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.
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