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The San Antonio Spurs have arranged a pre-draft workout with University of Oregon guard Chris Duarte, per Rod Boone of Sports Illustrated.
Oregon's Chris Duarte said he thinks he had a good workout with #Hornets today. It was his first one and he now has a better idea what to expect. Asked him where he's headed next and he said he has a workout scheduled with the Spurs.
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) July 3, 2021
Boone also reports Duarte worked out for the Hornets earlier today. Charlotte owns the 11th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
At 24-years-old, Duarte is the oldest player in this draft class. And though his age might scare some lottery-bound organizations away, he should fit quite nicely in the league as a day-one contributor.
The six-six swingman averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game for a Ducks team that unit that went 21-7 on their way to a Pac-12 Regular-Season Championship and a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
Not only was the senior swingman Oregon’s leading scorer, but he won the Jerry West Award while earning First-Team All-Pac-12, Pac-12 All-Defensive Team, and Third-Team All-American honors in 2021.
Duarte knocked down a staggering 42.4% of his 5.5 long-range attempts last season. The Spurs finished last in three-pointers made a season ago, so you can’t blame PATFO for showing interest in a proven shooter.
The Dominican Republic native was among the 353 early entry candidates for the 2021 NBA Draft. College players who applied for early entry have until July 7 to withdraw from the draft to retain their NCAA eligibility.
The 2021 NBA Draft will take place on July 29 at 7 PM CST at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. ESPN and ABC will televise the first round, and the second round will air exclusively on ESPN.