Tag: LJ Figueroa

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:

Lakers conduct draft workouts with six participants Wednesday

The Los Angeles Lakers worked out six prospects Wednesday for the NBA draft process.

The NBA draft always takes plenty of work in advance in order for teams to be confident with their selections when the draft clock begins ticking.

The Los Angeles Lakers have the No. 22 overall pick in this year’s draft, barring any trades.

With the draft date of July 29 fast approaching, the Lakers are continuing the evaluation process by conducting individual workouts with players.

Los Angeles also interviewed several players at the NBA draft combine in June, like Corey Kispert of Gonzaga, Trey Murphy III of Virginia and more.

Los Angeles’ preparation continued Wednesday as they worked out six prospects, via Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation:

These players aren’t projected to be first-round draft pick options for the Lakers, and it’s uncertain if they’ll go in the second round, too.

The Lakers could be doing more due diligence to add talent to the South Bay Lakers of the G League or during Summer League in Las Vegas.

From those six players, Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Cody Riley are small-ball big men, which are the type of players usually playing center in the G League.

Matt Coleman, LJ Figueroa, Alan Griffin and Jason Preston are all guards capable of knocking down 3-pointers on solid volume.

Preston is arguably the best prospect L.A. could add to evaluate further. At Ohio this past season, he averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 51.4 percent from the field on 12.4 attempts and 39 percent from deep on 4.1 attempts. He’s listed as 6’4″, making for an intriguing player.

Preston talked with Lakers media after his session and had this to say, via Ryan Ward:

Los Angeles’ roster doesn’t comprise of many young prospects, so with the limited cap space L.A. is dealing with this summer, trying to find hidden gems could be a worthwhile investment.

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Report: Oregon’s LJ Figueroa to work out with the Boston Celtics ahead of NBA draft

Though he won’t be attending the NBA Combine, Oregon’s LJ Figueroa will reportedly be working out with the Boston Celtics this week.

Oregon Duck fans only got a single season to enjoy the play of transfer guard LJ Figueroa, but seeing his potential success at the next level will be none the lesser because of that.

According to a recent report from Adam Zagoria, with The New York Times, Figueroa will be working out with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday ahead of the NBA draft combine. Figueroa was not invited to participate in the combine, but still has hopes of making a splash with teams and scouts this spring, looking to get drafted by one of the 30 squads in the league.

League sources tell me that LJ’s size and versatility are very appealing as he enters the draft process. Whether it be this year or a few years down the road, these sources say that they can see Figueroa having a real chance in the NBA.

Regardless of what happens with that pursuit this summer, most evaluators see Figueroa having a huge career in Europe, at a minimum.

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14 prospects who improved their NBA stock during the first weekend of March Madness

March Madness is always an incredibly fun time for fans but it is also crucial for scouts who are focused on NBA draft prospect evaluation.

March Madness is always an incredibly fun time for fans but it is also crucial for scouts who are focused on NBA draft prospect evaluation.

After the opening weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, we wanted to show love to the players who have already used their time under the national spotlight to increase their chances of playing in the pros.

Note that for this exercise, we are specifically discussing players who have done enough to increase their profile for NBA teams.

This means someone like LSU freshman Cam Thomas, who scored 27 points and 30 points during his two tournament appearances, was excluded. That is because front offices already knew that Thomas was a remarkable scorer. But he recorded just three assists total and did very little new to answer any other questions executives may have had about his game.

The same goes for someone like Villanova big Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who has been one of the tournament’s best players. But he has also been one of the most consistent prospects in college basketball in 2020-21. So very little has been learned about how he projects to the pros.

Below, however, are the players who scouts may be moving up on their draft boards after the first two rounds of the tournament thus far: