Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics
Will Reece Beekman Stay in the 2023 NBA Draft?
Over the last three weeks, Virginia's roster has been turned upside down as the Cavaliers have seen their entire starting five and eight scholarship players in total depart from the program through the transfer portal, graduation, or declaring for the NBA Draft. As the UVA coaching staff looks to the transfer portal to fill those holes, the only unknown left on the current roster is the future of junior point guard Reece Beekman, who declared for the NBA Draft on March 30th, but stated that he is maintaining his college eligibility, leaving open the option to return to Virginia for another season.
While many UVA fans are undoubtedly saddened by the prospect of him leaving the team, this is a no-brainer decision for Beekman. Even if he does end up returning to Virginia next season, it doesn't hurt at all to test the waters, go through the pre-draft process, get an evaluation from NBA personnel on his draft stock, and then make a decision on whether he wants to return to the college level for another season.
For what it's worth, most of the latest projections from NBA Draft experts do not have Reece Beekman getting selected in the first round. With the exception of CBS Sports' Gary Parrish, who has Beekman going No. 30 overall in the first round in his most recent mock draft, most draft analysts and experts either have Beekman as a mid-to-late second round pick or not getting drafted at all, which would seem to suggest that Beekman could benefit from another season of development at Virginia.
However, we've seen players significantly raise their draft stock by impressing scouts, coaches, and general managers during the pre-draft process. Most notably, Trey Murphy III did just that in 2021 and ended up being a first round draft pick of the New Orleans Pelicans. As Reece Beekman looks to potentially follow suit and become the next Wahoo to become an NBA draft pick, getting an invite to the NBA Draft Combine would be a great start.
The 2023 NBA Draft Combine will be held May 15-21 in Chicago and will give several top draft prospects the opportunity to do interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games as well as shooting and strength and agility drills. 76 players were invited to the NBA Draft Combine in 2022, so it's very possible that Reece Beekman will receive an invite to the event this year.
Update: Reece Beekman has received an invite to the 2023 NBA Draft Combine. Read more here.
In addition to the NBA Draft Combine, Beekman can do private workouts with specific NBA teams throughout April and May, all of which will provide information that will help Beekman make his decision, as he will receive evaluations from NBA personnel on the strengths and weaknesses of his game, and where in the NBA Draft he is projected to be selected.
What will Reece Beekman's draft evaluation say?
Strengths: NBA scouts will absolutely love Beekman's decision-making, defense, and athleticism. He ranked second in all of Division I men's basketball with an assist to turnover ratio of 3.36, showing that Beekman can make the right plays to distribute the ball to his teammates without forcing anything or committing turnovers. His defense speaks for itself, as Beekman was one of the top on-ball defenders in the country in each of the last two seasons, recognized by his two ACC All-Defensive Team selections and his 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year Award. His athleticism shows itself most in his ability to stay in front of opposing guards, but he also occassionally reminds everyone of his ability to elevate for thunderous dunks, especially in transition. Beekman has a particular knack for turning defense into offense, making him a prime two-way prospect.
Weaknesses: With that said, Beekman's all-around offensive game leaves something to be desired and could prevent NBA teams from taking a risk on him with a high draft pick. The first glaring weakness on that end of the floor is Beekman's three-point shooting. After shooting well above 40% in the early part of the season, a significant jump from the 33.8% he shot in his sophomore season, Beekman's shooting numbers fell off substantially throughout the remainder of the year and he finished the season at just 35.1% from beyond the arc. With the NBA's extended three-point line, it could take a long time for Beekman to develop into a reliable three-point threat, which would make him an offensive liability as a guard in the NBA. Beekman frequently showed exceptional driving abilities, especially early in the 2022-2023 season, but he simply wasn't aggressive enough in hunting his own shot and particularly following the hamstring injury he suffered in early December. Virginia's slow pace of play has a watering-down effect on the numbers, and Beekman's unselfish play could be seen as a positive, but 9.5 points per game simply isn't a number that jumps off the page.
Beekman has until the end of May to make his decision, as the deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft pool while maintaining NCAA eligibility is on May 31st at 11:59pm ET. The 2023 NBA Draft will take place on June 22nd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
So, what will Beekman do? Much of his decision will depend on the results of his pre-draft workouts and the evaluation he receives from NBA personnel, but there are a number of other factors that could be considered. The possibility of completing his degree at UVA and some potential unfinished business at the college level as he has yet to win an NCAA Tournament game could pull Beekman back to Virginia. But on the other hand, the NBA's clear preference for drafting younger players - the older the player, the less likely he is to be selected in the draft - could negate the potential developmental benefits Beekman could gain by returning to UVA for another season.
And of course, there's the pivotal financial factor. Beekman's rookie NBA contract could pay a wide-ranging salary depending on where in the draft he is selected. Players drafted late in the first round (picks 1-30) of the 2022 NBA Draft made just under $2 million a year on their rookie deals, while there are significantly less financial guarantees for players who fall to the second round (31-60). That's why the evaluation from NBA personnel projecting where in the draft a player will be selected is so important. If, based on his draft evaluation, Beekman is convinced that another year at Virginia could help him become a higher draft pick, that alone could be enough to bring him back to Charlottesville.
Ultimately, Reece Beekman will do what's best for him. If the next time Beekman takes the court is in a Virginia uniform at John Paul Jones Arena, the Cavaliers will certainly be better for it. But if he stays in the draft and becomes the latest in a long line of UVA basketball products to hear his name called on draft night, that will carry its own benefits for the status of the Virginia men's basketball program and all UVA fans can (and should) do is support him in his future.
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