**Player Invitations and Draft Details**
Twelve players have received highly sought-after invitations to attend the 2024 NBA Draft, granting them a place in the prestigious green room. This initial batch of 12 invites was distributed this Tuesday, featuring the names of Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Donovan Clingan, Reed Sheppard, Matas Buzelis, Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht, Tidjane Salaun, Ron Holland, Cody Williams, Devin Carter, and Ja'Kobe Walter. Another wave of 11-12 invitations is anticipated to be sent out starting next week.
**Green Room Details**
The green room serves as a designated area situated in front of the NBA Draft podium. It provides a space for players, their families, and agents as they wait for Commissioner Adam Silver to announce their selection. This year, each player will be allowed to invite six people to sit at their individual tables, a reduction from the 10 allowed last year. Receiving an invitation to the green room is generally perceived as a positive indicator of a player's draft stock. However, there have been instances where prospects fell to the second round while sitting in the green room. Notable examples include Bol Bol, Deyonta Davis, Nic Claxton, Maciej Lampe, and Rashard Lewis.
**A Two-Day Draft Event**
For the first time, the NBA Draft will span two days. The first round is set to take place on June 26 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, while the second round will be held on June 27 in lower Manhattan. This new format could increase scrutiny over the final set of players invited to the green room, aiming to avoid situations where an invited player and their family have to wait an extra day to hear their name called. Last year, the final batch of invitations was not sent out until two days before the draft. It is worth noting that all 12 players in the initial batch of invites are projected to be lottery picks.
**Uninvited Projected Lottery Picks**
Two projected lottery picks who have yet to receive an invitation to the green room are Kentucky's Rob Dillingham and Serbian point guard Nikola Topic. Dillingham has not completed all the necessary requirements to be eligible for selection in the draft, as stipulated by the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. An ankle injury prevented him from participating in athletic testing and shooting drills at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago in mid-May. This injury has also hindered him from attending private workouts with NBA teams thus far. Nevertheless, his ankle has recovered, and he plans on completing those requirements at the Lakers' practice facility on Friday, according to his agent Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports.
Similarly, Nikola Topic's draft stock has become uncertain due to an injury. Topic was found to have a partially torn ACL at the NBA Draft Combine in Treviso, Italy, last week. This discovery will likely create uncertainty around his draft status until team doctors can fully evaluate the injury and decide on the best course of action regarding surgery and a subsequent recovery plan.
The anticipation and excitement surrounding the NBA Draft are palpable, and the green room invitations mark a crucial milestone for this year's top prospects. As events unfold over the next few weeks, basketball fans and analysts alike will be closely watching how these young talents navigate the critical final steps towards achieving their NBA dreams.