Tag: BJ Boston

2021 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Player comparisons and predicting all 60 picks

Who should the Houston Rockets select if they get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft?

While fans are now enjoying the NBA postseason, there are several teams that didn’t make the playoffs with full attention on the draft.

Now that the regular season and play-in tournament are both complete, the order is set for picks No. 15 to No. 60. However, we will have to wait until the lottery on June 22.

For more details on odds for when each team in the lottery will be on the clock, you can read this post by our own Charles Curtis.

Meanwhile, we also have a pretty clear idea of which prospects have opted to declare for the 2021 NBA draft. But any stragglers still have until May 30 to make their decision in order to be eligible for draft consideration.

Scouts and executives around the league will have an even better feel for this class come June 21, when the combine begins in Chicago.

After that, all those who hired either NCAA-certified agents or do not already have any representation have until July 19 to decide if they wish to remain in the class and forego their collegiate eligibility or return to school.

Until then, however, this is how we predict the two rounds of the 2021 NBA draft will shake out:

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Top 100 prospects pre-early entry deadline

As the NBA’s 2020-21 regular season nears its close, the league’s next wave of talent is preparing to take the great leap to become pros.

As the NBA’s 2020-21 regular season nears its close, the league’s next wave of talent is preparing to take the great leap to become pros.

Players have until the end of this month, May 30, to apply for entry into the 2021 NBA draft. They will then have until July 19 to determine whether or not they plan to stay in this class or (unless they hired an agent who does not have NCAA certification) return to school.

This is obviously an incredibly difficult decision and as the majority of early entry candidates have made their intentions public, those who are testing the waters are already weighing their options.

Fortunately, the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee (UAC) exists to help answer some of those questions.

The advisory committee, which began in 1997, offers feedback to prospects on their potential draft stock. As many prospects are facing pivotal decisions about their future, this kind of intel is incredibly important.

Players like Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert and Baylor’s Jared Butler both went through this process last season, likely were not satisfied with the results and opted to return. Now, after tremendous efforts last season, both are projected first-rounders.

These decisions have tremendous financial implications for these individuals as well. For example, even if Kispert or Butler went with the last pick in the first round in 2020, they would have likely earned a contract worth around $5 million over three years. This year, even if they went outside of the lottery at at No. 15 overall, that would be around $8.5 million.

With that in mind, for the latest version of For The Win’s 2021 NBA draft big board, I’ve provided my evaluation for the top prospects expected to be in the pre-draft process. Players excluded from this exercise were likely because the reporting suggests that they are going back to school.

Note that these decisions were fully based on where I would have each player ranked, not a projection, although various conversations with scouts as well as other talent evaluators around the league have factored into my evaluation.

Terrence Clarke, 19, dies after car accident in Los Angeles

Clarke had just announced earlier in the week that he had signed with Klutch Sports before the NBA Draft.

Terrence Clarke, a 19-year old freshman out of Kentucky, has died after being involved in a car accident on Thursday afternoon. Clarke had recently declared for the draft and had signed with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports for his representation. Clarke had hopes of being draft and was in Los Angeles to train for the upcoming draft later this summer.

Later on Thursday night, Paul released a statement to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski in which he confirmed the tragedy. Clarke’s mother was by his side. Paul also added in his statement that the Clarke family is praying for privacy at this time following an unspeakable tragedy.

Clarke had recently announced his joining Klutch Sports.

According to initial reports about the crash. the incident involving Clarke occurred after Clarke had finished a workout with fellow Klutch signee and Kentucky Wildcat, BJ Boston. Boston was not in the same car. Police say the crash happened at around 2:10 p.m. PT.

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Moses Moody, Jalen Johnson among prospects to sign with Klutch Sports

Moody and Johnson headlined the group of prospects that were signed by the Klutch Sports Group on Thursday.

Arkansas guard Moses Moody and Duke forward Jalen Johnson headlined the group of prospects that were signed by the Klutch Sports Group on Thursday, the agency announced.

In addition to Moody and Johnson, Texas forward Kai Jones, Kentucky players BJ Boston and Terrence Clark, and Florida guard Scottie Lewis also signed with Rich Paul-led group to form a talented haul of draft prospects this year.

Moody, Johnson and Jones each enter the pre-draft process projected by most to be lottery selections, while Boston is thought to be a late first-round pick. Meanwhile, Clark is believed to be a late second-rounder and Lewis is currently outside of the top 60 by most mocks.

Of course, the pre-draft rankings will change from now until the NBA draft on July 29. Prospects will conduct interviews and workouts with teams in the coming weeks while scouting events like the combine and NBA G League Elite Camp will return to help players improve their draft stock.

Klutch Sports has emerged as perhaps the top agency in the NBA given its All-Star clientele, headlined by LeBron James, Anthony Davis and John Wall among others. In 2020, the agency signed Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Klutch Sports: Former Sierra Canyon star BJ Boston signs with Klutch

Klutch Sports is already preparing for the upcoming draft by bringing on one of Bronny James’ former teammates.

While the Los Angeles Lakers will soon welcome back Anthony Davis to their lineup, Klutch Sports is preparing for yet another NBA Draft. On Wednesday afternoon, we learned more about the incoming Klutch class of 2021, which includes a familiar name for those who have followed the career of Bronny James.

Bronny’s former Sierra Canyon teammate, Brandon Boston Jr. (aka BJ), is one of the newest signees of Klutch Sports. Boston was a transfer to Sierra Canyon for his senior season, in which the Trail Blazers made it to the CIF Open Final before the coronavirus pandemic canceled their championship game. Boston is one of the players featured in the latest documentary series about Sierra Canyon, Top Class, which is available on Amazon Prime Video.

The signing of Boston is likely just the start of former Sierra Canyon stars choosing Klutch Sports as their representation in the near future. Stanford’s Ziaire Williams, who also was part of the 2019-20 Sierra Canyon squad, also recently declared for the draft.

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2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Checking in after March Madness

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Who has made the most significant improvements to their draft stock since our last update?

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Which prospects made the most significant improvements to their draft stock?

In order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, The Athletic, SB Nation and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Since our previous update last month, these are the players who have improved their stock and are trending up on mock drafts: Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Josh Giddey (Adelaide), Chris Duarte (Oregon), Miles McBride (West Virginia), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona), Kessler Edwards (Pepperdine), Trey Murphy (Virginia) and Neemias Queta (Utah State).

Some of the names that did not make the list last time but now appear among the Top 60 include Isaiah Todd (G League Ignite), Johnny Juzang (UCLA), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), RaiQuan Gray (Florida State), Santi Aldama (Loyola Maryland and Austin Reaves (Oklahoma).

Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

2021 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Latest updates after March Madness

Front offices have seen what some of the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.

Now that the NCAA tournament is in the rearview mirror, front offices have seen what the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.

With a new champion crowned, fans have seen the first wave of prospects declare early entry for the draft and forego the remainder of their collegiate eligibility. Others, meanwhile, are testing the waters to gain feedback from teams around the league as they decide whether or not to return to college.

Based on the general consensus learned thus far, now is a great time to offer an update since we last published a mock draft back in February.

The main difference from the big board that I published last month is that my mock also factors intel, team fit, front office evaluation philosophy and roster construction. For example, there are more international players included here because I’m projecting teams with surplus picks will select draft-and-stash players rather than roster four or five rookies next season.

This should act as a barometer for a player’s stock before pre-draft workouts, interviews and the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. As those factors come into the light over the next few months, expect some potentially significant changes.

This draft order, which factors in trades and pick protections, was pulled from the latest Tankathon update following the games on April 12.

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: Top prospects playing in March Madness

This includes some names to watch in the men’s tourney.

March Madness is set to begin, which means for college basketball fans, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also one of the busiest times for scouts and executives around the NBA.

Last season, the men’s NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, which makes the stakes even higher for those involved in this year’s event. It will be a fascinating few weeks of basketball, all unfolding in Indiana, and the games are sure to further illuminate who may be most worth targeting in the 2021 NBA Draft.

But in addition to the spotlight of college basketball fully underway, we have now also seen the entirety of the 2021 G League season. That included the inaugural campaign for the Ignite, a pathway to the NBA for top talents who sought an alternative to the NCAA. Their exciting playoff run taught us more about prospects including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

So with those results in mind, and with the college basketball postseason on the horizon, we have ranked the Top 100 prospects most likely set to make the jump to the NBA next season.

Our methodology for the rankings includes conversations with folks around the league, learning the general consensus surrounding a player, as well as a deep dive into stats and game film.

To put everything in perspective, we have also included everyone’s previous ranks from our last update, published on Jan. 22. This helps show whether a player is trending up or trending down and also helps illuminate how much can change in just two months of action.

As the madness begins during the men’s NCAA Tournament, follow along to see how these players are performing, as many will make a case to move up or down once the nets are cut on Apr. 5, 2021.

Why aren’t Duke and Kentucky playing in the NCAA tournament?

For the first time since 1976, the NCAA tournament will not include appearances from either the Duke Blue Devils or the Kentucky Wildcats.

For the first time since 1976, the NCAA tournament will not include appearances from either the Duke Blue Devils or the Kentucky Wildcats.

March Madness will look different without these two programs, which together compose the largest share of the talent pool in the NBA. Both had incredibly disappointing campaigns in 2020-21 and neither gained any of the momentum necessary to receive invitations to the tournament.

So how did both Duke and Kentucky fail to earn a trip to March Madness?

DUKE

Duke began the season ranked No. 9 in the nation but the success never materialized on the floor. They returned just four players from last season, losing the rest either to the pros or the transfer portal.

Meanwhile, consensus five-star recruit Jalen Johnson suffered a foot injury early into his freshman season and ultimately decided to focus on his NBA career. The team struggled on the defensive side of the floor and was never able to separate themselves as a legitimate threat.

Duke’s disappointing 2020-21 campaign (13-11) included three different three-game losing streaks, including back-to-back overtime heartbreakers in two of their final regular-season appearances.

The Blue Devils last missed a tournament in 1995, a season in which coach Mike Krzyzewski was largely absent due to a back injury. Their streak, which was extended over 24 seasons, was the third-longest among all NCAA teams.

Despite a middling record, Duke could have earned an automatic bid to the big dance if they were able to win the ACC tournament in Greensboro, N.C. After winning their first two games, the Blue Devils were set to play in the quarterfinals against Florida State.

After one of their walk-on players tested positive for COVID-19, the school announced on Thursday morning, the program was forced to bow out for the remainder of the games.

While the Blue Devils were still eligible for an at-large bid, the committee ultimately decided that the invitation was better suited for a team with less of a middling performance on the season.

KENTUCKY

Kentucky, a college basketball powerhouse that consistently produces NBA-caliber talent, also did not receive an invitation to the tournament. This was only the second time that the Wildcats were excluded since head coach John Calipari was hired in 2009.

Quite simply, this was a particularly young and inexperienced squad for the Wildcats (9-16) that never gelled on the floor. That reared its head early as Kentucky lost six of their first seven games on the season.

In fairness, this team returned just 7.6 percent of minutes from last season, far and away one of the lowest marks in the nation. The program also lost longtime assistant coach Kenny Payne, who was hired as an assistant for the New York Knicks.

Calipari was heavily relying on productivity from freshmen like BJ Boston, who was a preseason projected lottery pick. Boston, however, never made an impact for the Wildcats and was held scoreless when they were eliminated in the first round of the SEC tournament.

Kentucky also received just eight games from Terrence Clarke, a consensus five-star recruit who was widely considered a first-round talent as well, who was oft-injured.

Outside of promising defensive potential from freshman Isaiah Jackson, there was very little worth celebrating during this season for the Wildcats.

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2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Checking in before March Madness

Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?

Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?

These are the kind of questions that many basketball fans are asking right now, especially if their favorite team is projected to have a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

Now that the NCAA tournament is on the horizon, and as the G League Ignite’s first year nears the end of the regular season, players have started separating themselves as potential top picks.

So in order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, The Athletic and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Since our last update back in December, these are the players who have improved the most: Kai Jones (Texas), Sharife Cooper (Auburn), Taevion Kinsey (Marshall), Moses Moody (Arkansas), Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga), Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Nah’shon Hyland (VCU) and Corey Kispert (Gonzaga).

Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report