Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers
If Kentavious Caldwell-Pope picks up his $15.4MM player option or declines it and signs a new, more lucrative deal with Denver, the Nuggets will be over the second tax apron in 2024/25. That means they would be limited to offering free agents minimum-salary contracts.
With that in mind, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports lists 10 ring-chasing veterans who might be able to help the Nuggets next season (the players have to be at least 30 years old in ’24/25 and potentially available for the minimum). Some players on Wind’s list include Gary Harris (a former Nugget), Gordon Hayward and Jae Crowder.
According to both Wind and Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link), several people within the organization are fans of Hayward’s game, though it’s unclear if he’d actually accept a minimum deal after making $33.3MM last season. The 34-year-old was largely a non-factor with Oklahoma City and has a lengthy injury history, however, so his market is tricky to gauge.
Durando answers a handful of offseason questions related to the Nuggets, writing that the team will likely make small tweaks to the edges of the rotation instead of doing anything drastic.
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune (subscription required) argues the Timberwolves should pay the luxury tax to keep the core of the current roster together for next season no matter which ownership group ultimately prevails in their ongoing dispute for majority control. As Souhan writes, the Wolves just made the Western Conference finals for the second time in franchise history, and this team is much better positioned for continued success than the group from 2004.
- The Timberwolves‘ roster should look similar in ’24/25, assuming ownership is willing to spend, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (subscriber link). “They’ve been nothing but supportive with us,” head coach Chris Finch said of the team’s owners. “In many ways, this run that we’ve been on has pushed all of that to the background, and they’ve been 100 percent committed to the team, the team’s efforts and enjoying the success. That stuff will be what it will be. They’ve all pledged that no matter how it shakes out, that they’re going to give us every opportunity to be successful and continue to build, build a winner and a champion and all the things that we’re all trying to do together.”
- The Trail Blazers held a pre-draft workout with six prospects on Thursday, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Those players were French wing Melvin Ajinca (No. 48 on ESPN’s big board), Minnesota guard Cam Christie (No. 34), G League Ignite guard Thierry Darlan (No. 85), Michigan State forward Malik Hall (unranked), North Carolina forward Harrison Ingram (No. 42) and Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (No. 49). Portland controls four picks in the 2024 draft, including a pair of second-rounders (No. 34 and No. 40).
Pacers Notes: Defense, Toppin, McConnell, Workouts
Having already taken one big swing this year by trading for Pascal Siakam in January, the Pacers aren’t opposed to having a relatively quiet offseason and running it back with a similar group to the one that made this year’s Eastern Conference finals, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required).
“You always gotta look and see what’s out there on the market,” general manager Chad Buchanan said this week during his end-of-season press conference. “Is there a player or players out there who are available who make sense for your team? You’re also very excited about the young core we have. It’s a balance. It’s going to be a lot of discussion, a lot of debate. Maybe there’s nothing out there that makes sense, and we’re fine with that. We really like this team. If we come back with this same group next year, we still believe there’s a lot of upside with this group.”
Improving the defense will be an offseason priority in Indiana, though it’s possible that could happen without making any outside additions, according to Dopirak, who points to young players like Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, Bennedict Mathurin, and Jarace Walker as guys who are capable of getting better on that end of the court. Buchanan acknowledged that the defense will be a focus for the front office after the team ranked 24th in defensive rating during the regular season.
“As you watch the team that eliminates you, it’s always fresh in your mind what they did to beat you,” Buchanan said. “I think Boston, obviously they have more experience than us, No. 1, but they have a tremendous defensive foundation. When we needed to try to score these last couple of games, it’s been very, very challenging. That’s one thing we take away that’s going to be important for us moving forward if we want to make another step.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- While Indiana’s spending power will be limited if Siakam signs a maximum-salary contract, the team hopes to continue its relationship with restricted free agent forward Obi Toppin, per Buchanan. “I thought Obi had a tremendous year for us,” the Pacers’ GM said, per Dopirak. “… I thought he really blossomed this year. We envisioned him being a good with a team that played fast; he was exactly that. His three-point shooting really developed and improved as we saw this year. The way we play, you get a lot of open shots. If you can catch and shoot, you’re going to have some success. His defense grew as the season wore on. He seems to be happy here too. Would like to continue the relationship.”
- Buchanan also raved about the contributions of backup guard T.J. McConnell, who will be extension-eligible this offseason as he enters a contract year. It sounds as if Indiana will explore an extension for McConnell, as Dopirak relays. “He’s not slowing down. You’re not seeing any sign of an aging player,” Buchanan said. “… His value to us is very, very high, and that has not changed by anything that happened this year and we hope he’s with us for a long time as well.”
- In a separate story for The Indianapolis Star, Dopirak observes that the Pacers‘ first pre-draft workout on Friday only consisted of prospects who played college basketball for four or more years and started for at least three seasons. As Dopirak writes, Indiana has three picks in this year’s draft but none higher than No. 36, so the team may be targeting seasoned prospects capable of stepping in and contributing right away, rather than focusing on upside. Dopirak notes that head coach Rick Carlisle frequently said during the season that Sheppard’s four years of college experience made it a smooth transition to the NBA for the No. 26 pick in last year’s draft, since he understood his role without requiring much instruction.
- The Pacers’ second pre-draft workout, scheduled for Tuesday, will feature several more experienced college players, including Reece Beekman (Virginia), DJ Horne (NC State), Lance Jones (Purdue), Cam Spencer (UConn), and Harrison Ingram (UNC), tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Mantas Rubstavicius, who has played professionally in Lithuania and New Zealand since 2018, will fill out the six-man workout group.
Johnny Furphy Staying In Draft; Hawkins, Watkins Among Withdrawals
Kansas wing Johnny Furphy, ESPN’s No. 18-ranked prospect in the 2024 class, is staying in the NBA draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).
Furphy’s had a meteoric rise as a prospect, going from a virtual unknown out of the NBA Global Academy to a projected top-20 pick. According to Givony, Furphy “toyed” with the idea of returning to Kansas but received enough assurances regarding his draft status that he opted to stay in.
Furphy didn’t become a full-time starter until mid-January, averaging 11.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and connecting on 34.9% of his three-pointers after doing so.
On the other hand, former Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins is withdrawing from the draft and will transfer, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). He’s expected to earn a massive NIL deal wherever he ends up.
When he declared for the draft, Hawkins suggested that he would be staying in the draft class and forgoing his remaining college eligibility, but it appears he had a change of heart, having deleted the original Twitter post announcing his intentions. He’ll return for his super-senior season after spending his first four collegiate years at Illinois. He averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest last year.
Former Florida State wing Jamir Watkins also withdrew from the draft moments before the 11:59 pm Eastern deadline, according to Givony (Twitter link). Like Hawkins, Watkins didn’t mention anything about possibly returning to school when he entered, so his withdrawal is somewhat surprising.
Watkins averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game in his junior season at Florida State. He spent the first two years of his college career at VCU and is now in the transfer portal again this offseason.
Here are more of the latest draft decisions from early entrants ahead of the tonight’s NCAA withdrawal deadline:
Withdrawing from the draft:
- Iowa’s Payton Sandfort is returning to play for the Hawkeyes in his senior season, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein (Twitter link). Sandfort averaged 16.4 PPG while connecting on 37.9% of his 7.3 three-pointers per game last season, establishing himself as one of the best sharpshooters in the class. He ranked at No. 46 on ESPN’s best-available list.
- Hunter Sallis is returning to Wake Forest for his senior season after averaging 18.0 PPG in his first season in Winston-Salem (Twitter link via Rothstein). Sallis ranked as ESPN’s No. 55 prospect after being named to the All-ACC First Team in 2023/24. He played at Gonzaga before transferring to Wake Forest.
- Alabama center/forward Jarin Stevenson joins Mark Sears in returning to the Crimson Tide (Twitter link via Givony). Stevenson, who would’ve been one of the youngest players in the draft class, helped Alabama to a Final Four appearance this year next to Sears. He averaged 5.3 PPG in his freshman season and, according to Givony, will be “closely monitored” as a sophomore (Twitter link).
- Overtime Elite center Somto Cyril is departing the program and will play for Georgia next season rather than staying in the draft (Twitter link via Rothstein).
Staying in the draft:
- New Mexico State guard Deshawndre Washington is fully in the draft, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). He averaged 11.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game as a 6’6″ guard. Washington also spent time at Robert Morris, South Suburban (IL) College and Northwest Florida State College.
With the NCAA’s 11:59 pm Eastern deadline passing as of the time of this article, most key collegiate players have determined one way or another whether they’re staying in or exiting the draft. However, there are a few potential draftees whose intentions haven’t been reported or announced.
Harrison Ingram (No. 43 on ESPN’s top 100), Jaxson Robinson (No. 66) and PJ Hall (No. 69) are among the names we are waiting to hear from. It’s important to note that a previous report indicated Ingram planned on staying in but he hasn’t officially renounced his eligibility yet. Robinson’s announcement also made it sound like he was staying in the draft but he has ties to current Kentucky coach Mark Pope and may opt to return and transfer there.
Early entrants are, of course, under no obligation to formally announce their intentions one way or another — they just had to submit the paperwork to withdraw from the draft by 11:59 pm. So we’ll find out about these players, and more, soon. The NBA’s withdrawal deadline is June 16 at 5:00 pm Eastern, so non-NCAA early entrants (including international players) will have to make their decisions by that date.
NBA Announces 78 Invitees For 2024 Draft Combine
The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 78 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 12-19.
In addition to those 78 players, a handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which is also held in Chicago just before the combine begins, are expected to receive invites to stick around for the main event.
Not all of the prospects invited to the combine will end up remaining in the 2024 draft pool, since some are early entrants who are testing the waters while retaining their NCAA eligibility. College players must withdraw from the draft by the end of the day on May 29 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 16. The feedback they receive from NBA teams at the combine may be a deciding factor for players who are on the fence.
Here’s the list of players who have been invited to the 2024 draft combine:
(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)
- Michael Ajayi, F, Pepperdine (junior)
- Melvin Ajinca, G/F, France (born 2004)
- Trey Alexander, G, Creighton (junior)
- Izan Almansa, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
- Reece Beekman, G, Virginia (senior)
- Adem Bona, F/C, UCLA (sophomore)
- Trevon Brazile, F, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Jalen Bridges, F, Baylor (senior)
- Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
- Carlton Carrington, G, Pitt (freshman)
- Devin Carter, G, Providence (junior)
- Stephon Castle, G, UConn (freshman)
- Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa (born 2005)
- Cam Christie, G, Minnesota (freshman)
- Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State (senior)
- Donovan Clingan, C, UConn (sophomore)
- Isaiah Collier, G, USC (freshman)
- Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado (senior)
- Pacome Dadiet, G/F, Germany (born 2005)
- N’Faly Dante, C, Oregon (super-senior)
- Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
- Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia (sophomore)
- Zach Edey, C, Purdue (senior)
- Justin Edwards, G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
- Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Duke (sophomore)
- Trentyn Flowers, G/F, Australia (born 2005)
- Johnny Furphy, G/F, Kansas (freshman)
- Kyshawn George, G/F, Miami (FL) (freshman)
- Tyon Grant-Foster, G, Grand Canyon (senior)
- PJ Hall, C, Clemson (senior)
- Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois (senior)
- Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
- DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (junior)
- Ariel Hukporti, C, Germany (born 2002)
- Oso Ighodaro, F, Marquette (senior)
- Harrison Ingram, F, UNC (junior)
- Bronny James, G, USC (freshman)
- A.J. Johnson, G, Australia (born 2004)
- Keshad Johnson, F, Arizona (super-senior)
- David Jones, F, Memphis (senior)
- Dillon Jones, F, Weber State (senior)
- Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (senior)
- Note: Kalkbrenner indicated this week that he intends to return to school, so it’s unclear if he’ll continue to go through the pre-draft process.
- Alex Karaban, F, UConn (sophomore)
- Bobi Klintman, F, Australia (born 2003)
- Dalton Knecht, G, Tennessee (super-senior)
- Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette (senior)
- Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona (senior)
- Jared McCain, G, Duke (freshman)
- Kevin McCullar, G, Kansas (super-senior)
- Yves Missi, C, Baylor (freshman)
- Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara (junior)
- Jonathan Mogbo, F/C, San Francisco (senior)
- Tristen Newton, G, UConn (super-senior)
- Juan Nunez, G, Germany (born 2004)
- Quinten Post, F/C, Boston College (super-senior)
- Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky (super-senior)
- Zaccharie Risacher, F, France (born 2005)
- Jaxson Robinson, G/F, BYU (senior)
- Tidjane Salaun, F, France (born 2005)
- Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (junior)
- Payton Sandfort, G/F, Iowa (junior)
- Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
- Baylor Scheierman, G/F, Creighton (super-senior)
- Mark Sears, G, Alabama (senior)
- Terrence Shannon, G, Illinois (super-senior)
- Jamal Shead, G, Houston (senior)
- Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- KJ Simpson, G, Colorado (junior)
- Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
- Cam Spencer, G, UConn (super-senior)
- Nikola Topic, G, Serbia (born 2005)
- JT Toppin, F, New Mexico (freshman)
- Jaylon Tyson, G, California (junior)
- Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor (freshman)
- Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana (sophomore)
- Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (junior)
- Cody Williams, F, Colorado (freshman)
It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to a few combine-related changes in their latest Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here are a few of those changes:
- A player who is invited to the draft combine and declines to attend without an excused absence will be ineligible to be drafted. He would become eligible the following year by attending the combine. There will be exceptions made for a player whose FIBA season is ongoing, who is injured, or who is dealing with a family matter (such as a tragedy or the birth of a child).
- Players who attend the draft combine will be required to undergo physical exams, share medical history, participate in strength, agility, and performance testing, take part in shooting drills, receive anthropometric measurements, and conduct interviews with teams and the media. Scrimmages won’t be mandatory.
- Medical results from the combine will be distributed to select teams based on where the player is projected to be drafted. Only teams drafting in the top 10 would get access to medical info for the projected No. 1 pick; teams in the top 15 would receive medical info for players in the 2-6 range, while teams in the top 25 would get access to info for the players in the 7-10 range.
Regarding that last point, Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link) has the details on the top 10 played out this year, noting that the composite ranking was generated based on a combination of publicly available rankings and feedback from a panel of experts, as well as a retained-scouting service.
Sarr is considered the No. 1 overall prospect, per Givony, so only teams drafting in the top 10 will get access to his medicals. Buzelis, Castle, Clingan, Risacher, and Topic are in the 2-6 range, while Dillingham, Holland, Knecht, and Sheppard round out the top 10.
Draft Notes: Ingram, Bridges, Jones, Kamardine, More
UNC forward Harrison Ingram, who spent his junior year with the Tar Heels after two seasons at Stanford, has declared for the 2024 NBA draft, he announced on Twitter.
According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link), while Ingram plans on keeping his name in the draft pool and going pro, he’s maintaining his remaining college eligibility for now. Ingram also tested the draft waters in 2022, participating in the combine that year before withdrawing and returning to school.
[RELATED: 2024 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]
Back in 2022, Ingram barely crack the top 75 on ESPN’s big board of draft prospects, but he currently ranks 34th, making him a good bet to selected in June if he decides to forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility.
The North Carolina standout posted career highs of 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game in 2023/24. He also boosted his shooting percentages to 43.0% from the field and 38.5% on three-pointers.
Here are a few more draft-related updates:
- Baylor forward Jalen Bridges, the No. 56 prospect on ESPN’s board, announced on Instagram that he has decided to enter the 2024 draft. Bridges’ announcement didn’t mention anything about retaining his final year of college eligibility, so it sounds like he plans to go pro. Bridges spent three years at West Virginia and the last two at Baylor, but would still be eligible for a super-senior season because he was a redshirt freshman and then received an extra year of eligibility due to COVID.
- Memphis senior forward David Jones will enter the 2024 NBA draft pool while maintaining his final year of NCAA eligibility, he announced on Instagram. A member of the All-AAC first team in 2023/24, Jones averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.2 steals in 32.3 minutes per game across 32 starts, with a shooting line of .459/.380/.797.
- French guard Ilias Kamardine is entering the draft, according to an announcement from agent Herman Manakyan of Fusion Sports (Twitter link). Kamardine, 20, has been playing for Vichy-Clermont in France’s Pro B league and was named the MVP of the FIBA U20 European Championship in 2023.
- New Mexico freshman forward JT Toppin will test the NBA draft waters this spring, a source tells Rothstein (Twitter link). In his first college season, Toppin averaged 12.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 26.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .623/.344/.565.
- Arizona guard KJ Lewis will test the draft waters following his freshman season, he announced on Twitter. Lewis came off the bench for the Wildcats in 36 games in 2023/24, averaging 6.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.9 APG.
Draft Notes: J. Williams, Ingram, Baugh, Grandison
Arkansas forward/center Jaylin Williams has decided to remain in the draft, making his announcement on Twitter. The sophomore opted to test the draft waters in early April, but didn’t sign with an agent to give himself the option of returning to school.
“From a very young age my dream was always to play in the NBA,” Williams wrote. “That said, after careful consideration and many talks with my family, I have decided to forgo my remaining NCAA eligibility and pursue my lifetime goal of competing in the NBA.”
Williams was an All-SEC selection after averaging 10.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in 37 games. Williams participated in this month’s Draft Combine in Chicago, and performed so well on the first day that he sat out the second day of scrimmages, according to Bob Holt of Whole Hog Sports. Holt adds that Williams has been conducting workouts for NBA teams, including the Hawks and Hornets.
Projected as a second-round pick, Williams is 42nd on ESPN’s big board, which ranks him as the sixth-best center prospect in the draft.
“Jaylin had a really good two years, and all of us are very happy for him and wish him the best of luck,” Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman said in a text message to Holt.
A few more early entrants have reached their draft decisions ahead of the June 1 deadline to maintain their college eligibility if they withdraw:
- Pac 12 Freshman of the Year Harrison Ingram will take his name out of the draft and return to Stanford for another season, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. A 6’7″ forward, Ingram averaged 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds in his first collegiate season. He is ranked 73rd by ESPN and would have been a marginal prospect if he had remained in the draft.
- Damion Baugh will return to TCU for another season, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). The junior guard was the Horned Frogs’ second-leading scorer this year at 10.6 PPG after playing his first two seasons at Memphis.
- Jacob Grandison of Illinois will also pull out of the draft and will return to college for a fifth season, tweets Rothstein. The 24-year-old guard averaged 9.6 PPG this year.
Full List Of 2022 NBA Draft Combine Participants
The NBA has revealed its list of 76 players who have been invited – and who are expected to attend – next week’s draft combine in Chicago. The combine workouts will take place from May 18-20.
Over the course of the week, players will conduct interviews with NBA teams, participate in five-on-five games, and go through shooting, strength and agility drills.
While several of the prominent names at the top of the draft likely won’t participate in scrimmages, those top prospects are still expected to attend. That group includes Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, and Jaden Ivey.
A handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp could be invited to participate in the combine as well.
Here’s the full list of 76 names announced by the NBA today, in alphabetical order, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link):
- Ochai Agbaji, G/F, Kansas (senior)
- Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, Milwaukee (freshman)
- Paolo Banchero, F, Duke (freshman)
- Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
- MarJon Beauchamp, G/F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001)
- 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)
- Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin (sophomore)
- JD Davison, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Moussa Diabate, F, Michigan (freshman)
- Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003)
- Khalifa Diop, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Jalen Duren, C, Memphis (freshman)
- Tari Eason, F, LSU (sophomore)
- Keon Ellis, G, Alabama (senior)
- Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Collin Gillespie, G, Villanova (super-senior)
- AJ Griffin, F, Duke (freshman)
- Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Ron Harper Jr., F, Rutgers (senior)
- Chet Holmgren, C, Gonzaga (freshman)
- Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford (freshman)
- Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue (sophomore)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana (junior)
- Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003)
- Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA (junior)
- Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001)
- Trevor Keels, G, Duke (freshman)
- Walker Kessler, F/C, Auburn (sophomore)
- Christian Koloko, C, Arizona (junior)
- Jake LaRavia, F, Wake Forest (junior)
- Justin Lewis, F, Marquette (sophomore)
- E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State (junior)
- Bennedict Mathurin, G/F, Arizona (sophomore)
- Matthew Mayer, F, Baylor (senior)
- Bryce McGowens, G, Nebraska (freshman)
- Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003)
- Josh Minott, F, Memphis (freshman)
- Aminu Mohammed, G/F, Georgetown (freshman)
- Iverson Molinar, G, Mississippi State (junior)
- Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
- Wendell Moore, F, Duke (junior)
- Keegan Murray, F, Iowa (sophomore)
- Andrew Nembhard, G, Gonzaga
- Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (junior)
- Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002)
- Orlando Robinson, F/C, Fresno State (junior)
- David Roddy, F, Colorado State (junior)
- Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo (sophomore)
- Dereon Seabron, G, NC State (sophomore)
- Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Jabari Smith, F, Auburn (freshman)
- Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (freshman)
- Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor (freshman)
- Matteo Spagnolo, G, Italy (born 2003)
- Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (sophomore)
- Dalen Terry, G, Arizona (sophomore)
- Drew Timme, F, Gonzaga (junior)
- Jabari Walker, F, Colorado (sophomore)
- TyTy Washington Jr., G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Peyton Watson, G/F, UCLA (freshman)
- Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame (freshman)
- Alondes Williams, G, Wake Forest (super-senior)
- Jalen Williams, G, Santa Clara (junior)
- Jaylin Williams, F/C, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Mark Williams, C, Duke (sophomore)
- Trevion Williams, F/C, Purdue (senior)
- Fanbo Zeng, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
Trevion Williams, Jalen Williams, Others Entering 2022 Draft
Purdue forward/center Trevion Williams will forgo his final year of college eligibility and sign with an agent, the school announced today in a press release. After testing the draft waters a year ago, Williams will go pro this time around.
The No. 45 prospect on ESPN’s big board, Williams came off the bench for the Boilermakers for most of 2021/22, averaging 12.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 3.0 APG in 37 appearances (20.1 MPG). In his scouting report on Williams, Mike Schmitz of ESPN said the senior is one of the best passing big men in the country.
Another Williams, Santa Clara junior guard Jalen Williams, is also entering the 2022 NBA draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, who notes that Williams will maintain his college eligibility. Jalen is ranked just three spots behind Trevion on ESPN’s board, at No. 48.
Jalen Williams earned First-Team All-WCC honors after leading the conference in scoring, with 18.0 PPG on .513/.396/.809 shooting. His defensive versatility, passing feel, and shooting potential all intrigue NBA teams, says Givony.
Here are some of the other prospects recently declaring for the draft:
Expected to remain in the draft:
- James Akinjo, G, Baylor (senior) (Instagram link)
- Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford (freshman) (Twitter link)
- Mike Miles, G, TCU (sophomore) (Twitter link)
Testing the draft waters:
- Johni Broome, F/C, Morehead State (sophomore) (Twitter link)
- Jaelen House, G, New Mexico (junior) (Instagram link)
- Nate Laszewski, F, Notre Dame (senior) (link via Patrick Engel of BlueAndGold.com)
- Aminu Mohammed, G/F, Georgetown (freshman) (Twitter link via Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com)
- Lester Quinones, G, Memphis (junior) (Twitter link via Givony)
- Courtney Ramey, G, Texas (senior) (Twitter link via his father)
- Jahmir Young, G, Charlotte (junior) (Twitter link)