KU's Graham, Newman, Preston, Svi all could be drafted, but ... 'You never know'

Kansas’ four NBA Draft-eligible players — guards Devonté Graham, Svi Mykhailiuk and Malik Newman and forward Billy Preston — each have been traversing the country working out for, and interviewing with, a dozen or more NBA teams the past six weeks.

All that scrutiny, all those drills in pro practice facilities have left the four Jayhawks feeling positive about their chances of being selected in Thursday night's NBA Draft.

Of course there are no guarantees, however, heading into the proceedings in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“You never know, man. I think we’ve all got good enough talent to get drafted, you just never know,” said Graham, a consensus first-team All-American from Raleigh, N.C.

He told reporters after a recent workout in Memphis that his latest projection had him “a pretty wide range anywhere from late-first to mid-second round.”

But again, for those not invited to the NBA Green Room — and the four Jayhawks did not receive invitations — you never know.

“I think it’d be awesome to get drafted,” said former KU forward Landen Lucas, actively rooting for his KU buddies to be selected Thursday night.

Power forward Lucas, who had also worked out for several NBA teams, was not chosen in last year’s draft. Unfazed, he was granted a spot on the Boston Celtics 2017 summer league team. He did not receive a guaranteed contract offer after playing in seven games for the Celtics, thus went on to sign a three-year contract to play in Japan. That contract has an opt-out clause and Lucas, after one injury-shortened season overseas, will again try for the NBA this summer.

“For everybody, that’s a dream of yours to get drafted as a basketball player. Hopefully they’ll get drafted to a great situation,” Lucas said of the KU foursome. “It was awesome watching guys like Frank (Mason, second round pick, Sacramento Kings) and Josh (Jackson, first round pick Phoenix Suns) last year, so I'm really rooting for them in this draft. I’ve heard good things about their workouts. A lot of teams like them. Hopefully they get picked up exactly where they fit in and make the most of it.”

ESPN.com had good news for three of the players in its mock draft released Tuesday. Graham was listed as the third pick in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks; Newman the 17th pick of round two by the Los Angeles Lakers and Mykhailiuk the 27th pick of round rwo by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Preston was not included in the mock draft.

All four of KU’s potential draftees have confidence they can play in the NBA.

“I can play the 1. I can play the 2. If you need me to make plays I can do that,” the 6-foot-2 Graham told NBA.com. “If you need me to spot up and shoot I can do that. I feel whatever it is they need me to do, I’ll be able to do it.”

The 6-foot-8 Mykhailiuk has experienced four years of college basketball despite being only 21-years-old.

“I think I can bring shooting. Nowadays everybody needs three-point shooting,” Mykhailiuk said.

“I think I can be productive from the first year (on). Whatever team that is going to get me is going to get more than a shooter for sure. I think I can handle the ball. I used to play point guard (in Ukraine). I want to be a combo guard,” Mykhailiuk added.

Mykhailiuk was brought in for a second workout with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday — something seen as a good sign of that particular team’s interest. In all, he worked out for 16 teams.

“It would be an honor to play for this team, NBA champs, one of the best teams in the NBA right now, (that) have great players,” Mykhailiuk told the Warriors’ media on Tuesday.

Newman has three years of college experience at the age of 21. His height (6-3) has been considered less than ideal for a shooting guard.

“I am able to play on the ball or off the ball and still be productive,” Newman told Basketball Insiders, indicating he can play point. “I think it is one of the things teams are looking at.”

Asked to identify the biggest misconception about his game, Jackson, Miss., native Newman said: “That I’m only a scorer or I’m only a shooter. That I can’t make plays for other guys.”

The 6-10, 245-pound Preston has worked out for 15 teams. One NBA representative told The Star he felt Preston would be drafted because of his height, matched with his athleticism.

“When I left Kansas, it was basically like I fell off the map. Like I fell off the face of the earth, kind of,” Preston told the Charlotte Observer. He left KU in February to play pro ball in Bosnia. He did not play in any games for the Jayhawks because of possible eligibility concerns surrounding the car he was driving on campus.

“Nobody’s seen me, so I can understand why I’ve got that ‘mystery’ label on me. But like I said, I’ve gotten the opportunity to get in front of 15 teams, show them what I can do, and that’s all I can do,” Preston added to the Observer.

The Los Angeles native said after a recent workout his strength is, “versatility, being able to do a little bit of everything, shoot, dribble, pass, make good reads. From an IQ standpoint a little bit of everything.”

KU coach Bill Self said he’s “very optimistic” the four Jayhawks will be drafted. However, he has always been of the opinion a player is better off undrafted if he’s going to be taken late second-round. Second-round picks do not receive guaranteed contracts.

“This may not make sense anymore,” Self said, “because there are two-way contracts now (between NBA and G-League) and other things. (He always heard) “If you are going to go late-second, you are better of not getting drafted because you can pick what place you go to that may have an opening.

“(For example) if you get picked 60th, 57th, you are locked into that deal. They may already have 14 guys on guaranteed contracts. They have to pick somebody, so they pick you. I don’t know if that’s the case any more. There are so many more guys getting an opportunity to play in the league due to two-way contracts. So much of it is getting drafted by the right team or being a free agent in the right camp,” Self added.

KU draft notes: KU has had 24 first-round picks and 37 players picked overall since the NBA adopted a two-round draft in 1989. … Last year, Jackson was the No. 4 overall pick, while 2017 national player of the year Mason was a second-round selection. … KU has had 17 lottery picks (top 14 in draft) since the NBA lottery began in 1985. Jackson was the 11th lottery pick in the Self era.

This story was originally published June 20, 2018 at 5:59 PM with the headline "KU's Graham, Newman, Preston, Svi all could be drafted, but ... 'You never know'."