NBA Draft
Fraschilla Compares Exum To Young Jordan
ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla has seen Dante Exum play against strong competition, and he compared the PG to a young Michael Jordan

Australian NBA prospect Dante Exum has already caused a great deal of debate among analysts and fans, and he hasn’t even set foot on the court for a pre-draft workout yet. Just as there are plenty of believers in the somewhat limited (but highly impressive) footage and statistics we have available on Exum, there are many who believe we need to see the 18-year-old phenom against stronger competition before determining whether he is worthy of a top five pick in the upcoming 2014 NBA Draft.
Highly regarded former college basketball coach and current ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla is one of the few who has seen Exum play against stronger competition on more than one occasion. Fraschilla offered his views on the 6’6 guard during a recent interview with 710 ESPNLA’s John Ireland.
“He reminds me of a young, 1982 circa North Carolina Michael Jordan,” Fraschilla said of Exum. “He’s not going to be as great, obviously, unless I’m wrong… but he kind of reminds you of a young colt that’s just about to run his first claimer race, and you’re looking at him (thinking), ‘This guy could win the Kentucky Derby someday.’”
Obviously, he’s not comparing Exum to the Jordan that finished a legendary NBA career with six titles. There’s certainly no need to place that type of added pressure and increased expectation on any young player, but Fraschilla is drawing a direct parallel to what he sees in Exum and what he saw out of an 18-year-old Jordan as a freshman at North Carolina.
“He’s got great basketball instincts,” Fraschilla said. “He’ll drive in, and when you think he’s going to use his right hand, he’ll switch to the left hand at the last minute. He’ll take off about a half step earlier than you think he should, but then he’ll hang in the air and bank it off the glass…Getting your own shot in the league is a skill.”
High praise of that nature, whether you agree, is certain to turn a few heads and raise an eyebrow or two when it comes from someone as respected as Fraschilla, and he certainly didn’t back away from his praise of Exum when asked about his actual draft stock.
“If I had to pick today, it would be in some order of Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker and Dante Exum,” Fraschilla concluded.
Part of why Fraschilla is so impressed with Exum is a result of how he performed at the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit. Exum was able to showcase his all-around game against a team that boasted Duke’s Jabari Parker, Kentucky’s Aaron and Andrew Harrison and Julius Randle, and Arizona’s Aaron Gordon.
http://youtu.be/HAdbE72z2VE
Exum turned even more heads just a few months later, when he led Australia to an impressive win over Spain at the FIBA Under 19 Men’s tourney in Prague. He was absolutely dominant in the quarterfinal game, notching 33 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
The footage from these clips makes it easy to see why scouts have also compared Exum to players like Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Not only is he lightning quick with the ball in transition, but Exum’s first step has him routinely attacking the paint and rim in the halfcourt set as well.
Perhaps a slight difference between his game and that of a young Westbrook and particularly Rose is that Exum already appears to have an outside game. His jump-shot is smooth, and he appears to have the ability to comfortably rise above a defender off the dribble and hit catch-and-shoot opportunities. He even appears to be able to handle the pick-and-roll effectively, which should please a growing number of coaches.
Fraschilla is not in the business of throwing out hyperbole or ranking a player that high just for the sake of grabbing a headline, so these are not words to be taken lightly. Praise and limited footage aside, Exum should have plenty of opportunities to prove himself during the pre-draft process. Reportedly already working out in Southern California in preparation for that early-to-mid June period, Exum can expect to hear from many lottery teams.
Whether he’s truly worthy of some of the recent hype will soon be known, when everyone will have the opportunity to judge his game for themselves. It doesn’t appear that Exum will by shying away from that spotlight anytime soon.
Mock Drafts
2020 NBA Mock Draft – The Final 60-Pick Mock
What a long and winding road the 20201 NBA Draft has been. While this draft cycle has seen its ups and down, the moment of truth if finally upon us.
What a long and winding road the 20201 NBA Draft has been. While this draft cycle has seen its ups and down, the moment of truth if finally upon us.
Here is a final look at the 2020 Draft, and how it may play out in this final 60-pick Mock Draft of the 20202 NBA Draft process:
Mock Drafts
2020 NBA Mock Draft – First Round – 08/21/2020
The 2020 NBA Draft order is now locked in, however, there are tons of additional questions to be answered in the coming weeks. Here is a look at the first round, in this Basketball Insiders Mock Draft.

To say the 2020 NBA Draft has been chaotic is an understatement, however with last night’s NBA Draft Lottery out of the way, things are starting to at least trend in a positive direction.
That doesn’t mean there are not challenges ahead, namely when the actual NBA Draft will take place.
There is a growing sense that the NBA and the players are going to push back the start of the next cap year, which will likely impact when and how the NBA Draft plays out.
Typically, the Draft is a major transaction window for NBA teams, and with so much unknown surrounding how the salary cap will be set, and when trades and transactions typically consummated around the draft would become official, there is a lot of uncertainty, making the 2020 NBA draft wide open on many fronts.
The hope among teams is that some clarity on all of this will surface in the coming weeks, but for now most teams are operating in uncharted waters.
With all of that in mind, here is a look at the 2020 NBA Draft First round, which will be the first of many weekly Mock Drafts we’ll be dropping all the way up to the draft, whenever that finally gets set.
The Basketball Insiders Annual Consensus Mock Drafts will begin in September, as will full 60-pick mocks starting next week, so stay tuned.
NBA Draft
NBA ANNOUNCES EARLY ENTRY CANDIDATES FOR 2020 NBA DRAFT
The National Basketball Association announced today that 205 players — 163 players from colleges and other educational institutions and 42 international players — have filed as early entry candidates for the 2020 NBA Draft

NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 – The National Basketball Association announced today that 205 players — 163 players from colleges and other educational institutions and 42 international players — have filed as early entry candidates for the 2020 NBA Draft presented by State Farm.
Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the Draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing 10 days prior to the 2020 NBA Draft.
Following is the list of players from colleges and other educational institutions who have applied for early entry into the 2020 NBA Draft.
EARLY ENTRY CANDIDATES FOR 2020 NBA DRAFT
Player |
School |
Height |
Status |
Precious Achiuwa |
Memphis |
6-9 |
Freshman |
Milan Acquaah |
California Baptist |
6-3 |
Junior |
Jordyn Adams |
Austin Peay |
6-3 |
Freshman |
Abdul Ado |
Mississippi State |
6-11 |
Junior |
Ty-Shon Alexander |
Creighton |
6-4 |
Junior |
Timmy Allen |
Utah |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Derrick Alston Jr. |
Boise State |
6-9 |
Junior |
Cole Anthony |
North Carolina |
6-3 |
Freshman |
Joel Ayayi |
Gonzaga |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
Brendan Bailey |
Marquette |
6-8 |
Sophomore |
Saddiq Bey |
Villanova |
6-8 |
Sophomore |
Tyler Bey |
Colorado |
6-7 |
Junior |
Jermaine Bishop |
Norfolk State |
6-1 |
Junior |
Jomaru Brown |
Eastern Kentucky |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
Marcus Burk |
IUPUI |
6-3 |
Junior |
Dachon Burke Jr. |
Nebraska |
6-4 |
Junior |
Jordan Burns |
Colgate |
6-0 |
Junior |
Jared Butler |
Baylor |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
Manny Camper |
Siena |
6-7 |
Junior |
Vernon Carey Jr. |
Duke |
6-10 |
Freshman |
Marcus Carr |
Minnesota |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
Tamenang Choh |
Brown |
6-5 |
Junior |
Kofi Cockburn |
Illinois |
7-0 |
Freshman |
David Collins |
South Florida |
6-3 |
Junior |
Zach Cooks |
NJIT |
5-9 |
Junior |
Jalen Crutcher |
Dayton |
6-1 |
Junior |
Ryan Daly |
St. Joseph’s |
6-5 |
Junior |
Nate Darling |
Delaware |
6-5 |
Junior |
Darius Days |
LSU |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Dexter Dennis |
Wichita State |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
Lamine Diane |
CSUN |
6-7 |
Sophomore |
Ayo Dosunmu |
Illinois |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
Devon Dotson |
Kansas |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
Nojel Eastern |
Purdue |
6-7 |
Junior |
Anthony Edwards |
Georgia |
6-5 |
Freshman |
CJ Elleby |
Washington State |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Mason Faulkner |
Western Carolina |
6-1 |
Junior |
LJ Figueroa |
St. John’s |
6-6 |
Junior |
Malik Fitts |
St. Mary’s |
6-8 |
Junior |
Malachi Flynn |
San Diego State |
6-1 |
Junior |
Blake Francis |
Richmond |
6-0 |
Junior |
Hasahn French |
St. Louis |
6-7 |
Junior |
DJ Funderburk |
NC State |
6-10 |
Junior |
Both Gach |
Utah |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Alonzo Gaffney |
Ohio State |
6-9 |
Freshman |
Luka Garza |
Iowa |
6-11 |
Junior |
Jacob Gilyard |
Richmond |
5-9 |
Junior |
Grant Golden |
Richmond |
6-10 |
Junior |
Jordan Goodwin |
St. Louis |
6-3 |
Junior |
Tony Goodwin II |
Redemption Academy (MA) |
6-6 |
Post-Graduate |
Jayvon Graves |
Buffalo |
6-3 |
Junior |
AJ Green |
Northern Iowa |
6-4 |
Sophomore |
Darin Green Jr. |
UCF |
6-4 |
Freshman |
Josh Green |
Arizona |
6-6 |
Freshman |
Ashton Hagans |
Kentucky |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
Tyrese Haliburton |
Iowa State |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
Josh Hall |
Moravian Prep (NC) |
6-8 |
Post-Graduate |
Rayshaun Hammonds |
Georgia |
6-9 |
Junior |
Jalen Harris |
Nevada |
6-5 |
Junior |
Niven Hart |
Fresno State |
6-5 |
Freshman |
Aaron Henry |
Michigan State |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Jalen Hill |
UCLA |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
Nate Hinton |
Houston |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
Jay Huff |
Virginia |
7-1 |
Junior |
Elijah Hughes |
Syracuse |
6-6 |
Junior |
Feron Hunt |
SMU |
6-8 |
Sophomore |
Chance Hunter |
Long Beach State |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
DeJon Jarreau |
Houston |
6-5 |
Junior |
Damien Jefferson |
Creighton |
6-5 |
Junior |
Isaiah Joe |
Arkansas |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
Dakari Johnson |
Cape Fear CC (NC) |
6-0 |
Freshman |
Jalen Johnson |
Louisiana |
6-7 |
Junior |
Andre Jones |
Nicholls State |
6-4 |
Junior |
C.J. Jones |
MTSU |
6-5 |
Junior |
Herbert Jones |
Alabama |
6-7 |
Junior |
Mason Jones |
Arkansas |
6-5 |
Junior |
Tre Jones |
Duke |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
Corey Kispert |
Gonzaga |
6-7 |
Junior |
Kameron Langley |
NC A&T |
6-2 |
Junior |
AJ Lawson |
South Carolina |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Saben Lee |
Vanderbilt |
6-2 |
Junior |
Kira Lewis Jr. |
Alabama |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
Matt Lewis |
James Madison |
6-5 |
Junior |
Isaiah Livers |
Michigan |
6-7 |
Junior |
Denzel Mahoney |
Creighton |
6-5 |
Junior |
Makur Maker |
Pacific Academy (CA) |
7-0 |
Post-Graduate |
Sandro Mamukelashvili |
Seton Hall |
6-11 |
Junior |
Tre Mann |
Florida |
6-4 |
Freshman |
Nico Mannion |
Arizona |
6-3 |
Freshman |
Naji Marshall |
Xavier |
6-7 |
Junior |
Kenyon Martin Jr. |
IMG Academy (FL) |
6-7 |
Post-Graduate |
Remy Martin |
Arizona State |
6-0 |
Junior |
Tyrese Maxey |
Kentucky |
6-3 |
Freshman |
Mac McClung |
Georgetown |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
Jaden McDaniels |
Washington |
6-9 |
Freshman |
Isiaha Mike |
SMU |
6-8 |
Junior |
Isaiah Miller |
UNCG |
6-0 |
Junior |
Matt Mitchell |
San Diego State |
6-6 |
Junior |
EJ Montgomery |
Kentucky |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
Andrew Nembhard |
Florida |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
Aaron Nesmith |
Vanderbilt |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Zeke Nnaji |
Arizona |
6-11 |
Freshman |
Obadiah Noel |
Massachusetts-Lowell |
6-4 |
Junior |
Jordan Nwora |
Louisville |
6-7 |
Junior |
Onyeka Okongwu |
USC |
6-9 |
Freshman |
Isaac Okoro |
Auburn |
6-6 |
Freshman |
Elijah Olaniyi |
Stony Brook |
6-5 |
Junior |
Daniel Oturu |
Minnesota |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
Reggie Perry |
Mississippi State |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
Filip Petrusev |
Gonzaga |
6-11 |
Sophomore |
John Petty Jr. |
Alabama |
6-5 |
Junior |
Nate Pierre-Louis |
Temple |
6-4 |
Junior |
Xavier Pinson |
Missouri |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
Yves Pons |
Tennessee |
6-6 |
Junior |
Immanuel Quickley |
Kentucky |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
Darius Quisenberry |
Youngstown State |
6-1 |
Sophomore |
Jahmi’us Ramsey |
Texas Tech |
6-4 |
Freshman |
Paul Reed Jr. |
DePaul |
6-9 |
Junior |
Nick Richards |
Kentucky |
6-11 |
Junior |
Colbey Ross |
Pepperdine |
6-1 |
Junior |
Fatts Russell |
Rhode Island |
5-10 |
Junior |
Joe Saterfield |
Ranger CC (TX) |
6-4 |
Freshman |
Jayden Scrubb |
John A. Logan College (IL) |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Aamir Simms |
Clemson |
6-9 |
Junior |
Ja’Vonte Smart |
LSU |
6-4 |
Sophomore |
Chris Smith |
UCLA |
6-9 |
Junior |
Collin Smith |
UCF |
6-11 |
Junior |
Jalen Smith |
Maryland |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
Justin Smith |
Indiana |
6-7 |
Junior |
Mitchell Smith |
Missouri |
6-10 |
Junior |
Stef Smith |
Vermont |
6-1 |
Junior |
Ben Stanley |
Hampton |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Cassius Stanley |
Duke |
6-6 |
Freshman |
Isaiah Stewart |
Washington |
6-9 |
Freshman |
Parker Stewart |
UT-Martin |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
Terry Taylor |
Austin Peay |
6-5 |
Junior |
MaCio Teague |
Baylor |
6-3 |
Junior |
Tyrell Terry |
Stanford |
6-1 |
Freshman |
Justin Thomas |
Morehead State |
5-11 |
Junior |
Ethan Thompson |
Oregon State |
6-5 |
Junior |
Xavier Tillman Sr. |
Michigan State |
6-8 |
Junior |
Jeremiah Tilmon |
Missouri |
6-10 |
Junior |
Obi Toppin |
Dayton |
6-9 |
Sophomore |
Jordan Tucker |
Butler |
6-7 |
Junior |
Devin Vassell |
Florida State |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Alonzo Verge Jr. |
Arizona State |
6-3 |
Junior |
Chris Vogt |
Cincinnati |
7-1 |
Junior |
CJ Walker |
Ohio State |
6-1 |
Junior |
Trendon Watford |
LSU |
6-9 |
Freshman |
Ibi Watson |
Dayton |
6-5 |
Junior |
Nick Weatherspoon |
Mississippi State |
6-2 |
Junior |
Kaleb Wesson |
Ohio State |
6-9 |
Junior |
Jarrod West |
Marshall |
5-11 |
Junior |
Romello White |
Arizona State |
6-8 |
Junior |
Kahlil Whitney |
Kentucky |
6-6 |
Freshman |
DeAndre Williams |
Evansville |
6-9 |
Sophomore |
Emmitt Williams |
LSU |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Keith Williams |
Cincinnati |
6-5 |
Junior |
Patrick Williams |
Florida State |
6-8 |
Freshman |
James Wiseman |
Memphis |
7-1 |
Freshman |
Robert Woodard II |
Mississippi State |
6-7 |
Sophomore |
McKinley Wright IV |
Colorado |
6-0 |
Junior |
Omer Yurtseven |
Georgetown |
7-0 |
Junior |
The following is the list of international players who have applied for early entry into the 2020 NBA Draft:
Player |
Team/Country of Team |
Height |
Status |
Berke Atar |
MZT Skopje (Macedonia) |
6-11 |
1999 DOB |
Deni Avdija |
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) |
6-8 |
2001 DOB |
Brancou Badio |
Barcelona (Spain) |
6-3 |
1999 DOB |
Darko Bajo |
Split (Croatia) |
6-10 |
1999 DOB |
Philippe Bayehe |
Roseto (Italy) |
6-9 |
1999 DOB |
Marek Blazevic |
Rytas (Lithuania) |
6-10 |
2001 DOB |
Adrian Bogucki |
Radom (Poland) |
7-1 |
1999 DOB |
Leandro Bolmaro |
Barcelona (Spain) |
6-6 |
2000 DOB |
Vinicius Da Silva |
Prat (Spain) |
7-0 |
2001 DOB |
Henri Drell |
Pesaro (Italy) |
6-9 |
2000 DOB |
Imru Duke |
Zentro Basket (Spain) |
6-8 |
1999 DOB |
Michele Ebeling |
Kleb Ferrara (Italy) |
6-9 |
1999 DOB |
Paul Eboua |
Pesaro (Italy) |
6-8 |
2000 DOB |
Osas Ehigiator |
Fuenlabrada (Spain) |
6-10 |
1999 DOB |
Joel Ekamba |
Limoges (France) |
6-5 |
2001 DOB |
Selim Fofana |
Neuchatel (Switzerland) |
6-3 |
1999 DOB |
Miguel Gonzalez |
Baskonia (Spain) |
6-7 |
1999 DOB |
Killian Hayes |
Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany) |
6-5 |
2001 DOB |
Sehmus Hazer |
Bandirma (Turkey) |
6-3 |
1999 DOB |
Rokas Jokubaitis |
Zalgiris (Lithuania) |
6-4 |
2000 DOB |
Georgios Kalaitzakis |
Nevezis (Lithuania) |
6-8 |
1999 DOB |
Vit Krejci |
Zaragoza (Spain) |
6-8 |
2000 DOB |
Arturs Kurucs |
VEF Riga (Latvia) |
6-3 |
2000 DOB |
Dut Mabor |
Roseto (Italy) |
7-1 |
2001 DOB |
Yam Madar |
Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel) |
6-2 |
2000 DOB |
Theo Maledon |
ASVEL (France) |
6-4 |
2001 DOB |
Karim Mane |
Vanier (Canada) |
6-5 |
2000 DOB |
Sergi Martinez |
Barcelona (Spain) |
6-8 |
1999 DOB |
Nikola Miskovic |
Mega Bemax (Serbia) |
6-10 |
1999 DOB |
Aristide Mouaha |
Roseto (Italy) |
6-3 |
2000 DOB |
Caio Pacheco |
Bahia Basket (Argentina) |
6-3 |
1999 DOB |
Joel Parra |
Joventut (Spain) |
6-8 |
2000 DOB |
Aleksej Pokusevski |
Olympiacos (Greece) |
7-0 |
2001 DOB |
Sander Raieste |
Kalev/Cramo (Estonia) |
6-9 |
1999 DOB |
Nikolaos Rogkavopoulos |
AEK (Greece) |
6-8 |
2001 DOB |
Yigitcan Saybir |
Anadolu Efes (Turkey) |
6-7 |
1999 DOB |
Njegos Sikiras |
Fuenlabrada (Spain) |
6-9 |
1999 DOB |
Marko Simonovic |
Mega Bemax (Serbia) |
6-11 |
1999 DOB |
Mouhamed Thiam |
Nanterre (France) |
6-9 |
2001 DOB |
Uros Trifunovic |
Partizan (Serbia) |
6-7 |
2000 DOB |
Arnas Velicka |
Prienai (Lithuania) |
6-4 |
1999 DOB |
Andrii Voinalovych |
Khimik (Ukraine) |
6-10 |
1999 DOB |
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