Thursday marked the final day of the NBA Draft Combine. On June 22, 58 players will hear their name called in the 2023 NBA Draft. One of those names could very well be Missouri’s Kobe Brown.
The 6-foot-8, 250-pound star forward has been at the combine in Chicago since it began Tuesday. Brown still has the option to return to MU, but if he hears his name called next month, where is he currently being projected to go?
Round 2, Pick 38: Sacramento Kings
Who said it?: Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report’s lead scout and NBA Draft insider.
Will Brown suit up in the same place he played his final two collegiate games?
On Tuesday, Wasserman released his latest two-round mock draft, with the Kings selecting Brown with the 38th overall pick that they acquired from the Indiana Pacers.
Wasserman notes in his writeup that Brown has good ball-handling and shooting skills for his size despite his age (23) and concerns about his athletic profile. But, considering the value of the pick, the positives may outweigh the negatives.
The Kings also have the 24th and 54th pick. Sacramento finished the 2022-23 season with its best record since 2005 and its first playoff berth since 2006. The Kings ultimately lost their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors in seven games.
Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center is where Missouri played its final two games last season — a win over No. 10 seed Utah State and a loss against 15 seed Princeton in the NCAA Tournament. Brown recorded 19 points and eight rebounds in the Tigers’ first NCAA Tournament win since 2010. He tallied 12 points and seven boards against Princeton.
Round 2, Pick 43: San Antonio Spurs
Who said it?: Jonathan Givony, ESPN’s NBA Draft analyst and founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com.
The San Antonio Spurs also have three picks in this year’s draft, including the No. 1 overall pick. Their first selection is pointing in the direction of this year’s top prospect — Victor Wembanyama. After projecting the Spurs to take Texas forward Dillon Mitchell with the 33rd overall pick, Givony has them taking Brown with the No. 43 pick in his mock draft from Tuesday. The Spurs acquired the selection from the Toronto Raptors.
If he’s selected by San Antonio, Brown will have an opportunity to learn from future Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich. Last season, the Spurs finished with 22 wins, their worst total since the 1988-89 season.
Round 2, Pick 45: Memphis Grizzlies
Who said it?: Bryan Kalbrosky, ForTheWin’s national NBA staff writer.
The Grizzlies are another team Brown has been mocked to recently. In Kalbrosky’s mock draft Tuesday, the forecaster has Brown coming off the board with the 45th overall pick, which Memphis acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Grizzlies lost their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
