June 19th

The latest (and best) NBA Draft news, rumours, analysis, prospects performances, and reporting for June 19th.

Nic Thomas

Jun 19, 2024

News and Rumours

All the news and rumours from the past 24 hours.

Knicks Host Workout

The Knicks recently had Baylor Scheierman (Creighton) and Ryan Dunn (Virginia) in for a group workout, per sources.

Baylor Scheierman - 2023-24 - Men's Basketball - Creighton University Athletics

Timberwolves Host Workout

The Minnesota Timberwolves are hosting a draft workout today with the following prospects: Fardaws Aimaq (California), Jermaine Couisnard (Oregon), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB), Tyler Thomas (Hofstra), Drew Pember (UNC Asheville), and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois).

Freeman Works Out With Jazz

Enrique Freeman, a small forward out of Akron, will visit the Utah Jazz for a pre-draft workout this week, according to league sources. Freeman is one of the better wing defenders in the draft. His projected range, according to sources, is between the twenties to thirties.

Bronny Set For Second Suns Workout

The Suns have a second workout with Bronny James scheduled later this week, per Jonathan Givony. Phoenix could trade back from twenty-second overall to secure additional assets and select Bronny.

Missi Works Out With 76ers

Baylor center Yves Missi participated in a pre-draft workout for the Sixers today at their practice facility, according to sources. The Sixers have the 16th and 41st picks in next week’s NBA draft. The 6-foot-11 Belgium native, who grew up in Cameroon, averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks this past season.

Clingan Could Be Top Two Pick

League sources reported that there is significant interest from the Atlanta Hawks (first overall selection) and the Wizards (second overall selection) in UConn center Donovan Clingan.

Magic Hold High Opinion of Carrington

The Orlando Magic are amongst the teams with a high opinion of Pittsburgh’s Carlton Carrington. Carrington worked out for Orlando on Wednesday and is viewed by multiple teams as a player who has improved his stock in the pre-draft process.

Suns Set To Keep Pick

The Suns are preparing to draft a prospect at No. 22 overall instead of trading it for a win-now piece, per Evan Sidery. Phoenix is also considering trading down to secure extra assets. The Suns haven’t utilized a first-round pick since 2020.

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Expert Analysis

What are the ‘experts’ saying?

Buzelis Has Leapfrogged Holland

“Buzelis also in those (top five) conversations. Obviously a coveted archetype and easy fit. Teams believe his shooting is significantly better than numbers suggest. He has leapfrogged G-League Ignite teammate Ron Holland in terms of draft stock.”

- Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report

Edey’s Defensive Impact Will Decide His Future

“Defensively, how well (Zach Edey) can hold up against perimeter drives, both in isolation and through screens, will determine how many minutes he can realistically play. Edey is prone to being thrown off balance on perimeter drives on change of speeds and directions, which makes him a vulnerability on switches. Additionally, he doesn’t dominate the paint like many players built with his size and strength, which brings questions about his timing on blocking shots.”

- Richard Stayman, MavsDraft’s Substack

Walters Off-Ball Movement a Secret Weapon

“His movement looks are a thing of beauty. Baylor utilized him exceptionally well on inbound plays. First off, he does a great job of using misdirection to set up his movements. He’ll often lunge hard in one direction to shake his defender before quickly reversing course to sprint off a screen in another. This shows up within the flow of the game, too, but there’s a real BLOB/ATO utility to him. Walter is thoughtful when it comes to the path his defender has to take. He’ll maximize his space by tucking himself behind screens or shifting his positioning at the last second, complicating his opponent’s path to a contest. He’s a fluid mover, which helps him to slow his momentum and transition easily into his jumper mechanics.”

- Maxwell Baumbach, No Ceilings

Prospect Performances

Every notable prospect performance from the last 24 hours.

Unfortunately, there are no active leagues with draft prospects at the moment. With that in mind, this portion of The Inside Scoop will be empty until further notice.