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44 Prospects Invited To G League Elite Camp

May 4th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Tristan Tucker

Forty-four prospects for the 2024 NBA draft were invited to the NBA’s G League Elite Camp, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).

The list of players is as follows:

The field of draft prospects scrimmage for two days in Chicago starting on May 11 ahead of the NBA’s annual draft combine. If players perform well enough, they’re often promoted to the larger combine immediately following the G League Elite Camp. Typically, at least a half dozen players move on.

While the combine usually focuses on the top-ranked players in each draft class, the G League Elite Camp offers opportunity to prospects further down boards who are more likely to go undrafted. Of the 44 names invited to the G League Elite Camp, only 16 rank among ESPN’s top 100 prospects. No prospect ranks higher than No. 48 (Onyenso) on ESPN’s board.

Nine of ESPN’s top 100 prospects have not been invited to Chicago for either event: Armel Traore (France), Zacharie Perrin (France), Andrija Jelavic (Croatia), Yannick Kraag (Netherlands), Tre Mitchell (Kentucky), Ilias Kamardine (France), Dylan Disu (Texas), Riley Minix (Morehead State) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee). According to Givony (Twitter link), the NBA might not announce the official list until Monday, so there’s a chance it’s amended.

The G League Elite Camp will give invitees who declared for the draft as early entrants an opportunity to see where they stand ahead of the draft withdrawal deadline on May 29. Not all of the players who participate in this event will remain in the draft pool.

Last year, future NBA players like Hornets forward Leaky Black, Pistons forward Tosan Evbuomwan, Mavericks forward Alex Fudge, Celtics guard Drew Peterson and Nets guard Jaylen Martin all participated in the event. Other recent notable alums of the event include Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Clippers guard Terance Mann.

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Draft Notes: Strawther, Bagley, LeDee, Flanigan, Nelson, Gaines

May 30th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Gonzaga forward Julian Strawther has decided to remain in the draft, Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets. Strawther averaged 15.2 points and shot 41 percent from beyond the arc last season. He’s ranked No. 56 on ESPN’s Best Available list, making him a potential second round pick.

Arizona’s Marcus Bagley – the younger brother of Pistons big man Marvin Bagley III – has also decided to remain in the draft despite appearing in just five games over the last two seasons, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets.

Several other players who declared for the draft have opted to remove their names as the withdrawal deadline for early entrants nears. Here are some of the players who are headed back to school:

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Kris Murray, Jaime Jaquez, Oscar Tshiebwe Entering Draft

April 7th, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Iowa forward Kris Murray, a projected first-round pick who is currently ranked No. 26 on ESPN’s big board, has declared for the 2023 NBA draft, he announced via Twitter. Murray’s statement doesn’t say anything about maintaining his college eligibility, so we’re assuming he plans to stay in the draft and turn pro.

As a junior for the Hawkeyes, Murray averaged 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.2 blocks on .476/.335/.729 shooting in 29 games (34.9 minutes). He was named to the All-Big 10 First Team for his efforts. Murray is the twin brother of Kings rookie Keegan Murray, who was the No. 4 overall pick last year.

UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez is also entering the draft and will forgo his final year of eligibility, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Jaquez, considered a fringe first-round pick, currently ranks No. 34 on ESPN’s board.

As a senior for the Bruins, Jazquez averaged 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals on .481/.317/.770 shooting in 37 games (33.2 minutes). He was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-America Second Team.

“Wherever I get drafted, I don’t care,” Jaquez said. “I’m going to make some sort of impact. People are going to feel like I impacted their organization. (Former No. 30 overall picks) Jimmy Butler, Josh Hart … those are the guys I study. They have a different mentality; they play to win.”

Here are a few more early entrants for the 2023 draft:

  • Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe, who was the 2021/22 AP Player of the Year, is entering the draft while maintaining his final year of college eligibility, he announced on Instagram. Tshiebwe averaged 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.0 block while shooting 56% from the field and 72.9% from the line in 32 games (33.6 minutes) as a senior. He is ranked No. 74 on ESPN’s board and considered a fringe second-round pick.
  • Wake Forest’s Bobi Klintman (link via Sam Vecenie of The Athletic), Arizona State’s Warren Washington (Instagram link), and San Diego State’s Jaedon Ledee (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports) are all entering the draft while maintaining their eligibility. Vecenie believes Klintman, a 6’10” freshman wing from Sweden, could be a first-round pick in 2024. Washington and Ledee are both seniors who have one year of eligibility left due to the pandemic.
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