Malik Osborne is hoping to join the group of former Florida State Men’s Basketball players in the NBA as he prepares for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Osborne completed pre-draft workouts with the Atlanta Hawks (June 2), Orlando Magic (June 3) and Cleveland Cavaliers (June 6).
Atlanta holds the No. 16 and No. 44 selections, while Orlando has the No. 1 (overall), No. 32 and No. 35 picks. Cleveland owns the No. 14, No. 39 and No. 5 draft picks.
Osborne transferred to Florida State after his freshman season with Rice. After sitting out the 2018-19 season due to transfer rules, Osborne appeared in 72 games (42 starts) in three seasons with the ‘Noles. Osborne averaged 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest.
During the 2021-22 season, Osborne averaged a career-high 10 points per game while only playing in 17 games due to injuries and COVID-19.
The Matteson, Illinois native scored in double-figures in nine of those 17 games. He recorded three double-doubles during his time in Tallahassee and scored a career-high 19 points in Florida State's 83-81 win against NC State on Jan. 1.
At 6-foot-9, Osborne has the athleticism to guard bigger centers on the interior but also switch onto smaller guards and forwards on the perimeter. He recorded at least 109 or more rebounds in each season with the 'Noles.
In head coach Leonard Hamilton's offense, Osborne often made plays in transition, at the rim or from the 3-point line. He shot 35% or better from the 3-point line in all three seasons.
Osborne joins forward/center John Butler, center Tanor Ngom and guard Anthony Polite as the former Florida State players in this year's draft class.
In a recent mock draft published by NBADraft.Net, Butler is projected to be selected in the second round at No. 40 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Osborne, Ngom and Polite are each projected to go undrafted.
The 2022 NBA Draft will be on June 23 at 7:30 p.m in Brooklyn.
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