Luka Brajkovic hopes in the NBA draft on Friday night (CEST) in Brooklyn, New York, that he will get a chance in the second round. “That would be really ideal,” said the Vorarlberger in the run-up to the annual selection of the best young players by the 30 clubs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). If it doesn’t work out, “I would like to play the Summer League and work out a contract like that,” said Brajkovic.
The 2.08 meter tall power forward will follow the draft in Davidson, where he has played basketball for the past four seasons at college and also completed his studies a few weeks ago. As a “senior”, the 22-year-old consistently achieved career bests with an average of 14.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in a 29.5-minute game. He is the current NCAA Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year.
Brajkovic, who turns 23 on Sunday, announced his entry into the NBA draft two months ago. Feldkircher said he made the decision after discussions with his family and his coaches. He wants to pursue his dream. The Vorarlberger has been training in Orlando for the past few weeks. Among other things, he was invited as one of 24 players to the Tampa Bay Pro Combine. He did a pre-draft workout with the Charlotte Hornets earlier in the month.
Only outsider chances
Brajkovic is only given outsider chances for the draft. The top three talents in this year’s selection process are the 19-year-olds Jabari Smith and Paolo Banchero and the 20-year-old Chet Holmgren, three “Big Men” who are significantly younger. The Orlando Magic have the first pick. Austria’s only player in the NBA so far is Jakob Pöltl. The Wiener was drafted ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2016. The 2.16 meter tall center has been playing for the San Antonio Spurs since 2018.
