Emoni Bates NBA draft stock: What we know about where he could be selected
In a way, Emoni Bates' convoluted amateur journey ended the way we all thought it would: an early declaration for the NBA draft.
His legend started quickly and grew even faster. As a freshman in high school, Bates carried Ypsilanti Lincoln, far from a typical hoops powerhouse, to a state championship. In 2019, Bates was famously profiled by Sports Illustrated as just a sophomore in high school alongside the words "Born For This."
"Magic, Michael, LeBron... And the 15-Year-Old Who's Next in Line," the cover story declared.
MORE ON EMONI BATES: Why Memphis' upperclassmen had issues with Emoni Bates
Bates formally announced on Instagram Monday that he has decided to enter the draft after 1½ seasons of college basketball. He originally committed to Michigan State live on ESPN before decommitting and choosing to attend Memphis a short time later. After just 18 games, including five where he didn't crack the starting lineup, Bates was out. With the tumultuous season in Tennessee coming to an end, Bates went back to Ypsilanti to play for Eastern Michigan.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 19.2 points in 30 games at Eastern Michigan, but his on-court success was at least in part overshadowed by off-court issues before the season started. Bates was arrested in September for two felony gun charges, which were eventually dropped in exchange for a misdemeanor.
Stepping back from all the noise, these are the questions we have about Emoni Bates going forward.
Emoni Bates NBA draft stock
While Bates has all the skill and size that an NBA scout would dream of, his draft status is far from cut and dry. Despite his prolific status coming out of high school, it now appears the bigger question is will Emoni Bates be drafted at all?
The current ESPN NBA draft rankings have Bates listed as the No. 56 prospect, which means he would be on the edge of getting selected. There are typically 60 picks in the NBA draft, but this year there are only 58 spots because two teams have lost picks.
The CBS NBA draft rankings only has 50 players, and Bates was not one of the players listed. The Ringer NBA draft guide only lists 40 players, which Bates also didn't make.
ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony wrote in March that Bates had some high moments in a season that was otherwise a little disappointing.
Bates had 76 turnovers and just 42 assists in the 2022-23 season, which seems to be a fair synopsis of his shoot-first style. He attempted 7.7 3-pointers per game and shot 33%, lower than you would like to see on that type of volume. And although he stands at 6-foot-9 (or maybe taller, depending on who you ask) his slight frame of just 190 pounds allows him to be pushed around at times, in addition to occasional effort-questions of the defensive side.
Eastern Michigan didn't get into the MAC tournament and went 8-23 overall.
"Bates' tough shot-making prowess and overall scoring instincts hold some appeal, but he plays such a losing brand of basketball on both ends of the floor, making him a relatively tough sell," Givony said.
Most of the rankings were released prior Bates' announcement, so more time and research could have an effect on his status.
Why did Bates' stock fall so much?
This is a complicated question. Bates' journey to this point has been anything but linear. After playing two seasons at Ypsilanti Lincoln, his father launched Ypsi Prep Academy, a school created for basketball purposes.
Bates played just one season at Ypsi Prep before reclassifying and heading to Memphis. As previously mentioned, that didn't last long either. He left the team in January before rejoining late in the season. He played just 18 games.
The list of potential reasons for Bates' drop is long.
He simply hasn't played very much basketball: He's played a total of 48 games, but many of those came against a relatively weak MAC.
The journey was rushed: Bates was just 17 when he started playing college basketball, meaning he was often a lot younger than most of his competition.
Bad habit formed: For years, Bates was the best player on the team by far and was allowed to shoot as often as he wanted.
Off the court questions: Bates was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and "altering ID marks" in 2022
What options does he have if he's not drafted?
Bates has not said for certain that he has hired an agent, which would eliminate his college eligibility, but he also didn't say he was leaving the door open either. We should find out in the near future.
Assuming he is done with college basketball, that would leave him with a couple options. If he isn't selected in the NBA draft, he could sign with an NBA team as an undrafted free agent and attempt to make the roster. If he didn't make it, he would likely be sent down to the G League affiliate of whatever team signs him. That is probably the most likely option.
If an NBA team decides he's not worth the risk, he could also sign directly with one of the G League teams of his choosing and try to refine his skills and reputation there.
If he opts not to do that, he could instead sign with a team abroad (Europe, Australia, China) and give it a shot overseas like thousands of college basketball players have and will continue to do. For example, MSU legend Cassius Winston currently plays for Bayern Munich's basketball team in Germany.
The NBA draft is set for June 22, 2023.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Here's what we know about Emoni Bates' NBA draft stock
