Kaleb Wesson has begun to go through the NBA pre-draft process, and he will work out with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Atlanta announced Wesson's pre-workout will include Boston College guard Ky Bowman, Houston guard Armoni Brooks, Louisville center Steven Enoch, Nevada forward Caleb Martin and Lipscomb guard Garrison Mathews. The Hawks have five picks – No. 5, 9, 35, 41 and 42 overall – in the 2019 NBA Draft. Former Ohio State assistant coach Chris Jent is on Atlanta's coaching staff.
A source told Eleven Warriors that Wesson has talked to other NBA teams and is waiting to hear whether they'll bring him in for pre-draft workouts.
Wesson is both able and widely expected to return to Ohio State for his junior season after going through the pre-draft process. Neither ESPN nor The Athletic has him in their top-100 rankings of 2019 NBA Draft prospects.
But by going through the workouts and meetings with NBA teams, he will be able to gain a better understanding of what he needs to work on to become a higher regarded NBA prospect. There's minimal – if any – downside for Wesson to go through the process, even if he intends to return to Ohio State.
“I think the feedback's always good,” Holtmann said on April 10. “I think Kaleb is bright and his family, I think, has a good and reasonable understanding of what this process is and kind of where he currently is. So I think all that's really helpful. I don't know what I would put odds on (him returning). But I think we're every day kind of getting feedback that gives us and gives him a better idea of kind of where he currently stands. NBA organizations have to determine from here do they want to have him a part of their workouts and those kind of things.”
Wesson must decide whether to return to Ohio State or not by May 29.
As a 6-foot-9, 270-pound big man, Wesson averaged 14.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game last season.
