Jamal Bieniemy

Draft Notes: Christie, Rhoden, Brooks, Lee, Johnson, Bieniemy, Combine

Michigan State freshman guard Max Christie will stay in the draft and hire an agent, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Christie is ranked No. 44 in ESPN’s Best Available list after averaging 9.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 1.5 APG in 35 games with the Spartans in 2021/22. He’s participating at the Chicago pre-draft combine this week.

We have more draft-related news:

  • Seton Hall wing Jared Rhoden, who impressed at the recent G League Elite Camp, has worked out for the Knicks, Nets and Celtics, Adam Zagoria tweets. The 6’6” Rhoden averaged 15.5 PPG and 6.7 RPG for the Pirates.
  • Kentucky’s Keion Brooks said he’s staying in the draft, Zagoria writes in a ZagsBlog.com post. The 6’7” Brooks averaged 10.8 PPG and 4.4 RPG this past season. “I’m all in on the draft,” he said.
  • Like Brooks, Davidson’s Hyunjung Lee says he’s not going back to college, Zagoria tweets. “I’m 100 percent in for the draft… This is my long-term dream.” Lee said. “If I play whether in the League or the G League, I feel I can improve faster.”
  • Cleveland State forward Deante Johnson is withdrawing from the draft and returning to college, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.
  • UTEP swingman Jamal Bieniemy, who averaged 14.7 PPG last season, is staying in the draft, Rothstein tweets.
  • Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams, Toledo’s Ryan Rollins, North Carolina State’s Terquavion Smith and Colorado State’s David Roddy are among the players who stand the most to gain from the combine, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz and Jonathan Givony write.

Pacific Notes: James, Kuminga, Booker, Kings Draft Workout

LeBron James can sign a two-year extension this offseason and it increasingly appears he’s on board with the team’s future plans. Brian Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up show that James and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss are “in a good place” as the franchise tries to move on from a disastrous season (hat tip to Hoops Hype).

“From what I understand, LeBron and Jeanie are in a good place right now, despite the frustrations of this season,” Windhorst said. “LeBron believes that a few tweaks and some health can actually turn this thing around, and they can be super competitive. He is invested, wants to be there.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Jonathan Kuminga didn’t play in Game 6 against the Grizzlies but Draymond Green believes the Warriors rookie has a very bright future, as he told Marc Spears of Andscape. “He can be a perennial All-Star in this league,” Green said. “That’s up to him and the work he puts in. But he has the skills, the tools, he can see the floor, he has the opportunity if he puts the work in to be a perennial All-Star.”
  • Devin Booker finished fourth in the voting for the Most Valuable Player award but the Suns guard should be at the forefront of the conversation for next year’s award, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. Along with his scoring and play-making, Booker has cut down on his turnovers and improved defensively.
  • The Kings brought in six draft prospects on Thursday, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. That group included Will Richardson (Oregon), Jamal Bieniemy (UTEP), Lester Quinones (Memphis), Jeriah Horne (Tulsa), Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Louisiana Tech) and Efe Abogidi (Washington State).

David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, Others Declaring For NBA Draft

Colorado State junior David Roddy will test the NBA draft waters this spring, retaining the option to return to school, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Roddy, who is the No. 31 prospect on ESPN’s big board, was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year this season after averaging 19.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 1.2 SPG with a .571/.438/.691 shooting line in 31 games (32.9 MPG). The 6’6″, 260-pound forward helped lead Colorado State to its first NCAA tournament appearance in nine years.

“I am looking forward to showing NBA teams that I can thrive in any situation,” Roddy told ESPN. “Whether the pace is slow or fast, free flowing or stagnant, there are so many facets and intricacies that I have learned over time that will help me be one of the best and most important players on the court. But mostly I am just excited to chase a childhood dream and make it a reality.”

Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia is also entering the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Tuesday night (via Twitter).

After transferring from Indiana State to Wake Forest, LaRavia was a full-time starter for the Demon Deacons as a junior in 2021/22, averaging 14.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 1.7 SPG on .559/.384/.777 shooting in 33 games (34.2 MPG).

According to Mike Schmitz of ESPN, LaRavia doesn’t project to be a “true defensive stopper,” but he players hard and has good instincts and should be able to defend multiple positions at the next level. He’s currently the No. 40 prospect on ESPN’s board.

Here are some of the other players who are putting their names in the 2022 draft pool:

Expected to forgo remaining NCAA eligibility and stay in the draft:

Testing the draft waters:

Our running list of early entrants for this year’s draft can be found right here.