Upcoming Draft Has Lean, New Outlook

The June 28 NBA draft is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable ones in recent years. With the absence of high school or prep school prospects because of the league's new age rule, and the presence of several intriguing but raw international players, it could be thin on immediate impact players.

Yesterday afternoon one variable was cleared up: Early-entry candidates who had not hired agents made final decisions on whether to remain in the draft.

The original early-entry list included 63 college prospects from the United States but of that group, only a handful will be drafted.

Obvious first-round candidates such as forwards Tyrus Thomas (LSU), LaMarcus Aldridge (Texas) and Rudy Gay (Connecticut) hired agents and committed to a pro career months ago while other underclassmen such as forward Josh Boone (Connecticut), center Aaron Gray (Pittsburgh) and guard Jordan Farmar (UCLA) kept their options open while gauging NBA interest in workouts.

Boone, Farmar, forward Cedric Simmons (North Carolina State) and guards Quincy Douby (Rutgers), Ronnie Brewer (Arkansas), Rajon Rando (Kentucky) and Kyle Lowry (Villanova) are among the more intriguing early-entries who will be available draft night. The Wizards have the 18th pick.

Players who have decided to return to college include Gray, UCLA guard Arron Afflalo, Rice guard Morris Almond, George Washington guard Carl Elliott (who worked out for the Wizards last week), and Arizona guard Mustafa Shakur. University of Memphis guard Darius Washington is staying in the draft but has not hired an agent so he has the right to return to school if he goes undrafted.

Former George Washington guard Danilo Pinnock, who led the Colonials in scoring as a junior last season, hired an agent several weeks ago and can't return while Maryland forward Ekene Ibekwe withdrew from the draft earlier this month.

The Wizards, who also hold the 48th selection, have worked out several early-entry candidates including Boone, Gray, forward Alexander Johnson (Florida State), guard Shannon Brown (Michigan State) and Oleksiy Pecherov, a native of the Ukraine who plays for Paris Basket Racing in France.

Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld has not ruled out moving up in the draft if he sees a player he really likes.

Recent drafts have produced a mixed bag of players at the 18th spot. Boston selected swingman Gerald Green last summer, but the teenager, who was a part of the last wave of high school and prep school players allowed to enter the draft, hardly played. In 2004, New Orleans selected guard J.R. Smith, who came from a prep school in New Jersey. In two seasons, Smith has averaged 9.2 points and 1.5 assists in 131 games.

In 2003, the Hornets did land a solid player with the 18th pick in forward David West, who led the Hornets in scoring (17.1) and rebounding (7.4) last season. Recent drafts have also produced good prospects after the 18th pick, including forward Hakim Warrick, who went 19th to Memphis last June, guard Jameer Nelson, who went 20th to Denver before he was traded to Orlando in 2004 and guard Josh Howard, who was taken with the 29th pick by Dallas in 2003.

Wizards Notes: Several teams have shown interest in restricted free agent Jared Jeffries, but according to one league source who was in Orlando for the pre-draft camp, teams are not optimistic about landing Jeffries because they believe the Wizards plan to match any reasonable offer. Jeffries has averaged 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in four seasons with the Wizards and has carved out a role for himself as the team's best all-around defender. The free agency period opens July 1.