19 best NBA prospects who are also in the NCAA transfer portal, including Yaxel Lendeborg

[ASFN Admin]

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​

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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​

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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​

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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​

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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

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Most impactful 2025 NBA Draft prospects who are also in NCAA transfer portal

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