Timberwolves will soon sign Leandro Bolmaro to rookie contract

Bolmaro was named the 2021 Most Spectacular Player of the Liga ACB after averaging 6.4 points and 1.8 assists in league play.

Leandro Bolmaro, the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, will reportedly soon sign his rookie contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Dane Moore of Blue Wire.

The Timberwolves acquired the rights to Bolmaro last year in a trade with the New York Knicks. He has played the past several seasons in Spain with Barcelona and it was expected that the 21-year-old would eventually join the Timberwolves in the NBA.

Bolmaro was named the 2021 Most Spectacular Player of the Liga ACB after averaging 6.4 points and 1.8 assists on 45.3% shooting from 3-point range in league play. He also helped Barcelona capture the championship after defeating Real Madrid in the Liga ACB Final.

The addition of Bolmaro to the roster will give the Timberwolves yet another young player to build around. He will join a talented group of players, featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards among others.

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

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Warriors Wire Mock Draft: Final predictions for the Golden State Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft

Before the 2020 NBA draft is underway, here is Warriors Wire’s final predictions for the Golden State Warriors.

For the first time since 2002, the Golden State Warriors will be on the clock with a top-five selection in the NBA draft. Following a lengthy wait, the Warriors will soon make their highly-anticipated selection for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. There’s still a bevy of question marks around the draft with only hours till the Minnesota Timberwolves are on the clock with the first pick.

As Golden State’s championship core gears up for a climb back to contention, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr could opt to trade the pick for a proven veteran who can fit with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

If they hold the pick, the Warriors could eye a big prospect that can provide consistency to their frontcourt or a wing piece that can add a punch to the rotation behind the Splash Brothers.

Top-prospects like James Wiseman out of Memphis, Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, Illawarra Hawk’s LaMelo Ball, Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton and Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Deni Avdija will be in play for the Warriors in the first round. Following their top pick, Myers and Kerr will turn their attention to their two picks in the second round.

Before the long-awaited No. 2 overall pick is on the clock, Warriors Wire has final predictions for the Golden State Warriors’ selections in the first and second rounds of the 2020 NBA draft.

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International prospects have a heavy presence in the 2020 NBA Draft

Projected lottery picks Deni Avdija and Killian Hayes headline the group of international prospects in the NBA draft.

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Nearly 70 attendees of Basketball Without Borders, a global development program, have been drafted or signed as free agents in the NBA and that number only projects to grow with the next class set for the draft on Wednesday.

Projected lottery picks Deni Avdija (Israel) and Killian Hayes (France) headline the group of prospects that have previously participated in a BWB Global Camp as they competed against each other in Charlotte as part of NBA All-Star Weekend in 2019.

Hayes also took part in the 2018 BWB Global Camp in Los Angeles with four other prospects in this year’s class: Josh Green (Australia), Leandro Bolmaro (Argentina), Paul Eboua (Cameroon) and Vit Krejčí (Czech Republic). The event marked the most-ever likely draftees to participate in the same camp.

“It is definitely another exciting year for us when it comes to international players in the draft, particularly the players who have participated in our international basketball development programs as kids,” said Chris Ebersole, the NBA senior director of international basketball operations.

I think it’s definitely the latest wave in a rising tide of international players. It seems like each year now we have a pretty good crop of international players coming in and the majority of them usually have participated at some level, whether it’s the BWB program or other programs around the around we have done to engage with the youth.

Avdija (left) was named the MVP of the 2019 BWB Global Camp (Photo courtesy of NBA Academies)

The international game continues to grow, with more than 100 players from across the world on NBA rosters for six consecutive seasons. Teams are dedicating more resources to scouting the international game and the results have produced a combined 30 international players selected in the NBA draft over the past two years alone.

The BWB program was launched in 2001 and has helped put several high-profile names firmly on the NBA radar, such as Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam and Jamal Murray among others. Just last year alone, a record eight former BWB campers were drafted, surpassing the previous record of six set in 2011.

The BWB Global Camp, which began in 2015, has become a must-watch event for teams. The camp brings 64 of the top boys and girls aged 16 to 18 from around the world to one centralized location during NBA All-Star Weekend with representatives from all 30 teams on-hand to witness the players participate in various drills and exercises.

“The focus of those camps is really developing young players on and off the court and giving them access to the great coaching and NBA players showing them the ropes,” Ebersole said. “The other benefit of these camps is we can bring together all of these top players onto one court and give NBA teams a chance to scout them next to each other, which is really valuable. With international basketball, it’s not always easy to make apples to apples comparisons given the varying levels of competition.

With the 2018 BWB Global Camp, there are five prospects in this year’s draft who we expect to be drafted who were all part of that camp so it was a chance for NBA teams to see Killian Hayes, Josh Green, Leandro Bolmaro in one setting. I think that is a tremendous value and we definitely want to continue to provide that benefit to all 30 of our teams.

Hayes, Green and Bolmaro were named BWB Global 2018 All-Stars. (Photo courtesy of NBA Academies)

The draft this year could also feature a record-high number of players selected of African origin.

Among the prospects from Africa this year, there are two players from Nigeria, Precious Achiuwa and Udoka Azubuike, projected to be drafted and an additional five draftees who were born in the U.S. but have a parent from Nigeria, including Isaac Okoro, Onyeka Okongwu, Zeke Nnaji, Daniel Oturu and Jordan Nwora.

Including Eboua, Mamadi Diakite, who is from Guinea, and Karim Mane and Lamine Diane, both from Senegal, are also in draft contention this year. The NBA record for the most African players selected would be topped should five hear their names called, and several of them could be of Nigerian origin.

“We’re not surprised by it,” Ebersole said. “We know how much talent is from Africa in general, and Nigeria, specifically, and it is one of the cool storylines of this draft. There are seven players from this class that have a chance to be drafted and it’s exciting to see. Hopefully, that cycle continues and we’re able to continue to do great work.”

The NBA draft is often a culmination of an incredibly long journey and hard work for a given prospect, but especially for a player from outside of the U.S. Dreams come true each year during the NBA draft and the night will serve as an incredible experience that will not be forgotten.

“The moment you see those players walk across the stage is really the most rewarding feeling about what we do,” Ebersole said. “Seeing these players grow into who they are, we usually get them when they are 16- or 17 years old, so to see them develop and achieve their dreams is always really special.”

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2020 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Final update ranking Top 100 prospects

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

Originally scheduled for June, the ongoing pandemic pushed the big night back by five months. While this may cause some teams to overthink their decisions, it gave analysts plenty of time to study all of the top prospects eligible in this class.

This year, players had to participate in a mostly virtual pre-draft process. On the bright side, this meant that teams had the opportunity to interview more candidates than ever before.

However, the number of in-person visits were incredibly limited due to the restrictive parameters set by the league. Similarly, the NBA draft combine was conducted without the typical scrimmages where players can separate themselves from the others with impressive on-court performances.

Overall, the players that stood out in this pre-draft process had a different path to recognition than any other year. College basketball players did not have the opportunity to showcase themselves during March Madness. The nation’s top seniors did not get to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

As such, executives will rely mostly on the existing game footage as well as the intel they gathered during their conversations with the prospects. We also depended on similar strategies, getting access to one-on-one interviews with more than three dozen prospects and exchanging our thoughts with various scouts across the league.

This helped us put together our final big board, looking at the Top 100 players ranked on their potential to make a difference for teams in the NBA.

Relevant statistics were pulled from Synergy Sports Tech, Bart-Torvik, KenPom, Open Look Analytics and RealGM. Note that the age listed for each player references how old they will be on the night of the draft.

Sixers 2020 NBA mock draft: ESPN mocks guard Leandro Bolmaro at 21

Barcelona guard Leandro Bolmaro has been mocked to the Philadelphia 76ers at 21.

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The Philadelphia 76ers enter the 2020 NBA draft with a lot of options. They can always make the pick at 21 and try to bring in a young guard who can knock down shots as well as handle the ball to run the offense.

They could also trade the pick which is something that new president Daryl Morey could definitely do more in order to help the team win now. The Sixers will have to give up that pick if they want to move a contract like Al Horford’s anyway.

In the case that they do, in fact, make this pick, the needs are obvious. They have held draft interviews with players who fit those needs such as Tyrell Terry, Desmond Bane, and R.J. Hampton, but a new mock draft performed by ESPN has Philadelphia taking a chance on a guard from Argentina.

They have the Sixers taking Leandro Bolmaro at 21 and it is a curious choice considering he just signed a 3-year deal to stay with FC Barcelona as he will stay there until 2023.

ESPN on the pick:

Bolmaro brings the exact type of defensive toughness and energy coveted by Sixers fans and new head coach Doc Rivers. Sure, they could use more immediate shooting alongside Ben Simmons, but even if Philadelphia opts to leave him in Barcelona this season, Bolmaro is the best long-term option here. He gives the Sixers a potential point guard of the future with a two-way mentality, passing creativity and continual improvement as a shooter.

It will be interesting to see how the Sixers handle this draft. A guy like Bolmaro makes a lot of sense in the long-term, but as for right now, he does not help them right away in their quest to win a title. Conventional wisdom suggests that the Sixers will just move this pick, but that remains to be seen as draft night inches closer. [lawrence-related id=38983,38980,38974]

NBA draft: Player comparisons for projected first-rounders

One of the most compelling ways to quickly study any draft class is to look at the NBA comparisons for all of the prospects available.

One of the most compelling ways to quickly study any draft class is to look at the NBA comparisons for all of the prospects available.

Now that the 2020 NBA draft is less than two weeks ago, all of the folks looking for a crash course in learning more about the players that will be available for selection can use this as a guide for the potential outlook of each projected first-round draft pick.

This exercise is far from foolproof, of course, considering that outcomes for each prospect will depend heavily on the teams that draft them as well as the roles they are given and the development process that surrounds them.

But this does give a sense of the archetype that each top prospect fits in so casual fans can get a more succinct view of the next generation entering the league.

While our own opinion was also included, we also studied comparison models and surveyed other experts, including conversations with NBA scouts around the league, to give the best context available. The results included were the most common responses.

NOTE: All comparisons pulled from NBADraftcomp.herokuapp.com are based on statistics per 40 minutes. 

2020 NBA aggregate mock draft 8.0: Draft day ranges for top prospects

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done. 

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done.

We looked at mock drafts from NBADraft.net, ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, The Ringer, Stadium, SI.com, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire, USA Today and Yahoo to give us a more clear understanding of consensus rankings and projections.

This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.

Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.

The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

2020 NBA aggregate mock draft 8.0: Draft day ranges for top prospects

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done. 

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done.

We looked at mock drafts from NBADraft.net, ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, The Ringer, Stadium, SI.com, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire, USA Today and Yahoo to give us a more clear understanding of consensus rankings and projections.

This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.

Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.

The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

The Ringer mock draft: Thunder take Barcelona guard Leandro Bolmaro

Another mock draft, this one from The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, projected the Oklahoma City Thunder to take Leandro Bolmaro.

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In Kevin O’Connor’s latest mock draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder took guard/forward Leandro Bolmaro.

The size and ability of the Barcelona player makes him intriguing to The Ringer’s draft guru.

O’Connor writes:

The Thunder are about to enter a rebuild; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only untouchable player on the team. An intriguing piece next to him could be Bolmaro, another tall point guard. He stands at 6-foot-7 and can make passes smaller players simply can’t. With such large size in the backcourt, the Thunder would be investing in a young team that could someday present major matchup issues for opponents.

There have been quite a few mock drafts pushing Bolmaro toward the Thunder, including SB Nation and Bleacher Report.

Bolmaro can play a lead ball handler role, but his experience even at the professional level overseas is somewhat lacking. He averaged eight points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 17 minutes per game over the three Barcelona leagues he played in, according to Real GM,

O’Connor wrote in his draft profile of Bolmaro that he’s best scoring below the rim and does not have a reliable jumpshot, with averages of 28% from 3 and 66% from the free throw line over his three years of pro play.

But even without the shot, Bolmaro “cuts and relocates like a veteran,” O’Connor said. He’s an excellent ball handler and passer.

Bolmaro was ranked No. 31 on O’Connor’s Big Board, last updated on August 20.

In this mock draft, released Sept. 14, wings Josh Green and Jaden McDaniels, who many mocks also project to Oklahoma City, had already been selected before pick No. 25 rolled around.

Thus, Oklahoma City went with a different player who has high upside, one with international experience.

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