19 best NBA prospects who are also in the NCAA transfer portal, including Yaxel Lendeborg
19 best NBA prospects who are also in the NCAA transfer portal, including Yaxel Lendeborg
The 2025 NBA Draft is next month but there are still many undetermined decisions that will have a big effect on both this draft class and the NCAA.
There are more than 2,000 players who entered the men's college basketball transfer portal this offseason.
27 of those players also declared as early entry candidates for the 2025 NBA Draft. Among that list, 20 of those players (including Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg as well as Duke's Cedric Coward and Kentucky's Jaland Lowe) have already committed to new schools for the upcoming NCAA campaign.
More: Why a shockingly small number of NCAA basketball players declared for the 2025 NBA Draft
Meanwhile, however, 11 players from the transfer portal have received invitations to either the 2025 NBA Draft Combine or the G League Elite Camp. That includes five players (Darrion Williams, Boogie Fland, PJ Haggerty, RJ Luis, and Jamir Watkins) who have yet to commit to a new collegiate program.
Those who did not receive an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine or G League Elite Camp (e.g. USC's Chad Baker-Mazara, Indiana's Tayton Conerway, UConn's Silas Demary Jr., and Mississippi State's Quincy Ballard) have a fairly straightforward answer: They should probably just return to school.
But prospects like Lendeborg, Williams, Fland, Haggerty, Luis, Watkins, and Coward will have particularly interesting decisions to make after the 2025 NBA Draft Combine is wrapped.
Here are the most interesting candidates who will have until May 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET to withdraw from the draft if they wish to play in the NCAA next season. Players are sorted based on future projections, strength of schedule, and various impact metrics.
Note: Nick Kalinowski, Evan Miya, Bart Torvik, Ken Pom, and CBB Analytics were resources for this research.
1. Yaxel Lendeborg
Former School: UAB
New School: Michigan
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.30
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 7.68
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 27
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited
2. Darrion Williams
Former School: Texas Tech
New School: Uncommitted
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.91
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.51
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 46
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited
3. Chad Baker-Mazara
Former School: Auburn
New School: USC
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.14
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.88
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked
NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited
4. Boogie Fland
Former School: Arkansas
New School: Uncommitted
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.88
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.27
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 53
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited
5. PJ Haggerty
Former School: Memphis
New School: Uncommitted
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.73
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.44
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 69
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited
6. RJ Luis
Former School: Saint John's
New School: Uncommitted
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.31
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.29
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 67
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited
More: Rick Pitino had a 7-word explanation for benching RJ Luis in St. John's loss to Arkansas
7. Tayton Conerway
Former School: Troy
New School: Indiana
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.62
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 3.74
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked
NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited
8. Silas Demary Jr.
Former School: Georgia
New School: Uconn
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.03
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.00
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): NR
NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited
9. Jamir Watkins
Former School: Florida State
New School: Uncommitted
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.06
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.69
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 70
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited
WATCH: FSU basketball star Jamir Watkins talks FSU return, new basketball season
10. Quincy Ballard
Former School: Wichita State
New School: Mississippi State
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 3.32
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.67
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked
NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited
11. Jaland Lowe
Former School: Pittsburgh
New School: Kentucky
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.19
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.68
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite
12. Brenen Lorient
Former School: North Texas
New School: West Virginia
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 2.16
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 7.18
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): TK
NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited
13. Mackenzie Mgbako
Former School: Indiana
New School: Texas A&M
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.38
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.39
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): TK
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite
14. AK Okereke
Former School: Cornell
New School: Vanderbilt
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.15
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 3.11
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked
NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited
15. Joson Sanon
Former School: Arizona State
New School: Saint John's
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.37
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.19
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite
16. Cedric Coward
Former School: Washington State
New School: Duke
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 3.13
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.30
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 54
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited
17. Melvin Council Jr.
Former School: Saint Bonaventure
New School: Kansas
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 2.73
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 2.88
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked
NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited
18. Tae Davis
Former School: Notre Dame
New School: Oklahoma
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 3.57
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 2.78
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked
NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited
19. Jaron Pierre Jr.
Former School: Jacksonville State
New School: SMU
Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 1.74
Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.09
Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked
NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite
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