The upcoming June NBA Draft has many basketball fans across the globe anticipating the action of the NBA’s next young stars. The NBA Draft consists of two rounds with a total of sixty picks, which makes it easier to follow in comparison to the NFL, MLB, or NHL draft. This coming June many top college, international, and even a high school star will wait to hear their names called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver to finally find out the location in which their NBA careers will begin. The top talents from the NCAA in this year’s class includes players like Arizona’s Deandre Ayton, Duke’s Marvin Bagley III, Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson and many more spectacular basketball prospects. One of the most popular stories in this year’s class is 19 year old Luka Doncic. Many draft experts believe he has the talent to make him the first overall pick, and he would be the first European to be drafted number one overall since 2006 when the Toronto Raptors selected Andrea Bargnani from Italy. The 6’8” Croatian point guard has the skills to be one of the NBA’s next great international stars and to join some of the greatest names in the sport. Another situation that seems to be becoming more popular over the past several years is players coming to the NBA straight out of high school. Since LeBron James came out of high school as an 18 year old and became the number one pick in the 2003 Draft, many others strive to follow in his footsteps to the League. This year, Anfernee Simons from IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL has been cleared to enter the NBA Draft. He is currently projected by many experts to be selected middle to late first round which is impressive for any 18 year old. Experts report that this could be one of the most talented draft classes in our common draft era. A high number of great talents will hear their names called on June 21.

The NBA’s Draft Lottery takes place on May 15th. At this event, the teams that did not make the playoffs all receive odds of getting the highest picks in the draft based on their records. Most of the time, the odds are fully correct with the first fourteen picks, but occasionally,  the teams with the top three odds have close records and the order gets shaken up at the top. The way the lottery plays out will be a major difference maker on who is selected number one overall. The Grizzlies and the Suns both have their eyes out for Luka Doncic at number one, but if the Mavericks get their hands on the number 1 overall pick, they might want to take Deandre Ayton or Marvin Bagley III because they need better players in the “big man” positions to make a run at the playoffs next season.

There is still a lot of time before the NBA Draft, which provides prospects with a lot of time to work out and practice with different teams. The NBA Combine list was recently released with seventy players receiving invites. At the NBA Combine, players participate in 5v5 scrimmages and athletic tests such as the vertical and the full court sprint. Many players that have lower draft stocks have a chance to raise them before the draft begins. Many players put up outstanding numbers in athletic testing and measurements. For instance, Mohamed Bamba, a forward from Texas, is projected in the lottery which is the top fourteen players of the draft. One of the headlines at the combine was his outstanding 7’10” wingspan along with his 9’7.5” which is 2.5 inches away from the rim. He measured at 6’11.25” in height without shoes on. With basketball shoes on, he would be  approximately 7’1”. Another big standout at the combine was Josh Okogie from Georgia Tech. He recorded a max vertical of 42”, which was tied first at the combine with Villanova’s Donte Divincenzo. To go along with his vertical test, Okogie also recorded a 3.04 three quarter sprint which is 75 feet in length. Evidently, the combine is an important place for players to showcase their talents.

Now that the combine is behind these future NBA stars, it is up to them to put their own work in before the 2018 NBA Draft. All thirty NBA teams are allowed to invite prospects to their facilities to work out with the coaches and see the facilities until the draft begins. The lead up and everything that follows the NBA Draft is clearly an exciting process and event for these future stars and all true NBA fans.