Withdrawal Deadline Looms For NCAA Early Entrants
The deadline for players who declared for the 2026 NBA draft as early entrants to withdraw their names from the pool is June 13 at 4:00 pm Central time.
A player who withdraws from the 2026 draft by that deadline would be eligible to be drafted in a future season — that could happen as early as 2027 if the player declares again as an early entrant or is automatically draft-eligible next year, or he could become draft-eligible in 2028 or 2029.
However, the NCAA sets its own withdrawal deadline each year. While the NBA’s deadline comes 10 days before the start of the draft, the NCAA’s deadline occurs just 10 days after the combine ends. This year, the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline is May 27 (this Wednesday) at 10:59 pm CT.
A college player who is testing the draft waters could technically put off his decision for another two-and-a-half weeks, but if he withdraws from the draft pool on June 13, he would lose the ability to return to an NCAA program for the 2026/27 season. That route would only make sense for a player who had lined up a non-college opportunity, such as playing in a professional league overseas.
In other words, virtually all of the college players who declared for this year’s draft as early entrants will finalize their decisions on whether to return to school or go pro by the end of the day on Wednesday.
As our tracker shows, there are still a couple dozen prospects in the “testing the draft waters” section whose intentions haven’t been confirmed, including Santa Clara’s Allen Graves, Arizona’s Koa Peat, and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner. Additionally, some of the players on our “expected to remain in the draft” list technically haven’t forgone their NCAA eligibility yet and could still reverse course before the end of the day on Wednesday.
[UPDATE: Allen Graves To Remain In 2026 NBA Draft]
We’ll be keeping close tabs over the next couple days on the decisions made by those early entrants. Once Wednesday’s deadline passes, we should have a clearer idea of what this year’s draft pool will look like.
Draft Rumors: Thunder, Boozer, Bulls, Warriors, Lendeborg, Mavs
Two executives who spoke to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints about next month’s draft suggested they could envision the Thunder packaging several assets, including this year’s 12th and 17th overall picks, in order to try to trade into the top four to land Duke forward Cameron Boozer.
However, it seems unlikely that any teams near the top of the draft would be amenable to such a deal for a few reasons. For one, this year’s top four prospects are considered to be in a tier of their own. It’s also probably safe to assume that no teams will be eager to help the defending champion Thunder land another potential franchise cornerstone on a rookie scale deal unless they’re significantly overpaying to do so.
For what it’s worth, the Bulls – who have the No. 4 overall pick – would only have interest in trading that selection if they were moving up, not down, sources tell Siegel.
Even if the Thunder aren’t able to move that high in the draft, there’s an “overwhelming belief” that they won’t simply remain at No. 12 and No. 17 and draft two rookies, Siegel writes. Oklahoma City is expected to be aggressive on the trade market, which could mean trading one or both of those picks either to move up or for future draft assets.
Here are a few more draft-related rumors from Siegel:
- If they hang onto the No. 11 pick, the expectation is that the Warriors will be targeting a prospect who can step in and contribute right away. According to Siegel, Golden State is hoping this offseason to add an “impactful” guard who can play on or off the ball next to Stephen Curry, though that may not happen in the draft — Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton have been mentioned by league sources as the types of veteran free agents the team may be looking at.
- The Warriors (No. 11), Hornets (Nos. 14 and 18), Spurs (No. 20), and Pistons (No. 21) are among the teams with interest in Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg, Siegel reports. With the exception of Golden State, each of those clubs might have to trade up to have a shot at drafting Lendeborg, since he’s widely projected to be a late lottery pick. Multiple sources tell Siegel that Charlotte’s interest in Lendeborg is considered “real” and they’ll explore the possibility of moving up.
- Based on the fact that Masai Ujiri has long prioritized length and athleticism, league sources who have spoken to Siegel have identified Tennessee’s Nate Ament and Baylor’s Cameron Carr as two potential targets to watch for the Mavericks, who control the ninth overall pick.
Matt Able Withdrawing From Draft, Transferring To UNC
Matt Able, who had been testing the draft waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility this spring, has opted to withdraw his name from the draft pool and play college basketball again in 2026/27, he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). Able will be transferring from North Carolina State to UNC for his sophomore season, he confirmed.
“(I’m) grateful for the feedback I received throughout this process and excited to be a part of the Tar Heel family,” Able said within his statement to Spears.
Able, a 6’5″ shooting guard who will turn 19 in July, had a promising freshman year as a reserve for the Wolfpack. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 21.8 minutes per game in 34 appearances off the bench, registering a shooting line of .416/.355/.796.
Able was one of several dozen prospects invited to the NBA’s draft combine and boosted his stock during that week in Chicago. He had an impressive wingspan measurement and scored 17 points with four made three-pointers during one of the five-on-five scrimmages.
The No. 60 prospect on ESPN’s big board at the time he declared for the draft in April, Able had worked his way up to 33rd overall in Jeremy Woo’s latest mock draft. However, rather than going pro, he’ll cash in on NIL benefits in college for at least one more year in the hopes of further improving his draft stock and increasing his odds of becoming a first-rounder in a future draft.
Malachi Moreno Withdrawing From Draft
After declaring for the 2026 NBA draft as an early entrant, freshman big man Malachi Moreno is withdrawing from consideration and returning to Kentucky for his sophomore season, Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 reports (via Twitter).
Moreno is a 19-year-old center who averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game this season for the Wildcats. He stood out as a strong offensive rebounding prospect with intriguing play-making and solid rim protection, though he struggled at times to finish at the rim.
Measuring over 6’11.25″ barefoot with a 9’3.5″ standing reach and weighing nearly 243 pounds, Moreno has very good size for a big man, and he moves well despite not being the most explosive athlete. He was ranked 47th on ESPN’s big board.
Moreno’s return will help bolster Kentucky’s frontcourt for next season.
NCAA early entrants who are testing the draft waters have until the end of the day on May 27 to withdraw their names if they want to retain their college eligibility. The full list of early entrants can be found right here.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Love, Irving, Wolves
The Jazz have a chance to add a critical piece to their rebuild after landing the second pick in the loaded 2026 draft. While many of the discussions around the pick have focused on AJ Dybantsa (BYU) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas), two other players are well worth discussing, Sarah Todd writes for The Deseret News.
Cameron Boozer (Duke) and Caleb Wilson (UNC) are two power forwards with franchise-changing potential who are genuine threats to upset the top of the draft order, Todd writes.
Boozer, who has well-documented ties to Utah and the Jazz organization, is generally considered to have a slightly lower ceiling than that of Dybantsa or Peterson due to his athletic limitations, but his cerebral game and ability to shoot and pass at a high level could help mitigate that. Meanwhile, Wilson is an athletic marvel with a burgeoning mid-range shot-creation skill set who reportedly impressed during the combine due to his demeanor in interviews.
Private workouts and medical results could end up having a large impact on how the order of the top four shakes out.
The Jazz have a loaded starting rotation of big men, but the Spurs have shown this year that bringing a No. 2 overall pick off the bench can still yield major dividends.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- Caleb Love will be a free agent after playing last season on a two-way contract with the Trail Blazers. In his limited opportunities, Love showed that he’s clearly an NBA player and still has room to grow, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. “He’s got some (stuff) to him,” an anonymous scout told Freeman. “They have to make a decision with him. I think he’s better than a two-way contract guy. He played both sides of the ball in the games that I saw. He’s a physical guard. He created. He’s crafty with the ball. You want to see if he can be disciplined enough to incorporate everything into the system.”
- The Timberwolves need to find a secondary offensive star to pair with Anthony Edwards and the well-rounded skill set of Jaden McDaniels, and they should take a hard look at Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving, opines Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune. As Souhan explains, given its relative lack of trade assets, the team doesn’t necessarily seem like a strong contender for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but Irving could be more attainable and would help to alleviate the defensive attention that Edwards receives.
- The Wolves held a pre-draft workout on Friday that featured sharp-shooting forward Milan Momcilovic out of Iowa State, per Darren Wolfson of KSTP (Twitter link). The 6’8″ junior shot 48.7% from three this season on 279 total attempts. He has until Wednesday to decide whether he will stay in the draft. Alex Karaban (UConn), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford), and Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee) have also worked out for the Wolves, per HoopsHype. Minnesota holds the 28th and 59th picks in this year’s draft.
And-Ones: Lewis, Sochan, Fournier, Parker
The 2026 draft class lost another guard prospect on Friday, as ball-handler Acaden Lewis opted to remove his name from the draft pool, per Jon Rothstein of CBS (via Twitter). Lewis will instead transfer to Miami after leaving Villanova.
A 6’2″ left-handed point guard, Lewis showed a good deal of craft and skill as a play-maker for the Wildcats as a 20-year-old freshman, averaging 5.3 assists per game while posting a 33.7% assist percentage. He was second in the Big East in total assists and assists per game and third in steals.
Despite averaging 12.2 points per game, Lewis struggled with his efficiency throughout the season, shooting just 27.0% from three and 58.3% on free throws. He was also sixth in the Big East in turnovers.
Lewis, who visited Miami before eventually committing to Villanova, will look to form an imposing two-way partnership with athletic big man Somto Cyril, who is a high-level lob threat and rim protector.
We have more news from around the basketball world:
- Knicks forward Jeremy Sochan has been named to Poland preliminary roster for this summer’s World Cup qualifiers, Johnny Askounis writes for Eurohoops. Sochan will be a free agent this summer and the next round of qualifying games will take place in early July, so it remains to be seen whether the former lottery pick will suit up for the Polish team in those games. The 32-man preliminary roster is expected to be pared down to 15 players by June 8, Askounis notes.
- Longtime NBA wing Evan Fournier has been named MVP of the EuroLeague Final Four after scoring 20 points with five rebounds and four assists to help Olympiacos win the tournament over Real Madrid, Askounis writes. After the game, he thanked the fans, whom he credited for the victory, congratulated Madrid on its season, and downplayed the notion that failing to make the Final Four last season was a source of motivation for him. “Honestly, no,” he said. “My motivation comes from love.”
- Spurs legend Tony Parker is expected to become the head coach of ASVEL Villeurbanne in France for next season and is on track to earn a salary of approximately 1.2 million Euros, which would make him the highest-paid coach in the history of the French League, writes Donatas Urbonas of Basket News. Parker, who is currently the team’s president, was previously a shareholder before selling his stake in the team, is also looking to bring in national team head coach Vincent Collet as either a lead assistant or a consultant as he seeks to surround himself with experienced, capable voices. Collet worked as a consultant for the Cavaliers this season. Urbonas reports that several new investors are expected to join ASVEL, a major change in the finances for the club, which had one of the lowest budgets in EuroLeague this season.
Southeast Notes: JVG, Magic, Peterson, Wizards, Hawks
After Jake Fischer and Marc Stein previously reported that Jeff Van Gundy is among the head coaching candidates on the Magic‘s radar, Stein confirms that the Clippers assistant has interviewed for the Orlando job (Substack link).
There hasn’t been a ton of chatter about the Magic’s head coaching vacancy so far, which could mean the team is still early in its search process or that it’s just keeping things close to the vest. Former Bulls coach Billy Donovan has been identified as a potential frontrunner and Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is considered likely to interview, but those two and Van Gundy are the only candidates that have been legitimately connected to the position.
There had been speculation that former Lakers coach Darvin Ham could emerge as an option for the Magic, but a Saturday report indicated that he’ll be remaining with the Bucks as an assistant under new head coach Taylor Jenkins.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- While hiring a new head coach is the first item on the Magic‘s offseason to-do list, it will be a busy summer in Orlando, where the club will have to determine how to manage an increasingly expensive roster, writes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). Gozlan explores the Magic’s potential paths to cap relief using Jonathan Isaac and his partially guaranteed contract and considers other ways the team might shed salary while also examining how a rookie scale extension for Anthony Black would impact the club’s financial situation going forward.
- AJ Dybantsa is widely viewed as the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft, but Kansas guard Darryn Peterson is also a legitimate contender. With that in mind, Chase Hughes of the Monumental Sports Network evaluates Peterson’s potential fit with the Wizards, exploring whether he’s more of a point guard or shooting guard and considering whether it even matters.
- As discouraging as it was at the time, the beat-down that the Hawks received at the hands of New York during the last three games of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, when they were outscored by 32 points per contest, doesn’t look as bad as it once did, writes Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). The Knicks have gone 7-0 since that series and their only two losses of the playoffs came against Atlanta. The Hawks still have plenty of work to do on their roster, Williams acknowledges, but they might not be quite as far away from contention as that first-round loss made it seem.
Scotto’s Latest: Irving, Leonard, Acuff, Hawks Draft, Front Office Hires
Masai Ujiri‘s comments since arriving as the Mavericks new president and alternate governor have been consistent and future-facing, leading some executives around the league to wonder about the long-term fit of Kyrie Irving alongside franchise cornerstone Cooper Flagg, Michael Scotto reports for HoopsHype. Ujiri has expressed enthusiasm about seeing the two stars plays together, as has newly hired assistant general manager Mike Schmitz.
“That’s something you dream of,” Schmitz said. “Having a magician with the ball like that who can pass, dribble, shoot, and someone with the connective qualities of Cooper. It’s a match made in heaven.”
However, given the difference in timelines — Irving is 34 years old and coming off a torn ACL, while Flagg will enter next season at just 19 — there are questions about how long it makes sense to keep the duo together. The Mavs have a top-10 pick in this year’s draft as well as 21-year-old Dereck Lively II, so they’re well-positioned to undergo a youth movement to build a future contender around Flagg, especially if they can continue adding to that young core in a deal for Irving. On the other hand, Kyrie could provide veteran stability and help Flagg continue to develop into a superstar while making the team more competitive.
The Mavericks struggled to find an answer at point guard this season, ranking 22nd in assists and 18th in turnovers with Irving rehabbing. Brandon Williams started 15 games while Ryan Nembhard started 27. Both showed themselves to be useful NBA role players, but not necessarily starting point guards to build around should Irving be moved.
The 2026 draft lottery is loaded with intriguing point guards, though, at least one of whom will likely be available when the Mavericks are on the clock with the ninth pick.
We have more news and notes from Scotto:
- In addition to monitoring Dallas’ plans for Irving, rival executives will be keeping a close eye on what the Clippers do with Kawhi Leonard and the fifth overall pick, Scotto writes. If the Clippers make Leonard available, many execs would have him and Giannis Antetokounmpo “neck-and-neck” as the top player on the trade market, Scotto adds. On the other hand, if L.A. retains – and possibly extends – Leonard, rivals are curious about whether the team would consider moving the No. 5 pick. Assuming the Clippers keep that selection, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler is widely viewed as their most likely target, according to Scotto.
- Echoing prior reporting from Kevin O’Connor, Scotto cites league sources who say the Kings are “enamored” with Darius Acuff, the point guard out of Arkansas. The question is whether the electric scorer will still be available when the Kings are on the clock. Acuff averaged 23.5 points and 6.5 assists while making 44.0% of 5.8 three-point attempts per game this season.
- Rival executives who have spoken to Scotto believe the Hawks will use the No. 8 pick to either select a point guard from the group of Wagler, Acuff, Mikel Brown, and Kingston Flemings, or to take 7’3″ Michigan center Aday Mara. Mara’s stock has been rising and he’s considered a lottery lock due to his size, passing ability, and potential as a defender and rim protector. According to Scotto, Atlanta would also like to bring back CJ McCollum, a veteran leader who had a red-hot start to the Hawks’ first-round series against the Knicks.
- The Mavericks are looking to fill out their front office under Masai Ujiri, and two potential targets they’re eyeing are Prosper Karangwa, the Sixers‘ assistant general manager, and Patrick Engelbrecht, the Raptors‘ director of global scouting, with whom Ujiri worked for over a decade.
- The Mavs are not alone in their interest in Kawanga, Scotto writes, as the Lakers are also eyeing him, Heat vice president of player personnel Eric Amsler, and Jazz vice president of player personnel Bart Taylor, among others, as they look to build out their front office. Timberwolves assistant general manager Steve Senior reportedly passed on an offer from the Lakers, opting to stay in Minnesota.
- The Jazz are tapping Shane Fenske as general manager of their G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, per Scotto. Fenske, who is the Jazz’s assistant general manager, was preceded by Katie Benzan, who is not leaving the team but rather changing roles within the franchise, notes Ben Anderson of KSL Sports (Twitter link).
Knicks Notes: Series Lead, Anunoby, Brunson, Pre-Draft Workouts
The Cavaliers advanced to the conference finals after trailing the Pistons 2-0 in their previous series. So the Knicks aren’t taking anything for granted with a 2-0 series lead. The series shifts to Cleveland for the next two games, beginning with Game 3 on Saturday night.
“We don’t feel any closer than we did last game or any game,” Karl-Anthony Towns said, per Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “In our minds, it’s back to 0-0. We gotta win the next game, it’s the most important game of the year. That’s how we treat it. We’re hungry to go out there and play basketball at the highest level. But we also understand that you can never be satisfied in these positions in the playoffs. The mindset is gonna continue to be 0-0 every single time we step on that court.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- OG Anunoby was named to the All-Defensive Second Team on Friday. He’s been selected to the Second Team twice during his career and just missed out in 2025, when he finished 11th in overall voting. “His versatility is just off the charts and you can do a lot of things with your defense because of him,” coach Mike Brown said of Anunoby, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post.
- In the battle of star point guards, Jalen Brunson has already led the Knicks past Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs in two previous playoff series. He’s two games away from eliminating Mitchell’s team again, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. Brunson is averaging 28.5 points and 10.0 assists through the first two games.
- The Knicks evaluated a couple of draft prospects on Friday. Michigan’s Morez Johnson and Florida’s Xaivian Lee visited the team’s training facility, SNY’s Ian Begley tweets. The Knicks have the 24th, 31st, and 55th overall picks in next month’s draft. The Athletic’s latest mock has Johnson getting selected at No. 17 by Oklahoma City.
John Blackwell Withdrawing From Draft, Transferring To Duke
After declaring for the draft as an early entrant this spring, guard John Blackwell will remove his name from consideration and play college basketball in 2026/27, reports Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter link).
Blackwell has spent his first three college seasons at Wisconsin but will transfer to Duke for his senior year, Haynes notes.
As a junior in 2025/26, Blackwell increased his scoring average to 19.1 points per game on .430/.389/.859 shooting in 34 contests (33.8 MPG). He also contributed 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for the Badgers, earning a spot on the All-Big Ten third team.
This was the second straight year in which Blackwell tested the draft waters. He participated in the combine in Chicago last week and performed well in 5-on-5 scrimmages, scoring 16 points on day one. However, his measurements – including his wingspan – were underwhelming and likely didn’t do much to help his draft stock. He’s currently ranked 81st on ESPN’s big board.
Blackwell will be automatically draft-eligible in 2027 after playing for the Blue Devils next season.