Tag: NBA Draft

Cassius Winston taken in first round of latest ESPN NBA mock draft

Winston is selected 29th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.

At least one Michigan State basketball player is worthy of a first round pick according to the NBA Draft brain trust at ESPN.

Cassius Winston is slated to be picked by the Los Angeles Lakers 29th overall in ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft.

Of Winston ESPN draft analyst Mike Schmitz writes, “One of the most polished pick-and-roll point guards in the draft, Winston would give the Lakers a much-needed boost at the backup PG spot with his handle, craft, touch and feel. I’m also fascinated by LSU’s Skylar Mays and his potential fit alongside LeBron James or, in the second unit, Alex Caruso. The 6-4 senior is a combo guard who can run the show in a pinch, knock down open spot 3s, play pick-and-roll and defend point guards thanks to his toughness and instincts.”

Winston was also recently featured as a first-round pick in NBC Sports’ latest mock draft and can usually be found somewhere between the end of the first round and middle of the second round in prospect rankings.

Winston’s MSU teammate Xavier Tillman Sr. also gets selected in the ESPN draft, although he’s further down the list, going 50th overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The NBA Draft is currently scheduled for June 25, but that is subject to change due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Potential Nets 2020 draft pick to ‘test the waters’

If he doesn’t withdraw from the draft process, Saddiq Bey is expected to go outside the lottery, which is when Brooklyn’s pick comes up.

Among the aspects of the basketball world impacted by the novel coronavirus outbreak is the 2020 NBA Draft. Players have to declare by April 26. If players want to withdraw and maintain NCAA eligibility, they have to remove themselves from consideration by June 3.

With the way Villanova wing Saddiq Bey announced he was declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft, it sounds like the 20-year-old could still withdraw himself. For now, though, Bey will take part in the draft process, per John Fanta of Fox Sports

I will definitely be trying to test the waters. We just have to wait and see how it unfolds. It’s unchartered territory.

Bey elaborated on his approach further for the media, per Joe Juliano of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

I will definitely go through that process, whenever I’ll be able to, whenever that opens up, and I’ll be keeping my options open for sure. I have to see how it unfolds.

I’m just talking to our coaching staff and my family and stuff like that, just trying to stay ready. It’s uncharted territory, so I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m just staying ready for anything, and just being ready for it when that time comes.

Bey is projected as a later first-round pick, though not too long after the lottery — which puts him in range for the Brooklyn Nets at No. 20.

Kaleb Wesson pegged as a top-40 prospect by NBC Sports

Ohio State power forward Kaleb Wesson has declared for the NBA Draft. One outlet has him as a top forty prospect.

Kaleb Wesson has entered his name into the NBA Draft.

While the draft’s date is still officially set for June 25, the coronavirus pandemic could end up changing that. But one thing that likely won’t change is Wesson’s mindset towards returning to Ohio State.

Following an abrupt and unexpected end to his junior season, the six-foot, nine-inch power forward will forgo his last year of collegiate eligibility to test the waters at the sport’s highest level, or so we think. Technically the big man could decide to still come back, but it’d be a stretch to think he would flirt with the NBA for two straight-seasons and come back both times.

This past season, Wesson averaged 14.0 points and a career-high 9.3 rebounds. On a Buckeye team that reached into the top five early in the season, Wesson was the focal point of the offense.

But, what’s his ceiling and where might be land in the upcoming draft? Well, NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster current has Wesson pegged as the 39th best prospect.

“Wesson is the guy that was helped the most by testing the waters of the NBA draft last year. He shed some weight, he’s gotten much better as a defender in ball-screen actions and he’s still a bully on the block that can really pass and knockdown threes. He’s got a shot to stick,” Dauster said regarding the Ohio State forward.

Wesson may not have the highest ceiling in the draft, but he should be able to contribute to any team in the league. His three-point shooting, making 1.5 per game on 42.5% from behind the arc, is what will help drive his value.

That said, expect to hear Wesson’s name in the future, but it may not be until a few hours into the draft.

Georgia basketball star Anthony Edwards goes No. 1 in latest NBA mock draft

Georgia forward Anthony Edwards goes No. 1 in NBC’s latest NBA mock draft

Georgia’s Anthony Edwards was selected at No. 1 in NBC Sports‘ latest NBA mock draft.

On June 25, Edwards could be UGA’s first ever No. 1 selection in the NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-4 guard was a one-and-done at Georgia, displaying an incredible scoring ability and freakish athleticism.

The SEC Freshman of the Year scored a team-leading 19.1 points per game while adding 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

On Edwards, NBC Sports wrote:

Edwards is the best scorer in this 2020 NBA Mock Draft. At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan and explosive athleticism, he’s proven himself to be a dangerous three-level bucket-getter that can get hot and do things like score 33 points in a half. Ask Michigan State. He also has the physical profile of a guard that can defend two or three different positions in the NBA. It’s all there.

Although Edwards is perhaps the most proficient scorer in this year’s draft class, there are still some questions regarding his jump-shot.

At UGA, Edwards shot 29% from the 3-pt line, however, the numbers may not reflect that the guard was forced to be a one-man show for the Bulldogs.

Whether Edwards goes first or not, Bulldog fans hope he lands with a certain team from Atlanta…..

The Hawks do currently hold one of 14 projected lottery picks, so there is a possibility Edwards may be back in the red and black this fall.

Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman Sr. first round picks in latest NBC Sports NBA mock draft

NBS Sports’ Rob Dauster has both Tillman and Winston in the first round of his latest NBA mock draft.

The date and procedures surrounding it are currently a mystery, but eventually the 2020 NBA Draft will happen and two Spartans could hear their names called in the first round.

That’s according to NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster’s latest NBA mock draft that has both Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman Sr. as first round picks. Dauster has Winston being taken 23rd overall and Tillman at 26th.

Of Winston Dauster writes, “Winston did not have the season many of us expected him to have as a senior — understandably, given the death of his brother in November — but he still put up All-American numbers for a team that won a share of the Big Ten regular season title. He was playing his best basketball down the stretch, and he still have the highest basketball IQ of anyone in this 2020 NBA mock draft. He’s an elite passer and shooter that thrives in ball-screens. Yes, the defense and athleticism are concerns, but we said the same thing about numerous point guards that have made careers out of being backup point guards. Winston is the next in that pipeline.”

He says of Tillman Sr., “I may be out on a limb here, but I truly believe that Tillman is worth a first round pick, especially in this year’s draft class. There’s really two reasons for this: For starters, he is a terrific passer. No one in college basketball is better than making the right play in a 4-on-3 scenario when the defense traps a pick-and-roll ball-handler than Tillman. But he is also an excellent defender that can really read the game. Talk to people around the Michigan State program and they’ll tell you he ran everything defensively. It was his voice that teammates heard. Now, the major question mark is his size. At just 6-foot-8, can he defend fives? Is he quick enough to play the four? If we knew for a fact that the answer to both of those questions would be ‘yes, and he can do it very well,’ I would have him slotted as a top 20 pick.”

The NBA Draft is currently scheduled for June 25, but that could be changing due to the season being on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Tillman, a junior, has entered his name in the draft, but is keeping his options open so that he would be able to return to school if he so chooses.

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Mock draft: If the Rockets buy a 2020 pick, who might they take?

Given recent indications that Houston may purchase a pick in the 2020 second round, take a look at Bryan Kalbrosky’s complete mock draft.

Last week, Houston GM Daryl Morey suggested that the Rockets might attempt to buy a pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Courtesy of RookieWire‘s Bryan Kalbrosky, here’s a look at some of their options with a complete two-round mock draft — updated for April 2020.

The Rockets have already traded away their own selections in both the first and second round, but Morey’s comments point to a possibility that they could eventually move their way back in. The cleanest route to doing so would likely involve buying a pick in the mid-to-late second round.

Each NBA team has a limited amount of cash that it can use to facilitate trades in a given league year. (This year, it’s ~$5.6 million per team.) Other than a small amount held up in escrow as part of the Russell Westbrook trade, the Rockets have the vast majority of that total still available for 2019-20, if owner Tilman Fertitta is willing to spend it.

Based on Morey’s comments to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, it appears Fertitta is willing to greenlight such a transaction:

Morey: We don’t currently have a pick, but we have a long history of buying them, which I think has a reasonable chance of happening. We also might have a trade to trade (into the draft.) Actually, having no pick ends up harder than having a pick. You normally don’t want to roster more than one to three rookies in a given year. We generally like to roster at least one because I think it is smart to always have a developmental pipeline going.

You’re preparing for a much wider list. You have to be ready to trade into the first round. You have to be ready to buy a pick. You have to be ready for the crush as teams chase undrafted players.

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Should the Rockets acquire a pick, it’s likely they would draft the player they see as the best available talent, as opposed to targeting any specific roster need that might change in the years ahead.

For example, even though the Rockets are currently well-stocked at guard with James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Eric Gordon, their top undrafted free agent addition in 2019 was 5-foot-9 guard Chris Clemons.

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The Rockets did not buy a pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, but it was more that they couldn’t than wouldn’t. In that league year, nearly all of the team’s cash allotment was used in earlier trades to dump the contracts of Chinanu Onuaku, Michael Carter-Williams, and Carmelo Anthony. In contrast, most of their 2019-20 cash allotment remains available.

For a look at the possibilities, take a look through Kalbrosky’s complete 2020 NBA mock draft over at RookieWire.

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Nets 2020 NBA mock draft radar: Evansville forward DeAndre Williams

If the NBA standings remain where they were at the start of the league’s hiatus, the Brooklyn Nets will have the No. 20 and 55 picks.

Among the uncertainties surrounding the NBA as the novel coronavirus continues to be a major issue in the U.S. is the 2020 draft.

NBA teams won’t be able to look at college players during March Madness, and the rest of the pre-draft process is expected to be limited. The matter of when the draft will actually happen is up in the air, as well. Especially if the league tries to crown a 2020 champion.

For the Brooklyn Nets, based on where the standings were when the league went on hiatus, their first-round pick would convey to the Timberwolves. Minnesota acquired Brooklyn’s top-14 protected pick from the Hawks, which the Nets sent to Atlanta in a trade that delivered Taurean Prince.

But the Nets will not be without a first-round selection. They have Philadelphia’s top-14 protected pick, which Brooklyn acquired when they sent the No. 27 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft — which wound up being Mfiondu Kabengele — to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Nets’ second-round pick belongs to the Boston Celtics, but Brooklyn the Denver Nuggets’ second-round selection.

Right now, the Nets fall have the No. 20 and No. 55 picks.

Here’s a look at one player Brooklyn could take at No. 55:

DeAndre Williams | Evansville | Forward

STATS: 15.2 PPG | 64.8 FG% | 6.9 RPG

Willams told USA Today SMG‘s own Bryan Kalbrosky he is “keeping all of his options open,” regarding the 2020 NBA Draft. If The 6-foot-9, 23-year-old does declare for the draft, Kalbrosky thinks he’s a fit for the Nets at No. 55, writing:

DeAndre Williams, one of the most efficient pick-and-pop players in the country … Some time in the G League could make him a solid NBA player.

Williams shot 45.5% from deep for Evansville this year, but he only averaged 0.8 3-pointers made per game on 1.8 attempts a night.

The forward is a strong free-throw shooter (80%). Williams also averaged one block per game.

Nets 2020 NBA mock draft radar:

Oklahoma wing Kristian Doolittle
Villanova wing Saddiq Bey
Arizona wing Josh Green
Florida State wing Patrick Williams

Nets 2020 NBA mock draft radar: Oklahoma wing Kristian Doolittle

If the NBA standings remain where they were at the start of the league’s hiatus, the Brooklyn Nets will have the No. 20 and 55 picks.

Among the uncertainties surrounding the NBA as the novel coronavirus continues to be a major issue in the U.S. is the 2020 draft.

NBA teams won’t be able to look at college players during March Madness, and the rest of the pre-draft process is expected to be limited. The matter of when the draft will actually happen is up in the air, as well. Especially if the league tries to crown a 2020 champion.

For the Brooklyn Nets, based on where the standings were when the league went on hiatus, their first-round pick would convey to the Timberwolves. Minnesota acquired Brooklyn’s top-14 protected pick from the Hawks, which the Nets sent to Atlanta in a trade that delivered Taurean Prince.

But the Nets will not be without a first-round selection. They have Philadelphia’s top-14 protected pick, which Brooklyn acquired when they sent the No. 27 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft — which wound up being Mfiondu Kabengele — to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Nets’ second-round pick belongs to the Boston Celtics, but Brooklyn the Denver Nuggets’ second-round selection.

Right now, the Nets fall have the No. 20 and No. 55 picks.

Here’s a look at one player Brooklyn could take at No. 55:

Kristian Doolittle | Oklahoma | Wing

STATS: 15.8 PPG | 44.1 FG% | 8.9 RPG

Coming into his senior season, Doolittle was averaging 0.6 3-point attempts per game. Oddly enough, the only season in which he averaged at least one long-range attempt per game was his freshman year (1.4).

Then the 6-foot-7 forward’s approach changed in 2019-20, nearly averaging three attempts from deep per game (2.8). And he shot 37.5% from beyond the arc in the process.

As a second-round selection, this wing is worth the flier for the Nets — even if their approach to developing players has changed with Kenny Atkinson gone.

RELATED: Ranking the top NCAA seniors in the country based on NBA draft stock

Warriors select Anthony Edwards with first pick in Rookie Wire NBA mock draft

Another mock draft has the Golden State Warriors selecting Anthony Edwards at the top of the 2020 NBA draft.

With mock draft season underway, a mix of James Wiseman, LaMelo Ball and Obi Toppin have loomed near the top of all projections. However, one name is becoming a popular pick for the Golden State Warriors.

After tallying 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest during his freshman season in Athens, Anthony Edwards is looking like an early lottery lock in June’s draft.

In Bryan Kalbrosky’s latest mock draft for USA Today’s Rookie Wire, the Warriors call on Georgia’s fierce combo guard with the first overall pick. According to Kalbrosky, the Warriors land a prospect packed with potential star power.

Via Rookie Wire:

The Warriors, obviously, have little need for a player who needs the ball in his hands as often as Anthony Edwards does. But the SEC Freshman of the Year arguably has the most star power of anyone in this draft class. Edwards averaged a strong 21.8 points per game in February and is a highlight-reel in transition. Edwards could conceivably be traded, which would allow Golden State to collect another asset while also selecting a player (perhaps either Obi Toppin or Deni Avdija) who fits better with the Warriors’ core.

With a pair of picks in the second round, Kalbrosky projects the Warriors to grab Michigan State point guard Cassius Winston and Syracuse wing Elijah Hughes.

If Edwards does stick with the Warriors, the explosive 6-foot-5 18-year-old would immediately provide a boost to Steve Kerr’s offense. The Atlanta native can create with the basketball in his hands while being a threat to let it fly from beyond the arc.

With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the perimeter, Edwards will have the opportunity to attack the basket downhill early and often in his career. When the Splash Brothers are off the floor, the Bulldog product would get the chance to play a key figure in the Warriors’ young offense alongside Eric Paschall and Marquese Chriss.

Although it’s still early in the pre-draft process, Edwards is becoming the drafts leading candidate to help Golden State’s climb back into the playoffs in the 2020-21 season.

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