We covered the news yesterday that Matt McQuaid would be joining the Professional Basketball Combine towards the end of this month in California, but we also found out yesterday that the PBC will not be the only place McQuaid gets to showcase his skills for NBA teams. It was revealed yesterday that McQuaid, or ‘Quaido’ as Michigan State fans endearingly call him, will be visiting Memphis for a pre-draft workout.
It isn’t out of the ordinary for teams to bring in players for pre-draft workouts, but it is interesting that Memphis will be bringing in a series of players all projected to go undrafted.
I don’t think this news means that McQuaid will be drafted by Memphis, rather, I think they are exploring options for players with upside to sign and stash. In today’s NBA, the salary cap is king and undrafted players can be signed at a premium. If you can scout well enough to find undrafted players who can play, you are going to be in great shape. This season we saw two western conference powerhouses in Houston and San Antonio start undrafted players (Danuel House, Bryn Forbes).
This morning, I noted that McQuaid could be the ‘Bryn Forbes’ of this year’s class. Forbes was playing big minutes in the playoffs for the Spurs, and I don’t think McQuaid is a worse prospect. In fact, I think McQuaid is a far better defender and playmaker than Bryn.
