Latest Buzz:
-Ricky Rubio is back on our 2009 mock draft, after a four month stint where he was projected for 2010. Sources close to the situation indicate that Rubios family is now in favor of him entering this year, and that will almost certainly be on the early-entry list when its released on April 27th. His buyout still needs to be negotiated, which is easier said than done, but a final decision on whether to stay in likely wont come until very close to the pull-out deadline, on June 19th. Unlike college players who are bound by the more restrictive NCAA rules, International players can enter the draft up to three times, which gives him plenty of wiggle room.
Also announced todayRubio has accepted an invitation to the Reebok EuroCamp, which will be conducted from the 6-8 of June in Treviso, Italy. Joventut may have to lose in the quarterfinals of the playoffs for him to get there on time, though. They are currently in 6th place in the league.
Another top international prospect who is tentatively slated to play in Treviso is athletic Czech big man Jan Vesely, who had a marvelous rookie campaign in the Euroleague with Partizan this season. He wont be in the draft, according to his agent Alexander Raskovic, but hes still someone NBA executives will want to study closely.
Were also hearing that Nemanja Aleksandrov will play in Treviso as well, after sitting out the entire season with reported knee issues. Aleksandrov, if you recall, was once considered a potential #1 overall pick prospect after dominating the Under-16 European Championships in Spain in 2003. Fast-forward six years, and he will be fighting just to get selected this June as he becomes automatically eligible for the draft as a 1987-born prospect.
- Willie Warren has repeatedly insisted over the past few weeks that he will 98.9% return to Oklahoma for his sophomore season, but the latest word from around the NBA is that hes reportedly changed his mind and will now be absolutely testing the waters, at the very least. If hes deemed a lottery pick, he wont be returning.
-French guard Rodrigue Beaubois will enter the draft for the 3rd straight year, his agent Bouna Ndiaye tells us, which means hell be in for good. Beaubois has been playing the best basketball of his career over the past month or so, and will be participating in two games as part of the EuroChallenge Final Four in Bologna, Italy on the 24th and 26th of April, alongside his fellow draft prospect teammate, Nando De Colo.
-Evan Turner is widely expected to return to Ohio State for his junior year, based off numerous reports indicating how strongly he feels about playing another season in college, but from what were hearing, there is still a conversation going on that would suggest otherwise. Its too early to say whether Turner will definitely be in the draft, but its also too early to say he definitely wont.
-Ed Davis came out immediately after the national championship game and said that hes returning for his sophomore season. According to sources, it seems like that statement may have been somewhat premature, as they often are in such an emotional moment. Reports weve gotten indicate that Davis still has to meet with various people involved in the decision making process, and that if it appears that he is likely to be selected in the lottery, he could very well leave North Carolina. Davis body of work is about as small as any prospect in this draft, but he would clearly benefit from how few quality big men there appear to be this year, particularly with Greg Monroe and Cole Aldrich likely returning to school. Hed likely be drafted fairly high based on his physical tools alone, but he looks years away at this point from contributing. This is definitely one to keep an eye on.
-Damion James appears to be leaning toward returning to school at this point, sources tell us, although he would be able to test the waters as a junior if he so pleases. With no NBA pre-draft camp and fewer private workouts for non-lottery prospects being conducted due to budget restrictionstesting the waters may not have the same luster it did in years past.
-Were also hearing that Kyle Singler is highly unlikely to enter the draft, from a plethora of sources.
Agent Hirings:
-Gonzaga senior Josh Heytvelt signed with David Bauman of DB Hoops Management.
-Clemson senior K.C. Rivers and Duquesne senior Aaron Jackson signed with Dan Tobin of Wasserman Media Group.
-Automatically eligible French guard Nando De Colo signed with Leon Rose of CAA.
-BYU senior Lee Cummard signed with Chris Emens of Octagon. Lance Young of the same agency signed Tennessee Martin's Lester Hudson.
-Utah senior Luke Nevill and Texas senior A.J. Abrams signed with Keith Glass.
-Gonzaga senior Jeremy Pargo signed with Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports.
-Gonzaga senior Micah Downs and North Dakota State senior Ben Woodside signed with Brad Ames of Priority Sports.
-St. Joes senior Ahmad Nivins signed with Michael Siegel of Elfus & Siegel Management. Brian Elfus also signed Connor Atchley of Texas.
A look at whos in and out of the 2009 NBA Draft so far
In or Very Likely to be In:
-Blake Griffin, Sophomore, Oklahoma- Announced his intentions to enter in a press release today. Will reportedly sign with an agent next week, according to sources.
-Ricky Rubio, 1990 International, DKV Joventut-
Back on the DraftExpress 2009 mock draft, after a four month stint where he was projected for 2010. Sources close to the situation indicate that Rubios family is now in favor of him entering this year, and that will almost certainly be on the early-entry list when its released on April 27th. His buyout still needs to be negotiated, which is easier said than done, but a final decision on whether to stay in likely wont come until very close to the pull-out deadline, on June 19th. Unlike college players who are bound by the more restrictive NCAA rules, International players can enter the draft up to three times, which gives him plenty of wiggle room.
Also announced todayRubio has accepted an invitation to the Reebok EuroCamp, which will be conducted from the 6-8 of June in Treviso, Italy. Joventut may have to lose in the quarterfinals of the playoffs to make that a reality, though. They are currently in 6th place in the league.
Also announced todayRubio has accepted an invitation to the Reebok EuroCamp, which will be conducted from the 6-8 of June in Treviso, Italy. Joventut may have to lose in the quarterfinals of the playoffs to make that a reality, though. They are currently in 6th place in the league.
-James Harden, Sophomore, Arizona State- Will announce hes entering the draft tomorrow, and is already in the process of interviewing agents, according to sources.
-Hasheem Thabeet, Junior, UConn- Nothing official yet, but is reportedly close to selecting his agent and is highly likely to be in when its all said and done.
-Jordan Hill, Junior, Arizona- Will announce hes officially in the draft in a joint press conference with Chase Budinger later this week, and is reportedly close to selecting his agent as well.
-Brandon Jennings, 1989 International, Lottomatica Roma- Will be automatically eligible for this draft according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement as an American high school player who signed a player contract with a professional basketball team not in the NBA that is located anywhere in the world, and has rendered services under such contract prior to the Draft.
-Willie Warren, Freshman, Oklahoma- Has repeatedly insisted that he will return to Oklahoma for his sophomore season, but has reportedly changed his mind and will now be testing the waters at the very least. If hes deemed a lottery pick, he wont return.
-Tyreke Evans, Freshman, Memphis- Announced hell be leaving immediately after his head coach John Calipari took the job at Kentucky. Will be hiring an agent shortly.
-DeMar DeRozan, Freshman, USC- Nothing official yet, but numerous sources indicate his camp is already in the process of interviewing agents, and is highly likely to be in when its all said and done.
-Earl Clark, Junior, Louisville- Has not officially announced, but has already hired representationByron Irvin and Dan Fegan of BEST-- and is in the draft.
-Ty Lawson, Junior, North Carolina- Nothing official yet, but is considered to be 100% in the draft after withdrawing at the last minute last year and elevating his stock considerably with a national championship run.
-Gerald Henderson, Junior, Duke- Nothing official yet, but numerous sources indicate his camp is already in the process of interviewing agents, and is highly likely to be in when its all said and done.
-Jonny Flynn, Sophomore, Syracuse- Will test the waters according to media reports, and is considered likely to stay in the draft.
-James Johnson, Sophomore, Wake Forest- Has officially hired Dan Tobin and Thad Foucher of Wasserman Media Group as his agents, and thus will not be returning to Wake Forest.
-Jeff Teague, Sophomore, Wake Forest- Will enter his name in the draft, without an agent initially. If hes not projected as a top-10 pick by the time the deadline rolls around a week before the draft, hell return to Wake Forestor least thats what his plans are for right now.
-Craig Brackins, Sophomore, Iowa State- Will be testing the waters, at the very least, and seems unlikely to return to Iowa State next season.
-B.J. Mullens, Freshman, Ohio State- Announced hes entering the draft, and has hired Andy Miller of ASM Sports as his agent.
-DeJuan Blair, Sophomore, Pitt- Will announce hes entering the draft in a press conference tomorrow, and is unlikely to return to Pitt next season.
-Jrue Holiday, Freshman, UCLA- Nothing official yet, but numerous sources indicate hes testing the waters, and will likely stay in if he likes what hes hearing from NBA teams.
-Austin Daye, Sophomore, Gonzaga- Will test the waters according to sources.
-Chase Budinger, Junior, Arizona- Announced hell be entering his name in the draft for the second time, which nullifies his remaining college eligibility.
-Wayne Ellington, Junior, North Carolina- Nothing official yet, but numerous sources indicate his camp is already in the process of interviewing agents, and is highly likely to be in when its all said and done. Was already in the draft last year, so cannot test the waters at this point.
-Nick Calathes, Sophomore, Florida- Announced hell be testing the waters, and may return to Florida if he doesnt like what hes hearing. Has the option of playing in Europe next year as well thanks to his Greek passport.
-Patrick Mills, Sophomore, St. Marys- Will announce hes testing the waters shortly, and will attempt to gauge the likelihood of being selected in the first round.
-DaJuan Summers, Junior, Georgetown- Will be leaving Georgetown according to media reports, and is already in the process of interviewing agents.
-Tyler Smith, Junior, Tennessee- Will be entering the draft according to Andy Katz, although there is no indication yet whether he plans on hiring an agent.
-Omri Casspi, 1988 International, Maccabi Tel Aviv- Entering the draft according to media reports. Can withdraw at the deadline if he doesnt like what hes hearing.
-Jodie Meeks, Junior, Kentucky- Has announced hell be testing the waters.
-Vladimir Dasic, 1988 International, Buducnost- Entering the draft according to what his agent Misko Raznatovic told us, and will head to the States for workouts. Can withdraw at the deadline if he doesnt like what hes hearing.
-Rodrigue Beaubois, 1988 International, Cholet- Entering the draft according to what his new agent, Bouna Ndiaye tells us. This will be his third time entering, meaning hes in for good.
-Greivis Vasquez, Junior, Maryland- Has publicly said on more than one occasion that hell be testing the waters.
-Taj Gibson, Junior, USC- Likely to at least test the waters, according to sources.
-Daniel Hackett, Junior, USC- Heavily considering leaving USC, and will likely use his Italian passport to play professionally in Europe if things dont work out with the NBA.
-Matt Bouldin, Junior, Gonzaga- Sources indicate he will test the waters and see where his stock is at.
-Luke Harangody, Junior, Notre Dame- Sources indicate he will test the waters and see where his stock is at.
-Dar Tucker, Sophomore, DePaul- Indicated in March that he will likely test the waters.
-Mac Koshwal, Sophomore, DePaul- Told the Chicago Tribune he will test the waters.
-Giorgi Shermadini, 1988 International, Panathinaikos- Likely testing the waters according to his agent Todd Ramasar.
-Aboubakar Zaki, 1988 International, Nancy- Testing the waters according to his agent David Bauman.
-Patrick Christopher, Junior, Cal- Announced hell be testing the waters.
-Brandon Costner, Junior, N.C. State- Announced hes leaving N.C. State. Will likely play in Europe if not drafted.
-Jonathan Tavernari, Junior, BYU- Announced hell be testing the waters.
-Deven Downey, Junior, South Carolina- Announced hell be testing the waters.
-Roderick Flemings, Junior, Hawaii- Announced hell be testing the waters.
50/50
-Stephen Curry, Junior, Davidson- Sources say he is heavily considering returning for his senior season in order to get his degree, and is truly torn about the decision.
-Ed Davis, Freshman, North Carolina- Publicly said hes returning, but his camp appears to still be exploring the possibility of leaving, according to multiple sources.
-Al-Farouq Aminu, Freshman, Wake Forest- Publicly said hell return, but is considered to be leaning towards entering the draft, for good.
-Evan Turner, Sophomore, Ohio State- Believed to be leaning towards returning, but appears to be still weighing his options according to sources.
-Jerome Jordan, Junior, Tulsa- Nothing official yet, but rumored to be leaning towards returning.
-Patrick Patterson, Sophomore, Kentucky- Has not indicated either way what direction hes leaning towards.
-Stanley Robinson, Junior, UConn- Some media reports indicate he may enter, but sources say hes leaning towards returning.
-Chris Wright, Sophomore, Dayton- Rumored to be on the fence.
-Jarvis Varnado, Junior, Mississippi State- Nothing official yet, but appears to be leaning towards testing the waters.
-Damion James, Junior, Texas- Appears to be leaning towards returning to school. The chances of him declaring appear to be slim according to one source.
-Michael Washington, Junior, Arkansas- Has not indicated either way what direction hes leaning towards. May test the waters as a junior.
-Derrick Brown, Junior, Xavier- Nothing official yet, but may test the waters, especially now that his coach Sean Miller left for Arizona.
-Victor Claver, 1988 International, Pamesa Valencia- Has been injured for most of the year, but can still put his name in and withdraw once more if he desires. Is strongly considering doing so, but has some issues with his buyout.
-Vitor Faverani, 1988 International, Unicaja Malaga- Were yet to receive any indication of whether or not hell enter.
-Tasmin Mitchell, Junior, LSU- Will test the waters, according to sources.
-DeShawn Sims, Junior, Michigan- May test the waters as a junior since he has nothing to lose.
-Raymar Morgan, Junior, Michigan State- Rumored to be considering entering the draft
-Paul Harris, Junior, Syracuse- Unconfirmed reports indicate he may go pro (possibly to Europe) in order to help his family.
-Quincy Pondexter, Junior, Washington- Considering testing the waters, according to media reports.
Leaning Towards/Returning to School:
-Cole Aldrich, Sophomore, Kansas- Nothing official yet, but appears highly likely to return according to what sources tell us.
-Greg Monroe, Freshman, Georgetown- Nothing official yet, but appears highly likely to return according to what sources tell us.
-Donatas Motiejunas, 1990 International, Aisciai Kaunas- A big showing at the Nike Hoop Summit may change his mind, but for now Motiejunas is wisely leaning towards returning.
-Jan Vesely, 1990, International, Partizan Belgrade- Returning to Partizan, according to his agent Alexander Raskovic. Will once again participate in the Reebok EuroCamp in Treviso.
-Devin Ebanks, Freshman, West Virginia- Announced hes returning and appears firm in that commitment.
-Kyle Singler, Junior, Duke- Nothing official yet, but appears highly likely to return according to what sources tell us.
-James Anderson, Sophomore, Oklahoma State- Appears to be leaning towards returning, unless hes projected as a lottery pick, which he surely isnt.
-Solomon Alabi, Sophomore, Florida State- Will return to Florida State according to sources close to the situation.
-Gani Lawal, Sophomore, Georgia Tech- Nothing official yet, but appears highly likely to return
-Sylven Landesberg, Freshman, Virginia- Announced hes returning to Virginia for his sophomore season.
-William Buford, Freshman, Ohio State- Announced hes returning to Ohio State for his sophomore season.
-JaJuan Johnson, Sophomore, Purdue- Announced hes returning to Purdue for his junior season.
-Sherron Collins, Junior, Kansas- Has not announced anything yet, but is believed to be leaning towards returning.
-Trevor Booker, Junior, Clemson- Announced hes returning to Clemson for his senior season.
-Kalin Lucas, Sophomore, Michigan State- Tom Izzo indicates that Lucas will likely be back.
-Manny Harris, Sophomore, Michigan- Announced hes returning to Michigan for his junior season.
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