Early in the mock draft process for the 2012 NBA Draft, Jared Sullinger of the Ohio St. Buckeyes was going pretty highly to teams. A popular pick was the Golden State Warriors at No. 7, but all of that quickly changed on June 18 when there was a report of doctors red flagging Sullinger due to back injury issues. Sullinger has a bulging disc of sorts and it could threaten the longevity of his career or potentially even limit him right out of the gate.
As such, there were some reports that teams weren't even including him on their first round draft boards. There's a perceived free fall right now, with Sullinger previously being thought to have a pretty good shot to be picked in the top 10. Now he could be going anywhere.
Further cementing that sentiment, Chad Ford reported on Twitter, per his colleague Andy Katz, that Sullinger wasn't invited to the NBA Green Room for draft day.
Per @ESPNAndyKatz, Jared Sullinger wasn't invited to the NBA Green Room. NBA usually invites top 10-15 prospects.
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) June 25, 2012
That's just more evidence that the red flag is legitimate and that teams could be backing off him rather quickly. Sullinger could still go high given his talent that he's shown thus far, but it's all about returns and what a team thinks he'll bring back in exchange for that pick.
More recently, Sullinger worked out with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They pick No. 4 in the draft but it doesn't seem like there's any shot he actually goes that early. While it was previously thought he wouldn't be around, it's now possible that Sullinger is in play to be picked by the Cavs at No. 24, providing they hang on to that pick.
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