The NBA draft is only a few weeks away, and there could be some familiar faces at Barclays Center to grace the stage after their names are called.
According to ESPN, invites have started to be sent out to top prospects the NBA would like to have in the green room for the draft. Included on the initial list, former 5-star Duncanville prospect Ron Holland and former Baylor star Ja’Kobe Walter, a McKinney native.
This year’s draft will be the first to be conducted over two days, with the first round taking place on Wednesday, June 26 at Barclays Center, while the second round will be held June 27 at an ESPN studio in lower Manhattan.
Both Holland and Walter are projected to be potential lottery picks.
Holland, 18, was named the 2023 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American as a senior after he averaged 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds for Duncanville (29-1), which finished No. 3 in ESPN’s national high school boys basketball rankings.
The No. 2 player in ESPN’s class of 2024 national rankings, Holland signed with Texas, but was granted release from his letter of intent last May and signed with G-League Ignite one week later. He averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 14 games played this season.
Holland was selected No. 12 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in a recent mock draft from the Associated Press.
“Holland could end up being the best defensive forward in the draft. The 6-7 forward has a nose for the ball defensively — he averaged more than 2 steals a game in the G League — and is excellent in the open floor, which would be a great fit in OKC,” the AP wrote. “Holland can create his own shot, but needs to make more after shooting 24% from 3 on 3.6 attempts per game last season. The Thunder are at least in a position to wait for him to develop.”
Walter, 19, went two picks later to the Portland Trail Blazers.
“The 6-5 guard was not shy in putting it up from 3 for the Bears as a freshman, taking more than four a game while shooting 34%. His long wingspan and athleticism give Walter the potential to become a defensive stopper at the next level,” the AP wrote. “Shot selection and adding a bit of muscle to his 197-pound frame will be the biggest adjustments in the move to the NBA, but he’s only 19, so there’s plenty of time.”
Walter played at McKinney through his junior year before the five-star transferred to Link Academy (Mo.). He became Big 12 Freshman of the Year during his lone season in Waco.
Another 11-12 invites are expected to be sent out in waves starting next week, according to ESPN. Last year the final invites were not sent until two days before the draft.
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