPG and 3.1 APG.
- The Hawks dealt their early second-round pick at No. 34 because the players they liked in that spot were guards and they already got two backcourt players in the first round, Cunningham reports in a separate tweet. The Hawks secured two future second-rounders in their deal with the Hornets. In the first round, Atlanta wound up with point guard Trae Young after dropping down two spots from the No. 3 slot and chose shooting guard Kevin Huerter at No. 19.
- Kupchak would like to see point guard Kemba Walker play his whole career with the Hornets but can’t do much about that before Walker hits free agency next season, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. A contract extension isn’t feasible because of Charlotte’s salary-cap restraints. “He is on a (contract) that may make it a challenge going forward to figure out (the best course) before he becomes a free agent,” Kupchak told Bonnell.
Draft Workouts: Sixers, Grizzlies, Pacers, Hornets, T-Wolves
The Sixers will host Kentucky forward Kevin Knox and Texas Tech guard Zhaire Smith for the second time on Tuesday, according to a team release. Knox’s workout will be separate from the other six players they will bring in, including Smith. The Sixers hold the No. 10 selection in the lottery. Knox is currently ranked No. 9 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, while Smith is slotted at No. 16.
The other members of the group workout are all guards, including B.J. Johnson (La Salle), De’Anthony Melton (USC), Tyler Nelson (Fairfield), Malik Newman (Kansas) and Landry Shamet (Wichita State). Melton (No. 24, Givony) is a possibility for the Sixers with their other first-rounder at No. 26.
We have numerous other draft workouts to pass along:
- Potential first-rounder Bruce Brown (Miami, Fla.) is among the players the Grizzlies will evaluate on Tuesday, according to a team release. Brown, a shooting guard, is currently ranked No. 28 by Givony. Allonzo Trier (Arizona), Anfernee Simons (IMG), Brandon Sampson (LSU), Tim Bond (Eastern Michigan) and Markel Crawford (Ole Miss) are the other players invited to the workout. Melvin Frazier (Tulane), Nuni Omot (Baylor), J.P. Macura (Xavier), Daxter Miles (West Virginia), Brenton Scott (Indiana State) and William Lee (UAB) will visit the Grizzlies on Wednesday.
- The Pacers will bring in Rawle Alkins (Arizona), Marcus Derrickson (Georgetown), Arnoldas Kulboka (Lithuania), Kelan Martin (Butler), Elie Okobo (France), and Theo Pinson (North Carolina) on Tuesday, according to a press release.
- The Hornets will be evaluating some second-round prospects on Tuesday, including A.J. Davis (Central Florida), James Demery (St. Joe’s), Jerome Robinson (Boston College), Sam Hunt (North Carolina State) and Jared Terrell (Rhode Island), according to a team release.
- Terrell worked out twice for the Timberwolves, according to Rhode Island basketball’s Twitter feed. Frazier visited Minnesota on Saturday, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. Projected first-round prospect Troy Brown (Oregon) also worked out on Saturday along with Duncan Robinson (Michigan), Andrew Rowsey (Marquette) and Kulboka, according to Wolfson (Twitter links). Duke’s Gary Trent visited on Monday and could also visit the Jazz and Warriors before the draft, Wolfson adds in another tweet.
Draft Updates: Musa, Knox, Williams, Sixers
The Nets may be willing to package their picks to move up for Bosnia’s Dzanan Musa, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 19-year-old small forward has spent the past week visiting teams that might be willing to use a first-round selection on him. The Nets hold the 29th pick, but may have to give up their second-rounders at 40 and 45 to get into Musa’s range.
Musa has two years remaining on his contract with KK Cedevita in the EuroLeague, but he plans to come to the NBA next season.
“I want to compete at the highest level and to compete with the best players in the world,” Musa said in an interview with CBS Sports affiliate 1430-AM in Indianapolis. “[My strength is] scoring: shooting, midrange floaters, to the rim. … I just want to get picked by the team who sees me as a project. But I think I’m a lottery pick for sure.”
There’s more draft-related news to pass along:
- Musa is scheduled to participate in a workout with the Jazz today, tweets Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News. With him are Louisville’s Deng Adel, Cincinnati’s Jacob Evans, USC’s De’Anthony Melton, Lithuania’s Arnoldas Kulboka and Duke’s Gary Trent Jr.
- Kentucky forward Kevin Knox tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer that he expects to be taken between the sixth and 12th picks on Thursday (Twitter link).
- Knox participated in a session today with the Hornets, according to a story on the team website. Also on hand were Oregon’s Troy Brown, Colorado’s George King, Maryland-Baltimore County’s Jairus Lyles, UNLV’s Brandon McCoy, Mercer’s Demetre Rivers, Western Michigan’s Thomas Wilder and Bosnia’s Billy Preston.
- Texas A&M center Robert Williams will hold a solo workout for the Wizards tomorrow, according to a tweet from the team. Washington holds pick No. 15.
- The Sixers also have a workout scheduled for Monday, mainly for players projected to go in the second round, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Scheduled to attend are Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado, Bucknell’s Nana Foulland, Butler’s Kelan Martin, Purdue’s Dakota Mathias, Arizona’s Allonzo Trier and George Washington’s Yuta Watanabe.
- Trier was part of a session Saturday for the Pistons that also included Purdue’s Isaac Haas, Texas A&M’s DJ Hogg, Wake Forest’s Doral Moore and North Carolina’s Theo Pinson. Maryland’s Justin Jackson had an individual workout.
Draft Notes: R. Williams, Nuggets, Clips, Wizards
Texas A&M center Robert Williams, who previously worked out for the Bulls, Hornets, and Knicks, continues to earn looks from teams picking in the top half of the first round. According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link), Williams still has workouts on tap with the Clippers, Nuggets, Wizards, who hold the picks from 12 through 15.
Williams’ session with the Nuggets will take place today, according to a press release from the club. In addition to scheduling an individual session with Williams, Denver has also lined up a group workout which will feature Hayden Dalton (Wyoming), Jacob Evans (Cincinnati), Arnoldas Kulboka (Capo d’Orlando), Dzanan Musa (Cedevita), Ajdin Penava (Marshall), and Johnathan Williams (Gonzaga).
Meanwhile, the Bucks – who hold the No. 17 selection – also wanted to bring in Williams for a workout, but he expects to be off the board before Milwaukee picks and has passed on the team’s invitation, per Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. According to Woelfel, Texas Tech’s Zhaire Smith, another good bet to be drafted in the top 16, also won’t work out for the Bucks.
Here’s more on the 2018 NBA draft:
- Gyorgy Goloman (UCLA), Doral Moore (Wake Forest), and Matt Farrell (Notre Dame) will participate in today’s Clippers workout headlined by previously-reported participants Miles Bridges, Kevin Knox, and Aaron Holiday. The team’s official list of Wednesday’s workout participants doesn’t include Mitchell Robinson, who was expected to be part of the group.
- Wichita State guard Landry Shamet worked out for the Nets this week and will audition for the Trail Blazers on Thursday, league sources tell Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). Shamet currently ranks 49th on Jonathan Givony’s ESPN big board.
- Trevon Bluiett (Xavier), Elijah Brown (Oregon), Nana Foulland (Bucknell), Tyler Nelson (Fairfield), Billy Preston (BC Igokea), and Corey Sanders (Rutgers) are working out for the Wizards today, according to the club.
- In an interesting piece for ESPN.com, Paul Sabin and Seth Walder apply the site’s analytical model to 2018’s draft class and find that Duke’s Marvin Bagley III ranks as the No. 1 prospect. Mikal Bridges (fifth), Zhaire Smith (ninth), and De’Anthony Melton (13th) are among the other players favored by the analytics.
Doncic, Okobo, Others Remaining In NBA Draft
With the NBA’s withdrawal deadline for early entrants right around the corner, top prospect Luka Doncic will keep his name in the 2018 NBA draft, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com. While that doesn’t mean he’s obliged to come to the NBA next season, it makes Doncic draft-eligible next week, when he’s expected to come off the board within the first four or five picks.
According to Givony, a number of teams have inquired about the possibility of acquiring a top-three pick, with an eye toward nabbing Doncic. We heard previously that the Clippers had explored that possibility, but it sounds like they’re not the only team weighing that scenario.
Meanwhile, Givony has several more updates on international prospects who have decided to either keep their names in the draft or withdraw from the 2018 pool. Here’s the latest:
Staying in the draft:
- Elie Okobo, G, France (Twitter link via Givony): No. 22 prospect on Givony’s top 100.
- Tryggvi Hlinason, C, Spain (Twitter link via Givony): No. 69 prospect on Givony’s top 100.
- Arnoldas Kulboka, F, Italy (Twitter link via Givony): No. 70 prospect on Givony’s top 100.
Withdrawing:
- Etienne Ca, F, France (Twitter link via Givony)
- Yago Dos Santos, G, Brazil (Twitter link via Givony)
- Gabriel Galvanini, F, Brazil (Twitter link via Givony)
- Louis Olinde, G/F, Germany (Twitter link via Givony): No. 64 prospect on Givony’s top 100.
- Tadas Sedekerskis, F, Lithuania (Twitter link via Givony): No. 65 prospect on Givony’s top 100.
- Shekinah Munanga, F, France (Twitter link via Givony)
- Michael Uchendu, C, Brazil (Twitter link via Givony)
Draft Notes: B. Brown, Govan, Lakers, Bulls
Kansas State junior guard Barry Brown will be returning to the Wildcats for his senior year, he confirmed in an announcement today on Twitter.
“Although the process was more than enjoyable, I have decided to withdraw my name from the 2018 NBA Draft,” Brown wrote in a statement. “Thank you to everyone who supported me, and I am looking forward to finishing my senior season as a WILDCAT!”
Brown, who had workouts with the Lakers and Nets, averaged 15.9 PPG, 3.2 APG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.8 SPG for Kansas State in 2017/18. He’ll look to build on those numbers in his senior season before becoming draft-eligible again next spring.
Here are more draft-related notes and updates:
- We can remove another name from this year’s list of early entrants, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, who tweets that Georgetown big man Jessie Govan is withdrawing from the draft. That’s good news for the Hoyas, who will get Govan back for his senior year after he posted a double-double (17.9 PPG, 10.0 RPG) as a junior.
- The Lakers‘ pre-draft workout on Friday featured some interesting faces, with Grayson Allen (Duke), Allerik Freeman (NC State), Kevin Huerter (Maryland), Arnoldas Kulboka (Capo D’Orlando), Matur Maker (Mississauga Prep), and Bryant McIntosh (Northwestern) earning a look from the team, per a press release.
- After working out for the Lakers earlier this week, Missouri forward Jordan Barnett auditioned today for the Celtics, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Barnett’s session with the Lakers also included Jordan Caroline (Nevada), Drew Eubanks (Oregon State), Jock Landale (Saint Mary’s), Daryl Macon (Arkansas), and Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s), according to the team.
- The Bulls‘ pre-draft workout on Thursday, which was heavy on local prospects, featured Eugene German (Northern Illinois), Anas Mahmoud (Louisville), Fred Sims Jr. (Chicago State), Donte Ingram (Loyola Chicago), Ben Richardson (Loyola Chicago), and Nick Ward (Michigan State), according to the club.
Draft Updates: Sedekerskis, Kulboka, Azubuike
A pair of international prospects that rank within the top 100 on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com have declared for the 2018 NBA draft, Givony reports.
Tadas Sedekerskis, a 6’10” Lithuanian combo forward, is one of those two prospects declaring for the draft as an early entrants, according to Givony, who refers to Sedekerskis as “one of the most decorated players of his generation in Europe.” Although his rights were acquired by Spanish powerhouse Baskonia, Sedekerskis has been on loan in his native Lithuania for Nevezis this season. The 1998-born forward is the No. 86 prospect on Givony’s big board.
Meanwhile, Givony’s 76th-ranked prospect, Lithuanian wing Arnoldas Kulboka, is also entering the 2018 draft (Twitter link). Kulboka, a 1998-born forward who entered the draft a year ago but ultimately withdrew from consideration, is currently averaging 8.3 PPG for Italian team Capo D’Orlando.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Kansas sophomore center Udoka Azubuike has decided to test the 2018 NBA draft waters without hiring an agent, the school announced today in a press release. “I’m going to wait and see where I stand among other bigs out there,” Azubuike said in a statement. “I appreciate everyone’s support, but I’m not saying goodbye. I’m saying I want to find out. Like many other players, I’m curious.” The seven-footer enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in 2017/18, averaging 13.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.7 BPG, and a .770 FG% for the Jayhawks.
- Over at ESPN.com, Jonathan Givony has put out an early mock draft for 2019 (Insider link). Among the players picked: Azubuike, who goes 48th overall.
- Kent State guard Jaylin Walker is also entering the 2018 draft without hiring an agent, per a press release. In his junior year, Walker averaged 16.6 PPG, but struggled a little with his efficiency (.380 FG%, .328 3PT%).
- Marshall junior forward Ajdin Penava has elected to forgo his senior year and go pro, according to an announcement from the school. After posting modest numbers in his first two years at Marshall, Penava set career highs in PPG (15.6), RPG (8.5), BPG (3.9), and several other categories in 2017/18.
Arnoldas Kulboka To Withdraw From NBA Draft
International prospect Arnoldas Kulboka will withdraw his name from the 2017 NBA draft pool, reports Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link). Kulboka will have the opportunity to re-renter his name in the 2018 draft.
A 19-year-old Lithuanian forward, Kulboka currently plays professional ball in Germany for Brose Bamberg. He made his debut for the team last month, scoring 13 points and grabbing five boards in his first game with the squad.
Kulboka currently ranks in the top 100 for both Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Givony places the 6’9″ forward at No. 55 on his big board, while Ford has him at No. 62. However, Kulboka is by no means a finished product. Withdrawing his name will give him the opportunity to develop his game, boost his stock, and move closer to becoming NBA-ready.
While the deadline for NCAA underclassmen to withdraw from the draft passed last month, international early entrants have until Monday afternoon to back out. The NBA figures to release an official list of draft-eligible early entrants later this week.
Draft Updates: Hartenstein, Flaccadori, Diallo
German power forward Isaiah Hartenstein has entered the 2017 NBA draft, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Hartenstein, who is ranked as the 19th-best prospect on DraftExpress’ big board, will be represented by agent B.J. Armstrong. At just 18 years old, Hartenstein is “clearly not ready for the NBA” yet, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford. However, assuming the big man remains in the draft, he could make an intriguing draft-and-stash project for an NBA team.
Here’s more news on early entrants for this year’s draft:
- Lithuanian forward Arnoldas Kulboka is testing the draft waters, per international basketball reporter David Pick (via Twitter). Pick suggests that NBA general managers will head to Bamberg to scout the 6’9″ Kulboka, who has some long-term upside and currently ranks 50th on DraftExpress’ big board.
- Italian shooting guard Diego Flaccadori has declared for the 2017 NBA draft, according to sports management and marketing firm Sigma Sports (Twitter link). Like other international early entrants, Flaccadori will have until June 12 to withdraw his name from this year’s draft pool.
- 18-year-old shooting guard Hamidou Diallo, a top recruit who enrolled early at the University of Kentucky, will test the NBA draft waters before playing his first game for the Wildcats, he announced in a statement (Twitter link).
- Today is the deadline for early entrants to formally enter this year’s draft pool. Our early entrant list, which currently features 123 names, can be found right here.