Anton Watson holds pre-draft workouts with Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics

Former Gonzaga standout has pre-draft workouts scheduled with the Lakers, Clippers and Hawks, among other teams, ahead of 2024 NBA Draft

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Anton Watson showcased his talents in front of coaches and staff from two of the top teams in the NBA.

The former Gonzaga men's basketball standout has already gone through pre-draft workouts with the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets, with many more planned before the 2024 NBA Draft in June. While his schedule isn’t final yet, Watson said he’s planned workouts with the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He expects to hold workouts with other teams on the West Coast as well.

“I’m planning on having a lot of workouts,” Watson said. “If I'm on the West Coast, I'll probably work out with all those teams.”

Watson said he’s expecting to hold about 16 workouts before the draft. Last year when he went through the pre-draft process before returning to Gonzaga, he held six pre-draft workouts.

Watson competed and tested in front of many NBA scouts during his second appearance at the G-League Elite Camp before he suffered an ankle injury during the first scrimmage on Saturday. He finished with five points and shot 2-of-2 from the field in under eight minutes off the bench. The Spokane native didn’t play in the second scrimmage on Sunday. 

“I twisted my ankle to the extent where I couldn’t even run on it anymore,” Watson said. “I just had to call it after that because I didn't want to make it worse. I don't think I would have done anything else if I was out there playing on pretty much an ankle that’s non-useful.”

Watson added that he has roughly another week to fully recover before going through more pre-draft workouts.

Injury aside, Watson put up better numbers in each of the strength and agility tests compared to last year. He recorded a 32.5-inch max vertical (29.0 last year) and a 27.0 standing vertical, a whole two inches better than last year. Watson improved his lane shuttle left time by .21 seconds and his lane shuttle right test by .06.

The 6-foot-8 forward ran the lane sprint test in 11.35 seconds (11.42 in 2023) and clocked in at 3.45 seconds in the three-quarter court sprint, .07 seconds faster than a year ago.

In addition to improving his athletic measurements, Watson received feedback from about a dozen NBA teams during his time in Chicago, Illinois. 

“They kind of said, to find my place in the league or my calling card is gonna be like one of those guys that does a little bit of everything,” Watson said. “They've seen that I’ve improved from the 3-point line, but they want me to take more of them. Proving that in these workouts is huge and having the highest motor out on the court. I gotta be that guy every time, so that's just something that they kind of told me.”

Watson said his defensive versatility and ability to switch onto smaller guards or bigger forwards is his biggest strength, along with his energy. He also feels that he’s improved as a shooter.

Watson has received a few player comparisons. Last year he was compared to Grant Williams of the Charlotte Hornets, a 6-foot-6 forward who can also defend and stretch the floor. New York Knicks wing Josh Hart, whom Watson said he watches film on regularly, has been his biggest comparison this time around. Josh Okogie from the Phoenix Suns was also mentioned as a pre-draft comparison.

During his final season at Gonzaga in which he averaged a career-best 14.5 points, Watson said he spent time watching Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers to learn ways in which he can improve his offensive game. Now he takes in a wide range of playstyles as he tries to watch as much of the NBA Playoffs as he can.

Whomever he’s most likened to, Watson feels like he’s a potential fit with any team in the league. Having gone through the pre-draft process last year has helped him prepare for what to expect this time around as well.

“When I go to these workouts I’m more confident than last year. I feel good going into these workouts,” Watson said. “Even with this ankle injury, I just got to stay positive and everything moves super fast.”

“It’s a real deal business. So just kind of my mindset towards everything’s changed.”