The Warriors may leverage a Lakers draft pick to stop Andrej Stojakovic from returning to Illinois. Stojakovic, son of NBA star Peja Stojakovic, is weighing his options between staying in the draft or returning to college.
Mentioned in this story
Warriors could use Lakers draft pick to prevent Andrej Stojakovic from returning to Illinois originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Andrej Stojakovic is still looking at a key NBA Draft decision.
The Illinois wing could head back to college for another year after deciding not to transfer, but he also could stay in the draft and chase a spot at the next level.
The son of long-time NBA sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic, Andrej might not be a first-round pick, but he'd definitely get drafted if he leaves school.
In fact, he could be taken in a high-profile spot.
The latest mock draft from ESPN's Jeremy Woo, which came out Tuesday, projects Stojakovic to go with the 54th overall pick, a second-round selection to the Golden State Warriors (which previously belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers).
MORE:Joel Embiid reveals some TMI pooping details
To be fair to Stojakovic, if he hears that his draft stock is as a late second-rounder, he very may well stay in school.
But if he's ready for the next step of the journey, maybe he'd go for it. And a spot with a Warriors team soon to be in transition would be fascinating.
Stojakovic has played his first three college seasons at different schools.
He began at Stanford, then went to Cal, and now played 2025-26 at Illinois.
For the Fighting Illini, Stojakovic averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Andrej Stojakovic can either remain in the NBA Draft or return to college for another year after deciding not to transfer.
The Warriors might use the Lakers draft pick to prevent Andrej Stojakovic from returning to Illinois by selecting him in the draft.
Andrej Stojakovic is the son of former NBA player Peja Stojakovic and is currently considering his future in the NBA Draft.
Sri Lanka Cricket's executive committee has resigned under government pressure to facilitate a leadership overhaul. The new interim management is expected to be led by a former investment banker and opposition politician.
Find the best tickets for the Steelers vs. Colts game in 2026!
Jaguars bolster offensive line by drafting Emmanuel Pregnon at 88th overall
Real Madrid's Raul Asencio is determined to stay and resolve his issues with the team.
Detroit Red Wings face crucial offseason decisions after missing playoffs again.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
Ironically, he's not a good 3-point shooter, but he's great at getting to the basket and finishing.
Stojakovic has enough skill and pedigree to get a real shot at sticking around the NBA. It just remains a question whether he decides to leave Illinois now or later.