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Reports: Denzel Valentine knee issue could hurt draft stock

Rasheed Sulaimon, Denzel Valentine

Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine (45) drives on Maryland guard Rasheed Sulaimon (0) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game during the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

AP

Tyler Ulis isn’t the only potential first round pick dealing with a medical issue that could crater his NBA Draft stock.

Denzel Valentine, the NBCSports.com National Player of the Year this past season and the first player in the history of college basketball to average 19 points, seven assists and seven boards in a season, reportedly has a knee issue that NBA team believe could be degenerative.

According to a report from Basketball Insiders, there are teams that believe Valentine has a degenerative knee issue that could end up keeping him from being healthy for a full 82 game season. Valentine missed four games during his senior year following arthroscopic surgery on the knee in December.

He’s still projected as a first round pick in most mock drafts, but for a guy with the skill set to one day be a late lottery pick, dropping into the 20s would be a disappointment.