Chris Livingston cancels remaining pre-draft workouts, says 'I’ve been killing my workouts' after Pacers visit

He averaged 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season as a freshman at Kentucky.

Kentucky freshman Chris Livingston felt good after his workout for the Pacers on June 5.

After testing well and apparently crushing his workouts, Kentucky freshman forward Chris Livingston has reportedly decided to end his pre-draft process two weeks early.

Shams Charania reported Thursday evening that Livingston had “cancelled all seven of his remaining workouts for the 2023 NBA Draft, fueling belief that he’s received a draft promise from a team.”

It was a bit surprising considering where Livingston was projected to go. The consensus among the few mock drafts I respect, individuals who do this all year, suggests that he is a fringe second-round pick.

The NBA reaffirmed that. See, the league produces a draft guide for media with bios for a lot of players — 58 in all since there are 58 picks this year — but Livingston, a 6-foot-6 wing, was not included.

Former NBA executive John Hollinger, now with The Athletic, points out that “the promise in this case could be a guaranteed two-way in a preferred destination, which wouldn't necessarily require that team to draft him.”

Each team will have three two-way roster slots beginning with the 2023-24 season, up from two since they were created in 2017. (Edmond Sumner was the Pacers’ first.)

This all lines up with what Livingston said Monday after completing a challenging workout with the Pacers. NBA legend Larry Bird, a consultant for the team, watched courtside.

“When I shook his hand I was like, ‘wow,’” Livingston said. “I didn’t know he was in here, but that was dope to see him.”

See Also: Full list of Pacers pre-draft workout attendees

When asked what made him comfortable leaving Kentucky after one season, averaging 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, Livingston said he felt ready.

“I know I’m ready for this jump. And for two, just the feedback that I was getting back from teams was positive. And I’ve been killing my workouts.”