Lithuanian forward Tadas Sedekerskis is declaring for the 2018 NBA draft, a source told ESPN.
The 6-foot-10 combo forward is one of the most decorated players of his generation in Europe, having made his debut with the Lithuanian national team at age 15 at the 2013 FIBA Under-16 European Championship. He's played in five separate campaigns with Lithuania thus far, twice at the under-16 level, twice at the under-18 and this past summer at the under-19 World Championship in Cairo. He posted the third-highest player efficiency rating in the event's under-19 history, behind only Aaron Gordon in 2013 and Jonas Valanciunas in 2011, He’s also been invited to the Jordan Brand Classic, the Nike Hoop Summit and the NBPA Top 100 Camp.
At the club level, Sedekerskis made his professional basketball debut at the tender age of 14 years old, playing for Nafta-Universitetas in the Lithuanian second division. After his excellent showing at the U16 European Championship the following summer, his rights were snatched up by EuroLeague powerhouse Baskonia in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. He made his ACB debut at 17 and played an ancillary role on the EuroLeague team last season. After struggling to break through at the senior level this year on loan with ACB squad Burgos, he was again loaned back to his home country of Lithuania to play for Nevezis in the first division. He’s having a solid season thus far, averaging 9.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 24 minutes per game, shooting 64 percent from 2 and 48 percent from 3.
Sedekerskis is an extremely versatile player who has seen minutes operating anywhere from point guard to power forward at different stages of his career. He is a good ball handler with a high basketball IQ who has always played efficiently and unselfishly with strong intensity on both sides of the floor -- especially crashing the glass. The missing piece for scouts has been his inconsistent jump shot, as he’s converted just 34 percent of his career 3-pointers in the 168 games in our database. However, he’s made strides in that area this season, hitting 18-of-38 attempts in 21 games in Lithuania, even in a small sample size.
Not blessed with a great wingspan or freakish athleticism, Sedekerskis doesn’t have sky-high upside but projects as an interesting role-player prospect who could emerge as one of the more intriguing international stash options in the second round.
Sedekerskis is currently rated the No. 72 prospect in the ESPN Top 100. As a 1998 born international player, he will have two more opportunities to go through the NBA draft process should he elect to withdraw his name at the early-entry deadline on June 11. The extended playing time he’s receiving in Lithuania this season, combined with the fact that he should be able to attend the NBA International Elite Camp in Treviso in early June, ultimately could entice him to leave his name in the draft.