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Kobe Bufkin moves into lottery in ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft
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Kobe Bufkin is rising up draft boards with less than 1 week to go until the 2023 NBA Draft.
Bufkin moved into the lottery in ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft, which was published Tuesday evening. ESPN’s new projection has Bufkin going No. 12 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here’s some analysis from Jeremy Woo on Bufkin’s rise:
Bufkin has quietly gathered a good deal of interest in the pre-draft process and is being extremely selective where he works out, with a lottery selection potentially on the horizon. The Thunder have plenty of young guards and can go in a number of directions at No. 12, but Oklahoma City rarely hesitates to grab the best talent on the board, and Bufkin has built a strong case to be the first player drafted among a large group of guards jockeying for position. He’s a name to watch over the next week, with room to potentially rise higher. Washington and Utah appear to be candidates to select guards at No. 8 and No. 9.
Bufin slotted in at No. 16 on ESPN’s previous mock draft.
Oklahoma City does have a deep stable of guards that includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams. However, Bufkin fits OKC’s profile of developing highly-skilled players who feature great positional size.
Bufkin could also be a fit in Washington or Utah, as Woo noted. He’s likely competing with guards such as Arkansas’ Anthony Black and Kentucky’s Cason Wallace for draft position in the lottery.
Michigan’s Jett Howard is projected to go No. 19 overall to the Golden State Warriors in ESPN’s most recent mock draft.
The 2023 NBA Draft will be held on June 22.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.