Scouts share anonymous thoughts on Kentucky's NBA Draft prospects

On Thursday night, four former Kentucky Wildcats will hope to hear their names called in the 2023 NBA Draft: Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Jacob Toppin. Of those four, Wallace and Livingston are the most likely to be drafted, with Wallace trending toward the lottery and Livingston rumored to have a guarantee from a team.

This morning, Seth Davis shared anonymous comments from NBA scouts on the top prospects in the draft, including Wallace, Livingston, and Oscar. One scout believes Oscar will “destroy the G League.” When it comes to the freshmen, the reviews are mixed. Wallace, who is projected to go anywhere from No. 10 to No. 15, is one of the “safest picks in the draft” in the eyes of one scout.

“Nothing sexy about him, but he can play the point, he can shoot, he can score in the midrange, he’s got solid athleticism,” the scout said of Wallace. “Doesn’t really have a burst. He never got rattled when Calipari would yell at him. Needs to develop his point guard skills. Still needs to develop his pick-and-roll game. He’s a high-level defender who can guard ones and twos.”

In one season at Kentucky, Wallace averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game, earning All-SEC Freshman honors. He was one of 19 players invited to the green room on Thursday. The Athletic’s David Aldridge has a similar feature out this morning with anonymous comments from NBA executives on the draft’s top guards. Lots of praise for Wallace in that one as well, so check it out if you’ve got a subscription.

As for Livingston, who is projected to go in the mid-to-late second round, one scout expressed some serious skepticism. The former five-star prospect averaged 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in his lone season in Lexington, improving as the year went on.

“What does he do? He’s not a high-level 3-point shooter, he’s not a high-level creator off the bounce. He can rebound a little. Never did find himself this year at Kentucky. He’s not a consistent jump shooter. He’s just not very skilled. He has good competitiveness, love his character. Later in the season he started to realize who he is, which is a tough, slashing athlete. He’s not a shooter, but he can make shots. He has first-round talent, but he didn’t have a great year.”

Skepticism or not, the fact that Livingston canceled his remaining draft workouts earlier this month suggests he’ll hear his name called. We’ll find out for sure Thursday night beginning at 8 p.m. on ABC and ESPN.

Give the gift of KSR+. Purchase a gift subscription for your favorite person for birthdays, holidays, or just because.

Where Wallace, Livingston stand in NBA Mock Drafts

Mock drafts will be updated right up until the draft begins on Thursday night. Here’s where Wallace and Livingston stand as of Monday morning.

Cason Wallace

• ESPN (Updated 6/14): No. 15 – Atlanta Hawks
• The Athletic (Updated 6/15): No. 10 – Dallas Mavericks
• CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone (Updated 6/18): No. 10 – Dallas Mavericks
• The Ringer (Updated 6/15): No. 16 – Utah Jazz
• SB Nation (First Round Only, Updated 6/19): No. 9 – Utah Jazz

Chris Livingston

• ESPN (Updated 6/14): No. 53 – Minnesota Timberwolves (via NY)
• The Athletic (Updated 6/15): No. 46 – Atlanta Hawks (via NO)
• CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone (Updated 6/18): No. 48 – L.A. Clippers
• The Ringer (Updated 6/15): No. 43 – Portland Trail Blazers