With the NBA's draft declaration deadline (April 19) quickly approaching, there are still quite a few standout college players weighing all of their options, including possible No. 1 overall pick Jabari Parker.
NBA Draft 2014: Jabari Parker, Jerami Grant lead pack of players still weighing future
Several players are still deciding whether they want to turn pro or go back to school as the early entry deadline approaches for the 2014 NBA Draft.
Streeter Lecka
Who’s still on the board and which way are they likely leaning? Here is a look at the biggest names yet to declare for the NBA.
Jabari Parker
The Duke standout is a lock for the top-five should he turn pro, but it seems he is truly torn. Or at least he's doing a really good job of making it look that way. Parker loved his first year of college and has to feel like he left something on the table following a second round upset loss to Mercer in the NCAA Tournament. After averaging 19 points and eight rebounds a game and being named a finalist for the Wooden Award, there isn't much more Parker can accomplish at the collegiate level. It's just a matter of if he wants to play another season in Durham with his friend (fellow Chicago native and incoming freshman) Jahlil Okafor, or if he's ready to cash in on what will be the first of many paychecks.
2014 NBA Draft
Andrew Wiggins sits atop SB Nation's mock draft. (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)Both of these guys could have bolted to the pros last spring after a fun ride to the national title game with Michigan. They both elected to return for their sophomore seasons, a move that certainly cost McGary some money.
McGary was a red-hot prospect this time last year but decided to come back. He then suffered a back injury and missed nearly the entire season. Now, with his stock at an all-time low, McGary either has to prove he is completely healthy to NBA executives, or come back and dominate as a junior the way many expected him to this past season. Robinson III upped his scoring average to 13 points per game in 2013-2014, but he did not shoot the ball as well and connected on just 31 percent of his three-point attempts. Likely to be a fringe first round pick should he declare, Robinson III has a tough decision ahead of him.
Grant has been given the kiss of death by some evaluators as a tweener, something no pro prospect ever wants to hear. As Grant continues getting feedback from NBA guys, there really hasn't been much to indicate which way he is leaning. There is no doubt he would be the go-to option at Syracuse next season with Tyler Ennis, C.J. Fair and others departing. At the same time, next year will likely be a rebuilding year for the Orange, and Grant may not want to see the effects of that on his game.
Andrew and Aaron Harrison
Two of the heroes from Kentucky’s surprising run to the NCAA title game have given little indication as to their future plans yet. There had been rumblings all season long that both brothers already had one foot out the door, and their stock probably won’t ever be higher than it is right now -- and it’s really not that high.
Hollis-Jefferson seems likely to return to Arizona next fall, but after really turning it on during the final month of his freshman season, some NBA executives are giving him a serious look. Hollis-Jefferson is a freak athlete and good defender, drawing some early comparisons to Andre Iguodala, another Arizona Wildcat. His jumper remains a work in progress and he is not much of a three-point shooter right now, but if he can improve on that this summer, Hollis-Jefferson will likely be a lottery pick next year assuming he does not surprise everyone and declare early in the coming week.
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