Ready for a curveball?<\/p>\n
The latest NBA Mock Draft from Yahoo Sports\u2019 Kevin O\u2019Connor<\/a> not only has Malachi Moreno going in the first round, but even ahead of Jayden Quaintance.<\/p>\n Yes, this projection has Moreno going 24th overall to the New York Knicks<\/a>, while Quaintance goes 29th to the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>, nearly falling out of the first round altogether.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n This would be both a shocking rise for Moreno and a stunning fall for Quaintance, though perhaps an earned one for the latter after he missed most of this past season due to the longest case of knee swelling ever recorded (we think).<\/p>\n I don\u2019t agree with this projection, but if it turns out that this is how NBA executives view Moreno and Quaintance, you\u2019d think there\u2019s actually a chance Moreno stays in the draft and Quaintance returns to college.<\/p>\n The real story here is these recent mock drafts and rankings continue to suggest there\u2019s a very real chance Moreno could hear his name called toward the end of Round 1. Could that be enough to sway him into keeping his name in the draft?<\/p>\n Next week\u2019s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago<\/a> could go a long way in deciding where Moreno is playing basketball next season.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Iowa State transfer and Kentucky recruiting target Milan Momcilovic<\/a> went 46th overall to the Phoenix Suns<\/a>. While Momcilovic reportedly prefers to stay in the draft, if that\u2019s the kind of projection he\u2019s getting from NBA decision-makers, then it\u2019s hard not to see him returning to college and collecting an NIL paycheck that could cross $5 million.<\/p>\n Saying this, it only takes one team to fall in love with you, and with Momcilovic\u2019s ability to shoot scorched earth from deep, it won\u2019t be a surprise if someone in the first round will take the gamble on him.<\/p>\n Also, there\u2019s likely going to be a host of players ranked ahead of Momcilovic who return to school, including Andrej Stojakovi\u0107<\/a>, Matt Able, Billy Richmond, Flory Bidunga<\/a>, Rueben Chinyelu<\/a>, Tyler Tanner, and potentially Moreno.<\/p>\n It\u2019s going to be a process, one that I\u2019d now expect to go into deadline day on May 27 for Moreno and Momcilovic (and Quaintance if his stock really is this bad right now).<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Finally, new UK graduate Otega Oweh<\/a> hears his name called at pick No. 59 to the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>, the second-to-last pick of the draft. There haven\u2019t been a lot of mock drafts with Oweh being drafted, so this is nice to see for a guy who\u2019s undoubtedly been the MVP of the Mark Pope era thus far in Lexington (and I selfishly hope we get to see him again playing for La Familia one day).<\/p>\n