4 Wildcats reportedly invited to NBA Draft Combine

With the 2019 NBA draft approaching, four Kentucky Wildcats from this past season have received invitations to this year’s NBA Draft Combine.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Keldon Johnson, PJ Washington, EJ Montgomery and Tyler Herro will stand alongside the country’s finest prospects who are eligible for the draft.

The Herald-Leader adds that Washington, Johnson and Herro will skip the five-on-five games, but Montgomery will take part in them.

Specifically, Washington’s decision to go pro was purely a no-brainer. After a sub-par freshman season, the power forward made a somewhat-shocking decision to return to Kentucky for a second stint under head coach John Calipari.

Washington more than made the most of his move, consistently playing as one of the NCAA’s best players down the stretch of the season. With nothing else to prove, Washington’s decision to turn pro was a no-brainer.

For Herro and Johnson, their freshman campaigns were more promising than Washington’s. However, the argument could have also been made that both would have benefited from the same path as Washington.

Nonetheless, both have their eyes set on becoming NBA rookies and their performance at the combine will surely sway their draft stock.

As for Montgomery, most projections have him going undrafted, but a good showing at the combine and in private workouts could boost his stock enough that a team will spend a second-round pick on him. The fact that he was invited to the combine suggests there are some NBA teams that think he could be worth a second-round pick.

‘Twas disappointing that Reid Travis was left off the guest list, but his skill set and basketball IQ should be more than enough to land him a few private workouts with specific teams.

As for Nick Richards, it looks like he’ll have to settle for just private workouts with teams.

This year’s combine will be held in Chicago (IL) from May 14-19. As currently projected, Herro and Johnson are viewed as borderline lottery selections while Washington is most likely to fall slightly behind them. However, that can all change based on their performances in Chicago.

Be sure to read the entire report here.