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Draft Notes: Walker, Pacers, Bates, Pistons

June 7th, 2023 at 10:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Houston’s Jarace Walker is a projected top-10 pick, currently ranked No. 7 on ESPN’s big board. As Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files writes, Walker’s workout on Wednesday with the Pacers, who control the No. 7 overall pick, was actually his first with an NBA team, but he has upcoming workouts with the Pistons (No. 5) and Jazz (No. 9).

A strong, long-armed forward who is viewed as one of the best defenders in the draft, Walker could fill an immediate need for Indiana at the four if he’s available on draft night, Agness notes. The Pacers are reportedly searching for a starting power forward and need help defensively.

“I think my biggest asset is my defense, just my versatility there,” Walker said, stressing that he wants to show that he’s more than a good defender. “That’s what people focus on, but there’s so many other things on the floor that I can do.”

The 19-year-old cited Luguentz Dort and Jrue Holiday as a couple of burly defenders he looks up to, according to Agness.

Here are a few more notes on the 2023 NBA draft, which will take place June 22:

  • The Pacers have been extremely busy hosting prospects for workouts, and that will continue on Thursday, Agness tweets. Tyger Campbell (UCLA), Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite), Markquis Nowell (Kansas State), Ben Sheppard (Belmont), Hunter Tyson (Clemson) and Jalen Wilson (Kansas) will be the six participants. Sheppard is currently the highest-rated of the group on ESPN’s list, coming in at No. 37. In addition to No. 7, Indiana also controls the Nos. 26, 29, 32 and 55 picks
  • Eastern Michigan wing Emoni Bates has had a busy schedule leading up to the draft, reportedly working out for nearly half the league already. A source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link) that Bates will be visiting the Bucks on Friday. He’s currently No. 51 on ESPN’s board.
  • While much ink has (understandably) been spilled about what the Pistons might do at No. 5, they control the 31st pick in the draft as well. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link) examines six 3-and-D wings who might be available with the second-rounder, including Xavier’s Colby Jones (No. 28 on ESPN’s board) UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez (No. 30), and Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis (No. 32).
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Southeast Notes: Magic, Trent, Hawks, Sanogo, Wizards

June 6th, 2023 at 8:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic hold a pair of lottery picks and an early second-round selection in this month’s draft. What picks would be ideal at those spots? Jeremy Woo of ESPN weighs in on that subject and believes Overtime Elite shooting guard Ausar Thompson and Kansas shooting guard Gradey Dick would make nice fits at No. 6 and No. 11, respectively. Belmont small forward Ben Sheppard would give the Magic another shooting option if they chose him at No. 36, Woo adds.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

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Draft Notes: Henderson, Sheppard, Wizards, Hornets, Magic, Warriors

June 3rd, 2023 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

With Scoot Henderson ranked second or third in nearly every mock draft, the G League Ignite star only plans two workouts during the pre-draft process, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.

Henderson was in Portland on Saturday to show off the skills that have made him one of the most talked-about prospects in this year’s class. The Trail Blazers hold the third pick and appear to be the most likely destination for Henderson if speculation about Brandon Miller going to Charlotte at No. 2 is correct. There’s been plenty of conjecture that Portland may trade the pick for veteran help, but some sources believe the team would be comfortable adding another young player.

Henderson hasn’t scheduled a session with the Hornets yet, but he told Casey Holdahl of NBA.com that he expects to work out for them at some point before the June 22 draft. He also talked about what he’ll bring to the team that selects him.

“You always want a guy like me, that dog mentality,” Henderson said. “Just my personality, the culture I bring to the locker room. I’m a great leader, I’ll tell what’s up and I can do everything on the floor. I can do everything on the floor. I’m going to go out there and give my 110 percent every day. And that’s the thing about me: I’m very consistent in effort. Even if it’s not there, I just try to even it out the next game, try to get right to it. Give it a 120 if I didn’t give it 110 the last game.”

There’s more draft news to pass along:

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Draft Notes: Bates, Ongenda, Pacers, Hawks

June 1st, 2023 at 9:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Wing Emoni Bates has upcoming workouts lined up with the Jazz, Kings and Pistons, a league source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). Bates has already reportedly worked out for eight other teams, so he is certainly getting accustomed to the extensive travel of NBA life.

According to Zagoria, Bates will have more workouts as the 2023 NBA draft — which takes place on June 22 — draws nearer. A former top high school recruit, the 19-year-old has seen his stock fall over two inconsistent college seasons at Memphis and Eastern Michigan. He’s currently ranked No. 51 on ESPN’s big board, making him a projected late second-round pick.

However, Bates impressed during shooting drills at last month’s draft combine and reportedly interviewed well too, which has helped his standing. He has risen up six spots on ESPN’s list within the past few days.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • DePaul center Nick Ongenda decided to stay in the draft as the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline passed, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). The Canadian big man missed most of the season with a wrist injury, according to Steve Newhouse of 247Sports.com, who reports that Ongenda recently worked out for the Mavericks. He averaged 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and an eye-popping 4.4 blocks, but only played eight games as a senior in ’22/23.
  • The Pacers are hosting a pre-draft workout Friday featuring Toumani Camara (Dayton), Tosan Evbuomwan (Princeton), Jaylen Martin (Overtime Elite), Landers Nolley (Cincinnati), Miles Norris (UCSB) and Julian Strawther (Gonzaga), tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Indiana controls five draft picks in 2023, including No. 7 overall. Strawther (No. 49), Camara (No. 54) and Evbuomwan (No. 77) may have the best chances to get drafted, per ESPN’s board.
  • The Hawks, who control the Nos. 16 and 46 picks, are hosting six prospects for a workout Friday. They are Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine), Mike Miles Jr. (TCU), Kris Murray (Iowa), Pete Nance (North Carolina), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette) and Ben Sheppard (Belmont), as Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (via Twitter). Murray (No. 25), Prosper (No. 29) and Sheppard (No. 36) are the highest rated by ESPN.
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Draft Notes: Bediako, Walker, Mark, Second Round, Klintman, Sheppard

May 23rd, 2023 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Alabama center Charles Bediako has decided to remain in the draft, Jonathan Givony and Jeff Borzello of ESPN report. Bediako started all 37 games this past season for the Crimson Tide as a sophomore, averaging 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. He’s not currently listed among the 100 prospects on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft-related notes:

  • Projected lottery pick Jarace Walker has a sore right elbow, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Ranked No. 5 by ESPN, Walker injured his elbow in Houston’s Sweet 16 game and recently re-aggravated it. However, he’s expected to be back to 100% for upcoming team workouts.
  • Tramon Mark, who also played for the Cougars last season, has withdrawn from the draft, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. Mark, who averaged 10.1 PPG with Houston, has transferred to Arkansas.
  • The early part of the second round figures to be a popular trade-up area for teams looking for value, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Many teams believe this draft will have plenty of depth.
  • There’s speculation that Wake Forest forward Bobi Klintman could have a first-round promise, according to Wasserman. Klintman opted out of the combine despite averaging just 5.3 points per game last season.
  • Belmont’s Ben Sheppard may have been the highest riser during the combine after his 25-point game on Thursday, Wasserman adds in the same piece. Sheppard averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Bruins last season.
  • South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson is withdrawing his name and will return to school, Rothstein tweets.
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Draft Notes: Risers, Lively, Girard, Pack, Post

May 20th, 2023 at 3:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Marquette wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who withdrew from Thursday’s scrimmage after a strong performance Wednesday, may have been the biggest winner of the NBA draft combine, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic.

Not only did Prosper score a game-high 21 points (plus seven rebounds) in 22 minutes in Wednesday’s scrimmage, he was also measured at nearly 6’7″ without shoes along with a 7’1″ wingspan. The 20-year-old recorded the second-best standing vertical leap (35 inches) at the event.

As Hollinger writes, there are still question marks about his Prosper’s game (limited feel, low rate of steals plus blocks), but his effort at the combine may have turned him into a first-round pick. He’s currently No. 32 on ESPN’s big board.

Belmont guard Ben Sheppard (No. 36 on ESPN) and Serbian big man Tristan Vukcevic (No. 37) are among the other players who helped themselves at the combine, Hollinger adds. Keep an eye on the Hornets (Nos. 34, 39 and 41) and the Thunder (Nos. 37 and 50) as teams with multiple picks who might be interested in drafting-and-stashing Vukcevic, per Hollinger.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Dereck Lively II was the nation’s top high school recruit entering his freshman year at Duke, but saw his draft stock fall after an underwhelming season. Currently No. 25 on ESPN’s board and considered a late first-round pick, Lively plans to surprise people at the NBA level, Adam Zagoria writes for The News & Observer. “I believe my game translates because I can guard one through five, I can run the floor, I can space the floor out,” Lively said at the combine. “I wasn’t shooting at Duke but … just because you don’t think I can shoot, I can shoot the ball. I think everybody is going to be surprised by that this coming season and I just gotta make a name for myself.”
  • Joseph Girard, Nijel Pack, and Quinten Post all plan to withdraw from the draft and return to college for the 2023/24 season, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (All Twitter links). Girard is transferring from Syracuse to Clemson for his fifth and final year of eligibility, while Pack will be returning to Miami (FL) for his senior year and Post will return to Boston College for his fifth season. None of the three are listed on ESPN’s board, so they were considered unlikely to be drafted.
  • In case you missed it, we passed along some more draft decisions Friday.
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NBA Reveals Players Expected At 2023 Draft Combine

May 9th, 2023 at 6:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA has announced 78 players that are expected to attend this year’s draft combine, scheduled for May 15-21 at in Chicago, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.

Additionally, a select number of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which takes place May 13-14 in Chicago, will be invited to participate in the combine.

Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five scrimmages, as well as shooting, strength and agility drills. Some top prospects opt out of the scrimmages.

Victor Wembanyama, the projected top pick, is not on the list. His French League season is still ongoing.

The list of invitees is as follows:

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Draft Notes: Miller, Henderson, Black, Early Entrants

March 16th, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Alabama freshman Brandon Miller has become a legitimate contender to be taken with the second pick in this year’s draft, writes Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. French center Victor Wembanyama remains a clear favorite as the top choice, but in conversations with NBA executives and scouts, Vecenie finds that teams are considering Miller alongside G League guard Scoot Henderson, who had been ranked second in most mock drafts since the season began.

Vecenie still has Henderson second on his list, calling him “an elite-level competitor with elite athleticism” and comparing him to Anthony Edwards and Derrick Rose. But Miller has steadily worked his way up NBA draft boards throughout the season while leading the Crimson Tide to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

The 6’9″ wing has drawn comparisons to Paul George while averaging 19.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He’s also shooting 45% from the field and 40% from three-point range and is viewed as a solid defender. Miller has improved his ability to create shots off the dribble and has shown an ability to score through contact that scouts had originally doubted. There are obvious questions surrounding the role he played in a January shooting, but Vecenie doesn’t believe that will affect his draft status as long as he’s not charged in the case.

There’s more on the NBA draft:

  • Miller gave brief answers during the SEC Tournament when he was asked about his involvement in the incident, but Alabama coach Nate Oats talked it more in depth with Kyle Tucker of The Athletic. “Based on everything we know, Brandon didn’t break any laws, he didn’t violate any school policy and he’s a fully cooperating witness,” Oats said. “Based on all that, we made the decision to let him keep playing.”
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic also touches on the Miller vs. Henderson debate, suggesting that Miller may be the best perimeter player in college basketball. Hollinger, who attended the SEC Tournament last week, identifies Arkansas as a team to watch in the NCAA Tournament, stating that the Razorbacks may have five players who will get drafted. Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black are considered potential lottery picks, and Hollinger sees Black as a candidate for the No. 4 pick, even though he hasn’t shot well in his freshman season.
  • Belmont senior guard Ben Sheppard will give up his final year of eligibility and enter the draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Sheppard was a first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection and an All-Defensive team choice this year.
  • Real Madrid’s Eli Ndiaye, an 18-year-old center out of Senegal, has also declared for the draft, according to Givony (Twitter link).
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