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NBA draft deadline to declare is Friday night, here's who still hasn't decided?
TL;DR
The deadline for college basketball players to declare for the NBA draft is Friday night. Many players are still undecided about whether to enter the draft or retain their college eligibility.
Key points
- NBA draft declaration deadline is Friday night
- Players can forgo college eligibility or test the waters
- Transfer portal activity has reshaped college basketball rosters
- Programs like Louisville and Texas have made significant additions
Since Michigan basketball cut down the nets inside Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, the top priority for men's college basketball programs over the last two weeks has been finding solutions to holes in their roster from last season with the transfer portal.
Programs like Louisville, Indiana, Texas and Tennessee have proven to be big winners with their activity in the transfer portal, which has included additions of Flory Bidunga and Jackson Shelstad to the Cardinals and Isaiah Johnson and David Punch to the Longhorns.
But with the transfer portal entry window officially closed, there's another key entry deadline looming for college basketball players: to declare for the NBA draft, either by forgoing their college eligibility or retaining it by "testing the waters."
REQUIRED READING: Transfer portal rankings: 10 best uncommitted college basketball players before window closes
There have already been some players who enter the portal, committed to a new program and remain in the NBA draft process, like Bidunga and John Blackwell, who announced his transfer from Wisconsin to Duke on Tuesday. There have been players, like UConn's Braylon Mullins, who were projected to go into the draft but elected to return to college next season instead. But other household names have yet to officially announce their plans for next season with the deadline looming not too far in the distance.
So, with April 24's deadline looming, who has already declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, and more importantly, who hasn't, as teams continue to fill out their rosters for the 2026-2027 college basketball season?
Here's a closer look at the NBA draft prospect pool and key deadlines and dates for the 2026 NBA Draft:
Who hasn't declared for NBA draft yet?
Each of the top three projected picks for the 2026 NBA Draft — Duke's Cameron Boozer, BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Kansas' Darryn Peterson — have yet to announce their decision to declare at the time of this writing. All three players are expected to declare for the NBA draft before Friday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline.
In USA TODAY Sports' latest NBA mock draft, Dybantsa is projected to go No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards, while Boozer is projected to go to the Indiana Pacers and Peterson is projected to land with the Brooklyn Nets with the No. 2 and No. 3 overall picks, respectively.
Here's a list of some notable college basketball players who haven't declared for the NBA draft yet:
- Duke F Cameron Boozer
- BYU F AJ Dybantsa
- Kansas G Darryn Peterson
- Arkansas G Darius Acuff
- Tennessee F Nate Ament
- Duke G Isaiah Evans
Who has declared for NBA draft already?
Here's a running list of some notable college basketball players who have already declared for the NBA draft:
- North Carolina F Caleb Wilson
- Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg
- Iowa State F Milan Momcilovic
- Houston G Kingston Flemings
- Illinois G Keaton Wagler
- Michigan State PG Jeremy Fears Jr. *
- Louisville F Flory Bidunga * (Transferred from Kansas)
- Miami G Acaden Lewis * (Transferred from Villanova)
- Duke G John Blackwell * (Transferred from Wisconsin)
- Louisville G Mikel Brown Jr.
- Louisville G Ryan Conwell
- Arizona G Jaden Bradley
- Alabama G Labaron Philon Jr.
* Denotes players who have also entered the transfer portal and/or testing NBA waters
When is the NBA draft entry deadline?
The entry deadline for players for the 2026 NBA Draft is 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24.
Friday's deadline is one of several key deadlines for players who apply for NBA draft entry, however. Should a player enter the draft but decide to "test the waters" and keep their college eligibility, they have until 11:59 p.m ET on May 27 to withdraw and return to their respective college program. The NBA-specific deadline for an early entry player to withdraw from the pool of prospects is 5 p.m. ET on June 13.
When is the 2026 NBA Draft?
The 2026 NBA Draft starts on June 23 at 8 p.m. ET with the first round at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The second round will start at 8 p.m. ET on June 24 at the Barclays Center.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who hasn't declared yet for NBA draft? Latest on Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa
Q&A
What is the deadline for college basketball players to declare for the NBA draft?
The deadline for college basketball players to declare for the NBA draft is Friday night.
Which college basketball players have not yet declared for the NBA draft?
The article highlights that several players have yet to decide on declaring for the NBA draft, but specific names are not mentioned.
What does it mean for players to 'test the waters' in the NBA draft?
'Testing the waters' allows college players to declare for the draft while retaining their college eligibility, giving them a chance to evaluate their prospects.
How has the transfer portal impacted college basketball rosters this season?
The transfer portal has allowed programs like Louisville, Indiana, Texas, and Tennessee to fill gaps in their rosters with new talent, enhancing their competitiveness.
