NBA Draft Green Room Invites: Which Players Are in Attendance?

Last Thursday, the 2018-19 NBA season concluded with the Raptors taking Game 6 of the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Just a week later, the rest of the league is moving forward with its collective eyes towards next year, starting with the NBA Draft (7 p.m. EST, ESPN).

23 prospects have been invited to attend at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the list grew from nine initially to 20 over the past week. The additional three came later in the week with USC’s Kevin Porter Jr. and Georgia’s Nic Claxton, and FSU’s Mfiondu Kabengele.

All of these prospects will be waiting in the “Green Room,” which is a staging area in front of the NBA draft podium where players, families and agents will wait to hear Adam Silver call their names.

Here’s the complete list of players:

• Zion Williamson, Duke
• Ja Morant, Murray State
• R.J. Barrett, Duke
• Darius Garland, Vanderbilt
• De’Andre Hunter, Virginia
• Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech
• Cam Reddish, Duke
• Coby White, North Carolina
• Sekou Doumbouya, Limoges
• Nassir Little, North Carolina
• Jaxson Hayes, Texas
• Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
• Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga
• Romeo Langford, Indiana
• PJ Washington, Kentucky
• Goga Bitadze, Mega Bemax
• Tyler Herro, Kentucky
• Keldon Johnson, Kentucky
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Virginia Tech
• Bol Bol, Oregon
• Kevin Porter Jr., USC
• Nic Claxton, Georgia
• Mfiondu Kabengele, FSU

UPDATE: Washington’s Matisse Thybulle was a late addition, as well.

Quick Facts & Superlatives on Players Invited

Led by Duke’s trio of Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish, the ACC is the most represented conference with eight invitations. Kentucky also has three former players expected in Brooklyn between PJ Washington, Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro.

As Givony writes, this draft has a real international flavor to it, as well.

Seven of the players invited to the green room were born outside of the United States, believed to be the second-highest number behind the 2016 NBA draft, which had eight such invites and eventually broke the all-time record with 26 total international players drafted in both rounds.

Only two players actually affiliate internationally between 6-foot-11 Georgian center Goga Bitadze and 6-foot-9 forward Sekou Doumbouya of Guinea. The former played for Mega Bemax in Serbia, while the latter competed for the Limoges club in France.

The tallest prospect is Bol Bol at 7-foot-2. His father is former NBA center Manute Bol, who stood 7-foot-7 for the Washington Bullets, 76ers, Heat and Warriors. The shortest prospect is Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland at 6-foot-2, while Ja Morant is just an inch more.

According to our own Jonathan Adams, this is where each of the Green Room attendees will be going.

No. 1 Pelicans	PF Zion Williamson, Duke
No. 2 Grizzlies	PG Ja Morant, Murray State
No. 3 Knicks	SG RJ Barrett, Duke
No. 4 Pelicans (via Lakers)	SG Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech
No. 5 Cavs	SF De’Andre Hunter, Virginia
No. 6 Suns	PG Darius Garland, Vanderbilt
No. 7 Bulls	PG Coby White, UNC
No. 8 Hawks	SG Cam Reddish, Duke
No. 9 Wizards	C Jaxson Hayes, Texas
No. 10 Hawks	F Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
No. 11 Timberwolves	F Sekou Doumbouya, Limoges
No. 12 Hornets	PF PJ Washington, Kentucky
No. 13 Heat	SF Nassir Little, UNC
No. 14 Celtics (via Kings)	G Tyler Herro, Kentucky
No. 15 Pistons	SF Romeo Langford, Indiana
No. 16 Magic	SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Virginia Tech
No. 17 Hawks (via Nets)	PF Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga
No. 18 Pacers	SF Keldon Johnson, Kentucky
No. 19 Spurs	SG Kevin Porter Jr., USC
No. 20 Celtics (via Clippers)	C Bol Bol, Oregon
No. 24 Sixers	C Mfiondu Kabengele, FSU
No. 26 Cavs (via Rockets)	C Nic Claxton, Georgia
No. 32 Suns	C Goga Bitadze, Buducnost

 

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