NBA announces additional early entry players eligible for selection in 2024 NBA Draft
Following Tuesday’s announcement that 195 players had filed as early entry candidates for the 2024 NBA Draft, several more have been announced — including several from big-name schools.
Here is the list, per release:
Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida)
Malik Dia (Belmont)
Caleb Love (Arizona)
Tiras Morton (Lubbock Christian)
Ugonna Onyenso (Kentucky)
Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest)
According to the release, players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the Draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 16. Under NCAA rules, in order to retain college basketball eligibility, college players who have entered NBA Draft 2024 had to have withdrawn their name by Wednesday, May 29.
The most on-court production seen within this group starts with Love, who averaged a career-high 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 41.3% from the field and 33.2% from beyond the arc during his one season at Arizona. For his efforts, he was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy.
For Clayton, he played and started in all 36 games for Florida. The 6-foot-3 standout averaged 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 43.2% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc
As far as Sallis is concerned, it could be a good year to go to the draft. The former Demon Deacons guard is a projected first round pick. He spent the lone season with Wake Forest after two years at Gonzaga. Following two seasons of sparse playing time, he set career highs in 2023-24.
Ugonna Onysenso is the biggest question mark out of the more well-known members of this group. Onyenso started 14 games for Kentucky last season, averaging 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in 19 minutes per contest. During his two seasons in Lexington, he averaged 3.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. He also entered the transfer portal last week after announcing his intentions to test the 2024 NBA Draft waters.
In the case of Malik Dia, he recently committed to Ole Miss out of the NCAA transfer portal to play for Chris Beard during the 2024 college basketball season.
The NBA Draft 2024, which will be held Wednesday, June 26 (First Round) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Thursday, June 27 (Second Round) at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.