NBA teams "all preparing" for Shaedon Sharpe to declare for 2022 draft

John Calipari and those around the Kentucky basketball program may be confident No. 1 recruit Shaedon Sharpe will return to school in 2022-23, but NBA teams aren’t. In fact, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony is reporting that NBA teams would be “surprised” if Sharpe does not declare for the 2022 NBA Draft this spring.

“Talking to NBA teams, they are all preparing for Sharpe ultimately being in the draft, and say they’ll be surprised if he isn’t,” Givony reported Tuesday morning. “Historically speaking, 99.9% of players in his situation (projected lottery picks, likely top-10 picks) end up declaring, because there’s simply too much risk in going back to school, risking poor play or injury, and seeing their stock fall.”

This news comes just one week after Calipari announced the prized recruit would not play for the Wildcats this season. Instead, he would continue to “get ready for the following year” at Kentucky.

Should he return as originally planned, Calipari believes Sharpe has the potential to be the No. 1 draft pick in 2023.

“It is what it is. I know everybody will say, ‘Well, he isn’t coming,’ Yeah, well anybody can say anything,” Calipari said last week. “This kid comes back, he’s the No. 1 draft pick. In my mind, he’s the No. 1 draft pick. How can I say I know what the No. 1 draft pick looks like? Because I’ve had four! That’s why I can say what it looks like. He can be the No. 1 draft pick.”

The NBA’s argument? The league develops players just as well as colleges do, and likely better. Sharpe may be sold on Kentucky’s vision now, but Givony believes that will ultimately change when conversations begin with NBA teams.

“NBA teams will explain to Sharpe’s family and mentors that they know how to develop players for the league just as well, if not much better, than colleges do,” Givony wrote. “We saw that when high school players went straight to the NBA, and we’ve seen that time and again with raw or unpolished players who left school before they were even close to being ready to be impact players.”

Givony says the argument that Sharpe needs to play the process out in Lexington to reach his potential “feels hollow.” Players have entered the league straight out of high school, smaller colleges, overseas and through new professional programs in the states. There’s not an exact science that correlates guaranteed NBA success with playing real minutes in college.

It’s why he ultimately believes Sharpe will decide to go pro this offseason.

“Every team in the lottery will likely encourage Sharpe to throw his name in the draft,” Givony wrote, “Because this is a short-term business, and it benefits them to have a deeper group of prospects to choose from.

“Personally, I’d love to see Sharpe suit up at Kentucky next season and lead his team to the Final Four. But history says that’s unlikely, unless Sharpe decides to buck the trend and bet on himself, which would be awesome to see, but almost entirely unheard of.”

Calipari’s stance? Sharpe could test the draft waters, where a team may fall in love with his game and take him in the top five. He has, however, made it clear with Kentucky coaches that the jump from high school to college has been a difficult adjustment. An immediate move to the NBA would present an even greater challenge.

“You know what? Would he be ready to go this year? Someone would take him and say we’re going to get you ready but playing in the NBA is a man’s league,” Calipari said. “Going through the gauntlet at Kentucky gets you ready to succeed. His family knows it, he knows it. He knows it. He said the attention to detail here, he’s never seen anything like it. Well, guess what? When you move up, it’s even more so. But he’s a great kid. I love coaching this kid. I do. Love coaching him.”

If the feedback is overwhelmingly positive, it’s clearly something Sharpe will have to consider. If he’s not ready, there’s a roster spot waiting for him in Lexington next season.

“We haven’t gone that far, but I don’t see any reason not to (test the waters),” Calipari continued. “But again, if someone in this draft would take him No. 1, 2, 3, say, well, we’ll take him No. 5. If someone guarantees me that they’re going to do it — and they won’t lie because I won’t let them back in our gym — so if someone is saying we’re going to do this, then you’ve got to sit down and talk.

“Will he test the waters? He may not. He may say, ‘Coach, I am not ready.’ I can remember players where I said, are you thinking about, why wouldn’t you go and you could be drafted… ‘I’m not ready. I’m not ready.’ So, we don’t know yet.”

Time will tell.