Brooklyn Nets ‘summer Of Our Lives’ Starts At Combines Next Week

While everyone’s focused on the NBA Draft lottery Sunday, the actual players making that such an exciting event will get their first official evaluations as NBA prospects in the coming days as well. It’s all happening in Chicago starting Sunday.

The NBA Draft combine will take place from May 10-17 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in the second city. A G-League combine will also take place in the same location from May 8-10. Last week, the NBA announced it invited 73 players to the event…

Already, there’s been some additions and subtractions. As it stands now, the following seven players are continually being mocked in Brooklyn’s pick range, which is anywhere from the top selection to No. 7:

• AJ Dybantsa
• Darryn Peterson
• Cameron Boozer
• Caleb Wilson
• Darius Acuff Jr.
• Keaton Wagler
• Kingston Flemmings

Each member of what you might call (we are) the “magnificent seven” will be in Chicago to run through drills and scrimmages, have their measurements taken, undergo medical exams, and participate in interviews. All but the medical exams and interviews will be publicized and ranked. Last May, two players who ultimately wound up with Brooklyn topped the vertical leap (Drake Powell) and shuttle run (Grant Nelson) categories with the North Dakota 7-footer setting the combine record in the event.

In addition, at the end of next week, agents will invite team reps to so-called “agent days” where their clients will also run through drills. It was at one of those days last year that Egor Demin took a big leap after hitting 16 straight threes in 35 seconds, which went a long way toward dispelling the notion that he couldn’t shoot.

The combines will, of course, be supplemented by workouts and interviews at HSS. The league has strict rules on how how often teams can work out players but the workouts can take place as late as the morning of the first round of the Draft, June 23.

The Nets also have two second rounders this year — their own (no. 33 overall) and that of the Los Angeles Clippers (no. 43 overall), an off-shoot of the Mikal Bridges trade. With those picks out of the first round and well past the lottery, there’s a far wider gap of prospects Brooklyn could select with both picks. However, for pick no. 33, the latest mocks have Brooklyn taking:

• Luigi Suigo, Mega (Bleacher Report) 7’2” C.
• Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State (The Athletic) 6’9” SF
• Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor (No Ceilings) 6’5” SG
• Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt (Yahoo!) 6’0” PG

For pick no. 43, the mocks are projecting Brooklyn to take:

• Malachi Moreno, Kentucky (ESPN) 7’0” C
• Trevon Brazile, Arkansas (Bleacher Report) 6’10” PF
• Ugonna Onyenso, Virginia (The Athletic) 7’0” C
• JT Toppin, Texas Tech (No Ceilings) 6’9” PF
• Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s (Yahoo!) 6’9” SF

Take from that what you will. Things are certain to shuffle once we know exactly who is picking where on Sunday.