The annual deadline for withdrawal from the 2026 NBA Draft invariably brings its share of surprises and suspense. While many players declared their intentions well ahead of Wednesday’s 11:59 p.m. ET cutoff, a few kept fans, coaches, and NBA teams on tenterhooks. Notably, just over 25 minutes after the deadline, reports surfaced that Tounde Yessoufou had not only withdrawn from the draft but also committed to play for St. John’s.
Yessoufou, who was previously a five-star recruit, enjoyed a stellar freshman year at Baylor but was seen as a borderline first-round selection. He has chosen to bring his skills to the Big East conference, following a season where he averaged an impressive 17.8 points per game.
Among the most closely watched decisions was that of Arizona’s standout forward, Koa Peat. Despite struggling with his shooting during the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month, Peat has decided to remain in the draft. He is expected to be selected somewhere in the mid-to-late first round. With Peat heading to the NBA, Arizona now faces the challenge of finding his replacement.
In contrast, several players have opted to withdraw from the draft and return to their college teams. Among them are Arkansas’ Billy Richmond III, Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner, and Alabama’s Amari Allen. Additionally, Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic will return to college basketball but is seeking a new school after entering the transfer portal last month.
Momcilovic, renowned as one of college basketball’s premier three-point shooters, is poised to be the most sought-after free agent on the market. Schools like Kentucky, Louisville, Arizona, and St. John’s, or essentially any program in need of shooting prowess and star power, are expected to pursue him. Given Peat’s decision to stay in the NBA Draft, Arizona could be a particularly fitting destination for Momcilovic.
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The byproduct of NIL being such an integral component of college athletics is that the draft is thinning out on Day 2. Expect senior and International players to make up a majority of the picks in the second round this year and moving forward.
Here are the biggest winners and losers for the deadline for players to make their NBA Draft decisions.
Winner: St. John’s makes a stunning addition after the deadline
The biggest winner of Wednesday (well, technically Thursday) has to be St. John’s. Shortly after the deadline passed, it was reported that Yessoufou had committed to play for St. John’s. Yessoufou was the No. 5-ranked player in the 247Sports transfer rankings and would’ve been one of the best players available in the transfer portal had he gone through the process after withdrawing. Yessoufou was likely going to be a late first-round pick, so coming back to school was viewed as the best option. Now, he has a chance to improve his stock ahead of the 2027 NBA Draft.
Winner: Retention is king for Duke, Illinois and Florida
The three biggest winners on the retention front this offseason have been Florida, Illinois and Duke. The Blue Devils have one of the deepest rosters in the sport after bringing back Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster and Dame Sarr while also adding one of the best players available in the transfer portal: John Blackwell. Illinois is returning Andrej Stojaković, Jake Davis, Tomislav Ivišić, Zvonimir Ivišić and David Mirkovic after reaching the Final Four for the first time in 21 years.
But the biggest winner of the deadline was Florida. Reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Rueben Chinyelu, was the final piece of the puzzle for what has been a very good offseason on the retention front for Florida coach Todd Golden. Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland and Urban Klavzar will all be back for the 2026-27 season. If the preseason poll were conducted this week, Florida would likely be the No. 1 team. The frontcourt of Chinyelu, Haugh and Condon is the best in the sport.
Loser: Koa Peat stays in the draft despite shooting question woes
It’s no secret that the most seismic decision of the stay-or-go cycle was Peat. After having a solid freshman season at Arizona, his draft stock has slipped a bit after a lackluster shooting performance at the combine earlier this month. It’s not just the lack of shots going in that is cause for concern, but how Peat has appeared to alter his shot mechanics entirely. Peat is a bully-ball forward who shot 53.6% on 2-pointers, but the biggest knock on his game during his one-and-done season at Arizona was the shooting from outside of the paint. I still think Peat will be a first-round pick next month, but his stock is more of a mixed bag. He is the player who would’ve benefited the most from another season of college basketball, but you can’t knock someone wanting to take the next step.
Winner: Kentucky gets a reinforcement back
Kentucky’s offseason under coach Mark Pope has been under a microscope. Pope has had some well-documented misses this offseason, including Robert Wright III, Donnie Freeman and Tyran Stokes, the No. 1-ranked player in the 2026 recruiting class. Kentucky did pivot by landing Alex Wilkins and Zoom Diallo, but it was evident Pope needed a retention win. And that’s exactly what happened when Malachi Moreno withdrew from the NBA Draft days before the deadline. Moreno showed the most potential of anybody from Kentucky’s 2025 recruiting class after averaging 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Moreno is a breakout candidate for next season and should have an expanded role. Keep an eye on him for the 2027 NBA Draft.
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Loser: NBA teams picking in the second round
The theme of the NBA Draft in recent years has been the second round becoming more of an afterthought, with it being primarily made up of those without eligibility and International players. Most of that is due to NIL. If a player has the option of making seven figures by playing another season of college basketball or grinding through the G League as a second-round pick, it’s easy to see why the former is more enticing. It’s also notable that the second round of the NBA Draft is different from the second round of the NFL Draft. You routinely see agents work their magic to get players to preferred destinations in the second round, where a guaranteed contract is on the table. Or, you could see someone go undrafted and get a better deal as an UDFA than going to a random destination in the second round.
Winner: All-American guards return
There will be two players who earned CBS Sports All-American honors returning to college basketball this season. That would be Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner and Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., who both passed on staying in the draft. Tanner projects as an SEC Player of the Year candidate after a breakout season with Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, Fears will look to add to his career assist total after leading the nation (9.4) in assists per game. Retaining that talent should be viewed as a massive win for Michigan State and Vanderbilt.
Winner: Alabama does it again right before deadline
Last year, Alabama was an unexpected winner of the withdrawal deadline after Labaron Philon decided to return to school at the 11th hour. Amari Allen’s decision to return for his sophomore season at Alabama wasn’t as dramatic, but it should prove to be just as impactful. Allen was a projected late first-round pick if he stayed in the draft. However, after measuring a few inches shorter than his listed 6-foot-8 height at the NBA Draft Combine, a return to school seemed inevitable. Allen should benefit from more on-ball reps this season and is a name to know for next year’s draft.
Loser: Anyone who thought the transfer portal cycle was over
The transfer portal might have closed over a month ago, but it’s going to heat up now that the deadline has passed. Momcilovic will be the biggest name available because you can never have enough shooting. Momcilovic’s combination of star power and shooting will make him one of the highest-paid players in the sport. Buckle up.
Winner: Lottery teams in the 2027 NBA Draft
There has been a lot of talk about the 2027 NBA Draft. I’m not here to sell it as a great class because it’s probably on the same level as the 2024 NBA Draft, which isn’t a compliment. However, with so many returners in college basketball, there is a greater chance we will see players improve their all-around game and make next year’s draft better than 2024.
Haugh is someone I had a top-15 grade on heading into the offseason. I thought Haugh would almost certainly declare for the draft because he is the ultimate Swiss Army Knife. The same can be said about UConn’s Braylon Mullins, who would’ve been a top 25 pick if he stayed in the draft. Those are the two names I’m watching for next summer. If I had to guess who ends up being a top 10 pick from this year’s group of returners, it would be Haugh and Mullins. Another name to keep an eye on is USC’s Alijah Arenas. He had a limited freshman season due to a knee injury. Arenas is someone who can crack the lottery next summer if everything goes well at USC.
Who’s staying and who’s going back to school?
Notable decisions from players deciding to stay in the NBA Draft or return to play college basketball next season.
