Report: Jared Sullinger not invited to draft

Lingering questions about his back caused Jared Sullinger to be left off the invitation list for the NBA draft. (Chris Graythen, Getty Images)

One year after being a sure-fire lottery pick, Jared Sullinger has not even been invited to Thursday's NBA draft.

ESPN.com's Andy Katz reports the Ohio State sophomore did not receive an invitation to the Prudential Center green room, where the top 15 or so gather for the evening's draft.

"He's more likely to go in the teens or in the 20s," NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson said. "We continue to have contact with teams but at this late date we don't anticipate inviting him."

Sullinger slimmed down between his freshman and sophomore seasons, deciding to pursue a national championship with the Buckeyes rather than going to the NBA after one season.

But in place of questions surrounding his weight (the 6-foot-9 Sullinger weighed in at 268 pounds with 10.7 percent body fat at the combine) are now questions about the health of his back. The possibility that he may not stay in the league due to health issues has teams weary of picking him so high in the draft.