NBA Draft Combine attendees revealed with several notable absences

When the 2015 NBA Draft Combine kicks off on May 12 in Chicago, several notable names will be absent, while few potential top picks will be participating when on-court activities begin May 14.

When the on-court portion kicks off, there will be four teams of nine players in action. There are an additional 23 players who will show up for physical and medical testing only and likely top-10 picks Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns, Emmanuel Mudiay, Mario Hezonja and Kristaps Porzingis are sitting out the event altogether.

The full list of participants and notable missing players is as follows:

The lack of high-end participation was entirely expected, as the NBA continues struggling to convince top prospects to show up and play due to an incentive problem.

For likely first-round picks, there's really only downside – in terms of reputation and injury – in participating, especially if similarly ranked players aren't suiting up as competition. Nobody's stock is going higher from playing well against lower-ranked opposition, and agents are surely wary of injuries that could hamper a player's ability to perform in individual team workouts.

For the very highest picks, not only is there little incentive to play, but by withholding certain information, camps can control, to a degree, the fate of their player. It may also afford players additional time to reach peak shape and full preparation for key workouts with teams, which can begin any time.

There's no clear solution other than for teams and scouts to make the most of it with those players who do show up. The return of 5-on-5 scrimmaging should help in that regard and the standard measurements and medicals for those appearing but not playing should at least help teams better understand players before bringing them in for workouts.

The full list of players who have entered the draft early and a list of relevant seniors and automatically qualified players can be found here, though not all will be present at the combine. The full draft order will be determined at the NBA Draft Lottery on May 19.