2022 NBA draft early entry deadline: Decisions of potential first-round picks
College players and international early entrants have until the end of the day on Sunday, April 24, to submit their names into the 2022 NBA draft pool. They can withdraw at a later date if they decide they aren’t yet ready to go pro — though if college players want to maintain their NCAA eligibility, they cannot hire an agent who isn’t certified by the NCAA.
Once the early entrant list is set, NBA teams like the Rockets can begin conducting or attending workouts for those players. Houston owns two selections in the first round: Their own (a guaranteed top-five choice, pending May 17 lottery results) and the No. 17 overall pick via Brooklyn.
Players will have until June 1 to decide if they will remain in the draft or return to the NCAA. Those players can use feedback from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee, or directly from teams at the NBA Combine or G League Elite Camp, to make their decisions.
For The Win draft guru Bryan Kalbrosky has a running “declaration tracker” heading into deadline day. Scroll on for updates regarding who he sees as first-round prospects (as of now, Houston does not own any 2022 second-round picks), and hit For The Win for the full list.
Players in the “testing waters” category — headlined by Kentucky freshman Shaedon Sharpe — have indicated at least some uncertainty regarding whether they will ultimately stay in the draft. First-round prospects in the “not returning” category have either already hired an agent who is not NCAA-certified or have expressed intentions to do so.
(Last updated: 12 p.m. CDT on Saturday, April 23)
UNDECLARED: Potential first-rounders who have yet to comment
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AJ Griffin (Duke: Wing, Freshman, 6-8)
Trevor Keels (Duke: Wing, Freshman, 6-5)
Caleb Houstan (Michigan: Wing, Freshman, 6-8)
Caleb Love (North Carolina: Guard, Sophomore, 6-4)
NOT RETURNING TO SCHOOL: Potential first-rounders
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Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga: Big, Freshman, 7-1)
Jabari Smith (Auburn: Big, Freshman, 6-10)
Paolo Banchero (Duke: Big, Freshman, 6-10)
Jaden Ivey (Purdue: Guard, Sophomore, 6-4)
Keegan Murray (Iowa: Big, Sophomore, 6-8)
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona: Wing, Sophomore, 6-6)
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin: Guard, Sophomore, 6-5)
Jalen Duren (Memphis: Big, Freshman, 6-10)
Tari Eason (LSU: Wing, Sophomore, 6-8)
TyTy Washington (Kentucky: Guard, Freshman, 6-3)
Jeremy Sochan (Baylor: Big, Freshman, 6-8)
Mark Williams (Duke: Big, Sophomore, 7-0)
Kendall Brown (Baylor: Wing, Freshman, 6-8)
Blake Wesley (Notre Dame: Guard, Freshman, 6-5)
Walker Kessler (Auburn: Big, Sophomore, 7-1)
Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee: Guard, Freshman, 6-1)
EJ Liddell (Ohio State: Big, Junior, 6-7)
Wendell Moore (Duke: Wing, Junior, 6-5)
Bryce McGowens (Nebraska: Wing, Freshman, 6-6)
Christian Koloko (Arizona: Big, Junior, 7-1)
JD Davison (Alabama: Guard, Freshman, 6-3)
TESTING WATERS: Potential first-rounders
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Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky: Wing, Freshman, 6-5)
Malaki Branham (Ohio State: Wing, Freshman, 6-5)
Harrison Ingram (Stanford: Wing, Freshman, 6-7)
Justin Lewis (Marquette: Big, Sophomore, 6-7)
Max Christie (Michigan State: Wing, Freshman, 6-6)
David Roddy (Colorado State: Wing, Junior, 6-5)
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State: Guard, Freshman, 6-3)
Jabari Walker (Colorado: Big, Sophomore, 6-8)
Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky: Big, Junior, 6-9)
Jaylin Williams (Arkansas: Big, Sophomore, 6-10)
Josh Minott (Memphis: Wing, Freshman, 6-8)
For additional information and scouting reports on many of these prospects, check out Kalbrosky’s latest 2022 NBA mock draft.
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