Ahead of the draft on June 26, the NBA has sent out initial invitations to potential first-round picks to experience the spectacle on site with family and friends. Meanwhile, Ulm’s Noa Essengue and Ben Saraf could miss the spectacle entirely.
For many, it is one of the most memorable moments of their NBA career: the NBA draft. Every year, the best players of a particular year attend the spectacle at the Barclays Center in New York with their families and eagerly await Commissioner Adam Silver reading out their names.
Almost all players who are likely to be picked in the first round of the draft can hope to receive an invitation to the so-called “Green Room.” This year, that includes the two top talents from ratiopharm Ulm, Noa Essengue and Ben Saraf.
But invitation or no invitation, it currently looks unlikely that the Ulm duo will be able to take part in the draft. Essengue and Saraf are in the BBL playoff finals with their club after winning Game 5 against Würzburg.
Ulm submits request to the BBL
Reaching the final against Bayern makes it extremely difficult for them to participate in the draft. After all, the last playoff series of the year will be played from June 15 to 26. The draft will take place on the night of June 26 (2 a.m. German time). If there is a fifth game against FCBB, Essengue and Saraf could miss the entire draft!
The first final game is scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. at the SAP Garden in Munich. Games 2 and 3 have not yet been finalized. However, it is certain that games 4 and 5 of the series will clash with the NBA draft. The Ulm team has therefore requested an adjustment to the final schedule and hopes for a quick response from the BBL to allow the young players to experience both their chance at the title and the unique moment of the NBA draft.
