McKinley Wright IV earns NBA Draft Combine invite

BOULDER — McKinley Wright IV’s NBA hopes just improved.

Wright, a former CU point guard, is one of 69 prospects who will take part in the 2021 NBA Draft Combine, the league announced Tuesday. Wright previously declared for the draft in 2020, but withdrew his name over the summer and returned to Colorado for his senior season.

The combine will be held June 21-27 and the draft is scheduled for July 29.

2021 NBA Draft Combine (June 21-27) participants revealed: pic.twitter.com/lG1mG0gPyW

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2021

For Wright, the combine will be a chance to quell the concerns executives may have about his game. While his small frame can’t be changed, a strong shooting performance—especially from behind the 3-point line—would go a long way toward improving his stock.

Although Wright is one of under 70 prospects who will participate in the combine, Wright isn’t necessarily in the top-70 draft prospects. Some of the top prospects in this year’s draft, including Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs and Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham, will not participate. They likely feel they have nothing more to prove.

Here’s a quick rundown of where draft analysts have ranked McKinley Wright IV among prospects ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft:

Tankathon: No. 49

NBAScoutingLive.com: No. 61

HoopsHype.com: No. 72

ESPN: No. 97

The Ringer: Unranked in Top 30

Forbes: Unranked in Top 50

Bleacher Report: Unranked in Top 60

CBS Sports: Unranked in Top 75

NBADraft.net: Unranked in Top 100

The NBA Draft is only 60-picks long, so Wright is probably on the outside looking in with six weeks to go. A lot can change in that time, and the combine will be the most consequential event between now and draft day.

It’s certainly a good sign that NBA team executives voted to invite Wright to the combine.