The NBA draft is all about projecting what a player can be, and there is ample excitement about the professional future of Dalen Terry.
Even though the former Arizona Wildcats guard averaged only 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assist per game as a sophomore last season, he has impressed NBA decision-makers in the pre-draft process.
With the draft only two days away, the betting markets have taken notice. Terry is a virtual lock to go in the first round on Thursday, as he has odds of -2000 to do so, according to DraftKings.
Terry’s decision to remain in the NBA draft was far from a given last month, as many mock drafts had him going in the second round. With Bennedict Mathurin and Christian Koloko heading to the NBA, Terry would have been a focal point at Arizona as a junior.
But the buzz grew and grew for Terry, who stayed in the draft and is now almost assuredly going to hear his name within the first 30 picks. Terry made the Pac-12’s All-Defensive Team in 2021 and at 6-foot-7 has the type of length that is in demand at the NBA level.
Mathurin has also seen his stock rise throughout the pre-draft process. He is almost guaranteed to go in the Top-10, with odds of -1800 at DraftKings.
Mathurin’s draft position can be wagered on at DraftKings. The over/under is set at 6.5, with the under the favorite at -125 and the over the slight underdog at -105.
Mathurin has been connected heavily to the Indiana Pacers with the No. 6 pick of the draft.
A league source told Evan Sidery that Indiana’s entire front office and head coach Rick Carlisle attended Mathurin’s Pro Day in Santa Barbara, and that Mathurin had a private workout for the Pacers.
Mathurin averaged 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore for Arizona last season. Mathurin is on the list of basketball players who can be wagered on to go No. 1 overall, although he has extreme longshot odds of +20000.
Jabari Smith is the favorite to be the first pick in the draft at -155, while Duke forward Paolo Banchero continues his late climb. Banchero had +1600 odds to go No. 1 at BetMGM on Sunday, but now the sportsbooks have him right in the mix.
Banchero has +210 odds to be the first pick, leapfrogging Chet Holmgren, who is at +230. Smith and Holmgren were long seen as the two possibilities to go No. 1, but Banchero is a late riser.
Keep an eye on the odds, as they could be moving significantly in the run-up to the NBA draft.
