Quote:Do any of those sites really have true current knowledge and opinions of NBA scouts? Last year at this time Nico Mannion was a projected lottery pick. I can't imagine a NBA general manager who runs a team that didn't make the playoffs using their most precious asset (lottery pick) on Williams. He seems like a better fit with a team drafting later in Round 1 with a full roster that can stash him as a two way player in the G league to get more experience. https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wiz...-nba-draft
Mock drafts as the actual draft approaches tend to be fairly accurate, particularly with respect to the first fifteen picks. The article you linked was published almost eight months prior to the 2020 draft, and obviously a lot can happen between now and this year's draft. It's entirely possible that Williams fades during the draft process or that other prospects rise, and we don't yet know who will declare for the draft this year. I agree with you that he could easily end up falling out of the lottery, but it would be shocking for him to fall out of the first round entirely as was suggested.
This is where the various sources that I cited eventually projected Nico Mannion last year:
Sam Vecenie (The Athletic): #41 (#47 on his Big Board)
CBS Sports: #38
NBC Sports: #30
NBA Draft Room: #37
ESPN, USA Today, NBAdraft.net: not specified, but not in first round in any of these.
Mannion was ultimately drafted #48. Vecenie has been the best informed in recent years. NBC was also the most bullish on Mannion throughout the process and the only mock to ultimately place him in the first round.
Bottom line is that Ziaire is not returning or transferring, he is looking at a guaranteed NBA contract.