Ducks a nonfactor in tonight's NBA draft, but look out for next year

It will be a quiet draft night for the Oregon Ducks.

Duke's Cooper Flagg is the slam-dunk No. 1 pick, a lottery-ball miracle by the Dallas Mavericks. San Antonio picks second and they're expected to select Dylan Harper from Rutgers.

After that it gets murky with trades, reaches and maneuvering, but no Ducks are expected to be announced over the two-day draft.

Guard TJ Bamba has pro potential and will play somewhere, whether it's the NBA Summer League, the G League or Europe to refine his game, but he's not expected to be picked among the 59 players the league selects Wednesday and Thursday night, 5:00 p.m. on ABC/ESPN.

A high-effort, open-court player named to the Big Ten All-Defensive team in 2025, Bamba is the sort of guy teams love to bring in for tryouts or 10-day contracts. The 6-5 guard from the Bronx averaged 10.5 points a game, 3.4 rebounds and 3 assists for the Ducks but slumped to 38.9 percent as a shooter.

Toronto has shown the most interest.

What about a year from now? NBA Scouting Live ranks Jackson Shelstad as "borderline second rounder" but they last scouted him in January 2024. A junior next season, Shelstad improved his three-point shooting and upped his scoring average as a sophomore, turning in a pair of strong performances at the NCAA tournament.

Against Liberty and Arizona he shot 16-25 from the field, 64 percent, good for 17 and 25 points.

As a 6-0 guard, he has to shoot with greater confidence and consistency to make the league, getting stronger and quicker in order to defend bigger players and endure the pounding of a longer season.

Center Nate Bittle also elected to come back for another season for the Ducks. The 7-0 big man led the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game and made the All-Defensive Team along with Bamba.

He surged at the end of the year for Dana Altman, erupting for a career-high 36 points against Washington in the regular season final and continuing with strong play in the postseason, shooting 51 percent from the field and 81 percent from the line for the year.

Bittle tested the NBA draft but elected to come back to UO after receiving his evaluation. He's become more consistent as a scorer and rebounder but the biggest improvement he could make in his game lies in strength, agility and conditioning. He has great versatility; he has to show scouts he's tough enough for the NBA grind.

At 6-9 with a lanky frame and a ridiculous wingspan, Kwame Evans could blossom as an NBA prospect in 2025-26. Altman has a way with long, athletic wings, and Evans should receive a boost in playing time and opportunities as he enters his junior year.

The former McDonald's All-American from Baltimore, Maryland has terrific potential, particularly if he can extend his shooting range and develop more consistency. He went on a rebounding tear during Oregon's March run, hitting the boards for 11 rebounds against Washington, seven against Indiana in 23 minutes.

At 6-7 Texas transfer Devon Pryor has the length and wingspan to be attractive for NBA teams. He briefly entered the draft before electing to transfer to Oregon, working out with the Portland Trail Blazers on May 6.

Increased playing time in Eugene is the key to his development.

A 6-4 guard out of Brooklyn, Elon transfer TK Simpkins earned two-time all-conference honors while averaging 16.4 points a game last season. He improved his three-point shooting by eight percentage points.

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