Who Has the NBA Invited to the Draft?

Mock drafts are fun, but if you want the real inside scoop on who's expected to be a high draft pick, you need to see the list of the players the NBA has invited to the draft. Generally speaking, it's limited to players the league has been assured will go in the top half of the first round.

There are always exceptions, but ever since Rashard Lewis awkwardly hung around until the second round, the league has done a respectable job making sure no one gets too embarrassed. The league hasn't yet released an official list, but thanks to some sleuthing by DraftExpress, we know at least 16 players have been extended invitations, although only 13 have confirmed their attendance. Keep reading for the full list:

1. Blake Griffin
2. James Harden
3. Hasheem Thabeet
4. Ricky Rubio
5. Jordan Hill
6. Tyreke Evans
7. Stephen Curry
8. Jonny Flynn
9. Demar DeRozan
10. Jrue Holiday
11. Gerald Henderson
12. Brandon Jennings
13. Tyler Hansbrough
14. B.J. Mullens (potentially declining)
15. James Johnson (declining invite)
16. Eric Maynor (potentially declining)

DraftExpress makes no claim that this list is exhaustive, and it's still possible that additional players will be added, but it's worth identifying a handful of notable omissions: Ty Lawson (DX couldn't confirm one way or the other if he'll be there), DeJuan Blair, Earl Clark, Terrence Williams and Patrick Mills. Blair and Clark are projected to be lottery picks in Tom Ziller's latest mock draft, and all five of those players are projected to go ahead of Hansbrough and Maynor.

Even if the league avoids another embarrassing Rashard Lewis situation, someone still has to be last. So who's it going to be? If Maynor stays home, there's a good chance it'll be Hansbrough. Fortunately, he's a guy whose stock has been on the rise -- even if he's the last to leave the green room, simply being drafted in the mid-to-late first round would be a victory relative to everyone's expectations two months ago.