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Oregon guard Payton Pritchard will enter the NBA draft projected by most to be a second-round pick on Nov. 18. However, the Pac-12 Player of the Year may hear his name called in the first round, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
Pritchard has had a strong showing during the pre-draft process and apparently has teams considering taking him earlier than expected. According to the report, there are even “whispers” about a possible first-round promise made to Pritchard.
Point guard Payton Pritchard has fans in NBA front offices, and some may be willing to use a first-round pick to get him. A league source told Bleacher Report there are whispers about a possible promise made to Pritchard.
The 22-year-old averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals last season as a senior. He shot 46.8% from the field, including 41.5% from 3-point range on 6.8 attempts per game. He has proven to be a winner to this point of his career and that likely appeals to teams around the NBA.
Teams looking to take Pritchard in the first round may believe that he is ready to contribute now and that could make him a viable option off the bench. He has the skill set that projects to translate to the next level and that could be intriguing enough for a team to take him in the first round.
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