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Over 60 players are expected to participate in the 2017 NBA Combine, but Lauri Markkanen won’t be one of them.
Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday that Markkanen, along with a few other projected lottery picks, plans to skip the pre-draft event.
Sources: Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkanen, Jonathan Isaac, Dennis Smith, Malik Monk, along with Ball, skipping NBA Draft Combine.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 3, 2017
Given that Markkanen is projected to be a top-10 pick in virtually every mock draft, forgoing the NBA Combine seems like a wise decision.
His draft stock can’t rise much higher, plus it prevents him from suffering a devastating injury and/or measuring poorly in one of the many physical tests attendees are put through, which could derail his stock.
A few Arizona Wildcats who are expected to attend the NBA Combine are Rawle Alkins, Kadeem Allen, and Kobi Simmons, who have received invites, according to DraftExpress.com.
Chance Comanche has not received an invite, per DraftExpress, though perhaps that could change as high-level players like Markkanen decide to sit out.
The NBA Combine will take place on May 9-14. Alkins and Comanche, who did not hire agents, have until May 24 to decide if they will return to Arizona for another season.
You can find a full (unofficial) list of NBA Combine invitees here.
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