Draft Notes: Mitchell, Shannon, Early Entrants, Mock Draft
Texas freshman Dillon Mitchell will test the NBA draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility. The 19-year-old small forward made the announcement this evening on his Twitter page.
Mitchell is ranked 34th on ESPN’s list of the best available players, but he was considered the No. 4 recruit in the nation coming into college, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Mitchell played just 17 minutes per game in his first season with the Longhorns, averaging 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds. Although he shot 64% from the field, Givony notes that Mitchell’s usage rate would be the lowest of any player drafted over the last 30 years.
Mitchell will have to rely on next month’s draft combine and workouts with individual teams to show that he’s ready for the NBA. Givony points out that his unique combination of physical skills could still make him attractive as a draft prospect.
There’s more on this year’s draft:
- Shooting guard Terrence Shannon Jr. of Illinois, ranked 39th on ESPN’s big board, also announced that he’s declaring for the draft. The senior guard didn’t specify whether he plans to forgo his remaining year of college eligibility. Shannon averaged 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 31 games this season.
- Marquette junior wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Twitter link), San Jose State senior small forward Omari Moore (Instagram link), Kentucky freshman small forward Chris Livingston (Instagram link) and Gonzaga senior shooting guard Malachi Smith (Instagram link) have all declared that they’re entering the draft. Prosper is 65th in the ESPN rankings, Moore is 81st, Livingston is 84th and Smith isn’t listed.
- Alabama forward Brandon Miller gets the edge over G League guard Scoot Henderson for the No. 2 pick in the latest mock draft compiled by Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link). Givony calls Miller an easy fit for just about any NBA team, while Woo notes that Henderson has slipped a little in the eyes of scouts, but still offers a combination of strength, quickness and scoring instincts that make him appealing. Victor Wembanyama occupies the top spot in the mock draft, and Amen Thompson and Jarace Walker round out the top five.
And-Ones: Embiid, French National Team, 2023 Draft, Henderson
A native of Cameroon, Sixers star Joel Embiid also has U.S. and French citizenship, meaning his choice of which country to represent in international play will have a major impact on what the field looks like at the 2024 Olympics. Teaming up with Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama would give France the world’s best frontcourt and make Les Bleus a legitimate gold medal threat.
Speaking to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Gobert was asked about the possibility of Embiid joining the French national team and said he’d welcome the addition of the MVP runner-up. However, Gobert’s answer wasn’t unequivocal, and he said he doesn’t plan to personally recruit Embiid.
“For me the most important thing is if his heart tells him to be a part of Team France,” Gobert told Vardon. “I want him to do it for the right reasons. As long as he understands that the French national team is different than the NBA. We have rules, we have things that we do. Sometimes we all have lunch and dinner together — it’s not everybody doing their own thing. These are two different teams.
“But I think the main thing for us, for him and for me is that I want to make sure that he does it from his heart. And if he does that, I think he would be an amazing addition for our team. … It has to come from him. You are either all in, or you’re not. You can’t just show up.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The latest 2023 mock draft from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) moves Alabama’s Brandon Miller up to No. 7 and Arkansas’ Anthony Black up to No. 11. Reece Beekman has also moved into the first round, with Givony observing that the Virgina guard’s defensive ability gives him a “very high floor.”
- Beekman also earned a spot on John Hollinger’s list at The Athletic of 10 returning NCAA players who have impressed him as potential NBA prospects. Iowa’s Kris Murray, Illinois’ Terrence Shannon, and Xavier’s Colby Jones are among the other college standouts singled out by Hollinger.
- Mirin Fader of The Ringer takes an in-depth look at the consensus No. 2 prospect in the 2023 draft class, profiling rising G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson.
- The NBA is now allowing sovereign wealth funds to invest in its franchises as minority stakeholders. Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic explains exactly what that means and lays out why it might be risky, noting that the league could have to make decisions on sovereign wealth funds associated with autocratic countries.
Draft Notes: Juzang, Abmas, Last-Minute Decisions
After leading UCLA to the Final Four, Johnny Juzang will withdraw from the NBA draft and return for his junior season. Juzang announced his decision on Twitter about an hour before the NCAA’s Wednesday deadline of midnight Eastern Time for early entrants to pull out of the draft and retain their eligibility.
“Going through the draft process has been an amazing experience,” he wrote. “I was blessed to connect with great people, learn and grow, and get a feel for life at the next level. I want to thank everyone who has helped me in this process including my family, trainers, school and especially my dad who helped me for countless hours!”
There was talk that Juzang might be a first-round pick after an outstanding performance in the NCAA tournament, but a disappointing showing at the combine hurt his status, according to Chad Ford (Twitter link), who speculates that he could be back in first-round consideration next year.
There’s more on last-minute draft decisions:
- Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas is also returning to school, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Abmas posted a statement on Instagram calling the draft process “a great learning experience,” but he thinks he would benefit from another year of college. Abmas, ranked 48th on ESPN’s big board, led the nation in scoring at 24.5 PPG and was named Summit League Player of the Year. Givony notes that he had a poor showing at the combine, shooting 3 of 18 from the field in scrimmages, which may have influenced his choice.
- Most of the players who announced their decisions Wednesday opted to withdraw from the draft. Some exceptions are Georgia Tech’s Jose Alvarado (Twitter link from Jeff Goodman of Stadium), Howard’s Makur Maker (Twitter link from Jon Rothstein of CBS) and Saint Louis’ Jordan Goodwin (Twitter link).
- Among those returning to school for another season will be Central Florida’s C.J. Walker (Twitter link), Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon Jr. (Twitter link), Wichita State’s Tyson Etienne (Twitter link), SMU’s Kendric Davis (Twitter link), Rutgers’ Ron Harper Jr. (Twitter link), UCLA’s Cody Riley (Twitter link), USC’s Isaiah Mobley (Twitter link), Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. (Twitter link) and Kevin Obanor, who will transfer from Oral Roberts (Twitter link).
Draft Notes: Mayer, Murphy, Duarte, Ayayi, Combine
Baylor forward Matthew Mayer, who had been set to attend the draft combine in Chicago this week, is withdrawing from both the combine and the draft, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Mayer, ranked as this year’s No. 63 overall prospect by ESPN, was a candidate to be selected in the second round and almost certainly would’ve received a two-way deal or a training camp invite if he went undrafted. However, the 6’9″ junior has decided to return to the national-champion Bears for another year.
Givony expects another college season to boost Mayer’s draft stock, since he should be in line for a larger role at Baylor. The forward could be a Big 12 Player of the Year candidate and a potential 2022 first-round pick, says Givony.
Here’s more on the 2021 NBA draft:
- Potential first-round pick Trey Murphy III has decided to hire an agent, he told Givony. Murphy will remain in the draft and forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility after averaging 11.3 PPG on .503/.433/.927 shooting in 25 games (29.6 MPG) at Virginia as a junior.
- Oregon’s Chris Duarte and Gonzaga’s Joel Ayayi were among the players who turned down combine invites, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Wasserman hears that Duarte may not have wanted to give up a week of working with his personal trainer, while Ayayi’s camp is confident in his draft outlook without the combine, though there are no indications he has received a promise.
- Cameron Thomas of LSU and Isaiah Jackson of Kentucky are withdrawing from this week’s combine, tweets Jeremy Woo of SI.com. Both players are projected first-round picks.
- In his preview of the draft combine, Givony (Insider link) identifies Alabama guard Josh Primo, Arizona State forward Marcus Bagley, West Virginia guard Miles McBride, and Texas Tech wing Terrence Shannon as some of the players with the most at stake this week. They all rank between Nos. 32 and 41 on ESPN’s big board and will be looking to establish themselves as first-rounders.
Full List Of 2021 NBA Draft Combine Participants
The NBA has revealed via press release its list of 69 players who have been invited to next week’s draft combine in Chicago and who are expected to attend. The combine will take place from June 21-27.
While several of the prominent names at the top of the draft will opt to skip the event – most notably, presumed number one pick Cade Cunningham and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs – there are several high-profile prospects set to attend. Evan Mobley, widely considered a likely choice for the No. 2 pick as well as potential top-five picks Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green headline the class of participants this year, along with potential lottery picks Moses Moody, Corey Kispert and Scottie Barnes.
According to the press release, players will conduct interviews with NBA teams, participate in five-on-five games, and go through shooting, strength and agility drills throughout the week-long event. It’s likely that the more high-profile names will focus more on the interviews than the drills.
The press release also confirms that a select number of standout players from the G League Elite Camp will be invited to participate in the Combine as well.
Here’s the full list of 69 names announced by the NBA today, in alphabetical order:
- Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts (sophomore)
- Ochai Agbaji, G, Kansas (junior)
- Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (freshman)
- Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State (freshman)
- Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky (junior)
- Brandon Boston Jr., G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
- James Bouknight, G, UConn (sophomore)
- Greg Brown, F, Texas (freshman)
- Jared Butler, G, Baylor (junior)
- Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (sophomore)
- Justin Champagnie, G/F, Pittsburgh (sophomore)
- Josh Christopher, G, Arizona State (freshman)
- Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn (freshman)
- Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois (junior)
- David Duke, G, Providence (junior)
- Kessler Edwards, F, Pepperdine (junior)
- Luka Garza, C, Iowa (senior)
- RaiQuan Gray, F, Florida State (junior)
- Jalen Green, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Quentin Grimes, G, Houston (junior)
- Sam Hauser, F, Virginia (senior)
- Aaron Henry, G/F, Michigan State (junior)
- Ariel Hukporti, C, Lithuania (born 2002)
- Matthew Hurt, F, Duke (sophomore)
- Nah’Shon Hyland, G, VCU (sophomore)
- Isaiah Jackson, F, Kentucky (freshman)
- David Johnson, G, Louisville (sophomore)
- Jalen Johnson, F, Duke (freshman)
- Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- Herb Jones, F, Alabama (senior)
- Kai Jones, F, Texas (sophomore)
- Johnny Juzang, G/F, UCLA (sophomore)
- Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga (senior)
- Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Scottie Lewis, G, Florida (sophomore)
- Isaiah Livers, F, Michigan (senior)
- Makur Maker, C, Howard (freshman)
- Sandro Mamukelashvili, F/C, Seton Hall (senior)
- Tre Mann, G, Florida (sophomore)
- Matthew Mayer, G/F, Baylor (junior)
- Miles McBride, G, West Virginia (sophomore)
- Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor (junior)
- Evan Mobley, F/C, USC (freshman)
- Isaiah Mobley, F, USC (sophomore)
- Moses Moody, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Trey Murphy III, G, Virginia (junior)
- Daishen Nix, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- John Petty Jr., G, Alabama (senior)
- Yves Pons, G/F, Tennessee (senior)
- Jason Preston, G, Ohio (junior)
- Joshua Primo, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Roko Prkacin, F, Croatia (born 2002)
- Neemias Queta, C, Utah State (junior)
- Austin Reaves, G, Oklahoma (senior)
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F, Villanova (sophomore)
- Terrence Shannon Jr., G/F, Texas Tech (sophomore)
- Day’Ron Sharpe, F/C, North Carolina (freshman)
- Jericho Sims, F/C, Texas (senior)
- Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- DJ Steward, G, Duke (freshman)
- Cameron Thomas, G, LSU (freshman)
- JT Thor, F, Auburn (freshman)
- Isaiah Todd, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Trendon Watford, F, LSU (sophomore)
- Joe Wieskamp, G/F, Iowa (junior)
- Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford (freshman)
- McKinley Wright IV, G, Colorado (senior)
- Moses Wright, F, Georgia Tech (senior)
- Marcus Zegarowski, G, Creighton (junior)
Draft Updates: Shannon, Smart, Watford, More
Texas Tech sophomore wing Terrence Shannon Jr. will test the draft waters, declaring for the 2021 NBA draft while retaining his college eligibility, he announced today (via Twitter).
Shannon, who started 13 of his 28 games for the Red Raiders in 2020/21, averaged 12.9 PPG and 4.0 RPG on .448/.357/.756 shooting in 26.7 minutes per contest.
While those numbers don’t jump off the page, Shannon is a highly-regarded prospect who is a strong candidate to be drafted. He ranks 33rd overall on ESPN’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects and comes in at No. 37 on Jonathan Wasserman’s big board at Bleacher Report.
Here are a few more updates on the 2021 draft:
- After testing the draft waters in both 2019 and 2020, LSU guard Javonte Smart will once again declare in 2021 and will go pro this time, he announced on Instagram. As a junior this season, Smart averaged 16.0 PPG and 4.0 APG on .460/.402/.857 shooting in 28 games (35.6 MPG).
- Smart’s LSU teammate, sophomore forward Trendon Watford, is also entering the draft and intends to hire an agent, he announced on Twitter. Watford, who averaged 16.3 PPG and 7.4 RPG in 28 games (34.6 MPG) for the Tigers, is the No. 55 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
- Florida State junior guard Sardaar Calhoun is testing the draft waters, he announced on Twitter. He saw limited action in 2020/21, averaging 5.3 PPG in 14.2 minutes per game (25 games), though he did hit 39.7% of his three-point attempts.
- Keve Aluma, a redshirt junior forward at Virginia Tech, will enter the draft while retaining his college eligibility, he stated on Twitter. Aluma put up 15.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.3 BPG in 22 games (30.6 MPG) in ’20/21.
- Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) share their latest 2021 mock draft, which features Baylor’s Davion Mitchell moving all the way up to No. 7. Mitchell and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs were among the players whose stocks increased the most as a result of the NCAA tournament.