The two-day NBA draft begins June 25 at the home of the Brooklyn Nets.<\/p>\n
Marquette University guard Kam Jones<\/a> and Milwaukee native and Duke forward Kon Knueppel<\/a> are both among the 36 players most likely to be drafted in the first round. <\/p>\n Jones said it wasn’t until his sophomore year at Marquette that he felt playing in the NBA was a legitimate possibility. During this past season, he transformed from a secondary creator to the team’s main playmaker and scorer. He finished seventh in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. <\/p>\n Watch: Former Wisconsin Lutheran standout impresses at NBA Combine<\/b><\/p>\n Former Wisconsin Lutheran star Kon Knueppel impresses at NBA Combine<\/p>\n Knueppel, a former Wisconsin Lutheran standout, made waves at the NBA combine in Chicago last month despite being sidelined from physical testing due to an ankle injury. His draft stock received a significant boost from his roommate at the NBA Combine, Cooper Flagg.<\/p>\n Flagg, a Duke freshman forward, has long been projected to be the No. 1 overall pick. That picks is owned by the Dallas Mavericks, a boost for a franchise after its shocking trade of star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. <\/p>\n Flagg was named AP men\u2019s college basketball national player of the year and headlines a lengthy list of \u201cone-and-done\u201d top prospects who entered the draft after a lone college season. That includes the Rutgers duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Baylor\u2019s VJ Edgecombe, Texas\u2019 Tre Johnson and Oklahoma\u2019s Jeremiah Fears.<\/p>\n The Brooklyn Nets have a league-high four first-round picks, the first coming at No. 8. The Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards each have a pair of first-round picks after ranking as the league\u2019s two worst teams. <\/p>\n Another team to watch is the San Antonio Spurs, who have the second and 14th picks as they build around 7-foot-3 rising French star Victor Wembanyama. And then there\u2019s the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won a league-best 68 games and reached the NBA Finals. They\u2019ve got two first-round picks, the first at 15th, to strengthen an already deep roster.<\/p>\n Let’s talk:<\/p>\n Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com\/tips. <\/p>\n It\u2019s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24\/7 by searching for \u201cTMJ4\u201d on your device.<\/b><\/p>\n Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n