Worried a bizarre night at the NBA Draft Lottery that saw the Dallas Mavericks win the right to the No. 1 pick — and, in turn, Cooper Flagg — would impact Otega Oweh‘s decision to keep his name in the field or return to Kentucky? Don’t be — not yet, anyway.
The star guard, who earned All-SEC honors in his debut season in Lexington, was once again not included in ESPN’s latest mock draft released following Monday night’s lottery.
With clarity finally here with the draft order, Koby Brea was the only Wildcat listed in the final update before the NBA Combine ramps up this week in Chicago. The 6-7 sharpshooter sits at No. 54 overall, projected to be selected by the Indiana Pacers.
In ESPN’s list of best available prospects, Amari Williams is the next Kentucky player under consideration at No. 59 overall, followed by Oweh at No. 72 overall — well outside the draft range. Jaxson Robinson is next at No. 76 while Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr and Ansley Almonor were not included to round out the top 100.
Take a look at the latest lottery projections after the top-14 draft order was revealed on Monday:
- Cooper Flagg – Dallas Mavericks
- Dylan Harper – San Antonio Spurs
- Ace Bailey – Philadelphia 76ers
- VJ Edgecombe – Charlotte Hornets
- Jeremiah Fears – Utah Jazz
- Tre Johnson – Washington Wizards
- Khaman Maluach – New Orleans Pelicans
- Kon Knueppel – Brooklyn Nets
- Collin Murray-Boyles – Toronto Raptors
- Kasparas Jakucionis – Houston Rockets
- Derik Queen – Portland Trail Blazers
- Egor Demin – Chicago Bulls
- Jase Richardson – Atlanta Hawks
- Carter Bryant – San Antonio Spurs
The new mock draft comes following the NBA G League Elite Camp, one that saw Williams, Butler and Carr all participate — plus Kentucky signee Jaland Lowe, who was also not included in the 59-pick mock, nor was he listed in the top 100 of best available draft prospects. Meanwhile, the NBA Draft Combine began on Sunday in Chicago, which will run for seven days. Oweh and Brea will both participate in the five-on-five scrimmages set to begin Wednesday, beyond all measurements, testing and drills.
Oweh has until May 28 to make his stay-or-go decision, looking for a first-round guarantee to keep his name in the draft. If not, a return to Lexington for one final season of eligibility is the expectation as the NIL money will be too good to pass up compared to fighting for a two-way deal as a late-second-rounder or going undrafted.
Another step in the right direction, but the real updates will come throughout the week in Chicago. From there, the 2025 NBA Draft is set for June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
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