There was plenty of drama during the final few days before the deadline for players to withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft and return to play another season of college basketball. While Washington State’s Cedric Coward made his intentions of staying in the draft known well before Wednesday’s deadline, others kept fans, coaches and NBA teams in suspense during the final hours.
Kentucky star Otega Oweh kept everyone guessing leading up to the Wednesday deadline. The potential second-round pick elected to return to Kentucky where he projects as a possible SEC Player of the Year candidate.
Another contender for that award also turned down the NBA. Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford turned down a potential late first-round draft spot for NIL deal with the Tigers north of $2 million, a source told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.
2025 NBA Draft: Top late decisions of underclassmen deciding if they should withdraw or turn pro
Cameron Salerno
One of the biggest winners of the deadline was Michigan. Former UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 1 ranked player in the CBS Sports transfer rankings, decided to withdraw from the draft and return to college basketball as an All-American candidate. Lendeborg led the nation in double-doubles last season and was projected as a late-first-round pick after a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine.
Here are selected winners and losers for the deadline for players to make their NBA Draft decisions.
Winner: Alabama’s Labaron Philon pulls off shocker
With 29 minutes remaining until the deadline passed to withdraw from the draft, Alabama’s NIL collective “Yea Alabama” announced that Philon would return to school. A return to Alabama wasn’t even in the cards. Philon wasn’t even a player mentioned as one to watch leading up to the deadline as someone who could return to school because he was firm about staying in the draft.
“I’m all-in on the draft,” Philon told reporters at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month. “They weren’t surprised. They knew it already.”
With Philon back, it immediately adds firepower to Alabama’s offense. Philon was one of the best freshmen in college basketball last season, and as a projected first-round pick, it’s shocking that he decided to run it back. Alabama is one of the biggest winners for that reason alone.
Winner: Michigan’s patience rewarded
Lendeborg choosing to play another season of college basketball was one of the biggest surprises of the withdrawal deadline. It seemed like he had improved his stock enough to get selected at the end of the first round, but there is no such thing as a guarantee. Players who are projected as fringe first-round picks often rely on promises from NBA teams and their decision-makers to make a final call.
Lendeborg received a NIL package believed to be in the neighborhood of $3 million to return to school, sources told CBS Sports. Michigan loved to play with its double-big lineup last season, and Lendeborg fills a clear need as a double-double machine. With another year for Lendeborg to improve his draft stock, all parties involved could be massive winners in a year from now.
Why Yaxel Lendeborg withdrawing from the 2025 NBA Draft to play for Dusty May at Michigan is right decision
Cameron Salerno
Loser: RJ Luis Jr. makes shocking draft decision
One of the biggest surprises of the withdrawal deadline was Luis staying in the draft. The Big East Player of the Year had a breakout season for St. John’s, but returning to school and raising his stock further would’ve been the best option. After all, when Luis entered the transfer portal, he was sought out by many top-tier programs. Add on how some of those schools may have become desperate late in the recruiting cycle, and Luis could’ve gotten paid and gone to a favorable situation in college.
Nonetheless, it’s hard to knock someone’s dream of wanting to play in the NBA as soon as possible. The best-case scenario is he winds up as a mid-to-late second-round pick. Getting drafted in that range means you face an uphill climb to make an NBA roster and likely play most of the season in the G League. It was trending that Luis would never play another minute of college basketball for quite some time, but it’s still surprising.
Winner: NIL agents get paid
While players earning life-changing NIL money are the biggest winners, their respective agents are also cashing out. Several high-profile NIL deals have been reported this offseason. UCLA star Donovan Dent received around $3 million. Lendeborg cashed in on a deal around the same number. All-American PJ Haggerty bypassed the NBA Draft and transferred to Kansas State for a big payday. As my colleague Isaac Trotter wrote last month, the influx of spending comes on the heels of the House vs. NCAA settlement, which would create a full-fledged revenue-sharing model and potential de facto salary cap. In the meantime, everyone is getting paid.
Expected House v. NCAA court ruling and NIL impact on future teams being felt at 2025 Final Four (ask Auburn)
Isaac Trotter
Loser: Cedric Coward’s gain leads to Duke’s pain
Duke probably wishes Coward never attended the NBA Draft Combine. That’s an exaggeration, but his performance at the event solidified his standing as a potential first-round pick. Coward transferred to Duke after entering the transfer portal but will never suit up for the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils moved quickly to replace Coward’s production with four-star forward Sebastian Wilkins and five-star International sensation Dame Sarr out of Italy. They’ll have the returning firepower needed to compete for a national title, but not getting Coward has to sting.
Winner: Florida is primed to make another title run
The reigning national champion saw its starting frontcourt of Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu withdraw from the draft to return to school. Their return solidifies Florida’s frontcourt depth as the best in the country. That group gave opposing teams nightmares during the NCAA Tournament. Add in transfers Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee, and you have a team capable of making another title run next year.
Alex Condon returns to Florida: Gators may have top frontcourt after big man withdraws from 2025 NBA Draft
Austin Nivison
Loser: Arkansas’ Adou Thiero moves on
The good news for Arkansas coach John Calipari is his streak of players drafted in the first round is likely to continue. Unfortunately for the Razorbacks, that means Thiero is not returning. Calipari’s streak started in 2008 when the Chicago Bulls selected Derrick Rose from Memphis with the No. 1 overall pick. During his 15-year stint at Kentucky, Calipari produced 37 first-rounders, 25 of which were lottery selections.
Thiero is a fringe first-round pick. He has tools that will translate to the NBA, so it wouldn’t shock anyone if a team picking in the late 20s took a chance on him. All and all, Thiero is a big loss for Arkansas. He followed Calipari from Kentucky to Fayetteville and had the best season of his college career.
Winner: SEC stars run it back
Kentucky’s Oweh and Auburn’s Pettiford are both contenders for SEC Player of the Year. Pettiford primarily came off the bench during his freshman season at Auburn but was one of Bruce Pearl’s most impactful players. Pettiford’s role will increase significantly in his second season. Oweh was one of Mark Pope’s key commitments out of the transfer portal during Year 1 at Kentucky and he finished as the team’s leading scorer last season. The Wildcats made some splashes in the transfer portal, but getting a proven two-way talent like Oweh back is a major win for Pope and his staff.
Tahaad Pettiford withdraws from NBA Draft: Sophomore guard returns to Auburn after Final Four season
Matt Norlander
Loser: NBA teams picking in the second round
The NBA Draft talent pool is shrinking with more players are returning to school. And why wouldn’t they? Players drafted in the second round face an uphill climb to make an NBA roster. Most of their time is spent in the G League. Players like Oweh, Karter Knox and Milos Uzan decided to run it back instead of taking the risk of falling out of the first round. It’s a smart decision on their part, but it makes life even harder on NBA teams in search of second-round gems. Expect an increased focus on international prospects in the second round going forward.
