2024 NBA Big Board(s) 6.0 The April version

The “early” entry list should be released in the coming days as the deadline to declare passed last weekend. We are still in that weird period where even 5th year guys are “declaring.” I am assuming this is just to make things clear to the NBA as some of these guys clearly don’t have any more NCAA eligibility. With two-way deals being half the rookie minimum, projected to be $580K, and it not being guaranteed for a full season (teams really overhaul their two-ways starting in January), it makes sense that RJ Davis and Hunter Dickinson went back. AJ Storr is probably going to make more at Kansas than on a two-way. Nelly Davis probably has enough talent to be in the NBA, but he is small for a two-guard. He could probably get well north of the two-way salary in a transfer NIL deal. The fact that he isn’t choosing a spot probably indicates he wants to play out the draft process. Baba Miller entered the draft, but is taking college visits. It gives an indication of his thinking. I think after the Combine, things will clear up a bit. Furphy, Kaluma, Dunn, Ingram, PJ Hall, Karaban, David Jones, Bal, Sandfort, Jaxson Robinson, Sears, Ndongo, and Love aren’t all staying in. It is just hard to figure which ones do or don’t.

Dink Pate was born in 2006 so how can he enter the draft unless he could argue he had a 2 year G-League Ignite contract and the team has been shut down. The NBA could easily pay him his money for next season rather than allowing him into the draft. He could go overseas for a year or just train with a team/college I guess. My compromise would be he is assigned to a random G-League team and allowed to play there next year maybe a team without a first round pick if you feel a team could turn his head.

If he did enter this year’s draft then he’d be a lottery pick on potential IMO easily. But if the NBA let him in then what about other guys born in 2006 Cooper Flagg and Airlicious could argue they want in and would be likely top 3 picks. There is a guy who has gone to one of the top NCAA teams I cannot recall his name but he is only 17 so would have to do 2 years min in NCAA before being drafted currently?

Bryson Warren played for Sioux Falls Skyforce. Djordjije Jovanovic played for Ontario Clippers. Abdullah Ahmed played for Westchester Knicks. Malique Lewis played for Mexico City. They are all draft eligible. Jovanovic spent two years with the Clippers G-League team, and is still available to all 30 teams in the draft. It isn’t that big of a deal. I don’t think the NBA lets Pate in, especially given that he showed he was far from good in the G-League. If you open that door an inch, the league has no idea what other kinds of challenges to the CBA it invites.

How was Pate allowed to graduate his HS early if he was continuing online classes which the NBA initiated at Arizona State?

I think the sensible thing is that he just joins another G-League team. The NBA will still pay his salary as he had a 2 year Ignite deal unless there was a contract clause. If you wanted to be totally fair and not give him an advantage getting to the NBA early you could say he can declare this year but cannot play in the NBA until he is the age that the youngest eligible draftee is. This is likely Chomche who could play in the NBA as an 18 year old so just say Pate cannot make his NBA debut until he is the same age that Chomche is on opening night. Then say this is a one off exception to the rule.

I don’t know what David Silver’s view on the draft age is or would the player’s association want younger guys in possibly pushing vets off rosters. The NCAA has the NILs now so there should be no hardship cases for elite prospects.