Interest in Sergey Karasev has elevated so much from seven teams between the Nos. 9 and 22 picks in the NBA draft, the Russian prospect will have those organizations fly out to meet him in Europe, league sources told RealGM.
Karasev, 19, remains unlikely to leave Russia for any workouts or interviews, but teams have insisted they come sit down with him in Russia. Even though he’ll speak to teams now, Karasev won’t work out.
When Karasev returned to Russia earlier this month, he had left teams believing they might not get the opportunity to see him before the draft. Still, Karasev hasn’t received a firm first round guarantee yet, a source said.
A 6-foot-7 swingman, Karasev has intrigued with his shooting and playmaking, following an average of 20 points on 49 percent three-point shooting in this season’s European Cup. With the ninth and 26th selections in the first round, the Minnesota Timberwolves have scouted Karasev comprehensively after bringing over Alexey Shved from Russia last offseason, but they don’t appear to be the strongest contenders for Karasev.