Tag: Jordan Hawkins

Gradey Dick, Jordan Hawkins named ideal Bulls draft trade targets

The 2023 NBA Draft is upon us, and while the Chicago Bulls don’t have a pick, they should be looking to add one.

It has been well-documented that the Chicago Bulls don’t currently own a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. They traded their first to the Orlando Magic in the Nikola Vucevic deal, they traded one of the seconds they could have had in another deal, and their other second was stripped of them after they broke tampering rules when signing Lonzo Ball.

That being said, the Bulls desperately need young talent. Their roster is stuck in the middle, and without an infusion of youth, their future could look bleaker than it already does. Sam Smith of NBA.com recently broke down the possibility of trading into the draft, including some potential targets.

Smith suggested the fourth, seventh, and 10th picks as potential selections for the Bulls to trade into, tabbing Kansas wing Grady Dick and UConn guard Jordan Hawkins as possible targets.

“The Bulls have veterans and depth and it wouldn’t be inconceivable for them to make a deal given the personnel creativity Arturas Karnišovas showed during 2021 free agency,” Smith wrote. “And if not a point guard, perhaps a big time knockdown shooter like Kansas Gradey Dick or Connecticut’s Jordan Hawkins. While point guard remains the offseason priority, the Bulls probably need shooting even more the way the NBA these days is almost defined by who makes the most threes. Miami’s remarkable run to the Finals was based in large part on outshooting opponents from deep.”

Drafting either Dick or Hawkins would help solve Chicago’s desperate need for three-point shooting, as well as give them a nice young prospect to develop moving forward.

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Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson headline players invited to NBA draft green room

The top prospects are beginning to receive invitations to attend the 2023 NBA draft from the green room at Barclays Center.

With less than two weeks to go until the 2023 NBA draft, the top prospects are receiving invitations to attend the festivities in the green room at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Teams each year vote on the players they believe will be drafted early, typically the top 20-25 prospects. Last year, 24 players were invited to the green room and only one player wasn’t drafted in the first round (Jaden Hardy).

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The first two batches of invitations have been dispatched to prospects with 19 players on the initial lists, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. There will likely be at least one more group invited based on teams’ final rankings and player availability.

Here is the list of players invited to the draft green room.

Last Update: June 13, 5:15 p.m. EDT

2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: 58 projections after the early entry withdrawal deadline

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline.

The NBA pre-draft process crossed another important checkpoint on the schedule with the early entry withdrawal deadline coming and going this week.

Prospects had the opportunity to test the waters and meet with teams to gain feedback on their potential draft stock. To maintain their remaining college eligibility, they had to withdraw from consideration by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

The deadline saw several potential second-round picks withdraw from the draft and return to school. With name, image and likeness playing a prevalent role in college basketball, players were likely swayed to stay one more year to work on their games and capitalize financially.

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The 2024 draft is also projected to be weaker than in past years, which also may have played a role in some players opting against turning pro. They likely believe they will have a greater chance of being a first-round pick next year.

With several players off the board, teams can prioritize workouts and interviews with those individuals remaining in the draft. As a result, players’ stock will continue to fluctuate with less than three weeks to go until the draft.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline. Team needs were taken into consideration for these picks.

2023 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: The latest projections after the draft lottery

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the lottery.

The order of the 2023 NBA draft was decided this week by the lottery, and the San Antonio Spurs received the No. 1 pick for the third time in franchise history.

Of course, that means the Spurs will have the first opportunity to select 7-foot-4 French phenom Victor Wembanyama. They are apparently the team he had his sights set on, and he will now likely look to continue his basketball journey in San Antonio.

Elsewhere, Charlotte and Portland made jumps in their lottery positioning, and they now have more options to consider on draft night. Detroit dropped the furthest from No. 1 by virtue of having the worst record to No. 5.

With the order set, teams will ramp up their draft preparations.

This week, the league converged in Chicago for the G League Elite Camp and draft combine. Though many prospects skipped the 5-on-5 scrimmages and other testing, several seemingly helped themselves with great showings on the court.

Teams will continue to prioritize seeing those individuals that declared as early entrants since the deadline for them to return to school is May 31. Several prospects will have tough decisions to make in the coming days but should have more clarity after the combine.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the lottery. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

UConn draft prospect Jordan Hawkins mentions Klay Thompson as a player he models his game after

When talking about players he models his game after, March Madness hero Jordan Hawkins mentioned a member of the Warriors.

Jordan Hawkins, one of the heroes of UConn’s run to an national title during March Madness is preparing for the draft at the NBA draft combine in Chicago this week.

While at the combine, Hawkins was asked about NBA players who he models his game after. When answering, the 6-foot-6 guard mentioned a member of the Golden State Warriors. Hawkins told reporters he models his game after Klay Thompson.

The newly crowned national champ also mentioned Miami’s Max Strus and Tyler Herro along with UConn legends Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton.

Via @AdamZagoria on Twitter:

In his final season at UConn, Hawkins helped lead the Huskies with 16.2 points per game on 40.9% shooting from the field and 38.8% from beyond the arc. Hawkins added 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29.4 minutes per game.

During the Huskies run to the title in the NCAA tournament, Hawkins tallied double-figure scoring numbers in every game, including a 20 point performance with six made triples against Gonzaga in the Elite Eight.

The NBA draft is set for Tuesday, June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Jordan Hawkins confirms he met with Thunder in pre-draft visit

“I think they have a promising future.”

The 2023 NBA draft lottery is officially over, as it confirmed the Oklahoma City Thunder will pick No. 12 in the first round of the draft.

It’s also draft combine week, which means all of the top prospects are gathered in Chicago, Ill. This means that most players will likely be asked who they’ve worked out and met with so far.

Add Connecticut guard Jordan Hawkins to the list, as he confirmed in his media availability he visited the Thunder in a pre-draft visit, per CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone.

When asked about the Thunder, Hawkins was very complimentary of their young core, pointing out their young backcourt led by an All-NBA First Team player.

“Great team. They got a lot of young talent. Josh Giddey is a great, great basketball player (and) great passer. Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) is Shai. I think it’ll be a great team and great fit,” Hawkins said. “I think they have a promising future.”

The 21-year-old spent two college seasons at UConn. In 37 games last season, he averaged 16.2 points on 40.9% shooting, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists. From 3, he shot 38.8% on 7.6 attempts.

There’s an outside shot Hawkins is available at No. 12, but in all likelihood, the Thunder would need to trade up a couple of spots to fully secure him if they intend to draft him.

The 2023 NBA draft is scheduled to happen on Thursday, June 22. A full list of prospects who’ve met with the Thunder can be read here.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Projections for every pick post-March Madness

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the NCAA Tournament.

The NBA pre-draft process is in full swing as prospects around the world prepare to transition to the next level.

Teams around the league will begin hosting private workouts in the coming weeks as they finalize their draft boards. There will be various pro days on the radar and, of course, the draft combine and G League Elite Camp next month in Chicago, Illinois.

Underclassmen have until April 23 to declare for the draft. Several notable players have already decided to return to school, including Kyle Filipowski, Harrison Ingram, Baylor Scheierman and Kel’el Ware. Others are still mulling over their decisions.

Related: Key dates for NBA draft, combine, lottery and deadlines

With players still in the process of making decisions, some prospects were excluded from this mock draft because they are projected to return to school next season. However, most players projected to be drafted have already announced their decisions.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the NCAA Tournament. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

Note: The order of the draft was pulled from Tankathon as of April 14. The draft will have only 58 picks this year because the Bulls and 76ers were stripped of their second-round picks by the NBA due to tampering violations.

UConn’s Jordan Hawkins announces NBA draft decision on ESPN

Hawkins helped lead the Huskies to their fifth national title after averaging 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

UConn sophomore Jordan Hawkins announced Friday on ESPN’s “NBA Today” that he will forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2023 NBA draft.

Hawkins was named to the All-Big East first team after averaging 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 38.8% shooting from 3-point range. His 109 3-pointers were the second-most in a season by a Huskies player, trailing only Ray Allen’s 115 in the 1995-96 season.

The 6-foot-5 guard helped lead the Huskies to their fifth national title with a sensational run in the NCAA Tournament. He was honored on the All-Tournament team after averaging 16.3 points on 50% shooting from 3-point range in their six games.

He was the third Huskies player to hit at least 20 3s in a tournament run.

Hawkins is widely projected to be a first-round pick. He is regarded as perhaps the best shooter in the draft this year after finishing 12th in the country in 3s. From shooting on the move to coming off screens, Hawkins’ game fits perfectly at the next level.

The 20-year-old has made great strides on the defensive end of the court, which will further add to his draft stock. However, it will be his shooting and movement on offense that figures to be most attractive to teams drafting in the mid-to-late first round.

After a tremendous run in March with the Huskies, Hawkins will be looking to continue his recent string of success in the pre-draft process and onto the next level.

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Jordan Hawkins had the best response to both him and his cousin, Angel Reese, winning titles: ‘The cookout gone be lit’

Talk about a family of champions.

It’s going to be a pretty incredible summer for the family of Angel Reese and Jordan Hawkins.

For those of you who didn’t know, the two of them are cousins and they both live in Maryland. Hawkins is from Gaithersburg and Reese is from Baltimore, which is just a ride up the local beltway.

Angel Reese received an elite Old Bay care package after LSU’s national championship win

Hawkins said he and Reese “go way back” to the days when she’d beat him playing one-on-one when the two linked up back home. Hawkins stood up for Reese after people online criticized her for her celebration taunt aimed at Caitlin Clark during the women’s national championship game.

Now, after Hawkins and UConn won on Monday night, both of them are national champions. And Hawkins was totally pumped about it.

“Me and Angel paved the way. We did it. We did it…Look, I’ma see her in Maryland soon, so. The cookout gone be lit.” 

Yes indeed. That cookout might be like a joint championship parade. The menu is going to be wild, too. There will be lots of crabs, Old Bay, some half smokes on the grill,  good burgers and a couple of championship rings to show off.

Hopefully, we get some good pictures.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: Predictions for UConn’s Jordan Hawkins and all 58 picks

UConn’s Jordan Hawkins is the most notable draft prospect in the Final Four.

While it’s not smart to put too much weight on a player’s performance during March Madness, it’s still a great scouting opportunity.

We had several breakout stars during the NCAA men’s tournament and some disappointing performances as well. Although the Final Four does not feature many projectable NBA players, there are still a few prospects who could hear their names called on the night of the draft.

The most notable is UConn’s Jordan Hawkins, who scored at least 20 points in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight. Some players (e.g. UConn’s Donovan Clingan or FAU’s Johnell Davis) would likely appear on our mock draft if they decide to turn pro.

Our draft order is based on what was listed on Tankathon on March 30. The official order will be set after the much-anticipated lottery in Chicago on May 16.

Unless noted otherwise, all data was pulled from our friends at Cerebro Sports — you can create a free account to evaluate player performance across all levels globally.

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