Johnson, Paige look to find spot at next level

With their college basketball careers now over, seniors Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson will look to catch the eye of pro scouts before the NBA Draft.

UNC first-years, sophomores or juniors, like Justin Jackson and Kennedy Meeks, have until April 24 to enter their names into the draft. As of now, Johnson and Paige are the only Tar Heels who are expected to move on to an NBA career. 

Both players will likely participate in the NBA Draft Combine starting on May 11 in Chicago before the draft is held on June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. 

Here are where the experts think Paige and Johnson will land. While both players found success at the college level, their draft projections vary greatly.

Outside looking in

After finishing his UNC career as the program’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers (299) and 11th on the all-time scoring list (1,844), Marcus Paige is currently not projected to be picked in the NBA draft by most media outlets.  

According to DraftExpress.com’s prospect rankings from Wednesday, Paige is the No. 80 overall player in the draft. He is also ranked as the No. 16 senior. 

While Paige might have been selected higher if he would have left UNC early, he hasn’t regretted his decision to stay.

“A lot of times, the money playing at the next level is hard to turn down,” Paige said on March 16. “But I don’t think anything beats these four years.”

Although there is a chance he might not be selected in the draft, Paige could still sign with an NBA team, an NBA Development League team or a professional team overseas. 

Potential first-rounder

Coming off one of the best seasons in the history of North Carolina basketball, Brice Johnson has seen his draft stock rise significantly. 

The 6-foot-10 forward, who was mostly projected as a second round pick a season ago, is now projected by most media outlets to be a first round selection in June after earning first-team All-America honors in his senior season. 

On his latest “Big Board,” ESPN’s Chad Ford lists Johnson as the No. 28 overall prospect in this year’s draft. 

According to NBAdraft.net’s mock draft from Saturday, Johnson will be selected with the No. 11 overall pick by the Orlando Magic, making him the 47th Tar Heel to be picked in the first round of the draft. 

Bleacher Report, as of Thursday, has Johnson as the No. 22 overall pick, going to the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers received the pick from the Miami Heat. 

As of April 1, Sports Illustrated lists the forward as the No. 27 player taken in the draft. The 76ers also own this pick, which they acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder via the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Denver Nuggets. 

DraftExpress.com, as of Wednesday, has Johnson going to the Los Angeles Lakers as the second pick of the second round of the draft. 

— Compiled by Pat James and Jeremy Vernon