Anton Watson showcased his talents to coaches and staff from two top NBA teams. The former Gonzaga men’s basketball standout has already completed pre-draft workouts with the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets, with many more scheduled before the 2024 NBA Draft in June. Watson mentioned upcoming workouts with the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, and Cleveland Cavaliers, with plans to work out for additional West Coast teams.

“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 anticipates participating in about 16 workouts before the draft. Last year, during the pre-draft process, he completed six workouts before returning to Gonzaga.

Watson participated in the G-League Elite Camp, impressing NBA scouts until an ankle injury during the first scrimmage limited his play. He scored five points and shot 2-of-2 from the field in under eight minutes off the bench but did not play in the second scrimmage.

“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.”

Watson expects to recover fully in about a week before resuming pre-draft workouts. Despite the injury, he improved his performance in strength and agility tests compared to last year, recording a 32.5-inch max vertical (up from 29.0), a 27.0-inch standing vertical (two inches better), and faster times in both the lane shuttle and sprints.

During his time in Chicago, Watson received feedback from about a dozen NBA teams.

“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 highlighted his defensive versatility and energy as his biggest strengths, along with his improved shooting. He has been compared to several players, including Grant Williams of the Charlotte Hornets, Josh Hart of the New York Knicks, and Josh Okogie of the Phoenix Suns. Last season, he studied Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers to enhance his offensive game.

Watson feels prepared and confident going into the pre-draft workouts, despite his recent injury.

“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.”