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Draft Rumors: Maluach, Raynaud, Niederhauser, Coward

June 5th, 2025 at 4:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Duke center Khaman Maluach may be moving up draft boards after a “wildly positive” pro day in which he showcased his shooting touch, writes Jonathan Wasserman of Hoops HQ.

According to Wasserman, some NBA scouts believe that Maluach has a chance to be selected in the top five of this month’s draft, perhaps by the Hornets (No. 4) or Jazz (No. 5). The South Sudanese big man is ranked No. 6 on ESPN’s best available prospects list.

Here are a few more draft rumors from Wasserman:

  • Stanford center Maxime Raynaud was one of the big winners of the pre-draft process, excelling in the first day of scrimmages and measuring better than some other big men in the class. While scouts initially thought Raynaud had moved himself into late first-round territory after the combine, they now think he could be selected in the teens or early 20s, Wasserman writes.
  • Penn State big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser is another player who shined during the pre-draft process, particularly at the G League Elite Camp. According to Wasserman, Niederhauser was largely off NBA radars a month ago, but now teams believe he will receive legitimate consideration late in the first round. There have been rumors that the Swiss center may have received a promise after he decided to keep his name in the draft, Wasserman notes, though that hasn’t been confirmed. Niederhauser is ranked No. 34 on ESPN’s board.
  • Cedric Coward, the 29th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s list, appears to have a wide draft range. Some NBA personnel Wasserman has spoken to have a lottery projection for the Washington State wing, while others think he’s only a potential first-round pick. Coward only played six games for the Cougars due to an injury and was relatively unheralded until this season, but he had excellent physical measurements and tested very well at the combine, making him the “ultimate high-risk, high-reward” prospect, per Wasserman.
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Niederhauser Staying In Draft; Others Announce Withdrawals Before Deadline

May 28th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Penn State big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser has decided to remain in the NBA draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

Givony states that Niederhauser moved into first-round consideration with a strong performance at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month. He was also impressive at the G League Elite Camp, making him one of five players from the event to earn an invitation to the combine.

A seven-footer out of Switzerland, Niederhauser spent two years at Northern Illinois before transferring to Penn State last summer. He averaged 12.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 29 games for the Nittany Lions while shooting 61.1% from the field and leading the Big 10 in blocks with 2.3 per night. He’s listed as the No. 85 prospect on ESPN’s latest big board, but has reportedly moved up significantly in the eyes of scouts since it was published.

Givony describes Niederhauser as “one of the best athletes in the draft” (Twitter link), weighing 243 pounds and combining a 7’3″ wingspan with a 9’3″ standing reach. Givony also cites his “significant potential as a vertical pick and roll spacer.”

We have updates on a few more early entries who reached their decisions shortly before Wednesday night’s deadline to withdraw and maintain their NCAA eligibility:

  • Miles Byrd will take his name out of the draft and return to San Diego State for his senior season, his father tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Ranked No. 51 by ESPN, Byrd was also impressive at the combine. He averaged 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 steals for the Aztecs last season.
  • Quincy Ballard tells Rothstein (Twitter link) that he’s also pulling out of the draft and will transfer from Wichita State to Mississippi State. It will be the third school for the senior center, who averaged 10.0 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Shockers last season.
  • Jaron Pierre, who played at Jacksonville State last season, will leave the draft and transfer to SMU, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). He’ll be a fifth-year senior after posting 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game with the Gamecocks.
  • Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli will return to school after putting up 20.5 points per game for the Wildcats last season, Rothstein tweets. Rothstein expects the rising senior to be one of the Big Ten’s top players.
  • Tae Davis will leave the draft and transfer from Notre Dame to Oklahoma for his senior season, Rothstein adds (Twitter link). Davis averaged 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Irish as a junior.
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Five NBAGL Elite Camp Standouts Earn Combine Invites

May 11th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has invited the following prospects to its draft combine this week after they were among the standouts at the G League Elite Camp over the weekend, according to the league:

Bates scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting in 22 minutes of action in the first scrimmage of the weekend on Saturday, then chipped in nine more points in 14 minutes in a Sunday scrimmage.

Mgbako was the leading scorer in Saturday’s second scrimmage with 19 points and was also a game-high +28. He poured in another 22 points with seven rebounds in Sunday’s first scrimmage.

Nembhard was a +22 in 19 minutes on Saturday, with six points and nine assists, then chipped in 11 points and six assists in 24 minutes on Sunday.

Niederhauser barely missed a shot over the course of the weekend, scoring a total of 31 points on 14-of-17 field goals.

Olbrich had 16 points and seven rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting on Saturday and followed it up with a 16-point, 10-rebound outing on Sunday. He was a game-high +18 in Sunday’s first scrimmage.

The G League Elite Camp is essentially an opening act for the full-fledged draft combine, featuring lower-rated prospects who are less likely to be drafted. The best players from that first event receive invitations to the combine, where they’ll get the chance to speak to more teams and scrimmage in front of more NBA evaluators.

Both events take place in Chicago. The initial list of combine invitees can be found here, though that list has undergone some minor changes since it was initially announced earlier this month, with Duke’s Isaiah Evans and Serbian big man Bogoljub Markovic among the players who won’t attend.

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Draft Notes: NBAGL Elite Camp, Niederhauser, Combine, Ruzic

May 10th, 2025 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Malique Lewis (South East Melbourne), Amari Williams (Kentucky), Caleb Love (Arizona), Caleb Grill (Missouri), and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State) are among the top prospects teams will be watching at this weekend’s G League Elite Camp in Chicago, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The standout players at the G League event typically earn invitations to the full-fledged combine that will take place this coming week. Givony expects about five-to-eight prospects to move on, noting that players like Terance Mann, Cody Martin, and Aaron Wiggins have gotten “called up” from the Elite Camp to the combine in the past before going on to establish themselves in the NBA.

According to Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale (Twitter link), Niederhauser has been the “early star” of the G League Elite Camp, racking up 17 points, four rebounds, and a pair of blocks in the first scrimmage. The Penn State forward looks like a safe bet to be among the players who advance to the combine, Chepkevich adds.

Missouri’s Tamar Bates led all scorers in the first Elite Camp scrimmage with 19 points. The full stats can be viewed here (via Twitter).

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com identifies Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), Boogie Fland (Arkansas), Darrion Williams (Texas Tech), Rocco Zikarsky (Brisbane), and Miles Byrd (San Diego State) as five prospects to monitor at the combine, noting that they still have the option of withdrawing if they don’t have strong showings this week.
  • Lendeborg, the No. 26 prospect on ESPN’s big board, has committed to transferring to Michigan and may only decide to turn pro if he draws serious first-round interest from a specific NBA team or teams, Woo writes, since he can make “excellent” money if he spends 2025/26 with the Wolverines.
  • PJ Haggerty, Jamir Watkins, and RJ Luis Jr. are three more NCAA prospects whose performances at the combine will be of particular interest to college teams, Givony notes in the same story. In addition to testing the draft waters, all three players are in the transfer portal and haven’t yet committed to a new school, so they’ll be popular targets if they opt not to remain in the draft pool.
  • Although Joventut Badalona’s season isn’t over yet, Croatian power forward Michael Ruzic, who plays for the Spanish club, has been cleared to attend the NBA’s draft combine this week and will be a full participant in 5×5 scrimmages, agent Bill Duffy tells Givony (Twitter link). Ruzic missed significant time due to a thumb injury this season and has played a limited role when healthy, so the Chicago combine will give NBA evaluators an opportunity to take an extended first-hand look at a prospect who ranks 49th overall on ESPN’s board.
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44 Prospects Invited To G League Elite Camp

May 5th, 2025 at 7:19am CST by Luke Adams

A total of 44 college and international prospects have been invited to the 2025 G League Elite Camp, aka the G League Combine, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The list of invitees, as reported by Scotto, is as follows:

  1. Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Providence)
  2. Brooks Barnhizer (Northwestern)
  3. Tamar Bates (Missouri)
  4. Nathan Bittle (Oregon)
  5. Dylan Cardwell (Auburn)
  6. Rueben Chinyelu (Florida)
  7. Thierry Darlan (Delaware Blue Coats – G League)
  8. Johnell Davis (Arkansas)
  9. Jyare Davis (Syracuse)
  10. RJ Davis (UNC)
  11. Dawson Garcia (Minnesota)
  12. Keshon Gilbert (Iowa State)
  13. Caleb Grill (Missouri)
  14. Chucky Hepburn (Louisville)
  15. Chase Hunter (Clemson)
  16. Kobe Johnson (UCLA)
  17. Curtis Jones (Iowa State)
  18. Arthur Kaluma (Texas)
  19. Miles Kelly (Auburn)
  20. Viktor Lakhin (Clemson)
  21. Malique Lewis (South East Melbourne – Australia)
  22. Caleb Love (Arizona)
  23. Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh)
  24. Jahmai Mashack (Tennessee)
  25. Chance McMillian (Texas Tech)
  26. Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana)
  27. Igor Milicic Jr. (Tennessee)
  28. Jacksen Moni (North Dakota State)
  29. Eli Ndiaye (Real Madrid – Spain)
  30. Ryan Nembhard (Gonzaga)
  31. Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State)
  32. Isaac Nogues (Rip City Remix – G League)
  33. Lachlan Olbrich (Illawarra – Australia)
  34. Sean Pedulla (Ole Miss)
  35. Jonathan Pierre (Belmont)
  36. Jaron Pierre Jr. (Jacksonville State)
  37. Will Richard (Florida)
  38. Kadary Richmond (St. John’s)
  39. Joson Sanon (Arizona State)
  40. Nate Santos (Dayton)
  41. Brandon Stroud (South Florida)
  42. Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M)
  43. Amari Williams (Kentucky)
  44. Chris Youngblood (Alabama)

These prospects will meet with NBA evaluators and scrimmage for two days in Chicago starting on May 9, ahead of the league’s annual draft combine. A small group of standout players from this event are generally invited to stay in Chicago for the full-fledged combine that takes place immediately following the G League Elite Camp. Typically, at least a half-dozen players move on.

While the May 11-18 combine 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.

None of the 44 players invited to the G League Elite Camp show up in the top 50 of ESPN’s list of this year’s top prospects. Williams (No. 58) and Lewis (No. 59) are the top-ranked prospects for the event, per ESPN.

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 28. Not all of the players who participate in this event will remain in the draft pool.

Jose Alvarado, Terance Mann, and Jaylen Martin are among the current NBA players who once took part in the G League Elite Camp. Last year’s list of invitees was highlighted by Jaylen Wells, though he ultimately received a combine invite before either event tipped off.

Keion Brooks, Isaiah Crawford, Yongxi Cui, Enrique Freeman, Emanuel Miller, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and Anton Watson were among the other 2024 participants who signed two-way contracts with NBA teams this past year, while Isaac Jones finished the 2024/25 season on a standard contract in Sacramento.

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Draft Notes: Fland, Flagg, Final Four, Burton, Early Entrants

April 4th, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

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:
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