Category: NBA Draft

For The Win 2022 NBA mock draft has Will Richardson at No. 48 overall

Oregon Ducks guard Will Richardson is mocked to the Atlanta Hawks at No. 48 overall in the latest For The Win 2022 NBA mock draft.

The 2021 NBA draft came and went, with former Oregon star Chris Duarte getting selected 13th overall by the Indiana Pacers.

Duarte’s extremely strong senior season catapulted him up draft boards, resulting in a spot in the lottery despite being the oldest player in the draft class.

Will Richardson will hope to follow a similar path in the 2022 NBA draft after deciding not to leave the Oregon Ducks early and instead returning for a final go-round in 2021-2022.

The latest mock draft from Bryan Kalbrosky at USA TODAY’s For The Win does have Richardson getting selected, although not until the middle of the second round at No. 48 overall to the Atlanta Hawks.

Richardson averaged 11.3 points and 3.9 assists last year, both improvements from his sophomore campaign, but he also saw his field goal percentage drop from 47.9% to 44.3% while his three-point shooting went from an outstanding 46.9% to a still good 40.3%.

He also only appeared in 16 games thanks to a thumb injury, which sucked the air out of what was expected to be an extremely stellar season taking over point guard duties from Payton Pritchard.

Richardson has a chance to wow scouts and front office personnel once again in 2021-2022 and is widely expected to be selected in the draft.

Could he take a leap, as Duarte did, and end up in the first round? Time will tell, but the story of Oregon’s season next year will no doubt hinge on how Richardson handles the point guard duties over a full season.

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Analysis: How Chris Duarte fits on the Indiana Pacers

A look at former Oregon Ducks star guard Chris Duarte and his fit on his new NBA team, the Indiana Pacers, who selected him 13th overall.

As the oldest player in the 2021 NBA draft, former Oregon Ducks guard Chris Duarte was generally expected to be selected by a team on the verge of an NBA championship, where he could contribute right away as a bench option.

Instead, he was gobbled up by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th overall pick, just sneaking into the back end of the lottery while joining a team that missed the playoffs in the Eastern Conference last year, and looks more like a team entering a rebuild than one trying to win a trophy.

Still, looking at Indiana’s second unit, particularly defensively, makes it pretty easy to see how Duarte could be a good fit.

The Pacers dealt Aaron Holiday to the Wizards on draft day and seem poised to let Doug McDermott walk in free agency, giving them limited scoring options on the second unit.

Duarte can fill the role as a three point specialist coming off the bench, something Indiana is lacking on their current roster, while also providing a much, much needed defensive presence.

Duarte can slide in alongside Justin Holiday and/or Oshae Brissett on Indiana’s second unit, which should create a much more stout defensive group especially if paired with Goga Bitadze and Edmond Sumner.

The 24-year-old rookie from Oregon should carve out a decent role in his rookie year, launching a few three pointers per game which will open up the floor for Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis to flourish in the two-man game – and his defense will be much needed for a team that struggled on that side of the floor last year.

It may not be the bright shiny lights of Los Angeles or New York, but Duarte looks like a key piece for a Pacers team that might be looking to make a push sooner than expected.

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Will Richardson goes to Phoenix Suns in latest 2022 NBA mock draft

In ESPN’s latest 2022 NBA mock draft, Will Richardson is the only Oregon player to be selected, going to Phoenix at No. 56.

The Oregon Ducks are basking in the success of Chris Duarte and his early draft selection earlier this week, but it’s never too soon to look ahead to the next year.

While we may think that the Ducks’ roster this season is going to be extremely talented, ESPN might not quite agree. According to their latest mock, they only have one Oregon player getting selected in the 2022 NBA draft.

That player is Will Richardson, the veteran point guard who is expected to lead the Ducks’ to a deep tournament run this season. In the 2022 mock, Richardson lands with the Phoenix Suns at No. 56 on the board.  After missing the first several games of the 2020-2021 season with a thumb injury, Richardson shook off the rust and managed to average 13.8 points per game during the final 7 contests of the year.

So what about Quincy Guerrier, or Jacob Young, or De’Vion Harmon, or N’Faly Dante? Well, we might think they have a chance to be taken early in the draft, but the worldwide leader in sports doesn’t agree.

This season, though, all of those players will have a chance to prove the draft analysts wrong and climb up the draft board before the big day.

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Oregon becomes one of only schools with players drafted top-15 in 2021 NFL, NBA drafts

Oregon now joins USC and Alabama as the only schools to have players drafted in top-15 during both 2021 NBA and NFL drafts.

Success breeds more success, and for the Oregon Ducks, the recent run that they are on across the sporting landscape over the past decade is truly remarkable.

With Chris Duarte being selected by the Indiana Pacers with the No. 12 pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, the Ducks joined the USC Trojans and Alabama Crimson Tide as the only three schools in the nation to have players drafted in the top-15 in both the NFL and NBA Draft this season.

For the Ducks, it was Penei Sewell — drafted No. 7 overall to the Detroit Lions — and Duarte. If you were to go back a year, you could also add Justin Herbert to the list, who was drafted at No. 6 to the Los Angeles Chargers.

When speaking after the Spring Game earlier this season, Ducks coach Mario Cristobal talked about how important it was to see Oregon players finding a path to the next level.

“You’re upping the talent level that’s coming in, but you’re pouring yourself into player development,” Cristobal said. “It’s showing up and it’s showing up big. Some of these guys are Top 10 picks. That trend is only going to keep going. We all see that.”

For recruits to see sustained success from the program, topped off by players getting national attention as high draft picks, is massive. That will drive players to want to come to Oregon, and continue to up the level of success.

As Cristobal says: “We’re just getting started.”

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Thunder draft another guard, take Tre Mann with No. 18

The Thunder drafted another guard, taking Florida sophomore Tre Mann with the 18th pick in the 2021 draft.

After trading pick No. 16, the Oklahoma City Thunder used the 18th pick to take their second guard of the draft: Florida sophomore Tre Mann.

Mann broke out this past season, averaging 16.0 points while shooting 40.2% from 3 on 4.7 attempts per game. That shooting is much-needed for this Oklahoma City squad, which was one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league last season.

The Florida guard also averaged 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

By growing two inches and putting up those stats, Mann’s stock shot up. The Thunder see him as a player who can be a shooter and good ball handler in the NBA.

However, he measured a height of 6-foot-4.25 in shoes at the draft combine, according to Gator County, and has a 6-foot-4 wingspan. His Florida bio listed him at 6-foot-5.

Mann joins a crowded group at guard. He and No. 6 overall pick Josh Giddey will be part of a group that has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Theo Maledon and Ty Jerome, all of whom appear to have parts on the team for at least the next couple years. All-Star guard Kemba Walker is on the team and would start if he remains during the season, but the Thunder are reportedly trying to trade him after acquiring him from the Boston Celtics this offseason.

Oklahoma City currently holds no more picks in the first round, but they do have selections No. 34, 36 and 55. The team may be able to move up if they so choose.

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Report: Thunder receive Wizards, Pistons draft picks from Rockets in trade

Here are reported details of the picks and protections that the Thunder received in the draft-day trade with the Houston Rockets.

The Oklahoma City Thunder traded pick No. 16 to the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Shortly after the deal was reported and the Rockets used the pick on Turkish center Alperen Sengun, more details of the trade came out.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that the two first-round picks that Oklahoma City received in return come from the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons.

According to the Rockets Wire, the Rockets owned one future pick from both teams. Here are the details of the picks and protections that have presumably been passed onto the Thunder:

  • 2022 Pistons first-round pick (protections are top-16 in 2022, top-18 in 2023 and 2024, top-13 in 2025, top-11 in 2026, and top-9 in 2027; becomes second-round pick if still unconveyed at that time)
  • 2023 Wizarrds first-round pick (protections are top-14 in 2023, top-12 in 2024, top-10 in 2025, and top-8 in 2026; becomes two second-round picks if still unconveyed at that time)

If there are any updates or further reports, this article will be updated.

The Thunder traded pick No. 16 in 2021, but they still hold the 18th selection. They also hold picks 34, 36 and 55 in the second round, though they may trade some or all.

With pick No. 6, Oklahoma City selected Australian guard Josh Giddey.

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Report: Thunder trade 16th pick to Rockets for two future 1st-round picks

The Thunder traded pick 16 to the Rockets for future draft capital. Houston used the pick on Alperen Sengun.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will not be using all six of their draft picks. They have traded pick No. 16 to the Houston Rockets, according to the Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

In exchange, the Thunder receive two future first-round draft picks, according to Wojnarowski.

Oklahoma City is already in control of Houston’s 2024 and 2026 first-round selections, both of which are top-four protected, and have rights to a pick swap in 2025 (top-10 protected)

See all future Thunder draft picks here.

The Houston Rockets used pick No. 16 on Turkish center Alperen Sengun.

In Sengun, the Rockets got a 6-foot-10 center who dominated the Turkish League last season to the tune of 19.2 points on 67.9% shooting from 2-point range, 9.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 28.3 minutes of play.

Oklahoma City chose to make this trade instead of taking a player like Sengun, Keon Johnson, Jalen Johnson, Kai Jones or Usman Garuba. Still holding the 18th pick, however, the Thunder will be able to draft one of them if they so choose, assuming they do not trade that pick first.

The Thunder used their first pick on Josh Giddey and traded their second pick of the night. Currently, they hold picks 18, 34, 36 and 55, thought it would not be surprising if they moved some of those as well.

These Oregon Ducks were drafted in the first round of the NBA draft

Here are all the Ducks that were called up in the first round of the NBA draft to shake hands with the commissioner.

Oregon has had a long history of players being a part of the NBA draft, which is usually in June. A total of 14 Ducks have now been selected in the first round, with Chris Duarte being taken at No. 13 by the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night in the 2021 NBA Draft.

The first Duck to be a first-round selection was Jim Loscutoff way back in 1955 when the Boston Celtics picked the 6-foot-5 forward No. 3 overall. The most recent Oregon player was last season when, again the Celtics, selected some guy named Payton Pritchard. Both Ducks and Celtics worked out for Beantown.

Here are all the Ducks that were called up in the first round to shake hands with the commissioner.

2021 NBA draft: Full results of all 60 picks

See the full order and results of all 60 picks in the 2021 NBA draft.

The 2021 NBA draft is finally underway as 60 players will see their lives changed in a massive way.

The Detroit Pistons have the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, and Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham is projected to be the best No. 1 pick in this class.

The Los Angeles Lakers had the No. 22 overall pick but traded it away in a blockbuster move that has Russell Westbrook returning to the city he grew up in.

Barring any trades, the Lakers don’t have any picks this year.

This is the full draft results as it happens live, with trades and other details also listed:

NBA DRAFT: Chris Duarte selected by Indiana Pacers with 13th overall pick

Chris Duarte landed with the Indiana pacers in the 2021 NBA Draft, giving him a chance to help get Nap-Town back into title contention.

For the third time in the past four years, an Oregon Ducks basketball player has been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Oregon star Chris Duarte kept that trend going on Thursday night when the Indiana Pacers drafted him with the 13th overall pick. As we expected, Duarte’s supreme summer that was filled with high-level workouts propelled him into the back-end of the draft lottery, which was not expected earlier in the spring.

Duarte is just the 6th Duck to be drafted in the first round this century, and just the third to do so since 2010. Now with the Pacers, Duarte will look to be a plug-and-play guard who can immediately contribute and look to help a young roster that is looking to get back into championship contention.

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