UConn's Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle Invited to Sit in Green Room During NBA Draft

UConn center Donovan Clingan (32) and UConn guard Stephon Castle (5) react in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Creighton, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. ( AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Former UConn stars and expected top draft picks Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle were among the prospects invited to sit in the green room during the NBA draft, according to a report from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

Clingan and Castle were reportedly invited, along with Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Reed Sheppard, Matas Buzelis, Dalton Knecht, Tidjane Salaun, Ron Holland, Cody Williams, Devin Carter and Ja’Kobe Walter.

Another 11-12 players are expected to receive invitations next week.

The NBA invites players expected to be picked in the first round to the green room, which is the seating area in front of the podium where commissioner Adam Silver and assistant commissioner Mark Tatum announce the picks. Teams vote on who they think will be the top 25 picks, and that information helps determine who gets seats.

Clingan and Castle are widely expected to be picked in the Top 10, and either could be in the Top 3 or 5, depending on how the draft pans out. Givony makes the case for Clingan to go No. 1 in ESPN’s latest mock draft.

Castle checks in at No. 4 and Clingan at No. 7 in USA Today’s latest mock.

Jordan Hawkins was invited to the green room for last year’s draft. He walked across the stage as the 14th overall pick, going to the New Orleans Pelicans. UConn has had 15 lottery picks in its history.

The first round of the NBA Draft is scheduled for June 26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. It is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET and air on ESPN and ABC.