Austin Reaves will leave Oklahoma to declare for the 2021 NBA draft and will forgo his remaining college eligibility.
"I have decided to declare for the NBA draft and will be hiring an agent in the near future," Reaves told ESPN. "My family and I believe this is best decision for my future and I'm super excited for the next part of my journey."
Reaves is currently the No. 40 prospect in the ESPN 100 draft rankings.
Reaves averaged 18.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists for Oklahoma
The 2021 NBA Draft will be held on July 29th, sources tell The Athletic. The lottery will be held on June 22nd.
The draft will take place exactly one week after a potential Game 7 of The Finals on July 22nd.
The league will conduct a Draft Combine from June 21st through June 27th.
Kai Jones is leaving Texas for the 2021 NBA Draft and intends to sign with an agent.
"It was truly an honor to represent the Texas Longhorns for the past two seasons and suit up with my brothers night in and night out," Jones said. "... My time here has set me up to be successful as I take the next steps in my career."
Jones is expected to be selected in the later half of the lottery or the middle of the first round.
Tre Mann has left Florida for the 2021 NBA draft.
"After much consideration, I have decided to take the next step in my basketball career and will declare for the 2021 NBA draft," Mann told ESPN. "To Gator nation, your love and support will always hold a special place in my heart. I will be hiring an agent to help guide me through this process."
Mann is currently the 15th rated prospect by ESPN.
Growing to 6-foot-5 over the course of his college career, Mann is considered one of the most talented ball handlers and shot creators in this draft class, featuring NBA range on his jump shot and impressive shiftiness changing speeds out of the pick-and-roll.
"I think that NBA teams were able to see my ability to play on and off the ball as well as my improved stats across the board," Mann said. "I was able to showcase my leadership skills, efficiency shooting the ball, defensive versatility and ability to rebound."
In a two-part NCAA Tournament preview host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) and draft expert Sam Vecenie of The Athletic (@Sam_Vecenie) break down 2021 NBA Draft prospects then his sister joins for the 2021 Mascot Bracket.
Danny and Sam talk about the key opening round prospect matchups, which teams and players to watch early, the NBA trade deadline and much more. After (at 1:22:00 on the recording), Danny’s biologist sister picks the winners of the tournament based solely on which mascot would win in a fight.
The majority of NBA executives and scouts will watch the NCAA Tournament on television rather than attempt to scout in person despite the fact that the entire three-week tournament will be held in the Indianapolis area.
The NCAA is allowing the league office to reserve one or two tickets per NBA team in two of the six venues: Lucas Oil Stadium and Bankers Life Fieldhouse. But most NBA executives have been told to expect poor seating that makes being in the arena to scout a drawback as opposed to watching on television.
Teams also will not be able to live-scout any games at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, which is not allowing entry for the general public.
Teams could seek upper deck tickets available on the secondary market from the pool available for the general public in three of the other venues.
The Golden State Warriors selected James Wiseman at No. 2, which has already become a scrutinized due to the emergence of LaMelo Ball. But the Warriors could have even selected Anthony Edwards over Ball. All three rookies have shown glimpses of star potential though Ball has separated himself this season.
"They really believe in James Wiseman," said Ramona Shelburne on The Hoop Collective Podcast. "They think he's going to become a future All-Star. They think he's going to be a future pillar of the franchise.
"I checked... there was a storyline out there that LaMelo Ball thought they were going to pick him at two. Everything I've been told is that that's a miscommunication or something was wrong there."
"As far as I know, they were laser focused [on Wiseman]," replied Brian Windhorst.
"A very good source told me they would have picked James Wiseman No. 1 if they had the pick. He was the highest on their board. They never wavered on that. If Minnesota would have taken Wiseman one, the Warriors would have taken Anthony Edwards at No. 2.
"I think some of the issue with LaMelo is... They really liked LaMelo. They were really high on him. I don't know if they were as bullish on the fit with Stephen Curry. And at the time, remember, most of the time they were seeing him Klay Thompson was still okay."
In a piece by Kirk Goldsberry on ESPN, he writes how the NBA has splintered into a select number of teams that can build via the draft, free agency and trades, and those that really can only use the draft to build a competitive team.
"Draft picks have never been more meaningful in origin markets and never never meant less in the destination markets," wrote Goldsberry. "As a result, the precious few teams that can reliably retain top talent are emptying their cupboards to extract unhappy superstars in mega-trades."
The split has created an environment in which teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets have each traded away nearly entire control of their draft over a seven-year period in exchange for one of the league's superstars. Those deals have widely been lauded for both the teams receiving the superstar and the team trading them away. For destination market teams, the draft has been devalued while it has never been more critical for the teams who don't have the option of free agency or trades to acquire a superstar.
"It's really starting to feel like, depending on the nature of your market, you only have access to one, two or three of those legs," said Goldsberry on The Lowe Post.
Karl-Anthony Towns backed Anthony Edwards as the "right decision" at No. 1 for the Minnesota Timberwolves. LaMelo Ball is currently the clear favorite for Rookie of the Year, but Edwards was the better fit considering Minnesota's need on the wing after the team recently acquired D'Angelo Russell.
"Let me say it was the right decision for us as an organization," said Town. "I want to make that clear."
Edwards has a PER of 15.6 in four games in March after struggling in January and February.
James Wiseman was the other possible pick at No. 1, but he would have likely conflicted with Towns from a positional perceptive.
Cade Cunningham and Luke Garza are featured as finalists for the Wooden Award.
Cunningham is averaging 19.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for a 17-7 Cowboys team that appears set on reaching the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017.
Garza was the runner-up for the Wooden Award last season to Obi Toppin.
Wooden Late Season Top 15
Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky
Jared Butler, Baylor
Kofi Cockburn, Illinois
Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
Luka Garza, Iowa
Collin Gillespie, Villanova
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Evan Mobley, USC
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova
Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
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