Where Julian Phillips is projected in mock drafts entering NBA Draft night
There’s still hope for former Tennessee five-star freshman Julian Phillips to be a first-round pick in tonight’s NBA Draft in Brooklyn. At least from one NBA mock draft, anyway.
Yahoo on Wednesday moved Phillips back into the first round, at No. 29 overall to the NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
“Phillips elected to stay in the draft after receiving positive feedback from NBA teams during the pre-draft process,” Yahoo wrote in its latest mock draft. “Although he’ll need some development and might spend some time in the G League, Phillips has a ton of upside on the wing position and could have been a projected lottery pick in next year’s draft.”
The NBA Draft starts at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC and ESPN, live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Julian Phillips at Tennessee: 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game
Phillips averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game during his only season at Tennessee, starting 25 times in 32 games. He shot 41.1 percent from the field but just 23.9 percent from the 3-point line. He led Tennessee in free throws made (97) and attempted (150) and was fourth in rebounding (150).
He was a five-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle, ranked No. 13 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the No. 4 small forward nationally.
He fell near the bottom of the second round of most mock drafts before he went to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago in May. After posting impressive workout numbers — Phillips led the Combine with a running vertical leap of 43 inches and a standing vertical of 35 inches — he moved back up closer to the top of the second round, according to ESPN.
“Phillips has received positive feedback from NBA teams after a strong pre-draft process,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote on May 31.
ESPN on Wednesday had Phillips as the No. 35 overall pick, going to the Boston Celtics in the second round.
“If he learns how to shoot, you have a $20 million player.”
Either early or in the middle of the second round is where most mock draft projected Phillips entering draft day.
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Bleacher Report’s Brian Wasserman had Phillips at No. 37 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
“Scouts around the league believe Julian Phillips has early second-round teams willing to offer guaranteed money,” Wasserman wrote. “The former McDonald’s All-American is starting to be seen as a buy-low pick after he measured near 6-foot-7 in socks, won athletic testing and presumably shot worse than he’s capable of at Tennessee.”
Sporting News had Phillips at No. 41 overall to the Charlotte Hornets. The Ringer had Phillips at No. 42 overall to the Washington Wizards, noting his athleticism on the wing “would slot in nicely next to (Kobe) Bufkin, the Wizards’ lottery selection in this mock.”
The Athletic, like ESPN, had Phillips at No. 35 to the Celtics. Sam Vecenie had Phillips at No. 33 overall in his Top 100 for The Athletic. John Hollinger, meanwhile, had Phillips at No. 26 overall in his Top 75 for The Athletic.
“In a league starved for big wings, it’s worth taking the shot on hitting on one in the 25-to-40 range,” Hollinger wrote. “If (Phillips) learns how to shoot, you have a $20 million player.”
