Ray Spalding

Draft Workouts: Lakers, Simons, Wizards, Nuggets

While the Lakers don’t hold their own first-round pick in this year’s draft, the club is currently armed with a pair of selections at 25th and 47th overall, and is doing its due diligence on potential selections. One prospect earning a look from Los Angeles is Duke guard Gary Trent Jr., who will work out for the club on Wednesday, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).

Before they bring in Trent, the Lakers will work out six prospects on Tuesday, according to a team release. Emmett Naar (St. Mary’s), Barry Brown (Kansas State), Fletcher Magee (Wofford), Gabe DeVoe (Clemson), Duncan Robinson (Michigan), and Obi Enechionyia (Temple) are auditioning for L.A.

Here’s more draft workout news from around the NBA:

Draft Notes: Ayton, Pinson, Spalding, Amius, Eubanks

DeAndre Ayton is the top pick in ESPN Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft heading into the draft lottery on Tuesday. Givony has the Arizona center going to the Suns, Euro guard Luka Doncic being snapped up by the Grizzlies at No. 2 and Duke big man Marvin Bagley III heading to the Mavericks at No. 3. Naturally, the deck could be shuffled after Tuesday’s results. Michigan State big man Jaren Jackson Jr. (Hawks) and Texas center Mohamed Bamba (Magic) round out the Top 5.

In other draft-related developments:

  • North Carolina combo guard Theo Pinson will participate in the draft combine in Chicago, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Pinson is ranked the No. 89 prospect on Givony’s latest Top 100. Louisville’s power forward Ray Spalding has also been invited, Charania reports in a separate tweet. Spalding is currently ranked No. 58 by Givony.
  • Western Carolina junior forward Mike Amius has hired an agent and will remain in the draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN tweets. He averaged 12.7 PPG and 5.6 RPG last season. He is not among Givony’s Top 100 prospects.
  • Oregon State forward Drew Eubanks has signed with agent James Dunleavy and ISE Worldwide, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal tweets. The junior averaged 13.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG for the Beavers last season.
  • The Suns will send Josh Jackson and the Kings will be represented by De’Aaron Fox at the draft lottery on Tuesday, Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report relays. The Nuggets’ Jamal Murray and the Pistons’ Luke Kennard are the other current players who will represent their teams in Chicago. The full list of representatives can be found in Conway’s story.

Draft Updates: Spalding, Martin Twins, Huell, More

After announcing last month that he’d be testing the 2018 NBA draft waters, Louisville power forward Ray Spalding has decided to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility. In a post on his Instagram page, Spalding called his three years at Louisville a “journey like none other” and confirmed that he’d be hiring an agent and going pro.

The No. 56 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, Spalding averaged 12.3 PPG and 8.7 RPG in his junior year for the Cardinals, contributing on the defensive end with 1.7 BPG and 1.5 SPG.

Here are a few more of the latest draft notes and updates:

  • Three juniors from the University of Nevada have declared their intent to enter the 2018 NBA draft without hiring agents. Twin forwards Cody Martin and Caleb Martin will test the draft waters, along with teammate Jordan Caroline (all Twitter links). The Martin twins each earned a spot on Givony’s ESPN big board, coming in at No. 87 and No. 96, respectively.
  • Miami sophomore forward Dewan Huell announced (via Twitter) that he has decided to test the 2018 draft waters without hiring an agent. A 6’11” big man, Huell is coming off a 2017/18 season in which he posted 11.4 PPG and 6.7 RPG for the Hurricanes.
  • Junior guard Barry Brown is entering the draft, but won’t hire an agent, giving him the option of returning to Kansas State for his senior year (Twitter link). Brown averaged 15.9 PPG, 3.2 APG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.8 SPG for the Wildcats in 2017/18.
  • Junior guard Chris Clemons, who became Campbell’s all-time leading scorer this season, will test the draft waters, as Evan Moesta of MillbrookBasketball.com details. Clemons averaged 24.9 PPG in his junior year after putting up 25.1 PPG as a sophomore.
  • With the NCAA Tournament in the books, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News spoke to an NBA scout and GM about which prospects increased their value during March Madness, while Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com examines the rising stock of Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo, the star of Monday’s championship game.

Draft Notes: Spalding, Davis, Wigginton, Colson

Louisville power forward Ray Spalding will enter the 2018 NBA draft, as Jody Demling of 247Sports.com details. However, Spalding – a junior – won’t necessarily forfeit his final year of NCAA eligibility. He’ll hold off on hiring an agent for now before deciding whether to go pro or to return to Louisville for one more season.

“I didn’t get to test the waters last year, but I will be testing the waters this year,” said Spalding, who ranks 58th on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com. “I want to see where I fit. There’s nothing to lose doing that.”

Here are a few more draft-related notes, including more updates on prospects deciding to test the waters in 2018:

  • Charlotte guard Jon Davis will declare for the 2018 NBA draft without hiring an agent, a source close to the situation tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Davis averaged 17.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 3.8 RPG in his junior year, though he struggled a little with his shot (.392 FG%).
  • Iowa State guard Lindell Wigginton will test the draft waters for 2018 without hiring an agent, his father tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Wigginton, who averaged 16.7 PPG in his freshman year, is a strong candidate to receive an invite to the NBA combine, according to Givony.
  • Wofford junior Fletcher Magee announced (via Twitter) that he’ll declare for the 2018 draft without hiring an agent and losing his NCAA eligibility. The 6’4″ guard increased his scoring average to 22.1 PPG in 2017/18, with an impressive shooting line of .484/.439/.907.
  • Notre Dame senior Bonzie Colson, viewed as a potential second-round pick, suffered a fractured left foot during Saturday’s loss to Penn State, sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. While Colson is expected to be healthy for predraft workouts, it’s the second time he has fractured that foot, so NBA teams figure to keep a close eye on his recovery.