There was something of a surprise when Kyle Filipowski fell to the second round in this year’s draft, with NBA teams reportedly hesitant due to off-court concerns surrounding the former Duke University star.
The strange development and allegations came to light Thursday ahead of the second day of the draft after Filipovski went out in the first round, leaving some experts perplexed.
Filipowski was ultimately selected 32nd overall by the Jazz.
But ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said: The Low Post Podcast And NBA Today reported that the team had “discussions” between Filipowski and his girlfriend, Kaitlyn Hutchison, about the age difference and why he is reportedly estranged from his family.
While Givony questioned why that would ultimately factor into the team’s decision on whether or not to select him and called it “nonsense” during his podcast appearance, ESPN’s draft writers added a story to the debate surrounding Filipowski.
“NBA teams have discussed the fact that his girlfriend was much older than him and they were questioning why he was estranged from his family because of this situation.” Givony said on NBA Today. “Apparently he hasn’t spoken to his parents or siblings so it’s a very strange situation. Personally I don’t understand why he fell in the second round.”
“There’s no question about his character, but NBA teams have said he was nervous, his training wasn’t great, and when they asked him about the situation in interviews, the answers they got were not satisfactory.”
But the story didn’t end there. A man claiming to be Filipovski’s brother appeared. Another X account claiming to be his mother It claimed that Filipovski’s girlfriend had been “training” him, and that Hutchison had “forced” Filipovski to cut ties with his family two years ago.
Both accounts claim that this is an ongoing problem. Daniel wrote claiming to be his brother. The story has been “kept secret for nearly two years now.”
Attempts by The Washington Post to reach a person purporting to be Filipovski’s brother were unsuccessful Thursday.
Hutchison is reportedly 26, while Filippovski turns 21 later this year. The first photo of the pair together was Hutchison’s Instagram It was from Filipovsky’s 2022 senior prom.
According to Filipowski’s biography on the Duke University basketball website, his parents, David and Rebecca, both played college basketball, and he has three siblings: Daniel, Taylor and Matthew.
Additional reporting by Dylan Svoboda
