Editors:
To help you with planning for the NBA Draft in Dallas on June 21 in New York, here are some of our coverage plans. Please direct questions to Oscar Dixon (odixon(at)ap.org). Plans subject to change. This digest will be updated. All times Eastern.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20
BKN--NBA DRAFT-BEST EVER PICKS
Ever wondered who the best picks of the NBA draft were at every draft slot? Wonder no more. From No. 1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to No. 30 Spencer Haywood, a look at the players whose footsteps will be followed by the new NBA players selected on Thursday night. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 1,000 words, photos by 4 a.m.
BKN--NBA DRAFT
NEW YORK - Luka Doncic is already a pro, and he has already won championships. A day after capping his brilliant stay in Spain with another title, the Slovenian guard heads the list of international players expected to be selected in the NBA draft and remains perhaps the most accomplished and intriguing player in Thursday's festivities. By Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 6 p.m.
With:
- Other sidebars on merit
BKN--NBA DRAFT-SEXTON
NEW YORK - A year ago Collin Sexton had just graduated from high school and was about to embark on his college career at Alabama. The talented point guard chose an unusual route to start his journey to the NBA but after only one year in the shadows of the pre-eminent college football program in the nation Sexton is only the second Crimson Tide freshman to declare for the NBA draft - and the first under the one-one-done rule. By Terrin Waack. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos by 6 p.m.
THURSDAY, JUNE 21
BKN--NBA DRAFT
NEW YORK - The Phoenix Suns have the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, with big men Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III and Michael Porter Jr. among the top prospects along with Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trae Young. By Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Developing from 7 p.m. draft.
With:
- BKN--NBA DRAFT-THINGS TO KNOW. By Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos by 5 a.m.
- BKN--NBA DRAFT-THE LATEST, real-time updates on the NBA draft
- Individual stories from each NBA team.
FRIDAY, JUNE 22
BKN--NBA DRAFT-HUERTER'S NIGHT
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. - The Associated Press spends the NBA draft with early entrant Kevin Huerter, as he waits for the phone to ring and the next step in his basketball life to be decided. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos, video planned by 4 a.m.
SENT PREVIOUSLY:
Features:
BKN--NBA DRAFT-LEBRON FACTOR
CLEVELAND - LeBron James won't be picking any players in this year's NBA draft. Not directly anyway. With the three-time champion's future still uncertain, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the No. 8 overall pick, enter this year's draft not certain if they're taking a player as a complementary piece to James, to develop without him or perhaps trade to land another All-Star player. At this point, everything seems in play. By Tom Withers. SENT: 600 words, photos on June 19
BKN--NBA DRAFT-HAWKS-TRADE TALKS
ATLANTA - With four picks in the top 34, including No. 3 overall, the Atlanta Hawks are in position to move up or down in Thursday's NBA draft. GM Travis Schlenk says he's getting a lot of calls but says there is space on the rebuilding Hawks roster to carry four rookies next season. By Charles Odum. SENT: 550 words, file photos on June 19
BKN--NBA DRAFT-THE INTERVIEW
CHICAGO - When teams are deciding who to take in the NBA draft, the off-court interview still carries enormous weight. What happens on the floor obviously is of great importance as well, but the half-hour chats at the draft combine might be just as critical to teams that need to choose which players merit multi-million-dollar investments. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 800 words, photos on June 18.
BKN--NBA DRAFT-UNDRAFTED LIFE
There's going to be dozens of players left out in the cold at next week's NBA draft, players who will not hear their names called by the time the night is over. Udonis Haslem knows how they'll feel. Undrafted in 2002, Haslem - a Miami native who has spent his entire NBA career with his hometown Miami Heat - has been in the league longer than just about any other active player. Next season will be his 16th in the NBA. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 850 words, photos on June 14.
BKN--THE OFFSEASON
There are a slew of questions that need to be answered in the NBA this offseason. There's the obvious one: What will LeBron James do? But there are plenty of others, including the future for Kawhi Leonard, the next moves for Chris Paul and Paul George, and whether the league has seen the last of Dwyane Wade. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 950 words, photos on June 9.
Profiles:
BKN--NBA DRAFT-YOUNG
Trae Young's numbers in his lone season of college were ridiculous. He led the nation in scoring and assists. He had NBA stars tweeting about his every move. But where he's going to end up in the draft on Thursday night remains a bit of a mystery, for reasons that Young doesn't fully understand. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 700 words, photos on June 19
BKN--NBA DRAFT-PORTER
Someone is going to gamble on Michael Porter Jr., and he insists it'll pay off. There is an element of danger involved with every NBA draft pick, in that nothing is guaranteed. There isn't a player that epitomizes the risk versus reward thinking in this draft more than Porter Jr., who some think could get taken as high as No. 2 by Sacramento and others forecast could go several picks lower because of uncertainty surrounding his health. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 750 words, photos on June 17.
BKN--NBA-DRAFT-DIVINCENZO
Donte DiVincenzo's plan was to come out and test the NBA draft waters this spring, with the expectation that he would be returning to Villanova for another season. And then the national championship game happened. The hero of Villanova's win over Michigan picked the perfect moment to play the game of his life. And the intrigue surrounding how his game might translate to the NBA has been growing since. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 750 words, photos on June 16.
BKN--NBA-DRAFT-ANTETOKOUNMPO
Kostas Antetokounmpo has a famous brother, a great bloodline and soon, he hopes, an NBA job. Giannis Antetokounmpo's younger brother is an early entry candidate for next week's NBA draft, making the jump after one year at Dayton. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in his lone college season, but his name alone will make teams take a serious look. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 750 words, photos on June 15.
Position Breakdowns:
BKN--NBA DRAFT-BIGS
RALEIGH, N.C. - Arizona one-and-done 7-footer Deandre Ayton headlines the list of big men in the NBA draft. Ayton was a dominating force in college and could be the No. 1 overall pick. He leads a position that includes top-10 prospects in Michigan State's Jaren Jackson Jr., Texas' Mo Bamba and Duke's Wendell Carter Jr. By Aaron Beard. SENT: 675 words and photos on June 19
BKN--NBA DRAFT-FORWARDS
Duke's Marvin Bagley III and Missouri's Michael Porter Jr. are the top forwards in this year's NBA draft. Both are one-and-done prospects. Bagley averaged a double-double for the Blue Devils. Porter played only three college games due to a back injury. Other potential lottery picks include Michigan State's Miles Bridges, Villanova's Mikal Bridges and Kentucky's Kevin Knox. By Aaron Beard. SENT: 700 words, photos on June 18
BKN--NBA DRAFT-WINGS
International prospect Luka Doncic headlines the list of wings in the NBA draft. Doncic has the ability to play point guard or off the ball. He has been considered a possible No. 1 overall pick. Miami's Lonnie Walker IV, Oregon's Troy Brown and Villanova's Donte DiVincenzo are among the other first-round prospects at the position. By Aaron Beard. SENT: 750 words, photos on June 17.
BKN--NBA DRAFT-POINT GUARDS
Trae Young and Collin Sexton top the list of point guards in the NBA draft. Young was the nation's scoring and assists leader as a freshman at Oklahoma. In his only year at Alabama, Sexton's athleticism helped the Crimson Tide return to the NCAA Tournament. Other noteworthy point guard prospects include Kentucky's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Villanova's Jalen Brunson and UCLA's Aaron Holiday. By Aaron Beard. SENT: 750 words, photos on June 15.
