The countdown to has begun NBA Draft Potential clients who have retained their collective eligibility to make a final decision about their future. With the NBA draft in the rearview mirror and the May 31 withdrawal deadline for college players approaching, a handful of big decisions loom for players who have been gathering feedback from professional organizations.
there Many factors That comes into play amid these decisions, including NIL salaries that may await a return to college basketball. But no two cases are exactly alike. While the promise NBA A two-way contract may be enough to entice some players to stick with the draft group, and others with a similar outlook may choose to return to college with the goal of making their way to the first round of next year’s draft.
With agents, professional organizations, college coaches, NIL groups, family and friends all typically involved to some degree in these decisions, players must navigate the chaos to make an informed decision. Easier said than done, especially under deadline pressure. With that deadline approaching, here are the top 10 tough decisions for players considering staying in the NBA Draft or going back to college,
1. Zack Eddy, Purdue
Senior board rank: 72
Eddie faces the same decision as other major league stars in recent years. As a traditional big guy without a lot of lateral speed, Edey faces an uphill battle to land a stable role in the NBA. So, while he’s basically conquered the college game already from an individual standpoint, it might be worth coming back for another run at Purdue. This prospect is made more attractive by the fact that Eddie is working towards a new visa that will allow him to earn through the NIL more easily than he could have done last season as a Canadian playing in the US.
2. Oscar Chebuy, Kentucky
Senior board rank: 69
Chibui has been through this before and has to decide again if he wants to play another season of college basketball. Who could blame him if he had enough of the stress of playing for Kentucky? On the other hand, this unique environment in Kentucky also creates an opportunity for Tshiebwe to benefit through the NIL. For the big guy with less professionalism than Eddie, the best financial move might be for the Wildcats again.
3. Dillon Mitchell, Texas
Senior board rank: 44
NIL groups backing Texas may be willing to hand over a large portion of the war chest to Mitchell, who would work the Longhorns’ rotation in an important way if he returned to college. With a host of key players departing from Texas, there is plenty of room for Mitchell to build on the 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds he averaged in 17.5 minutes per game during his freshman season. The former five-star prospect will undoubtedly get at least a binary contract based solely on his tools. But with another year of seasoning and an expanded role in Texas, the 6-foot-8 forward could work his way into the lottery and pay a more significant rookie wage.
4. Trey Alexander, Creighton
Senior board rank: 14
Alexander may suffer a loss because he is only 6-4 and is not considered a true point guard. But his wingspan is formidable and he was actually rated Creighton’s best defender last season, at evanmiya.com. Yes, he’s even rated better than Ryan Kalkbrenner blocking his 7-foot bullets. Opinions differ widely on Alexander, but he’s shooting 41% from 3-point range in 2022-23, can play in any zone guard and is much better defensively than you might think at first. Given his strong performance in the combine, staying in the draft could be a reasonable play for Alexander.
5. Kobe Brown, Missouri
Senior board rank: 40
Brown has one season of college eligibility remaining after Missouri’s surprise campaign in 2022-23. While he could potentially be a leading scorer and candidate for the SEC Most Valuable Player award if he returns to college, Brown may also want to strike while his stature is high. After shooting no better than 25.3% from outside the arc in his first three seasons, the 6-foot-7 physical winger hit 45.5% of his long-range attempts with the Tigers last season. After all, he’s versatile at both ends of the word, and at 23 years old, the guarantee of a two-way contract might be enough to keep the Browns in the draft. But if he’s going to fight for his spot at camp, then going back to college, presumably collecting a nice NIL paycheck and being the “guy” for the SEC team playing fun isn’t the worst alternative.
6. Arthur Callum, Creighton
Senior board rank: 61
College coaches will be watching Kaluma’s decision closely. He could become June’s most sought-after transfer if he drops out of the draft after starting for two seasons at Creighton. The versatile 6-7 forward seems to be hovering around the late second round range in most projections, so returning to college could be a viable option for Kaluma. If he can raise his career high by 29.1% 3 points next season, he can improve his stock.
7. Jordan Walsh, Arkansas
Senior board rank: 51
Walsh is a versatile gumball player with a high defensive streak who can play multiple positions. The problem is, he didn’t do anything at a prolific rate his freshman season at Arkansas, and it’s not clear if another season of college basketball would help or hurt his stock. If Walsh can improve his 3-point shooting mark at 27.8% and shows some finesse as a distributor, returning to the Razorbacks would be a good move. But if his camp has information that a two-way contract might await him this cycle, he might be better off staying in the draft than joining Arkansas’ roster in the midst of a major overhaul.
8. Julian Phillips, Tennessee
Senior board rank: 30
Phillips scored the best header jump of anyone in the group, which is infused with his reputation as an athletic winger blessed with impressive physique. These tools manifested themselves well on defensive end during his freshman season at Tennessee, where Phillips was an absolute star at that end. But his attacking game lacked the polish as might be expected. The former five-star 6-8 prospect has his name in the transfer portal as well, so his options are wide open. While there may be a few desperate college teams that have boosters willing to spend money on Phillips, there are also a few who NBA teams Already willing to make the long-term investment required to see Philips reach its full potential. Also, Phillips’ offensive game needs so much work that it’s hard to see him improve his stock significantly in just one season of college ball. Staying in the draft seems like a good option here.
9. Dillon Jones, Weber State
Senior board rank: 52
Those who haven’t closely followed Big Sky might be struggling here. Jones is a 6-6 forward with three seasons of experience at Weber State, where he averaged 16.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals as a junior. He’s just a career 3-point shooter at 31.8% but he’s powerful and versatile. After receiving a call-up from the G League Elite Camp, Jones performed well at the NBA Combine. He’s on the radar of professional scouts now, and another year of improvement as a 3-point thrower could make Jones an even more solid pro prospect.
10. Olivier Maxence-Prosper, Marquette
Senior board rank: 26
in the game in Combine last week’s NBA draftProsper did something he rarely got the chance at Marquette and shone as a primary attacking option. He finished the game with 21 points and also had an impact defensively. At 6-8 lbs., 218 pounds, he’s got the frame and flashes of the game needed to receive first-round interest. His defensive metrics were a bit underwhelming for the Golden Eagles this past season and he’s a mere 31.6% 3-point average in three years of college basketball. But he is a high-energy player who has improved significantly during each season of college basketball. Leveraging its strong collection performance seems like it would be a smart move for Prosper.