Player Invitations
Twelve players have received coveted invitations to attend the 2024 NBA Draft, earning a seat in the prestigious green room. This year's first batch of invites features a mix of promising talents: Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Donovan Clingan, Reed Sheppard, Matas Buzelis, Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht, Tidjane Salaun, Ron Holland, Cody Williams, Devin Carter, and Ja'Kobe Walter.
Another 11-12 invitations are expected to be dispatched in waves starting next week, further bolstering the excitement surrounding the upcoming draft.
Green Room Details
The green room is an exclusive staging area situated in front of the NBA Draft podium. It is here that players, along with their families and agents, anxiously await the moment Commissioner Adam Silver announces their selection.
This year, each player will be allowed to invite six guests to sit at their individual tables, a reduction from the 10 guests that were permitted last year. Receiving an invitation to the green room is generally viewed as a positive indicator of a player's draft stock, although history has shown that even green room invites can fall to the second round.
Notable instances include Bol Bol, Deyonta Davis, Nic Claxton, Maciej Lampe, and Rashard Lewis, among others. These cases serve as reminders that while a green room invite is prestigious, it does not guarantee a first-round selection.
Draft Details
The 2024 NBA Draft will be unique as it will span two days for the first time. The first round is scheduled for June 26 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, while the second round will take place on June 27 in lower Manhattan.
This new format could lead to added scrutiny over the final set of players invited to the green room. Organizers aim to avoid a scenario where an invited player and their family have to endure an extra day of waiting to hear their name called.
Last year, the final batch of invitations was not sent out until two days before the draft, adding an additional layer of stress for the players and their families. However, all 12 players from this year's initial batch of invites are projected to be lottery picks, alleviating some of the concerns about extended waits.
Uninvited Projected Lottery Picks
Despite the initial batch of 12 invites, a couple of projected lottery picks have yet to receive their green room invitations. This includes Kentucky's Rob Dillingham and Serbian point guard Nikola Topic. The reasons for their exclusion highlight the uncertainties and challenges that can arise during the pre-draft process.
Dillingham has not yet completed all the necessary requirements to be eligible for selection in the draft, as stipulated by the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. An ankle injury prevented him from participating in athletic testing and shooting drills at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago in mid-May. This same injury has also hindered him from attending private workouts with NBA teams, limiting his visibility to scouts and team executives.
Fortunately, Dillingham's ankle has recovered, and he plans on completing the necessary requirements at the Lakers' practice facility on Friday, according to his agent Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports. This should pave the way for his eventual inclusion in the green room invites.
On the other hand, Nikola Topic was found to have a partially torn ACL at the NBA Draft Combine in Treviso, Italy, last week. This unfortunate discovery has cast significant uncertainty around his draft stock. Team doctors will need to fully evaluate the injury to decide on the best course of action regarding surgery and the subsequent recovery plan.
Overall, the anticipation and drama surrounding the NBA Draft continue to build as players, their families, and fans look forward to the big event. The green room remains a symbol of hope and promise for young talents eager to make their mark in the NBA.