Santa Clara guard Allen Graves will keep his name in the 2026 NBA Draft and forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility, he told DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony.
The 19-year-old played one collegiate season, coming off the bench in 31 of 35 games yet averaging 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.8 assists across 22.6 minutes. He shot .512 from the field, .413 from three-point range and .750 at the free-throw line. His production earned him both West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year honors.
Graves was not viewed as a guaranteed first-round selection when he initially declared, but strong showings during the pre-draft process have boosted his outlook. Despite modest athletic testing numbers at the NBA Combine, evaluators describe him as an “analytics darling” with an advanced feel for the game. Recent mock drafts place him inside the top 30: ESPN’s Jeremy Woo slotted him at No. 22, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman at No. 27 and Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor at No. 25.
The 6-foot-6 guard also entered the NCAA transfer portal this spring and held discussions with LSU and Duke. However, sources indicated he would remain in the draft if confident of landing in the first round. NCAA players had until the end of Wednesday to withdraw and preserve eligibility, while the NBA’s withdrawal deadline is June 13.
With his decision now final, Graves will focus entirely on preparing for next month’s draft, where he is expected to hear his name called in the opening round.
Source: Hoops Rumors
