Tag: 2024 NBA Draft

Former Wake Forest forward Bobi Klintman to play 2023-24 season in NBL

Former Wake Forest forward Bobi Klintman has signed to play next season with the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League.

Former Wake Forest forward Bobi Klintman has signed a contract to play the 2023-24 season with the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League, the team announced.

Klintman, who was born in Malmo, Sweden, withdrew from the 2023 NBA draft ahead of the 5 p.m. EDT deadline on Monday. He was considered a potential first-round pick after a solid freshman campaign but opted to play abroad for one year in the NBL.

He signed with the Taipans as part of the Next Stars program, a plan introduced by the NBL to give top prospects a way to play professionally. Players such LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, Ousmane Dieng and RJ Hampton, have also utilized the program.

The 6-foot-10 Klintman averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds on 36.8% shooting from 3-point range last season. He became the first Wake Forest freshman since Tim Duncan in 1994 to record a double-double in the ACC Tournament (17 points, 11 rebounds).

The decision to play in the NBL was likely made to further develop and improve his draft stock for next year when he could be a lottery pick. The league boasts several former NBA players, which should help prepare Klintman for the next level.

The Taipans have had several notable players in the past, including Torrey Craig, Tony Mitchell and Scottie Wilbekin. The group is coached by Australian Adam Forde and has also signed Taran Armstrong, Bul Kuol, Tahjere McCall and Sam Waardenburg for next season.

They will tip off the 2023-24 season on Sept. 30.

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Player of the Year Zach Edey will return to Purdue, withdraw from draft

Edey was the Player of the Year and a consensus All-American last season after averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.

Purdue center Zach Edey announced Wednesday on social media that he will withdraw from the 2023 NBA draft and return to the Boilermakers for his senior year.

Edey was the Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American last season after averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks on 60.7% shooting from the field. He became the first player in history to record 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists in a season.

The 7-foot-4 Edey became the second player to lead the conference in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage. He is one of nine players to accomplish that feat in a major conference and the first since Blake Griffin in 2009.

Edey initially declared for the draft on April 18 while retaining his college eligibility. He met with teams to gain feedback on his draft stock and opted to come back after testing the process over the past month and a half.

He was most commonly projected to be a late second-round pick this year. The decision to stay in school will enable him to work on his game and improve his draft positioning ahead of 2024, which is thought to be a weaker class.

With Edey back, the Boilermakers project to be one of the top teams in the country entering the preseason and a likely favorite in the NCAA Tournament.

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5-star prospect Ron Holland to sign with G League Ignite next season

The No. 2 prospect originally committed to play with Texas in November but reversed course in late April.

Five-star prospect Ron Holland will reportedly sign with the G League Ignite for the 2023-24 season, according to Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi of ESPN.

Holland, the No. 2 prospect in the class of 2023, originally committed to play with Texas in November. He reversed course on that decision and opened up his recruitment again in late April and was recently released from his letter of intent.

The 6-foot-8 forward established himself as one of the top players in the country at Duncanville High School in Texas. He also emerged as a standout in the McDonald’s All-American Game (11 points) and Nike Hoop Summit with USA Basketball (15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists).

Holland becomes the sixth prospect to join the Ignite for next season, joining Matas Buzelis, Thierry Darlan, London Johnson, Dink Pate and Babacar Sane. He was also being recruited by Arkansas, Kansas and Kentucky among other programs.

The 18-year-old competed in the 2022 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup and 2021 FIBA U16 Americas Championship, leading the Americans to the gold medal. He averaged 15.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 13 games across both events.

The stated goal of the Ignite is to provide development opportunities for the top prospects looking to play professionally. The team, which is coached by Jason Hart, started playing a full, 50-game schedule in the G League this past season.

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Potential 2024 No. 1 pick Matas Buzelis signs with G League Ignite

Buzelis was named the Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year last season at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.

Matas Buzelis, a consensus five-star prospect from Chicago, Illinois, on Wednesday signed a contract to play with the G League Ignite for the 2023-24 season, the league announced.

The news was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Buzelis, whose parents are from Lithuania, was named the Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year in Kansas last season. He led the Sunrise Christian Academy to the Final Four of the GEICO Nationals after averaging 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks on 43.1% shooting from 3-point range.

The 6-foot-10 forward was named the Most Valuable Player of the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp at NBA All-Star Weekend in February and competed in the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game in March. He was also selected to the World Team at the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit (Lithuania).

Buzelis is the fifth-ranked prospect in the class of 2023 and is viewed as the front-runner to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft next year. He has a great blend of size and ballhandling skills that should translate well to the next level.

The 18-year-old is the fifth prospect to commit to the Ignite next season, joining Thierry Darlan, London Johnson, Dink Pate and Babacar Sane. He chose the pro route over programs such as Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA.

The stated goal of the Ignite is to provide development opportunities for the top prospects looking to play professionally. The team, which is coached by Jason Hart, started playing a full, 50-game schedule in the G League this past season.

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Adem Bona to withdraw from draft, return to UCLA for sophomore year

The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year was considered a potential second-round pick in the draft.

UCLA forward Adem Bona on Wednesday told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he will withdraw from the 2023 NBA draft and return to school for his sophomore year.

Bona, who was born in Nigeria, was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year after averaging 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks on 67.5% shooting from the field. He ranked second in the conference in field-goal percentage and fourth in blocks.

The 6-foot-10 Bona was among the players invited to the draft combine in May in Chicago, Illinois. He did not participate in on-court testing after undergoing shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum suffered in the conference tournament.

He is expected to make a full recovery by October.

Bona opted to return, in part, because of his injury. He was viewed as a potential second-round pick this year but didn’t have the opportunity to improve his stock in team workouts or at the combine. He will spend next season working on his game with the goal of becoming a first-round pick.

He had until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday to withdraw from the draft.

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Grant Nelson to transfer from NDSU after testing pre-draft process

Nelson was considered a potential second-round pick but will ultimately return to college to improve his draft stock next year.

Junior Grant Nelson will reportedly withdraw from the 2023 NBA draft and transfer from North Dakota State University, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

Nelson declared for the draft as an early entrant prospect while also entering the transfer portal. He was focused on the pre-draft process and was among the players invited to compete in the draft combine earlier this month in Chicago, Illinois.

The 6-foot-11 forward was considered a potential second-round pick but will return to college in order to improve his draft stock next year. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in two scrimmage games at the combine.

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Nelson, who was named to the All-Summit League first team, averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 blocks on 52.1% shooting from the field this past season. He led the conference in rebounding and field-goal percentage and was third in blocked shots (50).

He emerged as a tremendous scorer with the Bison. He can work from all over the court and has the ability to handle the ball in transition and get to the basket. He threw down a number of highlight-reel dunks given his burst and power in the paint.

Nelson has reportedly heard from several programs, including Arkansas, Gonzaga, Houston, Kentucky, Miami and UCF. The opportunity to transfer to a major conference should ensure his draft stock rises over the next season as he is expected to be the top target in the portal.

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Alabama guard Mark Sears to withdraw from draft, return for senior year

Sears was among the prospects invited to the G League Elite Camp earlier this month.

Alabama guard Mark Sears announced Tuesday on social media that he will withdraw from the 2023 NBA draft and return to the program for his senior season.

Sears declared for the draft in April with the option to return to school. He was among the prospects invited to the G League Elite Camp earlier this month and averaged 10.5 points, four assists, 2.5 rebounds and one steal in two scrimmage games.

Despite a strong showing in the pre-draft process, Sears wasn’t projected to be selected this year by most mock drafts. He now has the opportunity to return to school and continue to work on his game ahead of the draft next year.

Sears was named to the All-SEC second team after averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals on 34.5% shooting from 3-point range this past season. He ranked third in the conference in free-throw percentage (84.4).

The return of Sears will be a welcome addition to the roster for a Crimson Tide team that advanced to the Sweet 16 last season. The group lost Brandon Miller, Charles Bediako and Noah Clowney to the draft and others in the transfer portal.

Sears had until Wednesday to withdraw from the draft.

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Ole Miss’ Matthew Murrell to withdraw from draft, return for senior year

Murrell averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 assists in 30 games last season with the Rebels.

Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell on Tuesday told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he will withdraw from the 2023 NBA draft and return to school for his senior year.

Murrell declared for the draft on April 6 with the option to return to school. He was among the prospects that competed in the G League Elite Camp earlier this month, averaging 6.5 points, two rebounds and 1.5 assists in two scrimmage games.

He recorded the highest max vertical jump at the event (41.5 inches).

The 6-foot-4 Murrell posted averages of 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 assists on 36.5% shooting from the field in 30 games last season. He led the team in scoring, assists and 3s (62), and was second in the SEC in minutes per game (34.4).

With Murrell back, the Rebels retain a key player for new head coach Chris Beard. The team also returned Jaemyn Brakefield and added Moussa Cisse, Brandon Murray and Jamarion Sharp through the transfer portal.

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Ryan Kalkbrenner to withdraw from NBA draft, return to Creighton

Kalkbrenner was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.

Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner announced Monday on social media that he will withdraw from the 2023 NBA draft and return to school for his senior season.

Kalkbrenner was among the prospects that competed in the draft combine earlier this month in Chicago, Illinois. He also participated in pre-draft workouts and was said to have visited with the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls among others.

The 7-footer was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight time this past season after averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.2 assists. He ranked third in the country in field-goal percentage (69.5) and 15th in blocks (72).

Kalkbrenner was viewed as a potential second-round pick this year. The decision to return to school likely came after gaining feedback from teams throughout the pre-draft process. He had until Wednesday to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

With Kalkbrenner back in the fold, the Bluejays figure to be one of the top teams in the country and a favorite to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year.

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Auburn forward Johni Broome announces draft decision ahead of deadline

Auburn junior Johni Broome announced on Monday that he has withdrawn from the 2023 NBA draft.

Auburn junior Johni Broome announced Monday on social media that he has withdrawn from the 2023 NBA draft and will return to school for his senior year.

Broome left the door open to return to school when he declared for the draft in April. He competed in the G League Elite Camp this month and was among the eight standouts from the event that were invited to the draft combine.

Despite a strong pre-draft process, Broome wasn’t projected to be selected by most mock drafts. The decision to return to the Tigers likely came after gaining feedback from teams throughout the pre-draft process.

He had until Wednesday to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

Broome, who led the Tigers in scoring, was named to the All-SEC second team after averaging 14.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.3 assists on 52.7% shooting from the field. He ranked 10th in the country in blocks per game.

With Broome back in the fold, the Tigers figure to be among the favorites in the conference and are looking to make their third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

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