Reports: Arizona's Aaron Gordon to declare for 2014 draft
Arizona forward Aaron Gordon will declare for the 2014 NBA draft. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images Sport)
Arizona freshman forward Aaron Gordon will declare for the 2014 NBA draft, according to multiple reports.
Yahoo Sports and ESPN.com both report that Gordon, a projected lottery pick, will go one-and-done with the Wildcats. The Arizona Daily Star reports that Gordon will formally announce the decision on Tuesday.
Gordon, 18, averaged 12.4 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 31.2 minutes per game this season, earning All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors. He scored in double figures in three of Arizona's four NCAA tournament games, and tallied eight points and 18 rebounds in an Elite Eight loss to Wisconsin.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix placed Gordon at No. 7 on his latest big board.
NBA talent evaluators often echo similar opinions of Gordon: great athlete, good defender, can't shoot a lick. Gordon's abysmal free-throw shooting (42.1 percent) is a big concern for league executives, all of whom note that Gordon, 18, is a significant project. The hope is that Gordon's raw talent can be harnessed to the point where he develops into a Blake Griffin/Shawn Marion type.
