Report: Cooper Flagg, Elite HSBB Prospects to Be Scouted by NBA Teams in Las Vegas
The NBA sent a memo to teams informing them that scouts will be permitted to watch elite high school prospects, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
As part of the league's growing partnership with Nike, there will be five Nike EYBL Scholastic Showcase Games on Dec. 8-9, including a Dec. 8 game at T-Mobile Arena between Montverde Academy and Link Academy that will pit No. 1 overall prospect Cooper Flagg against No. 4 prospect Tre Johnson.
NBA teams will already be in Las Vegas for the In-Season Tournament, as the semifinals are set to be played on Dec. 7 and the championship is scheduled for Dec. 9.
The Nike EYBL Scholastic Showcase is one of several high school events certified by the NBA. The list includes the Sunshine Prep Showcase at IMG Academy (Dec. 14-17 in Bradenton, Florida), the Tarkanian Classic (Dec. 15-21 in Las Vegas), the City of Palms Classic (Dec. 18-23 in Fort Myers, Florida), the HoopHall Classic (Jan. 11-15, Springfield, Massachusetts), the Throne National Championship (March 28-31 in New York), and the High School Boys Basketball Nationals (April 4-6, Brownsburg, Indiana).
This represents a significant departure from the David Stern era, when NBA teams were not allowed to send scouts to high school events due to "no-contact" rules. Givony illustrated the league's newfound commitment to the youth basketball market, pointing out that the NBA App was used for "creating partnerships with the Nike EYBL Peach Jam and Nike Nationals in July, as well as broadcasting nearly every game played by 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama in France last season."
The six teams in attendance at the Nike EYBL Scholastic Showcase will participate in NBA life skills seminars, coaching development sessions and NBA Cares community outreach activities. They will also be in attendance for the In-Season Tournament semifinals.
