Draft Workout Notes: Kings, Wizards, Wolves, Jazz, More
The Kings hosted several prospects for pre-draft workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday, the team announced (Twitter links).
The Tuesday group featured Trey McGowens, Ziga Samar, Ron Harper Jr., Brady Manek and Dallas Walton. Wednesday’s group was Jacob Gilyard, Fatts Russell, Yoan Makoundou, Karlo Matkovic, Yannick Nzosa and Kai Sotto.
The Kings control the fourth, 37th and 49th picks in the 2022 draft, and a handful of those players could be targets with one of those second-round picks. Nzosa, Samar, Harper and Matkovic are ranked between 53rd and 58th on ESPN’s big board.
Here are more workout-related notes from around the NBA:
- The Wizards are hosting a workout featuring six prospects on Friday, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The six are Akoldah Gak, Ty Gordon, Storm Murphy, Shareef O’Neal, Daeqwon Plowden and Vince Williams Jr. All six players are projected to go undrafted. Washington currently controls the 10th and 56th picks. Chuba Ohams will also workout for the team on Monday, reports Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com (via Twitter).
- Thursday’s workout hosted by the Timberwolves features Jake LaRavia, Max Christie, Marcus Weathers, Lucas Williamson, Cole Swider and Ryan Hawkins, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). LaRavia is the highest-rated prospect of the group at 28th on ESPN’s board. The Wolves hold the 19th, 40th, 48th and 50th picks.
- The Jazz are holding a workout on Thursday featuring Moussa Diabate, Ron Harper Jr., Drake Jeffries, Kur Kuath, Jaden Shackelford and Jeenathan Williams, as Andy Larson of The Salt Lake Tribune relays (via Twitter). Utah doesn’t own a pick at the moment, but most of those prospects are projected to go undrafted.
- Wednesday’s group workout hosted by the Hornets (Twitter link) included Marcus Bingham, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Makur Maker, Ikenna Ndugba, Taz Sherman and Payton Willis. All six prospects are expected to go undrafted. The Hornets own the 13th, 15th and 45th picks.
- The Pacers held a group workout on Wednesday featuring Andrew Nembhard, Scotty Pippen Jr., Gabriele Procida, Luke Travers, Quenton Jackson and Drake Jeffries, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Nembhard is considered the top prospect of the group with the 35th spot on ESPN’s board. Indiana owns the sixth, 31st and 60th picks of the draft.
Draft Decisions: Dieng, Jovic, Besson, Kamagate, L. Miller, More
The players who declared as early entrants for the 2022 NBA draft have until 5:00 pm Eastern time on Monday to decide whether or not to keep their names in this year’s draft pool.
Since the NCAA’s own withdrawal deadline passed earlier this month, today’s deadline doesn’t have a real impact on most college players — if they were going to withdraw, they’ve probably done so already to avoid forgoing their remaining NCAA eligibility. However, today’s deadline is an important one for non-college prospects, including those who are playing in professional leagues in Europe and around the world.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has provided a series of updates on top international prospects who are finalizing their early entry decisions today. Let’s round them up…
(Note: The country listed for each prospect is where he has been playing, not necessarily where he’s from.)
Staying in the draft:
- Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003) (ESPN story)
- Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003) (Twitter link)
- Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002) (Twitter link)
- Ziga Samar, G, Spain (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Gui Santos, F, Brazil (born 2002) (ESPN story)
Dieng, the No. 12 player on ESPN’s big board, and Jovic, ESPN’s No. 24 prospect, are considered good bets to be first-round picks, so it comes as no surprise that they’ll remain in the draft. The other players in this list may not be first-rounders, but most of them have a good chance to be drafted.
Besson comes in at No. 38 on ESPN’s board, while Kamagate is No. 40. Procida is the 52nd on player on ESPN’s list, but has received “strong reviews” during the pre-draft process, according to Givony.
Samar, the No. 61 player on ESPN’s board, has also gained traction recently due to his strong workouts for teams and the fact that his NBA buyout is flexible and inexpensive, making him an appealing draft-and-stash option, Givony explains.
Santos is the No. 76 player on ESPN’s top 100.
Withdrawing from the draft:
- Zvonimir Ivisic, F/C, Montenegro (born 2003) (Twitter link)
- Karlo Matkovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003) (ESPN story)
- Matthew Strazel, G, France (born 2002) (Twitter link)
Miller, the No. 43 prospect on ESPN’s big board for 2022, will sign with the G League Ignite, he tells Givony.
“My decision to withdraw from this year’s draft is based on what’s best for my long-term development,” Miller said. “With another year of development both on and off the court, I will put myself in an even better position for the 2023 draft. Going through the pre-draft process, I learned about what it takes to be a successful professional. Whether it’s the daily on-court work, off-court work, diet, or recovery, I have gained a much greater understanding of the habits it takes to get to the top of this field.”
Givony is bullish on Miller’s chances of boosting his draft stock for next year, tweeting that the young forward will likely be a top-20 pick in ESPN’s next 2023 mock draft.
Matkovic was the No. 60 prospect on ESPN’s board, while Ivisic was No. 63, which made them borderline candidates to be drafted. Strazel was unranked.
A total of 37 international prospects declared for the draft as early entrants and typically no more than about 10 or 15 of those players keep their names in the pool. In other words, it’s a safe bet that many more players on our list of international early entrants will withdraw by today’s deadline, even if it those decisions aren’t reported immediately.
Central Notes: Ibaka, Bucks, Branham, Pacers
Despite some chatter out of Europe regarding his future, veteran Bucks big man Serge Ibaka, an unrestricted free agent this summer, intends to remain in the NBA next season, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Carchia notes that Italian EuroLeague club Virtus Bologna, winners of the 2021 Italian Serie A, would be interested in adding Ibaka, but the team has not made any formal outreach to the 32-year-old. Before joining the NBA for the 2009/10 season, Ibaka played for two Spanish pro clubs: Bàsquet Manresa and EuroLeague powerhouse Real Madrid.
Last year while with the Clippers and Bucks, Ibaka posted his most modest numbers since his 2009/10 rookie season with the Thunder. For the regular season, the 6’10” power forward/center averaged 6.8 PPG and 4.6 RPG across 16.2 MPG.
Ibaka, a former three-time All-Defensive Team selection and a champion with the Raptors in 2019, played even more minimally in the postseason for Milwaukee. He appeared in only six of the Bucks’ 12 playoff contests this year, averaging 1.5 PPG and 1.7 RPG in just 3.7 MPG when he did play.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Bucks may look to the upcoming draft to build out their bench depth for the 2022/23 season. Eric Nehm of The Athletic assesses four point guard prospects who could fit for Milwaukee behind 2022 All-Defensive Second Teamer Jrue Holiday: Kentucky guard TyTy Washington, G League Ignite guard Jaden Hardy, Tennessee freshman Kennedy Chandler, and 6’7″ Arizona prospect Dalen Terry.
- An ankle sprain prevented Ohio State guard Malaki Branham from participating in a group workout with the Cavaliers, but the team was nevertheless intrigued by the NBA prospect following a dinner, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Fedor adds (via Twitter) that Cleveland intends to bring Branham back to its facilities for a healthy workout ahead of the June 23 draft.
- Due to a flight delay, three prospects missed their group workout with the Pacers on Friday, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan, Iraurgi Saski Baloia shooting guard Pavel Savkov and Urbas Fuenlabrada guard Ziga Samar were not able to participate in a team workout that also included G League Ignite prospect Dyson Daniels, Oklahoma guard Kameron McGusty and Villanova forward Jermaine Samuels. Given that most prospects have fairly busy schedules leading up to the draft, it is unclear whether this triumvirate’s Pacers workout will be rescheduled.
Central Notes: Mathurin, Daniels, Beauchamp, Pistons, Vucevic
Sitting at No. 6 in the draft order, the Pacers have some projected lottery picks coming in on Friday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets.
Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin, ranked No. 8 on ESPN’s Best Available list, is visiting the Pacers for a solo workout. G League Elite’s Dyson Daniels (No. 6) and Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan (No. 15) are among a group of six players coming in earlier on Friday. Kameron McGusty (Miami), Ziga Samar (Urbas Fuenlabrada), Jermaine Samuels (Villanova) and Pavel Savkov (Iraurgi SB) will join that duo.
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers, who hold the No. 14 selection, took a look at G League Ignite wing and potential lottery pick MarJon Beauchamp on Wednesday, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Potential second-rounder Alabama’s Keon Ellis visited the same day. Wagner’s Alex Morales also had a workout with the Cavs on Wednesday, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com tweets. Florida State forward Malik Osborne worked out there on Tuesday, Bosco Institute tweets.
- Don’t expect the Pistons to try to move into the top three of the draft to snare one of the top bigs, James Edwards III of The Athletic speculates. Edwards doubts the franchise would surrender young assets at this stage of the rebuild. He anticipates the Pistons would have to part with at least Saddiq Bey or Isaiah Stewart along with the No. 5 pick to move up a couple of spots and that doesn’t make much sense unless they’re getting a surefire superstar in return.
- While rumors are swirling that the Bulls may part with Nikola Vucevic, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic is somewhat skeptical Chicago is eager to move on from its starting center. Vucevic still has supporters in high places in Chicago due to his professionalism, versatility and consistency. If the Bulls do trade Vucevic, they’ll have to receive an obvious upgrade in return.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Hawks, Magic, Wizards
The Hornets hosted a pre-draft workout with six prospects on Monday, the team tweets. That group included Keon Ellis (Alabama), Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite), Kellan Grady (Kentucky), Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers), Brandon Horvath (Utah State) and Žiga Samar (Fuenlabrada/Spain).
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hawks are bringing in six prospects on Tuesday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets. That group includes Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite), Jules Bernard (UCLA), Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse), Savion Flagg (Sam Houston State), Foster Jr., and Alondes Williams (Wake Forest).
- If the Hawks waive Danilo Gallinari, they would have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to use in free agency, as well as $4.1MM biannual exception. In a story for The Athetic, Kirschner takes a look at potential free agent targets for Atlanta, including Kyle Anderson, Bruce Brown and Gary Harris.
- Draft prospects Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall) and Collin Gillespie (Villanova) visited the Magic on Monday, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.
- The Wizards will host six prospects on Tuesday, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. That group includes Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (Florida), Jaden Hardy (Ignite), Anthony Polite (Florida State), Taz Sherman (West Virginia), Collin Welp (UC Irvine) and Isaiah Whaley (UConn).
Trayce Jackson-Davis Among Draft’s Latest Early Entrants
Indiana junior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis announced on Instagram that he has decided to enter the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his remaining college eligibility.
Jackson-Davis, who has started all 94 games he has played for the Hoosiers since his freshman year, averaged an impressive 18.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 2.3 BPG in 35 games (32.3 MPG) in 2021/22, establishing a new career high by shooting 58.9% from the field. He currently ranks 72nd overall on ESPN’s big board of 2022 prospects.
Here are a few more updates on early entrants declaring for the 2022 draft:
- Slovenian point guard Ziga Samar is entering the 2022 draft, agent Gerard Raventos tells ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). The No. 78 prospect on ESPN’s board, Samar is considered a potential second-round pick, according to Givony, who adds that several metrics consider the Fuenlabrada guard to be the best passer in Spain’s top league.
- Two more Mega Mozzart players are joining Nikola Jovic in the 2022 draft pool. Forward/center Karlo Matkovic and shooting guard Malcolm Cazalon are declaring for the draft, per agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link). Matkovic is the No. 96 prospect on ESPN’s top 100. Both players tested the draft waters in 2021 as well.
- St. Bonaventure big man Osun Osunniyi has decided to test the draft waters, he announced on Instagram. Osunniyi would have one more year of NCAA eligibility if he decides to withdraw from the draft.
Jared Butler, Others Enter 2021 NBA Draft
Ahead of Sunday’s early entry deadline, Baylor junior guard Jared Butler announced (via Twitter) that he was declaring for the 2021 NBA draft. While his announcement doesn’t explicitly state that he’s forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, it strongly suggests he intends to go pro.
While it took a while for him to make it official, Butler was always considered a good bet to enter this year’s draft following an impressive 2020/21 campaign in which he averaged 16.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 2.0 SPG on .471/.416/.780 shooting in 30 games (30.3 MPG) for the eventual national champs.
A consensus first-team All-American, Butler was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after the Bears defeated Gonzaga in the championship game. He’s the No. 23 prospect on ESPN’s big board, making him a strong candidate to be a first-round pick in July.
Here are a few more draft-related updates:
- Fresno State sophomore guard Deon Stroud is testing the draft waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, according to an announcement from the school (Twitter link). Stroud, who began his college career at UTEP, averaged 12.2 PPG on .482/.357/.613 shooting in 23 games (23.1 MPG) in 2020/21.
- Italian wing Gabriele Procida has declared for the draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who tweets that the 18-year-old is a projected second-round pick.
- Givony also published a series of tweets listing several more international players who have entered the 2021 NBA draft pool. Those players are as follows (the countries listed represent where they last played, not where they were born):
- Mert Akay, G, Serbia (born 2000)
- Ibou Badji, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Kenny Baptiste, F, France (born 2000)
- Juhann Begarin, G/F, France (born 2002)
- Hugo Besson, G, France (born 2001)
- Tarik Biberovic, G/F, Turkey (born 2001)
- Vrenz Bleijenbergh, G/F, Belgium (born 2000)
- Tom Digbeu, G/F, Lithuania (born 2001)
- Biram Faye, F/C, Spain (born 2000)
- Gregor Glas, G, Serbia (born 2001)
- Haowen Guo, F, China (born 2000)
- Ariel Hukporti, C, Lithuania (born 2002)
- Jovan Kljajic, G, Spain (born 2001)
- Yoan Makoundou, F, France (born 2000)
- Zsombor Maronka, F/C, Spain (born 2002)
- Ivan Perasovic, F, Croatia (born 2002)
- Ziga Samar, G, Spain (born 2001)
- Pavel Savkov, G/F, Russia (born 2002)
- Amar Sylla, F/C, Belgium (born 2001)
- Bojan Tomasevic, F, Serbia (born 2001)
- Uros Trifunovic, G, Serbia (born 2000)
- Since the NBA’s early entry deadline has now passed, we should get a full, official list of early entrants from the league on Tuesday. In the meantime, our unofficial tracker is here.