NIL has changed the dynamic for players declaring for the NBA Draft.
Nothing changed for the guys projected to go in the lottery. Players such as Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and V.J. Edgecombe are going to keep their names in the draft and move on to their NBA careers. However, for underclassmen expected to be taken late in the first round or early in the second, the calculus changes: Players taken 20th or below make less than $3 million in their rookie season, and second-round picks do not automatically receive guaranteed NBA contracts. For those players, staying in college for another year may be the most sensible option. That is why there are fewer sophomores and juniors in recent drafts than years past.
Which name players withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft? Here are some of the biggest names.
Alex Condon, Florida
A big win for the national champions, they get back the 6’11” playmaking big who averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds a game last season. More than the counting stats, it was his passing that made him critical to the Gators’ offense.
Nate Bittle, Oregon
Bittle’s decision was probably made the second he didn’t get an invite to the NBA Draft Combine. There are few better stretch fives in the college game than Bittle, who averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds a game for the Ducks, shooting 33.6% from beyond the arc.
Milos Uzan, Houston
He was projected as a second-round pick before the NBA Draft Combine, but guards who shot 44% on 3-pointers tend to get drafted. However, Uzan struggled in the Cougars’ final games leading up to the national title game, and then struggled at the combine. After all that, he decided to return to Houston, which should be in title contention again next season.
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
A huge win for the Wolverines that Lendenborg withdrew his name from the draft, he played well at the combine but apparently could not get a guarantee to be taken in the top 20. Last season at UAB, he averaged 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds a game.
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
The sixth man on a Final Four team who averaged 11.6 points a game last season is returning to coach Bruce Pearl. While there is NBA interest in him, the fact that he is 6’1” (in shoes) and has struggled defensively has teams thinking of Pettiford more as a second-round pick at this point. So he is returning to Auburn.
Labaron Philon, Alabama
Philon is another perfect example of a quality freshman who was a bubble first/early second-round pick who likely would have come out a few years ago, but thanks to NIL, will choose to stay in Tuscaloosa another year. He averaged 10.6 points a game last year and showed real creativity in getting to the rim and finishing in the paint, showed he could work on or off the ball, and had an excellent feel for the game. Big win for Alabama to get him back.
Boogie Fland, Florida
Fland averaged 13.5 points and 5.1 assists a game for Arkansas last season, but projected as a second-round pick he has decided to return to college. Just not to Arkansas. He has committed to Florida, teaming up with Condon to chase back-to-back titles.
Karter Knox, Arkansas
The brother of another Jon Calipari player, Kevin Knox II (at Kentucky), he averaged 8.3 points a game last season but is expected to have a larger role this season. That likely helps his draft stock in the future.
PJ Haggerty, Kansas State
It’s not a huge surprise that he’s returning to college, and what will be his fourth team in four years. Last season in Memphis, the guard averaged 21.7 points and 5.6 rebounds a game, but questions about his turnovers and ability to finish at the rim have NBA teams hesitant.
Otega Oweh, Kentucky
The 6’5” guard who averaged 16.2 points a game last season shooting 35.5% from 3 has chosen to return to the Wildcats for what will be his senior season. His quote about that to ESPN sums up the situation for a lot of players: “I got great feedback from NBA teams, but the consensus was to come back to school and have a great year.”
Mackenzie Mgbako, Texas A&M
New A&M coach Bucky McMillan thought he was going to lose his first splashy new transfer after Mgbako had a stellar workout at the NBA Draft Combine, but instead he is returning to college for his junior year. He played for Indiana last season and averaged 12.2 points a game.
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