Sources: 7-foot-3 prospect to travel to U.S. to work out for NBA teams
Walter Tavares, one of the best 7-foot prospects in the world, is working on a contract buyout with his team in the Spanish ACB League and will travel soon to the United States to work out for several NBA teams, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Several NBA executives believe Tavares, who is 7-foot-3, has a strong chance to work himself into the first round of this month's NBA draft, and several teams choosing in the range of the 20s plan to bring him in for closer inspections, sources said.
Agent Andy Miller will represent Tavares, 22, in the NBA.
Tavares doesn't have a formal agreement on a buyout with Gran Canaria of the Spanish ACB, but there is momentum toward that end, sources said.
Tavares maintains a most amazing story: Before his 17th birthday growing up on the tiny island of Cape Verde, he had never played basketball. A tourist discovered him, recommended him to a Spanish ACB team in the Canary Islands, and soon Tavares was whisked away to learn the game of basketball.
Five years later for Gran Canaria of the Spanish ACB League, he impressed NBA scouts with a 16-point, eight-rebound performance in a loss to the talented Real Madrid in the Spanish Cup. His wingspan, rebounding and shot-blocking abilities make him an especially intriguing prospect to NBA front office executives.
As one Western Conference official said: "He has the biggest hands I've ever seen. He's a very interesting player."
