Anfernee Simons might make the leap from high school to the NBA
By Max Holm
We haven’t seen a high school player from straight to the NBA since 2006, but Anfernee Simons might be about to change that.
No player has made the jump from high school to the NBA since 2006, until now? While the NBA got rid of that possibility over a decade ago, Anfernee Simons of IMG Academy might be about to make history. Simons will be 19 next year and is technically in a post-grad year at his high school, therefore making him eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft, according to an ESPN report.
Hamidou Diallo considered something similar last year, though technically he had enrolled at Kentucky. Diallo could’ve stayed in the draft without playing a college game, but he still had made the college transition. Simons, on the other hand, doesn’t need to set foot on a college campus.
Simons is a top-10 player in the class of 2018 who de-committed from Louisville amidst the FBI scandal. Right now, he’s not really a 1 or a 2, but at 6’4″, he has the potential to play and defend both positions. It’s unlikely Simons would be NBA-ready by next year, but if he enters the draft, don’t be surprised if he’s taken in the lottery.
The Milwaukee Bucks took Thon Maker without much of a track record. Crazier things have happened.
The 2018 NBA Draft is already shaping up to have a decent lottery. This new development with Simons will make his season worth following closely, as it could shake up next year’s draft. Oh, and make history.
Next: 2018 NBA Draft Big Board - Mid-November
Coming on the brink of the possible end of one-and-done in college basketball, Simons might be the tip of the iceberg in high schoolers jumping to the NBA again.