Could Michigan State basketball star Jase Richardson be in for a long night on Wednesday? The latest mock draft from ESPN suggests that could be the case.
The latest NBA Mock Draft on ESPN.com has Richardson slipping nearly out of the first round. In this updated mock draft (which was released on Monday), Richardson goes No. 25 overall to the Orlando Magic.
Per NBA Draft insider Jonathan Givony, Richardson being left off the green room invitations list suggests a fall on Wednesday night could occur. Here’s the full write-up from Givony on Richardson:
“Richardson is the highest-ranked player (No. 18) on the ESPN big board not to get invited to the NBA draft green room (24 players invited), leaving some uncertainty about where he might end up being selected.
“His draft range starts around No. 16 with Memphis, which has drafted several players in the past few years with similar statistical profiles and might end up having a backcourt void to fill soon, all the way to the mid-20s portion of the first round.
“The Magic are another team that could look to add shooting and backcourt depth and might be intrigued by Richardson’s scoring efficiency, defensive intensity and ability to play without the ball.”
Richardson starred for the Spartans in his lone season in college, averaging 12.1 points per game and shooting above 40% from three-point range. This strong play had Richardson once projected as a lottery pick by many, but he has gradually dropped in the mocks during the draft process. He is still widely considered a lock to be selected in the first round, but that could potentially becoming less of a lock now.
We will find out where Richardson lands in the next few days, with the NBA Draft scheduled to take place on Wednesday and Thursday. The first round will take place on Wednesday and the second round on Thursday.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Spartans star Jase Richardson slides in latest ESPN NBA Mock Draft
Reporting by Robert Bondy, Spartans Wire / Spartans Wire
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