Live tracker: Here is where the top undrafted free agents have signed

The 2021 NBA draft has come and gone but the draft cycle still continues for a bit longer as the undrafted free agents find their new homes.

The 2021 NBA draft has come and gone but the draft cycle still continues for a bit longer as the undrafted free agents find their new homes.

While the following prospects didn’t get to hear their name called by the commissioner or deputy commissioner on Thursday night, they can find solace in the fact that their path to the pros is far from over. It’s not unheard of for an undrafted free agent to carve out a role for themselves in the NBA.

Some notable names, including Gonzaga’s Joel Ayayi and G League Ignite’s Daishen Nix, will join the fraternity of undrafted basketball players who hope to still make a name for themselves in the NBA.

Here is where the best remaining prospects have landed so far, according to reports:

A roundup of NBA sleepers draft analysts are higher on than others

Who owns the most real estate on Davion Mitchell Island? Who is buying stock in Sharife Cooper?

Everyone loves Cade Cunningham. It’s not a hot take for an analyst to say that Cunningham is their favorite player in the class. That’s not particularly interesting to read, either.

But what is fascinating, however, is when an analyst deviates from the norm and ranks someone significantly higher than where the prospect falls in other rankings. What does that tell us about their individual scouting process and what they value? Further, what does that tell us about the potential draftee?

Some folks call it “buying stock” in a player. Others, like ESPN’s Zach Lowe or The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, call it owning real estate on a player’s island. I like to refer to it as a “draft crush” when I wind up higher than consensus in my evaluation of a player.

My process is ridiculously tedious but the results can be fairly useful. I’ve tracked the evolution of more than sixty unique mock drafts, big boards and draft models from trusted analysts and popular accounts on Twitter.

Each placement is assigned a value based on Kevin Pelton’s draft pick trade value chart. I do this because, as Pelton notes, the difference in relative value between the No. 5 overall pick and the No. 7 overall is much more stark than, say, that of the No. 45 pick and the No. 47 pick.

After composing an aggregate score based on each ranking, I can see where each analyst strays from the pack.

I’ll leave the conclusions drawn from these results up to the reader. But if nothing else, this can eventually be used as a bragging point if one writer was higher than consensus on a draftee who eventually ends up outperforming his draft position.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 7.0: Ranking the full class of prospects

The 2021 NBA draft is less than a week away and we finally have an idea of who is in — and who has withdrawn — from the class.

The 2021 NBA draft is less than a week away and we finally have an idea of who is in – and who has withdrawn – from the class.

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

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Since our previous update last month, some of the players with the most positive momentum include Quentin Grimes, Joe Wieskamp, Vrenz Bleijenbergh, Aaron Wiggins, Justin Champagnie, Jericho Sims, Jason Preston, Josh Primo, Neemias Queta, Trey Murphy and Bones Hyland.

Among players who ranked on our previous update who have since withdrawn from the draft include Roko Prkacin (32), Marcus Bagley (39), Terrence Shannon (48), Ariel Hukporti (50), Max Abmas (53), Johnny Juzang (54), Jordan Hall (66), Carlos Alocen (69) and Ochai Agbaji (75).

The most notable omissions who remain in this class but not these rankings are Yves Pons, Scottie Lewis, Jay Huff, Marcus Zegarowski, Aamir Simms, Dalano Banton, Matt Mitchell, Jose Alvarado, Carlik Jones, Derrick Alston Jr., Romeo Weems, Balsa Koprivica, Chaundee Brown, Isaiah Miller, Jordan Schakel and D.J. Carton.

Note that for the offensive roles, we borrowed a fun idea from Todd Whitehead (formerly of Nylon Calculus) with help from our friends at Bball-Index.com to create a slightly tweaked formula from the version they use.

The goal of that is not to explain how well a player scores but rather offer context for the way that he was used on his most recent team. This should help you predict how he might be used at the next level.

Meanwhile, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell and Duane Washington invited to NBA G League Elite Camp

E.J. Liddell and Duane Washington will have the opportunity to impress scouts at the NBA G League Elite Camp this weekend.

Earlier this year, the Ohio State basketball team’s two top players decided to enter their names in the NBA draft, but retain their eligibility. E.J. Liddell and Duane Washington Jr. both decided to test the waters and see if it would make sense for them to enter the draft this year or come back for another run in Columbus.

Both Liddell and Washington will take another step in making that ultimate decision as each has been invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp. Only 40 potential draft-eligible players have been given an invitation. The camp begins this Saturday, June 19, in Chicago where players will have the opportunity to showcase their skills.

Players who perform well at the G League Elite Camp will be invited to the 2021 NBA draft combine. This will be a good gauge for Liddell and Washington as they consider their options for the future.

Former Ohio State guard D.J. Carton, who transferred to Marquette last season, has also been invited to the elite camp.

Other Big Ten names who will be in Chicago this weekend to try and impress scouts are Michigan’s Hunter Dickenson, Mike Smith, and Chaundee Brown, Minnesota’s Marcus Carr, Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn, and Maryland’s Aaron Wiggins.

 

Ohio State basketball way-too-early projected starting lineup, key players for 2021-2022

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D.J. Carton receives waiver from NCAA, immediately eligible at Marquette

Former Ohio State guard D.J. Carton has received a waiver from the NCAA to be immediately eligible at Marquette.

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Former Ohio State guard D.J. Carton has received a waiver from the NCAA to be immediately eligible at Marquette. Carton took some time away from the OSU program to focus on his mental health, then entered the transfer portal and made the decision to transfer after the season ended, eventually landing with the Golden Eagles.

Under current NCAA transfer rules, any undergraduate must sit out a year before being eligible to play unless the player petitions the NCAA for an exception. The process can sometimes be rather lengthy, but in the case of the former high four-star recruit out of Bettendorf, Iowa, it took just a little over two months from the time he transferred to receiving the good news.

After playing most of his freshman year at Ohio State, Carton will have three years remaining at Marquette if he decides to use them all. He averaged 10.4 points, three assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game.

D.J. Carton to transfer to Marquette

Former Ohio State guard D.J. Carton announced his decision to transfer to Marquette on Thursday.

It’s official. Former Ohio State guard D.J. Carton has announced a transfer to Marquette.

We haven’t heard a whole lot from the 6-foot, 2-inch former five-star recruit ever since he announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal about three weeks ago. However, there were clearly some conversations going on behind the scenes that led to Carton announcing his decision via his Twitter profile Wednesday.

Carton came to Columbus with huge expectations. He was one of the most highly recruited guards to come out of High School in the 2020 class. He showed flashes of the athleticism and skill that had the coaching staff at Ohio State so excited, but he struggled with some consistency during his freshman campaign.

Halfway through the Big Ten schedule, Carton decided to take a leave of absence to work on his mental health, and finished away from the team through the stretch run. He then announced his intention to transfer after the season ended.

During his one year with the Buckeyes, Carton averaged 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 23.9 minutes of play.

He’ll now how a fresh start closer to home with the Golden Eagles.

D.J. Carton to enter transfer portal, leave Ohio State

Ohio State freshman point guard DJ Carton will be entering the transfer portal and moving on from the program.

Freshman sensation D.J. Carton has entered the transfer portal and will be moving on from Ohio State, the university announced Thursday.

The 6-2, 190 lb. point guard came to Columbus with a ton of hype. He had some ups and downs during his freshman campaign but had more than enough moments of flashing his potential in a Buckeye uniform.

Carton decided to take a leave of absence however on January 30 due to a focus on his mental health. After going home to Iowa to get the help needed, Carton returned to Columbus but had several hurdles to clear before getting back on the court.

Now, it appears that will no longer happen.

“We 100% support D.J. in this decision and we genuinely wish him all the best moving forward,” said Chris Holtmann in a statement. “We appreciate all he contributed to our program. We will assist him in any way we can.”

Shortly after the news broke, Carton released his own statement on Twitter confirming the decision.

Mental illness is no joke, and everyone should support the decision that is right for Carton and his family. Buckeye Nation wishes him well in whatever comes next. Once a Buckeye …

 

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D.J. Carton to return to Ohio State, still working on health before basketball activities

Ohio State guard D.J. Carton is returning to Ohio State, but is not yet cleared for basketball activities per the Columbus Dispatch.

According to the Columbus Dispatch (subscription required), Ohio State freshman guard D.J. Carton will be returning to Columbus to get reacclimated to the college life. He has been on leave to take care of his mental health with no timetable (and rightfully so) for his return.

There are still plenty of things to go through to make sure he re-enters back to being a college student the right way. And that means he has yet to be cleared to rejoin the basketball team.

Chris Holtmann was asked about Carton Wednesday on the eve of Ohio State traveling to take on Iowa, the state in which Carton is from and where he has been getting treatment for his mental health.

The Ohio State head coach let everyone know that getting the freshman back to solid health is the priority, and that he won’t be rushed back to the basketball court.

“I would say, as it pertains to him, I’m hopeful that we can get him on a path toward improved health. That’s the only priority,” said Holtmann. “Obviously we’re late in the season, so you can draw your own conclusions on that. It’s late in the year. He’s been away for a while. If and when he returns, when you leave for medical reasons — there’s a lot that goes into being in any way — really even outside of our hands, acclimated back into any type of organized activity.”

That’s exactly where things should — and need to be — with the situation surrounding Carton, but at least there’s the first step of getting back to Columbus.

Whether or not the freshman guard that came in with so much fanfare will get back on the court this year remains to be seen, but at least this appears to be a positive step in his treatment and recovery.

 

Chris Holtmann provides update on D.J. Carton, will not be with team for Iowa

Ohio State is headed to the home state of D.J. Carton for a game against Iowa. There are no plans for the OSU guard to make an appearance.

Chris Holtmann met with the media in Columbus today ahead of the game at Iowa Thursday. The game is an away one, taking place in the home state of guard D.J. Carton, who is rightfully taking some time there to deal with his mental health. Holtmann was specifically asked if Carton would be making an appearance at the game with it being in his home state.

“I think there’s a lot that has to happen before that’s even in the conversation, medically and in terms of overall health,” Holtmann told the media Wednesday. “That’s not even in consideration.”

Holtmann has been a staunch supporter of Carton getting the help he needs and has reiterated that the talented freshman is still very much a part of the program. Still, it appears as though things are still somewhat up in the air as far as when he’ll be back with the team.

“I would say, as it pertains to him, I’m hopeful that we can get him on a path toward improved health. That’s the only priority,” said Holtmann. “Obviously we’re late in the season, so you can draw your own conclusions on that. It’s late in the year. He’s been away for a while. If and when he returns, when you leave for medical reasons — there’s a lot that goes into being in any way — really even outside of our hands, acclimated back into any type of organized activity.”

For now, all Ohio State fans and coaches wish Carton well, and should understand that a young man’s health comes first, meaning rushing things will do nobody any good. It definitely doesn’t do the Bettendorf, Iowa product any favors.

We’ll continue to stay on top of how Carton is doing as it becomes available, but the priority is still his health first and foremost. As it should be.

 

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Chris Holtmann refreshingly comes to defense of mental health after Indiana game

Ohio State got a big win over Indiana Saturday, but that wasn’t the first thing on Holtmann’s mind after the game. It was on mental health.

The Ohio State basketball team got a much-needed win over Indiana at home Saturday. It was another sign that the Buckeye basketball team has started to figure some things out after a midseason swoon. Two wins in a row and suddenly OSU is moving further away from bubble territory. It had to feel good for head coach Chris Holmann.

But that’s not what he wanted to talk about as he sat down in the postgame press conference. Instead, he went right into the reaction of guard D.J. Carton’s decision to take time away from the program to focus on his mental health. And it was a long statement right out of the gate. One in which Holtmann seemed intent on delivering.

“I want to begin here by thanking our fans for their support of D.J. in his pursuit of mental health, overall health,” Holtmann said. “The wide, vast majority of our fans I know are so unbelievably supportive of him in that — and I just want to thank our fan base for that. For the rare few that tweeted at me this is somehow the reflection of our program, reflection on me personally — guilty, guilty. So be it. You can take your antiquated thinking somewhere else.”

Holtmann then continued to explain the emphasis his program and Ohio State in general, will put on the players’ health and well-being going forward.

“There is nothing, nothing more important in our program than our players’ physical, mental health and overall growth,” said Holtmann. “Nothing. And that will always be the case. There’s not a game — there’s nothing. And if it’s somehow a reflection, I think we all know that’s wrong. I really appreciate the overall kind of overwhelming support for a young man in his pursuit of this, and I know he does too.”

“Our staff here, our medical staff, this university is comprehensive in its care of our players physical and mental. Comprehensive. I’ve never seen anything like it. I think we’re on the cutting edge in a lot of ways in terms of our staffing, our willingness to deal with our players’ issues, and it’s a day and age where we see this more and more, particularly in this age group and particularly with student-athletes.”

Here’s Holtmann addressing the situation head-on. You can watch yourself thanks to the Big Ten Network’s Twitter feed.

You tell ’em Chris. It’s so refreshing in today’s day and age for a coach and athletic department to be so supportive of a kid that was brave enough to put himself out there, knowing the stigma attached to doing such a thing by a high-profile male athlete.

I have to say, though I haven’t covered Ohio State athletics as long as other colleagues, I’ve never been more proud to be associated with the OSU program, albeit as just someone that writes stories that don’t mean nearly as much as what we’re talking about here.

And for that minority group Holtmann is talking about that sees this as a negative — shame on you. Shame on your win at all costs judgemental attitudes. If you’ve lived with mental illness (as I have and currently still do), you know that it can be a very dark place. It can also come out of nowhere for seemingly no reason.

The bottom line is that we should all applaud how Holtmann and Ohio State have handled a young man in need. We wish Carton well and so should you. If he makes it back on the court soon, then great. If not, there are things more important, such as life itself.

Get better Carton, and good on you Ohio State for putting more emphasis on helping a young man who needs embracing as opposed to the alternative.