This summer will see plenty of roster turnover across the college basketball landscape, as players choose to either stay in school, enter the transfer portal or enter their name into the annual NBA Draft. Only one UNC starter, graduate forward Brady Manek, has completely exhausted his collegiate eligibility. Leaky Black, Armando Bacot, Caleb Love and R.J. Davis will each have important decisions to make during the summer as they weigh professional aspirations with a chance at another run to the Final Four.

Here’s the complete timeline for potential NBA prospects to make their decisions:

April 24: Deadline for entry into NBA Draft

Prospects have until the end of the day on Sunday, April 24 to declare for the NBA Draft. However, many prospects choose to declare for the draft without hiring a professional agent, thereby retaining their college eligibility. By doing this, prospects get to compete against other NBA hopefuls while receiving guidance from NBA scouts. This process has become known as “testing the waters,” and is now a common practice.

A recent example of this is UNC forward Justin Jackson, who originally entered his name in the 2016 NBA Draft before returning to school. The following year, Jackson was named ACC Player of the Year, a first team All-American and won an NCAA title.

May 16-22: NBA Draft Combine

The annual NBA Draft Combine puts prospects through drills and simulated games to test their readiness for professional basketball. The combine is also an opportunity for prospects to speak with individual teams who may be interested in them. The NBA Draft Lottery, which determines the draft order for teams who do not make the playoffs, takes place on the 17th.

June 1: Withdrawal deadline for NCAA Returners

Prospects have until the end of the day on Wednesday, June 1 to withdraw their names from the NBA Draft player pool. Any player who has not yet signed with a professional agent may do this and return to their original school or, potentially, the transfer portal. After this day, players who are not selected in the NBA Draft on June 23 will have to seek other professional options.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC's Drake Powell Headed to Brooklyn Nets in 2025 NBA Draft
Drake Powell is league-bound. The former Tar Heel standout, who spent his lone college season with UNC, was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft Wednesday night. However, due to a three-team trade between the Hawks, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, Powell […]
Chansky's Notebook: Tweener No More
When Harrison Ingram transferred to UNC, it was almost a sure bet he would stay two seasons in Chapel Hill.
Brady Manek Signs With Charlotte Hornets
Brady Manek is league-bound, and he won’t have to travel very far. The UNC men’s basketball star and fan favorite signed with the Charlotte Hornets Friday afternoon, and will play with the team in the NBA’s annual Summer League. @BradyManek is heading to Charlotte for this year's Summer League 🔥 Congratulations to Brady Manek and […]
Former Tar Heel Garrison Brooks Signs Contract With New York Knicks
Garrison Brooks is headed to the Big Apple. The former Tar Heel big man, who spent last year playing at Mississippi State, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the New York Knicks Friday. BREAKING NEWS: Former UNC basketball standout Garrison Brooks has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the New York Knicks.https://t.co/jPIhfFNcuF — Keeping It […]
Holding Court: Building A Champion in the 21st Century
How Many Future NBA Players Does It Take To Build An NCAA Champion In Modern Era? By David Glenn   (Part Five of a Six-Part NCAA/NBA Draft Series leading up to the June 23 NBA Draft, following Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four) When one or two Kansas players (senior guard Ochai […]
Chansky's Notebook: Deadline Dilemma
Is Hubert Davis willing to play the waiting game? One week remains before the deadline for players who have declared for the NBA Draft to pull themselves out and return to college. And some of them are also in the transfer portal and can pick a second school to play for next season. It’s pretty […]
'He's Not Afraid': UNC Believes It's Found Another DMV Stud in Freshman Derek Dixon
UNC has been impressed with its early returns on freshman Derek Dixon, who was named the Washington, D.C. Player of the Year in high school.
UNC Men's Basketball vs. Winston-Salem State (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will play its second and final exhibition game of the preseason Wednesday night when it hosts Winston-Salem State at the Dean Smith Center. The Tar Heels dropped their first exhibition game, 78-76, at No. 8 BYU last Friday. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: […]
Caleb Wilson Stars as UNC Men's Basketball Drops BYU Exhibition, 78-76
Freshman Caleb Wilson scored a game-high 22 points in his first collegiate game, but it wasn’t enough as UNC fell to No. 8 BYU 78-76 in a preseason exhibition in Salt Lake City Friday night. A frantic finish capped off a competitive game, one which saw neither team lead by more than eight points all […]
LISTEN: 97.9 The Hill WCHL's UNC Men's Basketball Season Preview
The Hill WCHL’s Andrew Stuckey, Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh and a host of special guests previewed the 2025-26 UNC men’s basketball season Friday ahead of the Tar Heels’ preseason exhibition game vs. No. 8 BYU. Topics discussed include Carolina’s roster overhaul during the offseason as well as a challenging non-conference schedule, and Stuckey, […]
›