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Killian Tillie has pulled out of the NBA Draft Combine happening this week, Jonathan Givony originally reported.
DeAndre Hunter, Chuma Okeke and Killian Tillie have withdrawn from the NBA Combine, the league office just informed all 30 teams that they will not be available for interviews tonight. Feel free to start speculating as to why (promises, etc).
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2019
Tillie injured his left ankle on May 3 in a workout with the Atlanta Hawks. If he is still not feeling 100 percent at the moment, a bad showing at the draft combine would only tank his stock.
The talented junior forward struggled with injuries all year, missing 22 games. Last season, his NBA dreams were scuttled due to an injured hip suffered minutes before Gonzaga’s Sweet 16 loss to Florida State.
Tillie has what it takes to make it in the NBA, but he is starting to develop the terrible tag of “injury prone.” Limping around at the combine would only exacerbate the issue, and Tillie still has more than enough time to determine if he wants to return to Gonzaga for his senior year. The NBA withdrawal date is May 29.
That said, there hasn’t been a word as to the actual reason for Tillie’s absence. It could also mean he received a guarantee from the Hawks, a rather unlikely scenario considering Tillie wasn’t even able to finish his practice with the team on May 3.