I told you earlier this afternoon that I would have more information on Saben Lee. I talked with a source close to him that actually has spoken with him and his father and here is what he had to say on Saben putting his name in for the NBA Draft and where things would go from here.
Here is what I took away from the conversation. Saben is not getting an agent for now. He will get the appropriate feedback, and if he doesn't think he will go in the draft where he would like then he will withdraw his name and come back.
On where things stand right now - "His plan right now is to at least entertain where the draft is at and see what possibilities are out there. I know he has retained his eligibility. He’s talking to a couple of agencies. He just wants to get as much information as possible.”
On the uncertainty of the pre-draft process - "The timeline is just so different on everything now. He doesn’t even have a timeline. There might not even be workouts for pro teams. If that happens and you just have to go off Saben’s numbers, they are pretty impressive. I’m sure you can go somewhere and get your measurements, and we all know that he is a freak athlete. He has big hands and long arms for a kid his size, but what I think hurts him is if can’t get in front of scouts and go against guys higher ranked than him as far as the draft goes, that could hurt him a little bit.”
On whether not signing with an agent makes it tougher to get drafted if there are now workouts or combines - "Saben has been very patient through his whole life with everything. That’s kind of been his trademark. I think Amp gets it from being a pro athlete. It’s like the college process. Vanderbilt wasn’t the sexiest pick. If you go to Florida State with your last name and who your dad is. he had other options, but he found what worked for him. I think he is going to do the same thing when it comes to the draft. He’s not going to rush and just throw his name out there, and get an agent if he doesn’t feel like it’s the right time.”
On whether Saben would consider playing on a 10-day contract, play in the G-League, or go internationally if he isn't drafted - "I don’t he would do that. I know I’m biased, but Saben is as good or better than some projected first round guys. None of their numbers across the board are as good as Saben’s, and physically I don’t know how that is going to pan out in this year’s draft because you are no going to get to see them go against each other. I think if this was a normal year, and Saben had the chance to go out there and play in front of NBA people, Saben would play himself into the first round.”
On the summary of what Saben's motivation is right now - "Saben’s number one goal has never changed. It is to get better. It’s about the work. His number one thing regardless of what happens, whether he goes to the league or comes back to Vanderbilt is to get better. They are looking at this from the standpoint of continuing to improve and get better. If going though this process you learn where you stand or agents tell you something, great. I don’t see him just leaving to leave.”
Here is what I took away from the conversation. Saben is not getting an agent for now. He will get the appropriate feedback, and if he doesn't think he will go in the draft where he would like then he will withdraw his name and come back.
On where things stand right now - "His plan right now is to at least entertain where the draft is at and see what possibilities are out there. I know he has retained his eligibility. He’s talking to a couple of agencies. He just wants to get as much information as possible.”
On the uncertainty of the pre-draft process - "The timeline is just so different on everything now. He doesn’t even have a timeline. There might not even be workouts for pro teams. If that happens and you just have to go off Saben’s numbers, they are pretty impressive. I’m sure you can go somewhere and get your measurements, and we all know that he is a freak athlete. He has big hands and long arms for a kid his size, but what I think hurts him is if can’t get in front of scouts and go against guys higher ranked than him as far as the draft goes, that could hurt him a little bit.”
On whether not signing with an agent makes it tougher to get drafted if there are now workouts or combines - "Saben has been very patient through his whole life with everything. That’s kind of been his trademark. I think Amp gets it from being a pro athlete. It’s like the college process. Vanderbilt wasn’t the sexiest pick. If you go to Florida State with your last name and who your dad is. he had other options, but he found what worked for him. I think he is going to do the same thing when it comes to the draft. He’s not going to rush and just throw his name out there, and get an agent if he doesn’t feel like it’s the right time.”
On whether Saben would consider playing on a 10-day contract, play in the G-League, or go internationally if he isn't drafted - "I don’t he would do that. I know I’m biased, but Saben is as good or better than some projected first round guys. None of their numbers across the board are as good as Saben’s, and physically I don’t know how that is going to pan out in this year’s draft because you are no going to get to see them go against each other. I think if this was a normal year, and Saben had the chance to go out there and play in front of NBA people, Saben would play himself into the first round.”
On the summary of what Saben's motivation is right now - "Saben’s number one goal has never changed. It is to get better. It’s about the work. His number one thing regardless of what happens, whether he goes to the league or comes back to Vanderbilt is to get better. They are looking at this from the standpoint of continuing to improve and get better. If going though this process you learn where you stand or agents tell you something, great. I don’t see him just leaving to leave.”
