The 2023 NBA draft is nearly here. There are still many questions surrounding the draft, which takes place on Thursday. Will the Charlotte Hornets select Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller with the No. 2 overall pick? Will any team slated to pick in the top-5 trade out of their spot? Will anyone with a mid-round or late first-round pick move up into the lottery? Which prospects draft stock is rising, which will be examined in the following.
10 2023 NBA Draft Prospects Whose Stock Is Rising
Dereck Lively II
Projected when first entered draft: Mid-first round -to-late first round
Projected Now: Mid-to-late Lottery
Marc Stein, via his substack, is one of many insiders who believe that Dereck Lively stock is on the rise. Lively, seen as a force on the defensive end, is on the uptick in the draft due to his strong showing during the pre-draft process. According to his sources Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, 7-footer, has impressed teams with his shooting touch during his pro day and workouts.
Lively entered the draft after one season at Duke, where he averaged 5.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in less than 21 minutes a game. He shot 65.8% from the field though just 15.4% from beyond the arc. Lively was a top 10 college prospect out of high school. He scored in double-figures four times and grabbed double-digit boards on six occasions.
The Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, and New Orleans Pelicans are all potential suitors for the 19-year-old.
The following is what NBA scouts told The Athletic about Lively.
“He could be Tyson Chandler, or he could be Willie Cauley-Stein. He’s got the rim protection, super length, and good quickness for his size. He has shown flashes of having a jump shot but needs to develop that. A tremendous athlete can really run and jump, he didn’t have a big role offensively, but it didn’t impact his effort level. Anybody you talk to in his life says the kid is in a really positive frame of mind.”
Olivier Maxence-Prosper
Projected when first entered draft: Early-to-mid-second round
Projected Now: Late first-to-early second
Another player who has improved his draft stock, according to Wasserman, is Olivier Maxence-Prosper. Prosper was arguably the biggest winner of the combine by playing well in scrimmages, measuring in with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a 40.5-inch max vertical.
“League sources believe he’s now earning consideration from teams in the top 20, with a number of them suddenly high on his competitiveness, motor, defensive upside, and potential to improve as a shooter. Multiple lottery teams remain interested, though it’s unclear if they see Prosper as more of a trade-down target.”
The 6-8 wing improved all facets of his game this past season. He averaged 12.5 points, 1.1 3-pointers, and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 51.2% from the field and 33.9% from the 3-point line.
Here’s what the scouts say:
“He’s really made the draft process work for him. He made 3s at the combine and opened people’s eyes, but I don’t know if that’s really indicative of what he can do. Could be a high-level 3-and-D guy. His weaknesses are consistent shooting and ballhandling.”
Kobe Bufkin
Projected when first entered draft: Late Teens-to-Mid-20s
Projected Now: Late Lottery -to-Top 15
Kobe Bufkin has earned a lot of fans since leaving Michigan following his sophomore campaign. Bufkin is a two-way guard who can score on all three levels. He averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while compiling a shooting slash line of .463/.325/.833.
The following is from Wasserman:
“Teams anticipate Kobe Bufkin going early and no later than the Toronto Raptors at No. 13. He’s participated in limited workouts, and there has been silence from his camp, a sign that he may have a promise. Bufkin emerged as one of the biggest late-season risers, checking boxes with his shot-making, passing, finishing, and defensive instincts.”
Julian Phillips
Projected when first entered draft: Late Second-to-Not Drafted
Projected Now: Mid-to-Early-Second
Julian Phillips didn’t shoot it well at Tennessee in his lone collegiate campaign. But he elected to stay in the draft after receiving positive feedback from NBA teams during the pre-draft process. Phillips is a talented wing and has a ton of upside.
The following is what scouts had to say about Phillips:
“He’s got length, he’s got athleticism, but he needs to become a reliable shooter. I don’t know how mentally tough he is. His offensive game needs to come around. He’ll be on the floor first because of his defense. He’s a little weak to finish through contact right now. I’ve heard he’s been tremendous in his workouts.”
Bilal Coulibaly
Projected when first entered draft: Late-First-to-Early Second
Projected Now: Late Lottery-to- Top 20
Bilal Coulibaly has skyrocketed up most mock drafts as he closed the season strongly with Metropolitans 92 strong. In his final 17 games, the nearly 19-year-old wing produced one double-double and scored in double-figures seven times. He has certainly impressed Metropolitans 92 teammate and projected 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembenyama.
Wembanyama on his friend bilal Coulibaly and the Thompson twins :
“When I see the top 10 prospects announced at the draft, and for example the twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, whose profile is similar to Bilal's… pic.twitter.com/maSt8yWKhF
— Ⲙⲟⲙⲟ (@gimmesomekidsVW) June 17, 2023
Here’s more about Coulibaly from The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie draft piece.
“Coulibaly is one of the most interesting mixes of immense upside and raw, unrefined polish to enter the NBA Draft in a long time. So many pieces of Coulibaly’s game make you want to buy in. His athletic tools are incredible and are exactly what every team across the league is looking for. He plays hard and unselfishly. In open spaces, it’s clear that, if he can tighten up his handle, his downhill speed and potential are real. He is willing to understand his role and play with a high motor, doing whatever it takes to get on the floor and help the team. It’s not an exaggeration to say his physical gifts give him a genuine upside to becoming an All-Defense player. His jump shot is far from broken. But he also doesn’t do enough on the court right now either. He’s an incredibly low-volume offensive player. His handle is going to take some time to develop for it to be functional in the NBA. His jumper, while far from broken, is probably a multi-year project in terms of getting him confident enough from NBA range at the speed that will be necessary to get it off at volume. And even on defense, he’s still kind of a step slow when he’s away from the ball. NBA teams are fascinated with Coulibaly, and he’s seen as a likely bet for someone in the top 16.”
Ben Sheppard
Projected when first entered draft: Early-to-Mid Second Round
Projected Now: Mid- First-to-Very Early Second
Ben Sheppard has developed into a shooter in the last two years and has reportedly made quite an impression following the NBA Combine. Sheppard, who played four years at Belmont, averaged 18.8 points and 2.5 treys while shooting 47.1% from the field and 41.2% from deep.
Here’s more about Sheppard from Vecenie:
“Another riser throughout the pre-draft process, Sheppard is considered a solid bet to hear his name called in the first round because of his combination of shooting and feel for the game. Sheppard is intelligent and makes the right play to keep the offense flowing. He’s also a confident shooter and a player who held up extremely well defensively this season, earning Missouri Valley All-Defense honors.”
Colin Castleton
Projected when first entered draft: Undrafted
Projected Now: Mid-to-Late Second Round
Colin Castleton was not on any mock draft radars. Now, the 6-11 center is a potential second-round selection. He was an excellent rebounder and solid collegiate defender. Castleton has also improved offensively exponentially in the last two seasons. However, swatting away shots is his biggest asset which was on full display at the G-League Camp this summer.
Colin Castleton, who made his case as the best player at the G-League Elite Combine, was surprisingly left off the list of those invited to the NBA Combine. Colin had a 9.1 BLK% this past season at Florida and his ability to block shots was on full display these past few days. pic.twitter.com/CRZGAogpSQ
— Jordan Monaco (@JMonacoScouting) May 15, 2023
Castleton broke his hand late this past season at Florida. Before his injury, Castleton put up 16.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 3.0 blocks.
Brandin Podziemski
Projected when first entered draft: Early-to-Mid Second Round
Projected Now: Late-First-to-Early second
Brandin Podziemski was one of the risers. The 6-5 guard transferred to Santa Clara after playing sparingly at Illinois in his lone season. Podzuemski showed off a well-rounded game with the Broncos, compiling 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals. He shot 48.5% from the field and 43.8% from beyond the arc on 2.5 triples a game.
Here’s more about Podziemski from Vecenie’s article.
“He was a tremendous scorer this past season at Santa Clara, has a tremendous feel for the game and consistently makes sharp passing reads. The shooting is a critical skill, as Podziemski made 43.8 percent of his 3s this past season and is a knockdown shooter when left open. The big question is what he brings defensively, and I’m extremely skeptical of him. He plays hard and with a motor, plus he’s competitively wired. But he just doesn’t have the defensive tools necessary to succeed at the NBA level.”
“He deserves an immense amount of credit for how he has attacked it. I think this might be closer to his floor than his ceiling, as teams in the early 20s and even teens have displayed a level of interest in him. He has been extremely impressive in team workouts. “
Seth Lundy
Projected when first entered draft: Undrafted
Projected Now: Mid-to-late Second Round
Seth Lundy is one of the best shooters and scorers in the draft. While the 6-6 wing improved every year at Penn State, consistency was an issue. He averaged 14.2 points on 45% shooting from the field and 40% from beyond the arc while canning 2.6 treys a game. Lundy also contributed 6.3 boards a contest.
Here’s more about Lundy from The Athletic:
“I was really impressed with Lundy at the combine. He’s an average athlete, but he’s got a lot of confidence, and he can really shoot the ball. He needs to learn how to play against athletic players. Can he make other guys better? He needs to give you a little more on defense than he has in the past. He has never really embraced it. When he gets out of his role of catching and shooting, things go a little awry for him.”
Jordan Walsh
Projected when first entered draft: Undrafted
Projected Now: Late Second Round
Jordan Walsh didn’t have a great freshman campaign at Arkansas. The 6-7 forward compiled 7.1 points and 3.9 boards while shooting 43.3% from the field and 27.8% from the 3-point line. But he impressed at the NBA Combine and possesses a 7-2 wingspan. Walsh is also very athletic and possesses upside as he is just 19.
Here’s more about Walsh from an article by David Aldridge of The Athletic.
“Walsh was the guy on that team, to me, that’s going to be in the mode of Jae Crowder, where I think he’s going to be a 2-3-4 defender. I thought he was as good a defender as there was. He was guarding everybody, whether he was coming off picks, pick-and-roll. He wanted the assignment. Talent-wise, he has a chance at being a pro for a while. When (Nick Smith, Jr.) came back, even though he (Walsh) has that twitch in his shot, they put him in pick-and-rolls with Smith more than they did (Anthony) Black. He can get downhill, athletic finisher.
Emoni Bates
Projected when first entered draft: Undrafted
Projected Now: Late Second Round
Emoni Bates struggled mightily in his freshman collegiate campaign, but he transferred to Eastern Michigan and put up solid numbers. While he didn’t shoot it well at EMU, Bates impressed during the NBA Combine and his workouts.
Here’s more about Bates From Aldridge’s piece:
” He’s an ultra talent He’s a difficult shot maker. Once he gets going, because he’s so talented, he can make those more difficult ones. If he plays the right way, he’s really freaking good. But he’s young, 19 now, and he’s played a certain way. He’s kind of stuck in his ways. If he can figure that part out he has a chance to be pretty good. They let him play very free, and I honestly thought he played really well for the majority of the year.”
