Quinn Ellis: 19-year-old basketball star from Sheffield declares for 2023 NBA Draft - Big Board rankings

A Sheffield-born basketball star currently in the midst of a breakout season in the Italian second-tier has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft.
Harry Harrison
By Harry Harrison
Published 26th Apr 2023, 16:23 BST
Updated 26th Apr 2023, 16:24 BST
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Quinn Ellis, aged 19, comes from a Sheffield family with rich basketball history. His grandmother is Betty Cordona OBE, “the queen of basketball” who founded and chaired the Sheffield Hatters and is seen as a pioneer for women’s basketball, and basketball as a whole, in the UK.

His mother, Vanessa Ellis, is the current Sheffield Hatters coach and assistant coach for GB Basketball. Georgia Gayle, his cousin, is currently leading the Hatters in assists per game and has helped the team to the WBBL playoffs this season.

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Quinn currently plays for Novipiu Casale Monferrato in the Serie A2, the second-tier of basketball in Italy. He has been making a name for himself in his performances this season, averaging 11.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

Quinn Ellis in practice with Team GB Basketball up in Newcastle. (Picture: Team GB Basketball)Quinn Ellis in practice with Team GB Basketball up in Newcastle. (Picture: Team GB Basketball)
Quinn Ellis in practice with Team GB Basketball up in Newcastle. (Picture: Team GB Basketball)

Jon Chepkevich, Scouting Director at DraftExpress (a scouting site used by NBA teams), revealed on Twitter that Quinn had submitted his name as “a 2023 NBA Draft early entrant”. This means NBA teams will have the option to select Quinn on draft night in June, making him a professional in the biggest basketball league in the world.

Will Quinn Ellis be picked in the 2023 NBA Draft?

Quinn is not currently projected to be drafted in the 2023 NBA Draft. 60 players will be selected by NBA teams on draft night and currently Quinn Ellis is not listed on any Top 100 Big Boards by media in the United States.

However, by declaring for the draft, Quinn will now be able to attend pre-draft camps and combines in order to convince NBA teams to pick him. These pre-draft workouts have proven to be incredibly influential in determining NBA prospects chances in the past, boosting players from being on the fringe of being picked to solid first-round selections.

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There are not many British-born players in the NBA and Quinn would join an elite club of Brits who had made the leap. The most well-known British-born player currently is OG Anunoby, a Forward and NBA Champion with the Toronto Raptors. OG moved to the US aged four and recently bought an ownership stake in his hometown London Lions.

Related topics:SheffieldNBA