Indiana's Devonte Green Generating Interest from a Few NBA Teams
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The COVID-19 pandemic placed a hold on all things basketball in March, but now the sport is coming back to life. The 2020 season is about to resume in the Orlando bubble at the end of the month, and plans are falling into place for 2021 as well.
Indiana's Devonte Green is looking to find a home in the pro game after a four-year career with the Hoosiers that concluded with 954 points and 164 three-pointers, good for 12th-best in program history. He's been working out in California with his brother, Danny Green, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, and several other NBA players.
Green, a 6-foot-3 guard from North Babylon, N.Y., isn't expected to be drafted in the two-round (60 players) NBA Draft on Oct. 16, but the NBA is always looking for shooters, so he still might get a good chance to prove himself at the top level.
Green told Sports Illustrated this week that he has been receiving interest from several NBA teams. Ben Stinar of The Big Lead, tweets that his sources say Green is getting interest from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks. Green is represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation.
This year's NBA draft lottery will take place on Aug. 25, just after the regular season concludes in Orlando. The plan now is to have the draft at the Barclays Center on Oct. 16, but that could change depending on the status of COVID-19.
The draft is only two rounds, but NBA teams have been more aggressive in signing undrafted free agents the past few years to fill out their G-League rosters. That could be a path for Green as well.
It worked for former Hoosier Juwan Morgan. He went undrafted but showed his worth in the G-League and now has been getting an opportunity with the Utah Jazz in the NBA. He played in 16 games with the Jazz, and is in the first year of a two-year deal with them. He's scored 19 points in mostly mop-up duty, playing more than 7 minutes only one.
Green shot 38 percent from beyond the arc in his four seasons at Indiana. When he was needed the most, Green stepped up in classic fashion. In the Big Ten Tournament in 2019, he scored 26 points against Ohio State, going 8-for-10 beyond the arc. In his senior season, he scored 30 points in a win against Florida State, which finished the season ranked fourth in the final Associated Press poll.
He also showed flashes putting up 16 and 18 against Maryland, 19 versus Ohio State, and 27 points against Iowa in a win where he shot 7-for-11 from long range.
In the free-flowing pro game where perimeter shooting is a priority, Green possesses a talent — raw shooting ability — that NBA general managers salivate over. Green will still have to wait several months to find out what his future holds, but until then, he'll be putting in the work to make the most of his opportunity.
Related Stories on Devonte Green
- FINAL GRADES: Doling out grades on Devonte Green's senior season at Indiana wasn't easy. CLICK HERE
- EMOTIONAL GOODBYE FOR GREEN: With Indiana's season cut short, Green goes online to say thank you to the Indiana fan base. CLICK HERE
- START ON FINAL RUN FOR GREEN: Devonte Green goes off for 27 points against Iowa to help end losing streak. CLICK HERE
- TOM BREW COLUMN: Indiana needs to do a better job of creating good looks for Devonte Green. CLICK HERE
