Canadian guard Karim Mane has submitted paperwork to the league office to make himself eligible for the 2020 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Thursday.
"I sent in my paperwork, but I am keeping my options open as far as college," Mane told ESPN. "I am not planning on hiring an agent right now. I want to hear directly from teams. If I can get a guarantee I'll be drafted, I will probably need to think about staying in."
Mane, the No. 2 prospect in ESPN's international rankings for 2000-born players, had a breakout showing at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Greece last summer, solidifying himself as one of the top long-term prospects at the event. He is eligible for the draft as an international player who satisfies the NBA's age requirement, having turned 19 last May.
"NBA teams haven't been able to see me that much because I played in Canada and was hurt most of the season," Mane told ESPN. "They know I am a good athlete with a versatile skill set for a point guard. They know my potential and how hard I work. I've heard people compare me to Jrue Holiday, who is a player I study quite a bit."
Mane has strong physical tools for a guard prospect, measuring 6-foot-6 in shoes with a 6-10 wingspan, a chiseled frame and impressive athleticism. He received an invite to represent Canada at the prestigious Nike Hoop Summit in April, which could have given him great momentum heading into the NBA draft had the showcase not been canceled.
"Hoop Summit would have been great to showcase myself," Mane said. "I haven't had enough of a chance to play in front of NBA teams because of my injury, but I am 100 percent and would like to show them the real me. Unfortunately people will have to settle for film now."
The NBA draft is scheduled for June 25, but following worldwide suspensions of basketball activities amid the coronavirus outbreak, NBA teams are lobbying the league office to postpone the date to August in order to salvage the pre-draft process, ESPN reported earlier this month.
"There's a lot of unknown with the pre-draft process," Mane said. "Unfortunately we can't work out in front of teams. Hopefully it's going to be smooth. Probably a lot of Zoom and Skype calls. I think workouts would have helped me, but we can't do much right now with everything that is going on around the world."
Mane, considered a five-star recruit by scouting services that include Canadian prospects, said he will be picking from a group of colleges that include Marquette, Michigan State, Memphis, DePaul and Pittsburgh if he elects to withdraw from the draft, a deadline that is usually 10 days before the NBA draft.
"All my options are open," he said. "I'm going to keep my eligibility as of right now."