Kobe Bufkin – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Where Kobe Bufkin, Jett Howard are projected to land in latest ESPN 2023 NBA mock draft

Both of them should be first-round picks!

We are just over a week away from the 2023 NBA draft which is held on Thursday, June 22.

The Wolverines have two players that have a high chance of becoming first-round selections next Thursday evening. Both Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard received green room invites and are projected as the top 19 players in the draft.

With the draft getting closer and closer draft analysts are starting to finalize their mock drafts. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremey Woo updated their mock draft on Tuesday.

Sophomore Kobe Bufkin lands in the lottery in this updated mock. He is selected No. 12 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bufkin has quietly gathered a good deal of interest in the pre-draft process and is being extremely selective where he works out, with a lottery selection potentially on the horizon. The Thunder have plenty of young guards and can go in a number of directions at No. 12, but Oklahoma City rarely hesitates to grab the best talent on the board, and Bufkin has built a strong case to be the first player drafted among a large group of guards jockeying for position. He’s a name to watch over the next week, with room to potentially rise higher. Washington and Utah appear to be candidates to select guards at No. 8 and No. 9.

Bufkin left Michigan after having a sensational sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-4 guard became the go-to guy for the Wolverines toward the end of the season and averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. Bufkin shot 35% from 3 in 2022 and has the capabilities of improving in that area to become a deep threat in the NBA.

Jett Howard’s name slips a little in this mock draft. The ESPN crew has Howard going No. 19 to the Golden State Warriors.

Howard’s draft range starts around No. 11 (Orlando), with plenty of teams looking for shooters with size, skill and feel that will likely consider him, including Toronto (No. 13), Utah (No. 16), and the Lakers (No. 17). He’s an extreme contrast in ability, from what he showed early in the season until late of it when he played through an injury. If not Howard, the Warriors could look at other prospects who fit their style of play. The appetite for taking on more projects will likely be limited due to their narrow window for maximizing the prime of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and others. Sources tell ESPN the Warriors are also exploring the option of acquiring a high draft pick in exchange for a young prospect such as Jonathan Kuminga.

Howard left after his freshman season in Ann Arbor. He averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and two assists per game. Howard played in 29 games due to injury and shot 36% from 3. The Warriors would be a good spot for the youngest Howard to fit his style of play. Howard has the ability to become a knockdown 3-point shooter in the NBA and what team would be better to fit that style other than the Warriors?

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Jett Howard, Kobe Bufkin receive NBA draft green room invites

Awesome that they both will be attendance on a special night!

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported on Tuesday there were 19 players who received invites to attend the NBA draft green room. Which means players will be in attendance for the 2023 NBA draft on June 22.

Two of the players invited are Michigan basketball players, Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard. The 19 players invited are the top 19 projected picks in the draft in June. While it’s never a guaranteed thing, chances are high for both Bufkin and Howard to be first-round selections in the draft.

Bufkin left school after his breakout sophomore campaign last season. He averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 2022. Bufkin became a go-to scorer for the maize and blue down the stretch.

Howard was a one-and-done player at Michigan. The freshman averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and two assists per game with the Wolverines. Howard played in 29 games due to injuries hampering him.

Each player is allowed to invite 10 people to sit with them in the green room.

The 19 players invited to the green room:

Victor Wembanyama

Brandon Miller

Scoot Henderson

Amen Thompson

Ausar Thompson

Cameron Whitmore

Jarace Walker

Anthony Black

Taylor Hendricks

Gradey Dick

Bilal Coulibaly

Cason Wallace

Nick Smith

Dereck Lively II

Kobe Bufkin

Jalen Hood-Schifino

Jett Howard

Jordan Hawkins

Keyonte George

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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.

Where Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin go in latest NBA mock draft

Both of these landing spots make sense.

On Wednesday, ESPN put out an updated 2023 NBA mock draft ($). Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo waited for the combine to finish and pro days to be done to see how they would impact the NBA draft.

If you were curious to see where Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard may go on June 22, according to ESPN, both are on the outside looking in at being lottery picks.

The first Michigan player off the board in this specific mock was Kobe Bufkin at No. 16 to the Utah Jazz.

Bufkin looks to be well-established in this range of the draft, having set himself apart somewhat as a two-way contributor who can fulfill a range of needs in the backcourt. He measured well for a combo guard at north of 6-foot-4 barefoot, which helps him comparatively in this range, where his well-roundedness becomes a strong sell. Bufkin is in play for teams beginning in the late lottery and at this point would seem firmly entrenched in the top 20.

This appears to be a popular spot for Bufkin according to draft experts. I’ve seen him land with the Jazz in multiple mock drafts, even weeks ago. Bufkin was one of the most improved players in all of college last season. He became the go-to guy in the Wolverines’ offense. During his sophomore campaign, he averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and shot 35.5% from behind the arc.

Jett Howard isn’t too far behind Bufkin. They have him going No. 18 — to his father’s former team — the Miami Heat.

Howard is a bit of a polarizing prospect in this class, as he seems to have some real fans in NBA front offices, but also some teams weren’t impressed at all with what they saw from him in Big Ten play as he was playing hurt. The way Howard shot the ball at the CAA pro day served as a good reminder for teams of the coveted role he can play, as there’s clearly more to his game than just his jumper. He’ll have to continue to perform well on the private workout circuit to solidify his standing.

This pick would make sense with the Heat having a ton of familiarity with the Howard family. Juwan Howard coached Miami as an assistant coach for multiple seasons and the Heat brass know exactly what they would be getting out of the youngest Howard. In his lone season in Ann Arbor, Howard averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, two assists, and shot 36.8% from 3.

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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.

Where Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard are going in latest NBA mock drafts

Excited to see where they end up! #GoBlue

The NBA draft combine kicked off a few days ago and both Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard are participating to show the scouts what they are capable of in a game setting.

Jett Howard left Michigan basketball after one season in which he averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, two assists, and shot 36.8% from 3. The other guard, Kobe Bufkin, left Ann Arbor after his sophomore campaign which was a breakout one. Bufkin was one of the top bucket-getters for the Wolverines. Bufkin averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and shot 35.5% from behind the arc.

The draft positioning for both varies in different mock drafts you may look at. We are going to show you multiple mock drafts and where the draft experts project both Michigan guards in the 2023 NBA draft.

Brooklyn Nets projected to select Michigan’s Kobe Bufkin with 21st overall pick

According to Cody Taylor of The Rookie Wire, the Brooklyn Nets are projected to draft Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin with the 21st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

According to Cody Taylor of The Rookie Wire, The Brooklyn Nets are projected to select Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin with their first of two first-round picks (21st overall) thanks to the Kevin Durant trade. The Nets also have the 22nd overall pick in the first round and the 51st overall pick in the second round.

Bufkin, the 6’4″, 195 LB guard from Grand Rapids, Michigan, averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 48.2% from the field and 35.5% from three-point land in his sophomore season for the Wolverines. For his efforts, he was named to the 2022-2023 All-Big Ten Third team as he was 17th in the conference in points per contest and ninth in steals per game (1.3).

With the Nets in a weird spot of sorts when it comes to deciding which direction they should head in, if they decide to embrace a full rebuild, Bufkin would be a good place to start. While Brooklyn has Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton for the future, lead guard Spencer Dinwiddie has one more year left on his current contract at a little over $20 million before he is an unrestricted free-agent in the summer of 2024. Here’s what Taylor had to say about Bufkin:

“Bufkin wasn’t on the national radar to begin the season but climbed draft boards with his ability to run the offense and score at a high level. The lefty has a nice shooting stroke and converted 35.5% of his 3.7 attempts per game. He figures to provide some depth in the backcourt for teams drafting in this range, something the Nets could use.”

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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.

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.

Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin get selected in USA TODAY NBA mock draft

Will be interesting to see where both end up. #GoBlue

Michigan basketball took a massive hit to its roster this spring.

The Wolverines lost both Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin to the NBA draft, and Michigan somehow lost Hunter Dickinson to the transfer portal.

Juwan Howard and Co. have done a good job landing players via the portal though. The Wolverines have landed three players, one being former five-star guard Caleb Love who left North Carolina.

While the departures of all three players could be debated, it’s hard to tell both Howard and Bufkin not to go into the draft if they both get selected in the first round for a guaranteed contract.

USA TODAY came out with its first mock draft on Friday, and both Howard and Bufkin were listed in the first round. In the article, Jeff Zillgitt has players listed 1-30 with no teams, in particular, picking the players.

He has Howard going 14th, the last selection in the lottery. Bufkin goes late in the first round, 26th.

Howard played one season in Ann Arbor and averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and two assists per game last season. Bufkin played two seasons at Michigan, but he really impressed this past season as a sophomore. He averaged nine points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 2022.

Time will tell, and mocks will keep coming out before the NBA draft happens. Stay tuned.

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