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Here's what Chad Ford wrote about Porzingis since May 2014.
June 18 Update: Porzingis just arrived in the United States last weekend and is planning a major workout in Las Vegas for NBA teams on Friday. It will be the only workout Porzingis will do before the draft. He will fly to a few teams and do interviews, but this one workout will likely solidify his stock in one direction or the other. I'll be there in Vegas to report on the whole thing, but until then, it's still a little tough to get a great read on his draft stock.
May 18 Update: Porzingis continues to be the wild card in this draft. Some teams have him ranked as high as No. 2 and No. 3 on their boards, while others have him in the eight to 10 range. The teams that have him high point to his unique combination of size, athleticism and skill. It's rare to find a 7-footer who can protect the rim, shoot the 3 and make high-IQ basketball plays. Teams that have him ranked lower worry about his thin frame and lack of rebounding in Spain. Porzingis will be coming to the U.S. in early June and will hold an NBA workout in Las Vegas on June 12. Once teams get to see him up close, in both this workout and in individual ones, I expect his draft status to firm up in the top five.
Apr 29 Update: Averaging 10.6 PPG | 4.8 RPG | 33 percent 3FG | 21 MPG
Porzingis is the wild card in this draft. International scouts swear by him. GMs still are trying to figure out exactly what he is at the next level. Is he the next Dirk Nowitzki or the next Jan Vesely? Based on the conversations I've had with numerous scouts with great track records in Europe, he's closer to Nowitzki than Vesely or -- my favorite analogy -- a more athletic Nikola Mirotic. He could go as high as No. 3 or as low as No. 8.
April 15 Update: Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis will declare for the 2015 NBA draft, his agent, Andy Miller, told ESPN.com.
Porzingis is averaging 10.3 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and is shooting 33 percent from 3 in 21 minutes for his team Baloncesto Sevilla in the Spanish ACB. His numbers have been even better in Eurocup play, averaging 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and shooting 46 percent from 3.
Porzingis burst onto the NBA draft scene about this time last year when he declared for the 2014 NBA draft. As NBA teams scrambled to get to Spain to watch him play, they became enamored with his rare combination of size, athleticism, ability to protect the rim and shooting range. Porzingis rose from an obscure draft-and-stash late first-rounder into the late lottery before ultimately deciding to withdraw from the 2014 draft and try again this year.
It looks like it was a good move. Porzingis has been ranked in the top five all year on our 2015 Big Board and should be drafted in the three-to-six range in June, according to multiple NBA general managers and scouts.
Apr 13 Update: Porzingis isn't far behind Mudiay -- if he's behind him at all. A number of NBA scouts and GMs who have traveled to Spain to see him play this year have come back raving about him.
"He's an athletic, super-skilled 7-footer who can do everything well," one GM said. "I was watching him warm up and had flashbacks to when I saw Pau Gasol take the floor for the first time in Spain, only this kid is much more athletic than Gasol but plays with that same fluidity. I've been asking my team since then: Are you sure he's not the No. 1 guy? Are these guys in college really better than him?"
Another long-time international scout: "He's my favorite player in this draft. I keep telling my staff: This one is not like other international players. He's the real deal. He's special in all the ways a player can be special. He just needs to get stronger. That's it. He's going to be a big-time pro."
Blessed with great size, skill, and athleticism for his position -- all the comparables scouts are using for him are big-time NBA players: Nowitkzi, Gasol, and a more athletic Nikola Mirotic.
Still, not every team is sold on his game.
Porzingis needs to get stronger. He can fall in love with his perimeter game despite the fact that some scouts report that he's grown taller than 7 feet. And one NBA GM had this unique knock on his game.
"I don't think he's an a--h---. I watched him knock down a couple of guys during the course of the game and then stop, reach his hand down and help them up off the floor. I hate that. I want guys that are killers, that want to destroy their opponent. You see that and I wonder if he has the fire necessary to be great."
There are teams that have him ranked as high as No. 2 or No. 3 on their internal boards. But most likely he'll go in the No. 4 to No. 6 range.
Apr 8 Update: Porzingis is averaging 10.3 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 44% 3FG | 21 MPG
Porzingis continues to be the most underrated player in the draft. The buzz stateside is almost non-existent, but virtually every scout and GM who makes the trip to Spain comes back raving. A number of them were there to see his team, Sevilla, play FC Barcelona in late March. Porzingis had 18 points, five rebounds and shot 2-for-4 from 3-point range in the game. While he's likely going to land in the Nos. 4-to-7 range, there are a couple of teams that believe Porzingis is the best prospect in the draft after Towns and Mudiay.
Mar 31 Update: On a side note, a ton of NBA scouts went to Spain this week to see Hezonja's FC Barcelona play Kristaps Porzingis' Sevilla. Hezonja played just six minutes and had zero points. He's essentially fallen from a starter to a bit role player for Barcelona the past month -- not because of his play, but more likely because Barcelona is hoping to hurt his draft stock a little so that he'll return for another season. Meanwhile, Porzingis had 18 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
Mar 11 Update: Porzingis is averaging 11.6 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 46% 3FG | 21 MPG
Porzingis continues to draw praise from both NBA and international scouts who insist he's one of the best young international prospects to come along in a while. He has got size, athleticism and can both stretch the floor and protect the rim. Several respected international GMs and scouts swear he is the second coming of Dirk Nowitzki. The more cautious ones think he's a more athletic version of the Bulls' Nikola Mirotic. Either way, he should be a top-five pick. His lack of strength and definitive position are both knocks, but there are few plays with his size, skill and athleticism in the NBA.
Feb 11 Update: Porzingis is averaging 11.1 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 42 percent from 3 in 20 minutes a game
Porzingis falls out the top four for the first time all season in this update. The one-spot slide has nothing to do with Porzingis. He continues to make a compelling case as one of the best international prospects we've seen in a while -- a more athletic Nikola Mirotic, perhaps. The slide has more to do with Russell's domination the past month. Porzingis is still a compelling pick in the top five. He had 17 points and seven rebounds against Cai Zaragoza on Sunday. He's averaging 10.2 PPG and shooting 35 percent from 3-point range in ACB play.
Jan 28 Update: Porzingis is averaging 9.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG while shooting 35.5 percent from 3-point range for Baloncesto Sevilla in the Spanish ACB. His numbers in Eurocup play are even a little stronger: 10.9 PPG and 4.3 RPG on 47 percent shooting from 3. Many international scouts think that he's a more athletic version of Bulls rookie Nikola Mirotic. That's high praise. If Mirotic had been in the 2014 NBA draft, I believe he would've been drafted in the top five or six. Porzingis might not be as NBA-ready as Mirotic was coming out of the gate, but he's got an even higher ceiling.
Jan 6 Update: Porzingis is averaging 10.2 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 1.3 BPG
Porzingis continues to play in a way that should guarantee him a spot in the top five. He has the size, athleticism and skill set to be a terrific NBA power forward. The fact that he's shooting so well from 3-point range only adds to his value. He scored 13 points against Gran Canaria in just 21 minutes on Sunday. He shot 5-for-7 from the field and was 1-for-2 from beyond the arc. He's shooting a sizzling 50 percent from 3-point range in Eurocup play this season. He's averaging 8.7 PPG and shooting 37 percent from 3 in ACB play.
Dec 17 Update: Porzingis is averaging 10.8 PPG | 4.3 RPG | 1.3 BPG
Porzingis has sat at this spot since July. As more scouts head to Spain to see him play, the more convinced they are that he's the best international prospect in the draft and worthy of a top 5 pick. He posted the most points of his career in Eurocup play on Dec. 3, scoring 18 points against Virtus Roma in just 18 minutes. He shot 7-for-10 from the field, 2-for-3 from 3-point range. He's shooting a sizzling 53 percent from 3-point range and 56 percent from the field. In Spanish League ACB play, he had 14 points and six rebounds against Unicaja on Sunday. He's averaging 11 PPG and shooting 39 percent from 3 in ACB play.
Dec 2 Update: Porzingis is averaging 10 PPG | 5 RPG | 1.4 BPG. He was everyone's upside guy last season. This season, he's getting even more minutes for Sevilla. For a 19-year-old, he's putting up impressive stats in Spain in Eurocup play. He's shooting 52 percent from the field and 54 percent from 3-point range. His shooting percentages are down in ACB (Spanish League) play, but everyone from NBA scouts to Americans who have had the chance to play with him or against him are telling me the same thing: Porzingis is for real. At this point, the top four in the draft are looking very solid. We might not have the order figured out yet, but a combination of Okafor, Mudiay, Towns and Porzingis have a pretty solid grip on the top four slots.
Oct 31 Update: Last year Porzingis was a real mystery man -- a player who would've been drafted in the lottery based entirely on upside. But the longer scouts got to take a look at him this summer, the more convinced they are that he's the real thing. He, too, has the size to play both the 4 and the 5, is a terrific athlete and excels facing the basket. He needs to add strength and could use more experience, but Porzingis, if he were playing in college, would probably be in the conversation for the No. 1 pick.
Sept. 9 Update: Porzingis shocked everyone when he withdrew from the 2014 NBA draft at the last minute. On sheer upside alone he was looking like a late lottery pick. His decision could backfire -- clearly teams were drafting him without seeing much of him. But he visited Las Vegas this summer to workout with Impact Basketball's Joe Abunassar and several people in the gym told me Porzingis wowed them. You don't find his combination of size, skill, toughness and athleticism every day. And Abunassar has him on a rigorous strength training program now, too.
July 16 Update: Porzingis was the darling of the 2014 draft for a few weeks before stunning the NBA and pulling out just before deadline. That decision could be good or bad for Porzingis, whose projection as a late lottery pick to mid-first-rounder was based on limited scouting. If he gets more playing time and continues to improve, he has the potential -- and the size and athletic ability -- to be a very high pick. However, if he struggles in Europe or if scouts begin to pick him apart, he could fall -- and fall far. Of all the players in the top 10, Porzingis and Myles Turner have the most volatile draft stock.
June 15 Update: In a surprise move, Porzingis decided to withdraw from the 2014 NBA draft even though he was projected in the late lottery to mid first round. However, if Porzingis continues to develop, he's a strong candidate to be a top-10 pick in 2015.
June 4 Update: A few weeks ago it seemed unlikely that Porzingis would keep his name in the draft. The 18-year-old Latvian was projected as a potential top-10 pick next year. But sources now say Porzingis has received a promise from the Thunder to draft him in the first round. There's no way he'll be around at 29, so the Thunder's pick at No. 21 is the target. The question is whether that will be high enough to get him. Porzingis going in the late lottery to mid-first round is no longer a pipe dream for this skilled 7-footer with tremendous upside. With so many teams carrying multiple first-round picks, his range starts with the Magic at No. 12. Plus, the Suns at No. 14, the Bulls at Nos. 16 or 19, and now likely ends with the Thunder at 21.
May 19 Update No one really expects to see Porzingis keep his name in the draft. He could be a lottery pick next year if he stays in Europe. However, if he decides to remain in the draft, he'll go somewhere in the first round. He's the perfect type of draft-and-stash candidate with big upside.
Apr 28 Update Porzingas surprised just about everyone by declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft. Porzingas is a good athlete and can score inside and outside. He needs to add strength and experience, but he is a talent. He averaged 14 minutes per game in the ACB, scoring 6.3 ppg and shooting 36 percent from three. With Mario Hezonja out, he becomes the one young, raw prospect that someone could take a flier on in the mid to late first round.
May 18 Update: Porzingis continues to be the wild card in this draft. Some teams have him ranked as high as No. 2 and No. 3 on their boards, while others have him in the eight to 10 range. The teams that have him high point to his unique combination of size, athleticism and skill. It's rare to find a 7-footer who can protect the rim, shoot the 3 and make high-IQ basketball plays. Teams that have him ranked lower worry about his thin frame and lack of rebounding in Spain. Porzingis will be coming to the U.S. in early June and will hold an NBA workout in Las Vegas on June 12. Once teams get to see him up close, in both this workout and in individual ones, I expect his draft status to firm up in the top five.
Apr 29 Update: Averaging 10.6 PPG | 4.8 RPG | 33 percent 3FG | 21 MPG
Porzingis is the wild card in this draft. International scouts swear by him. GMs still are trying to figure out exactly what he is at the next level. Is he the next Dirk Nowitzki or the next Jan Vesely? Based on the conversations I've had with numerous scouts with great track records in Europe, he's closer to Nowitzki than Vesely or -- my favorite analogy -- a more athletic Nikola Mirotic. He could go as high as No. 3 or as low as No. 8.
April 15 Update: Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis will declare for the 2015 NBA draft, his agent, Andy Miller, told ESPN.com.
Porzingis is averaging 10.3 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and is shooting 33 percent from 3 in 21 minutes for his team Baloncesto Sevilla in the Spanish ACB. His numbers have been even better in Eurocup play, averaging 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and shooting 46 percent from 3.
Porzingis burst onto the NBA draft scene about this time last year when he declared for the 2014 NBA draft. As NBA teams scrambled to get to Spain to watch him play, they became enamored with his rare combination of size, athleticism, ability to protect the rim and shooting range. Porzingis rose from an obscure draft-and-stash late first-rounder into the late lottery before ultimately deciding to withdraw from the 2014 draft and try again this year.
It looks like it was a good move. Porzingis has been ranked in the top five all year on our 2015 Big Board and should be drafted in the three-to-six range in June, according to multiple NBA general managers and scouts.
Apr 13 Update: Porzingis isn't far behind Mudiay -- if he's behind him at all. A number of NBA scouts and GMs who have traveled to Spain to see him play this year have come back raving about him.
"He's an athletic, super-skilled 7-footer who can do everything well," one GM said. "I was watching him warm up and had flashbacks to when I saw Pau Gasol take the floor for the first time in Spain, only this kid is much more athletic than Gasol but plays with that same fluidity. I've been asking my team since then: Are you sure he's not the No. 1 guy? Are these guys in college really better than him?"
Another long-time international scout: "He's my favorite player in this draft. I keep telling my staff: This one is not like other international players. He's the real deal. He's special in all the ways a player can be special. He just needs to get stronger. That's it. He's going to be a big-time pro."
Blessed with great size, skill, and athleticism for his position -- all the comparables scouts are using for him are big-time NBA players: Nowitkzi, Gasol, and a more athletic Nikola Mirotic.
Still, not every team is sold on his game.
Porzingis needs to get stronger. He can fall in love with his perimeter game despite the fact that some scouts report that he's grown taller than 7 feet. And one NBA GM had this unique knock on his game.
"I don't think he's an a--h---. I watched him knock down a couple of guys during the course of the game and then stop, reach his hand down and help them up off the floor. I hate that. I want guys that are killers, that want to destroy their opponent. You see that and I wonder if he has the fire necessary to be great."
There are teams that have him ranked as high as No. 2 or No. 3 on their internal boards. But most likely he'll go in the No. 4 to No. 6 range.
Apr 8 Update: Porzingis is averaging 10.3 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 44% 3FG | 21 MPG
Porzingis continues to be the most underrated player in the draft. The buzz stateside is almost non-existent, but virtually every scout and GM who makes the trip to Spain comes back raving. A number of them were there to see his team, Sevilla, play FC Barcelona in late March. Porzingis had 18 points, five rebounds and shot 2-for-4 from 3-point range in the game. While he's likely going to land in the Nos. 4-to-7 range, there are a couple of teams that believe Porzingis is the best prospect in the draft after Towns and Mudiay.
Mar 31 Update: On a side note, a ton of NBA scouts went to Spain this week to see Hezonja's FC Barcelona play Kristaps Porzingis' Sevilla. Hezonja played just six minutes and had zero points. He's essentially fallen from a starter to a bit role player for Barcelona the past month -- not because of his play, but more likely because Barcelona is hoping to hurt his draft stock a little so that he'll return for another season. Meanwhile, Porzingis had 18 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
Mar 11 Update: Porzingis is averaging 11.6 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 46% 3FG | 21 MPG
Porzingis continues to draw praise from both NBA and international scouts who insist he's one of the best young international prospects to come along in a while. He has got size, athleticism and can both stretch the floor and protect the rim. Several respected international GMs and scouts swear he is the second coming of Dirk Nowitzki. The more cautious ones think he's a more athletic version of the Bulls' Nikola Mirotic. Either way, he should be a top-five pick. His lack of strength and definitive position are both knocks, but there are few plays with his size, skill and athleticism in the NBA.
Feb 11 Update: Porzingis is averaging 11.1 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 42 percent from 3 in 20 minutes a game
Porzingis falls out the top four for the first time all season in this update. The one-spot slide has nothing to do with Porzingis. He continues to make a compelling case as one of the best international prospects we've seen in a while -- a more athletic Nikola Mirotic, perhaps. The slide has more to do with Russell's domination the past month. Porzingis is still a compelling pick in the top five. He had 17 points and seven rebounds against Cai Zaragoza on Sunday. He's averaging 10.2 PPG and shooting 35 percent from 3-point range in ACB play.
Jan 28 Update: Porzingis is averaging 9.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG while shooting 35.5 percent from 3-point range for Baloncesto Sevilla in the Spanish ACB. His numbers in Eurocup play are even a little stronger: 10.9 PPG and 4.3 RPG on 47 percent shooting from 3. Many international scouts think that he's a more athletic version of Bulls rookie Nikola Mirotic. That's high praise. If Mirotic had been in the 2014 NBA draft, I believe he would've been drafted in the top five or six. Porzingis might not be as NBA-ready as Mirotic was coming out of the gate, but he's got an even higher ceiling.
Jan 6 Update: Porzingis is averaging 10.2 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 1.3 BPG
Porzingis continues to play in a way that should guarantee him a spot in the top five. He has the size, athleticism and skill set to be a terrific NBA power forward. The fact that he's shooting so well from 3-point range only adds to his value. He scored 13 points against Gran Canaria in just 21 minutes on Sunday. He shot 5-for-7 from the field and was 1-for-2 from beyond the arc. He's shooting a sizzling 50 percent from 3-point range in Eurocup play this season. He's averaging 8.7 PPG and shooting 37 percent from 3 in ACB play.
Dec 17 Update: Porzingis is averaging 10.8 PPG | 4.3 RPG | 1.3 BPG
Porzingis has sat at this spot since July. As more scouts head to Spain to see him play, the more convinced they are that he's the best international prospect in the draft and worthy of a top 5 pick. He posted the most points of his career in Eurocup play on Dec. 3, scoring 18 points against Virtus Roma in just 18 minutes. He shot 7-for-10 from the field, 2-for-3 from 3-point range. He's shooting a sizzling 53 percent from 3-point range and 56 percent from the field. In Spanish League ACB play, he had 14 points and six rebounds against Unicaja on Sunday. He's averaging 11 PPG and shooting 39 percent from 3 in ACB play.
Dec 2 Update: Porzingis is averaging 10 PPG | 5 RPG | 1.4 BPG. He was everyone's upside guy last season. This season, he's getting even more minutes for Sevilla. For a 19-year-old, he's putting up impressive stats in Spain in Eurocup play. He's shooting 52 percent from the field and 54 percent from 3-point range. His shooting percentages are down in ACB (Spanish League) play, but everyone from NBA scouts to Americans who have had the chance to play with him or against him are telling me the same thing: Porzingis is for real. At this point, the top four in the draft are looking very solid. We might not have the order figured out yet, but a combination of Okafor, Mudiay, Towns and Porzingis have a pretty solid grip on the top four slots.
Oct 31 Update: Last year Porzingis was a real mystery man -- a player who would've been drafted in the lottery based entirely on upside. But the longer scouts got to take a look at him this summer, the more convinced they are that he's the real thing. He, too, has the size to play both the 4 and the 5, is a terrific athlete and excels facing the basket. He needs to add strength and could use more experience, but Porzingis, if he were playing in college, would probably be in the conversation for the No. 1 pick.
Sept. 9 Update: Porzingis shocked everyone when he withdrew from the 2014 NBA draft at the last minute. On sheer upside alone he was looking like a late lottery pick. His decision could backfire -- clearly teams were drafting him without seeing much of him. But he visited Las Vegas this summer to workout with Impact Basketball's Joe Abunassar and several people in the gym told me Porzingis wowed them. You don't find his combination of size, skill, toughness and athleticism every day. And Abunassar has him on a rigorous strength training program now, too.
July 16 Update: Porzingis was the darling of the 2014 draft for a few weeks before stunning the NBA and pulling out just before deadline. That decision could be good or bad for Porzingis, whose projection as a late lottery pick to mid-first-rounder was based on limited scouting. If he gets more playing time and continues to improve, he has the potential -- and the size and athletic ability -- to be a very high pick. However, if he struggles in Europe or if scouts begin to pick him apart, he could fall -- and fall far. Of all the players in the top 10, Porzingis and Myles Turner have the most volatile draft stock.
June 15 Update: In a surprise move, Porzingis decided to withdraw from the 2014 NBA draft even though he was projected in the late lottery to mid first round. However, if Porzingis continues to develop, he's a strong candidate to be a top-10 pick in 2015.
June 4 Update: A few weeks ago it seemed unlikely that Porzingis would keep his name in the draft. The 18-year-old Latvian was projected as a potential top-10 pick next year. But sources now say Porzingis has received a promise from the Thunder to draft him in the first round. There's no way he'll be around at 29, so the Thunder's pick at No. 21 is the target. The question is whether that will be high enough to get him. Porzingis going in the late lottery to mid-first round is no longer a pipe dream for this skilled 7-footer with tremendous upside. With so many teams carrying multiple first-round picks, his range starts with the Magic at No. 12. Plus, the Suns at No. 14, the Bulls at Nos. 16 or 19, and now likely ends with the Thunder at 21.
May 19 Update No one really expects to see Porzingis keep his name in the draft. He could be a lottery pick next year if he stays in Europe. However, if he decides to remain in the draft, he'll go somewhere in the first round. He's the perfect type of draft-and-stash candidate with big upside.
Apr 28 Update Porzingas surprised just about everyone by declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft. Porzingas is a good athlete and can score inside and outside. He needs to add strength and experience, but he is a talent. He averaged 14 minutes per game in the ACB, scoring 6.3 ppg and shooting 36 percent from three. With Mario Hezonja out, he becomes the one young, raw prospect that someone could take a flier on in the mid to late first round.
I wonder where is he now.
