Who's In and Who's Out of the NBA Draft?

Draft deadline shakeups: bold decisions, last-minute calls, and the impact on 2025 and beyond.

Wednesday marked the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline — the last chance for underclassmen hoping to retain NCAA eligibility to pull their names and head back to campus. And for the second straight year, we’ve seen a dip in early entry candidates, a trend directly tied to the ever-growing influence of NIL. With name, image, and likeness deals reshaping the calculus for fringe first round prospects, players are increasingly finding it more lucrative to stay in school.

In some cases, far more lucrative. Take Texas Tech’s J.T. Toppin, for instance — the Big 12 Player of the Year reportedly landed an NIL package worth a staggering $4 million, comparable to the projected earnings of a late lottery pick in 2025

It’s a clear sign: NIL has become a game-changer. For players on the first-round fringe or those without guaranteed draft slots, the combine now doubles as a negotiation tool.

Perform well, and you don’t just boost your stock — you enhance your NIL leverage. The result? A growing number of prospects are choosing security, visibility, and a better bank account by staying in school.

In the final 72 hours before the deadline, a number of players locked in their plans, with a few unexpected moves mixed in.