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ESPN- NBA draft analyst and writer
Joined ESPN.com in July 2017
Founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams
A record 120 players will gather at Wintrust Arena in Chicago for the NBA draft combine and G League Elite camp this week.
Chicago will also play host to 17 agency-run pro days, as well as the NBA draft lottery on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), marking one of the most important weeks on the NBA calendar.
For the first time in memory, the NBA has been able to secure full attendance from all of the top prospects currently projected to be drafted, including Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith and Paolo Banchero, as well as several international players.
Only four draftable players declined invites to Chicago: Yannick Nzosa, whose season ended Sunday in Spain; Kris Murray, who appears to be headed back to Iowa for his junior year; USC's Isaiah Mobley, whose agency typically has its own draft strategy outside of the combine; and Michigan's Caleb Houstan, who some NBA teams speculate already has a promise in the first round.
The G League and NBA combines will help provide valuable feedback to the many college players "testing the waters" before deciding whether to keep their names in the June 23 NBA draft or return to school by the June 1 deadline.