Greek guard Georgios Kalaitzakis told ESPN that he will declare for the 2018 NBA draft.
"I am very happy with Panathinaikos, but I decided to enter the draft because it's my dream to play in the NBA," Kalaitzakis wrote ESPN. "With hard work and commitment, I think I will achieve my goal."
Kalaitzakis, a 19-year-old, 6-foot-6 combo guard, emerged on the NBA radar at the U18 European Championship this past summer, averaging 14.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 28 minutes over seven contests, and was rated the eighth-best NBA prospect at the event. He is viewed as a potential second round pick.
Kalaitzakis is a very good athlete for a European guard prospect, seeing most of his minutes playing on the ball, and he possesses a 6-foot-10 wingspan that gives him strong versatility defensively.
Playing for one of the traditional powerhouses of European basketball, Panathinaikos, which is currently contending for a spot in the Euroleague Final Four, Kalaitzakis has struggled to find playing time on a roster featuring six former NBA draft picks, seeing just 65 minutes of action all season. This isn't particularly rare or surprising, considering he just turned 19 in February, but it has made it challenging for NBA scouts to evaluate his progress.
Kalaitzakis' agent, Tassos Delimpaltadakis of Delta Sports Agency, told ESPN that his client will submit his paperwork to the NBA League Office on April 1, making him officially eligible for the draft. Delimpaltadakis says Kalaitzakis is planning to come to the U.S. for private workouts with teams as soon as his season is finished in Greece, which likely won't be until June due to league playoffs.
