We are a little over a month away from the NBA Draft, and rumors are starting to fly around. Here are some of the latest — and also check out the latest NBC Sports Mock Draft.
AJ Dybantsa not lock to go No. 1
AJ Dybantsa helped his cause at the NBA Draft Combine — he was everything teams expected, and his 42-inch vertical leap solidified him as one of the best pure athletes in the draft. Which is why most teams have the BYU wing on top of their draft boards, projected to go No. 1.
But it’s not a lock that Dybantsa goes first, reports Jeremy Woo at ESPN.
Rival teams don’t view Dybantsa as a lock to go first, however, as there has been no true consensus No. 1 among scouts all season. Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson are all expected to receive consideration as the Wizards go through their process.
With all due respect to Boozer and Wilson, if it’s not Dybantsa at No. 1, it will be Darryn Peterson out of Kansas — he was the guy on top of draft boards before the season, and scouts have told NBC Sports he still has the highest ceiling of the group. What has dropped Peterson’s stock in the eyes of most teams is health concerns in a season where he yo-yoed in and out of the Jayhawks’ lineup due to cramping and other injuries. Scouts and front office people have told NBC Sports they want to see Peterson’s medical reports, and ESPN’s Woo echoes that, also reporting Peterson did well in his combine interviews with teams.
NBA teams are still awaiting the results of Peterson’s medical evaluation, which is viewed around the league as the most important off-court piece after he dealt with serious cramping concerns, which he attributed to high dosages of creatine. According to team sources, Peterson came across as quiet but serious in interviews last week and handled that part of the process well, addressing questions about his strange season.
One thing is clear out of the Combine: Those top four — Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Wilson — are considered by teams in their own tier, something Woo and others at the combine report.
Other draft notes
• Aday Mara climbing. One of the winners of the draft combine, Michigan center Aday Mara is climbing draft boards, and it’s not out of the question that he could be the surprise pick that disrupts the run on point guards expected in picks 5-8 (Brooklyn at No. 6 reportedly is taking a look). The Spanish native had physical measurements at the combine similar to Zach Edey — 7'3" with a 9'9" standing reach — and he showed during the season (and reminded everyone at the combine) that he moves well for a man his size.
• Don’t expect Jazz to trade up for Dybantsa. It’s easy to see why the speculation started: Dybantsa went to prep school in Utah, then attended BYU for college — a place that owner Ryan Smith, as well as team president Danny Ainge and GM Austin Ainge, all have ties. And, it would be a hit with the fan base. However, multiple reports — including Sarah Todd of The Deseret News — say the same thing: Don’t expect the Jazz to move up to No. 1. The price to swap picks with Washington to go No. 1 and ensure the Jazz get Dybantsa is likely a quality young player — the Wizards reportedly really liked Ace Baley a year ago — and another first-round pick. Unless the Jazz rate Dybantsa on his own tier and well above anyone else in the draft — and as noted above, that’s not how anybody sees it — then the price is far too steep to play that game.
• Kings eye Darius Acuff Jr. The lottery gods were not kind to the Sacramento Kings — again — but they could still land a difference maker at No. 7. Sacramento reportedly is interested in Arkansas’ Darius Acuff, reports Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports. There is a real logic to this: the Kings need someone to inspire the fan base (and help them win games), and all you need to know about Acuff is that Allen Iverson says Acuff reminds him of him. He’s just fun to watch. Acuff is a dynamic scorer who can play on or off the ball and is averaging 22.2 points and 6.4 assists per game.
• Bucks acting like a team about to get another pick. Milwaukee has one pick in the first round, No. 10, but they are acting like a team that is going to make multiple picks in this draft, reports ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. If, as widely expected, Milwaukee trades Giannis Antetokounmpo before the draft, that will very likely come with a pick this season from whichever team lands the two-time MVP. Consider it another sign that the Bucks are serious about making a deal this time around.
