Hawks Notes: NAW, Johnson, Playoff Loss, Workouts
Nickeil Alexander-Walker was named the league’s Most Improved Player. Following the Hawks‘ loss to the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, the 27-year-old expressed a desire to improve his game even further.
“I think for me, it allowed me to reshape my focus, to say, ‘You know what, I have a chance at making something special of this situation. I get to respond next year, try to go to the playoffs,’” Alexander-Walker he told Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “And, after losing the way we did, how I approach the game and having a whole season now under my belt and growing into it, and ‘OK, I can be so much better. This is how I improve.’ And then hopefully next year is different.”
Alexander-Walker sees the team continuing to improve, an exciting proposition for a player who signed a four-year contract prior to the season.
“It’s exciting and it’s promising,” he said. “And it shows that there is something there. Anytime you can have success to any degree when you work really hard, it’s reassuring to the process that you’re on. And it gives you that trial and error to say, ‘OK, we are doing the right thing. This is the right thing. Now, where did we go wrong along the way?’ Then you kind of, like, just reshape it and keep going and keep growing.”
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- The Knicks held Jalen Johnson to 19.5 points per game on 43.5 overall shooting and 29 percent from long range in the first round. Johnson vows to be better the next time he gets into a postseason series. “If I’m being honest, it was just bad,” Johnson said, per Williams. “It was a terrible feeling. Unacceptable. Like I said, there’s plenty of room for growth, and we’re going to continue to grow from this. We’re going to learn a lot from this series, and just making sure the non-negotiables never happen again.”
- Getting blown out by 51 points in the decisive Game 6 will serve as a motivator for the entire team, according to Johnson. “Just a lot of fuel going into the next season, a lot of fuel going into the offseason for everybody, and we’re going to make sure this never happens again, we never get this type of feeling again, just a sick feeling to our stomach,” he said.
- Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia), Peter Suder (Miami OH) and Milos Uzan (Houston) are some of the prospects the Hawks are bringing in for pre-draft workouts, Williams tweets. Those players are potential second-rounders — Bidunga is ranked highest at No. 46 overall by ESPN. Atlanta possesses two first-round picks via trades, including a lottery selection, and the No. 57 overall pick late in the second round.
NBA Announces 73 Invitees For 2026 Draft Combine
The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 73 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 10-17.
In addition to those 73 players, a handful of standout players from the G League combine, 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 2026 draft pool, since many 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 27 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 13. 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 2026 draft combine:
(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)
- Matt Able, G, North Carolina State (freshman)
- Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Amari Allen, F, Alabama (freshman)
- Nate Ament, F, Tennessee (freshman)
- Christian Anderson, G, Texas Tech (sophomore)
- Tobe Awaka, F, Arizona (senior)
- Flory Bidunga, F/C, Kansas (sophomore)
- Tyler Bilodeau, F, UCLA (senior)
- John Blackwell, G, Wisconsin (junior)
- Cameron Boozer, F, Duke (freshman)
- Kylan Boswell, G, Illinois (senior)
- Nick Boyd, G, Wisconsin (senior)
- Jaden Bradley, G, Arizona (senior)
- Trevon Brazile, F, Arkansas (senior)
- Maliq Brown, F, Duke (senior)
- Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville (freshman)
- Brayden Burries, G, Arizona (freshman)
- Cameron Carr, G, Baylor (junior)
- Chris Cenac, F/C, Houston (freshman)
- Rueben Chinyelu, C, Florida (junior)
- Ryan Conwell, G, Louisville (senior)
- Sergio De Larrea, G, Spain (born 2005)
- AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU (freshman)
- Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. John’s (senior)
- Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke (sophomore)
- Jeremy Fears, G, Michigan State (junior)
- Kingston Flemings, G, Houston (freshman)
- Ja’Kobi Gillespie, G, Tennessee (senior)
- Allen Graves, F, Santa Clara (freshman)
- Keyshawn Hall, G/F, Auburn (senior)
- Juke Harris, G, Wake Forest (sophomore)
- Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State (senior)
- Morez Johnson, F/C, Michigan (sophomore)
- Alex Karaban, F, UConn (senior)
- Jack Kayil, G, Germany (born 2006)
- Toibu Lawal, F, Virginia Tech (senior)
- Yaxel Lendeborg, F, Michigan (senior)
- Karim Lopez, F, Australia (born 2007)
- Aday Mara, C, Michigan (junior)
- Nick Martinelli, F, Northwestern (senior)
- Baba Miller, F/C, Cincinnati (senior)
- Dillon Mitchell, F, St. John’s (senior)
- Milan Momcilovic, F, Iowa State (junior)
- Malachi Moreno, C, Kentucky (freshman)
- Izaiyah Nelson, F, South Florida (senior)
- Tyler Nickel, F, Vanderbilt (senior)
- Ebuka Okorie, G, Stanford (freshman)
- Felix Okpara, C, Tennessee (senior)
- Ugonna Onyenso, C, Virginia (senior)
- Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky (senior)
- Koa Peat, F, Arizona (freshman)
- Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas (freshman)
- Labaron Philon, G, Alabama (sophomore)
- Jayden Quaintance, F/C, Kentucky (sophomore)
- Tarris Reed, C, UConn (senior)
- Billy Richmond, G/F, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Richie Saunders, G, BYU (senior)
- Emanuel Sharp, G, Houston (senior)
- Braden Smith, G, Purdue (senior)
- Hannes Steinbach, F, Washington (freshman)
- Bennett Stirtz, G, Iowa (senior)
- Andrej Stojakovic, G/F, Illinois (junior)
- Peter Suder, G, Miami (OH) (senior)
- Luigi Suigo, C, Serbia (born 2007)
- Dailyn Swain, G/F, Texas (junior)
- Tyler Tanner, G, Vanderbilt (sophomore)
- Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Bruce Thornton, G, Ohio State (senior)
- Milos Uzan, G, Houston (senior)
- Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina (junior)
- Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois (freshman)
- Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina (freshman)
- Tounde Yessoufou, G/F, Baylor (freshman)
It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to several 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). That player would be required to complete combine activities at a later date.
- 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.
Draft Notes: 2026 Mock, Big Board, Yessoufou, More
Kansas guard Darryn Peterson goes No. 1 overall in the first 2026 mock draft conducted by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Peterson, BYU wing AJ Dybantsa (No. 2 in the mock) and Duke power forward Cameron Boozer (No. 3) are widely viewed as the top three prospects in the 2026 class, and Vecenie views each player as having star-level upside on the same level as 2025’s top pick, Cooper Flagg.
While NBA teams are eager to land Peterson, Dybantsa or Boozer, the overall depth of the class is somewhat shaky, according to Vecenie, who says prospects currently in the Nos. 4-16 range all have at least one question mark scouts want answered during the season.
There’s also a significant amount of variability beginning at No. 17 (Florida’s Thomas Haugh), Vecenie writes, and it’s possible players currently mocked outside of the lottery could move up — or they may not even be drafted next June.
As Vecenie details, the 2027 draft class is viewed as being considerably weaker than 2026, which could lead to more NBA teams tanking down the stretch of 2025/26 to try and acquire one of the top prospects, particularly if a few players rise up draft boards in the spring, which seems to happen every year.
It’s only November, but four Houston Cougars — Chris Cenac Jr. at No. 6, Isiah Harwell at No. 18, Joseph Tugler at No. 21, and Milos Uzan at No. 27 — go in the first round of Vecenie’s mock.
Here are some more notes on the 2026 draft class:
- Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com has released his first big board for 2026, ranking the top 100 prospects. The first four players (Tennessee forward Nate Ament is No. 4) are in the same order as Vecenie’s mock, but there’s a major difference in evaluation starting at No. 5 — Woo has North Carolina big man Caleb Wilson at that spot, while Vecenie has the freshman forward going No. 16. Duke forward Dame Sarr (No. 10 on Woo’s board, No. 25 in Vecenie’s mock), New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez (No. 11 at ESPN, No. 24 at The Athletic), Alabama guard Labaron Philon (No. 18 for Woo, No. 10 for Vecenie), Arkansas wing Karter Knox (No. 38 for ESPN, No. 19 for The Athletic), Harwell (No. 45 on Woo’s board) and Uzan (No. 55 on ESPN) are among the other players rated quite differently between ESPN’s big board and The Athletic’s mock.
- Baylor guard/forward Tounde Yessoufou, who goes ninth overall in Vecenie’s mock and is ranked 13th on Woo’s board, is expected to become the first player born in the West African country of Benin to make the NBA, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “What makes him a little different than some of the other freshmen we’ve had here is he’s very similar to [San Antonio Spurs forward] Jeremy Sochan, a great defender who could guard multiple positions,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said of Tounde, who is 6’5″ and 215 pounds. “Tounde is somebody physically that can guard multiple positions and wants to be an elite defender and is a tremendous rebounder for his size. That makes him a little different from the other people in his draft class. He has a little more physicality to him than some of the guys we’ve had in recent years because he’s bigger, stronger.”
- Jeff Borezllo and Woo of ESPN list the 10 college teams with the most NBA prospects, with Duke (five players in the top 34 of Woo’s board) at No. 1 and Houston No. 2.
Houston’s Milos Uzan Withdrawing From NBA Draft
After testing the NBA draft waters this spring, Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan has decided to withdraw his name from the pool and return to college for another season, his agent Aman Dhesi tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
It’s the second straight year in which Uzan has declared for the draft and then opted not to go pro. In 2024, he withdrew and transferred from Oklahoma to Houston after spending his first two college seasons with the Sooners.
Uzan had his best college season as a junior in 2024/25, averaging 11.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game across 40 outings (all starts). His 42.8% three-point percentage and 78.3% mark on free throws were both career highs.
Uzan earned a spot on the All-Big 12 second team after helping to lead Houston to a Big 12 title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. However, his Cougars fell to Florida in the national championship game, so he’ll be seeking his first NCAA title as a senior. With Uzan returning alongside Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler, the squad is a strong candidate for the preseason No. 1 ranking, Givony writes.
Uzan, who was ranked as the No. 41 prospect on ESPN’s big board for 2025, will be automatically draft-eligible in 2026.
College early entrants have until the end of the day on Wednesday to withdraw from the NBA draft if they want to retain their NCAA eligibility.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Dort, Blazers, Jazz, Uzan
After being eliminated in the Western Conference Finals in the spring of 2024, Anthony Edwards vowed the Timberwolves would be “back next year,” writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
That looked like a long shot for much of the season as Minnesota spent most of 2024/25 hovering around the seventh or eighth spot in the West. But the Wolves moved up to sixth on the last day of the regular season, dispatched the Lakers in round one, and – with Wednesday’s win over Golden State – made good on Edwards’ declaration, as well as responding to a challenge issued by head coach Chris Finch.
“The challenge we laid down to our guys from day one was quite simple,” Finch said after the Wolves’ Game 5 victory, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It was one question: ‘Were you a Western Conference Finals team, or were you a team that just happened to make the Western Conference Finals?’ And there’s only one way to prove that: Go out and do it again. And that was our mission all year.”
While the Wolves have achieved one of their goals, they’re still two series wins away from their ultimate objective, which is why Edwards told reporters on Wednesday that there’s “no satisfaction” in the locker room yet, according to McMenamin. Minnesota would enter the 2025 Western Finals as a significant underdog if the 68-win Thunder get past Denver in the other conference semifinal, but the Wolves players say they’re not fazed by that.
“Our mentality going in was nobody expected us to beat the Lakers, no one expected us to beat the Warriors,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “So our expectation going in was just stick together and we know that no one is going to pick us, and we’re fine with that.”
We have more from around the Northwest:
- After not playing in the fourth quarter of the Thunder‘s Game 4 win and scoring just three points in the first three quarters of Game 5, veteran wing Luguentz Dort keyed Oklahoma City’s Tuesday comeback with a trio of consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Head coach Mark Daigneault had reaffirmed his faith in Dort after Game 4, referring to him as “the last guy I’m worried about,” and wasn’t surprised by his Game 5 heroics. “I don’t bet against Lu,” Daigneault said. “It’s that simple.”
- It’s business as usual for the Trail Blazers‘ front office with the franchise up for sale, reports Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. A source tells Fentress that general manager Joe Cronin is operating with no additional restrictions during the sale process. As Fentress writes, while it’s not uncommon for a new ownership group to make managerial and coaching changes, both Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups recently signed contract extensions, so they at least have some financial security going forward.
- Milos Uzan worked out for the Jazz last week and said he got some “pretty good feedback” from the team, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who notes that Carlos Boozer – rumored to be joining Utah as a scout – referred to Uzan as “one of the better players in the workout.” The Houston guard is the 41st overall prospect on ESPN’s big board, while the Jazz control three picks (Nos. 21, 43, and 53) in addition to their lottery selection.
Draft Notes: Sorber, Bryant, Powell, Philon, More
In an interview with college basketball reporter Andy Katz (Twitter video link), Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber said he has made up his mind to keep his name in the NBA draft.
Sorber maintained his eligibility when he declared for the draft in late March. He’ll have to miss much of the pre-draft process because he’s still recovering after undergoing foot surgery in February. That led to speculation that Sorber might opt for another year of college basketball, but he tells Katz that he’s “all in” when it comes to the draft.
Sorber also provided an update on his medical status, saying that doctors expect him to be ready to resume playing in late July or early August.
Sorber is ranked 23rd on ESPN’s big board and seems likely to be selected somewhere in the latter part of the first round. He wasn’t considered a sure-fire first-round pick when he arrived at Georgetown, but he boosted his status with a strong freshman season, averaging 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks in 24 games before the injury.
“I think I showed a lot of toughness, like at an early part of my Georgetown career,” Sorber said. “I showed a lot of fight. I was able to show how I was able to read the game. That’s what a lot of teams said. And my ability to play out on defense, my ability to block shots, read screens, tighter drop or switch. They just like my quick thinking, honestly.”
We have updates on several other draft prospects:
- Arizona guard Carter Bryant has also decided to stay in the draft, telling ESPN’s Jeff Borzello (Twitter link), “I’m completely in.” Bryant saw limited playing time with the Wildcats during his freshman season, but his defensive prowess and outside shooting have him projected as a potential lottery pick in several mock drafts. He’s listed as the 18th-best prospect by ESPN.
- Borzello also reports that North Carolina guard Drake Powell, who posted outstanding numbers in his athletic tests at the combine, will remain in the draft (Twitter link). “All-in on the draft. Door’s closed,” said Powell, who’s 32nd in ESPN’s rankings. “(Coach) Hubert Davis has been very supportive during this process. I’ve known him for a long time … and he’s just happy for me.”
- Alabama guard Labaron Philon will also keep his name in the draft, Borzello states in a full story. Philon, who’s 43rd on ESPN’s list, said he’s “all-in on the draft” and has already informed coach Nate Oats.
- Former Washington State guard Cedric Coward, who plans to transfer to Duke if he remains in college, and Florida big man Alex Condon will both gauge their feedback at the combine before making final decisions, according to Borzello.
- Yaxel Lendeborg, who’s transferring from UAB to Michigan, is “pretty even” about staying in the draft or not, Borzello adds. Lendeborg hopes to be a top-20 pick and said his decision will become easier if he doesn’t feel like he’s in that range.
- Houston’s Milos Uzan told reporters at the combine that he’s “all-in on the draft,” but Borzello states that coach Kelvin Sampson is giving all his players the option to return if they don’t like their projected draft status.
- Tahaad Pettiford is one of the top players taking part in the combine scrimmages, and Borzello views him as a player on the rise. The Auburn point guard, who’s ranked 38th by ESPN, said he would like to receive a first-round guarantee before making a final decision.
Draft Notes: Flagg, NIL, Combine, Lakhin, International Prospects
Cooper Flagg is as close to a lock to go number one in the 2025 draft as any non-Victor Wembanyama prospect can be, writes Sam Vecenie for The Athletic. In breaking down Flagg’s potential fit with all of this year’s lottery teams, Vecenie illustrates how the 18-year-old’s well-rounded skill set on both sides of the ball will allow him to slot in seamlessly with just about every team construction.
In his breakdown, Vecenie writes that the Pelicans and Raptors are the only rosters in the lottery that could make for a questionable fit, given that the two teams are already primarily built around a plethora of wings and forwards.
Still, Vecenie emphasizes that questions around fit are secondary to adding the level of talent Flagg promises, so even those two teams shouldn’t hesitate to take the 6’8″ forward if the opportunity presents itself. However, that scenario might necessitate a trade involving one or more of the incumbent forwards already rostered.
More from around the 2025 draft:
- NIL is playing a massive role in the dismantling of the middle class of the NBA draft, writes The Athletic’s John Hollinger. He says that while the draft still has the one-and-dones and seniors it always has, the amount of NIL money coming in has meant non-lottery locks with additional college eligibility are more inclined to return to school than go pro. Hollinger notes that Collin Murray-Boyles and Rasheer Fleming have a chance to be the only sophomore and junior, respectively, taken in the first round.
- The NBA combine scrimmage rosters have been released, and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has identified the top 10 prospects taking part (via Twitter). Yaxel Lendeborg, Maxime Raynaud, and Tahaad Pettiford top Givony’s list, followed by Alex Toohey, Milos Uzan, Boogie Fland, Kam Jones, Darrion Williams, John Tonje, and Michael Ruzic. Toohey and Ruzic are international players, coming from Australia’s NBL and the Spanish Liga ACB, respectively, while Fland is considered a name worth monitoring as he tries to regain draft stock following a thumb injury that caused him to miss 15 games.
- Clemson’s Viktor Lakhin, a projected second-round pick in the 2025 draft, will be sidelined for at least three months with a torn tendon in his left foot, Givony reports (via Twitter). The 6’11” big man shot 37.5% from three while adding 1.5 blocks per game as a senior in 2024/25.
- Several international draft prospects will not be attending the combine because their teams are still playing, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (via Twitter). This list includes Noa Essengue, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, Hugo Gonzalez, Joan Beringer, Noah Penda, and Bogoljub Markovic. Many of these players are expected to receive first-round consideration and will participate in pre-draft workouts upon completion of their team responsibilities.
NBA Announces 75 Invitees For 2025 Draft Combine
The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 75 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 11-18.
In addition to those 75 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 2025 draft pool, since many 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 28 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 15. 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 2025 draft combine:
(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)
- Izan Almansa, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
- Neoklis Avdalas, G/F, Greece (born 2006)
- Ace Bailey, G/F, Rutgers (freshman)
- Joan Beringer, C, Slovenia (born 2006)
- Koby Brea, G, Kentucky (senior)
- Johni Broome, F/C, Auburn (senior)
- Carter Bryant, F, Arizona (freshman)
- Miles Byrd, G, San Diego State (sophomore)
- Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida (senior)
- Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State (senior)
- Alex Condon, F/C, Florida (sophomore)
- Cedric Coward, F, Washington State (senior)
- Egor Demin, G, BYU (freshman)
- Eric Dixon, F, Villanova (senior)
- V.J. Edgecombe, G, Baylor (freshman)
- Noa Essengue, F, Germany (born 2006)
- Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke (freshman)
- Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma (freshman)
- Cooper Flagg, F, Duke (freshman)
- Boogie Fland, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Rasheer Fleming, F/C, St. Joseph’s (junior)
- Vladislav Goldin, C, Michigan (senior)
- Hugo Gonzalez, F, Spain (born 2006)
- PJ Haggerty, G, Memphis (sophomore)
- Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers (freshman)
- Ben Henshall, G/F, Australia (born 2004)
- Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois (freshman)
- Sion James, G, Duke (senior)
- Tre Johnson, G, Texas (freshman)
- Kameron Jones, G, Marquette (senior)
- Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (senior)
- Karter Knox, F, Arkansas (freshman)
- Kon Knueppel, G/F, Duke (freshman)
- Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee (senior)
- Yaxel Lendeborg, F, UAB (senior)
- RJ Luis, F, St. John’s (junior)
- Khaman Maluach, C, Duke (freshman)
- Bogoljub Markovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2005)
- Alijah Martin, G, Florida (senior)
- Liam McNeeley, F, UConn (freshman)
- Jalon Moore, F, Oklahoma (senior)
- Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina (sophomore)
- Grant Nelson, F, Alabama (senior)
- Asa Newell, F, Georgia (freshman)
- Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky (junior)
- Dink Pate, G/F, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2006)
- Micah Peavy, G/F, Georgetown (senior)
- Noah Penda, F, France (born 2005)
- Tahaad Pettiford, G, Auburn (freshman)
- Labaron Philon, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Drake Powell, G/F, UNC (freshman)
- Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke (junior)
- Derik Queen, C, Maryland (freshman)
- Maxime Raynaud, F/C, Stanford (senior)
- Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State (freshman)
- Will Riley, F, Illinois (freshman)
- Michael Ruzic, F, Spain (born 2006)
- Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (senior)
- Kobe Sanders, G, Nevada (senior)
- Ben Saraf, G, Germany (born 2006)
- Mark Sears, G, Albama (senior)
- Max Shulga, G, VCU (senior)
- Javon Small, G, West Virginia (senior)
- Thomas Sorber, F/C, Georgetown (freshman)
- Adou Thiero, F, Arkansas (junior)
- John Tonje, G, Wisconsin (senior)
- Alex Toohey, F, Australia (born 2004)
- Nolan Traore, G, France (born 2006)
- Milos Uzan, G, Houston (junior)
- Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (senior)
- Brice Williams, G/F, Nebraska (senior)
- Darrion Williams, F, Texas Tech (junior)
- Danny Wolf, F/C, Michigan (junior)
- Hansen Yang, C, China (born 2005)
- Rocco Zikarsky, C, Australia (born 2006)
It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to several 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.
Draft Notes: Uzan, Markovic, Coward, 2025 Mock
Houston junior Milos Uzan, who helped the Cougars reach the final of the NCAA tournament, is declaring for the 2025 NBA draft, agent Aman Dhesi tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Uzan is a 6’4″ guard who spent his first two college seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to Houston. In 40 games this past season with the Cougars, he averaged 11.4 points, 4.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting slash line of .453/.428/.783.
Givony suggests that Uzan, who goes No. 42 overall in ESPN’s latest mock draft (Insider link), will be testing the draft waters this spring. If he withdraws from the draft, he will return to Houston for his senior campaign.
Here are a few more notes related to June’s draft:
- Serbian forward/center Bogoljub Markovic is entering his name in the draft, agent Misko Raznatovic announced (via Twitter) earlier this week. Markovic had a productive season for Mega Basket in the ABA League, averaging 13.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 2.6 APG on .526/.391/.757 shooting in 26 games (29.4 MPG). The 19-year-old is another projected second-round pick, coming off the board at No. 50 in ESPN’s mock.
- Washington State senior Cedric Coward is declaring for the NBA draft, agent Todd Ramasar tells Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 (Twitter link). Coward is also entering the transfer portal to keep his options open for his final season of college eligibility. Coward only played six games for the Cougars in 2024/25 due to a shoulder injury, but he put up big numbers in those appearances, averaging 17.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.7 APG and 1.7 BPG on .557/.400/.839 shooting. The 6’6″ small forward is projected to go No. 55 overall in ESPN’s mock draft.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports updated his 2025 mock draft after the NCAA tournament ended earlier this week, with some noteworthy differences from ESPN’s. For example, O’Connor seems higher on South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 5), Colorado State wing Nique Clifford (No. 14) and Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford (No. 22) than ESPN is (they go No. 10, No. 25 and No. 39, respectively, in ESPN’s mock). O’Connor is also a little more bearish than ESPN on Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears (No. 11 vs. No. 6 at ESPN) and Illinois forward Will Riley (No. 21 vs. No. 16).
Draft Notes: Fland, Flagg, Final Four, Burton, Early Entrants
Arkansas guard Boogie Fland has announced (via Instagram) that he’s declaring for the 2025 NBA draft. While Fland, who just finished his freshman year with the Razorbacks, has the option of testing the draft waters and retaining his NCAA eligibility, his statement makes no mention of that plan, so it sounds like he’s preparing to go pro.
Fland, who won’t turn 19 until July, appeared in 21 games for Arkansas in his first – and potentially only – college season, averaging 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 31.8 minutes per contest. He made just 37.9% of his field goal attempts, including 34.0% of his three-pointers.
Fland underwent thumb surgery in January that was expected to end his season, but he returned to action for the NCAA Tournament last month. He wasn’t particularly effective in his three games back from the injury though, scoring just 12 total points on 4-of-18 shooting in 53 minutes against Kansas, St. John’s, and Texas Tech.
The 18-year-old ranked 48th overall on the latest 2025 draft big board from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo.
Here are several more draft-related notes:
- ESPN’s Jeremy Woo spoke to NBA executives and scouts about current and past NBA comparables for projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and got some interesting responses. Woo zeroes in on five of those players – Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, Lamar Odom, Scottie Pippen, and Andrei Kirilenko – and outlines the traits Flagg shares with each of them, as well as those he doesn’t.
- While Duke’s three projected lottery picks (Flagg, Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel) will be the headliners of Final Four weekend for NBA evaluators, there are plenty of other prospects to keep an eye on in the showdowns of No. 1 seeds featuring Duke vs. Houston and Florida vs. Auburn. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports shines a spotlight on several of those players, including Houston guard Milos Uzan, Auburn big man Johni Broome, and Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr.
- After leading the ACC in scoring as a sophomore, Notre Dame guard Markus Burton has decided to remain with the Fighting Irish for at least one more year rather than entering the transfer portal or testing the draft waters, agent Ron Shade tells ESPN’s Givony (Twitter link).
- Here are a few more of the prospects who have announced they’re testing the draft waters this spring as early entrants:
- Mohammad Amini, G, Nancy Basket, France (born 2005) (Instagram link)
- John Blackwell, G, Wisconsin (sophomore) (Instagram link)
- Xaivian Lee, G, Princeton (junior) (Twitter link via Givony)
- Note: Also entering transfer portal.
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser, F, Penn State (junior) (Instagram link)