Will KU Jayhawks’ Melvin Council or Tre White be selected in upcoming NBA Draft?
As Darryn Peterson prepares to hear his name called in the NBA Draft in a little over 24 hours, his former Kansas teammates will be watching with great interest.
“I just talked to Mel (Council), Jayden Dawson, Jamari (McDowell) and Flory the other day,” Peterson told The Star ahead of the NBA Draft. “Everybody’s good. They’re gonna tap in tomorrow. For sure.”
Two of Peterson’s KU teammates in particular hope to hear their names called in the draft: Council and Tre White. But unlike Peterson, neither is a projected top pick. They have been projected as either late second-round selections or undrafted free agents.
That said, both players have worked out with a number of NBA teams. Sometimes, NBA teams have brought the pair of players to work out together. According to a source close to the duo, the former Jayhawks worked out together for the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings.
“This is my first time having a teammate in a workout, like I was telling people, ‘We should do that more often,’” White said after his predraft workout with the Sacramento Kings. “It was definitely (very) competitive. Up-and-down. It gets energy flowing early for me. I feel like off the dribble, it made it competitive.”
Council averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for the Jayhawks last season. He shot 39.2% from the field and 30.8% on 3-pointers.
An NBA source told The Star in early June that Council looked “great” at a recent workout and was doing “really, really good” overall.
That team was just one of the many that Council has worked out with. According to a league source, Council has also worked out with the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons.
He says his ability to make others better should translate to the NBA.
“Just being a pass-first point guard and scoring when I need to, and just being a pest on defense,” Council said after a predraft workout with the Pacers.
Meanwhile, White has also worked out with his fair share of teams. He averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the field and 40.3% on 3-pointers.
A league source told The Star that White has worked out with the NBA Champion New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.
