2026 NBA Draft Combine: Top Prospects Decide Between Draft Entry and College Return

Biggest decisions ahead of 2026 NBA Draft Combine: Who is staying in the draft? Who is returning to college?

Milan Momcilovic, Allen Graves, Amari Allen and Malachi Moreno are among several top prospects who will have a decision to make after this week's NBA Draft Combine: Stay in the draft or return to school.

By Isaac Trotter

& Cameron Salerno

May 11, 2026 at 10:57 am ET • 15 min read

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The NBA Draft Combine will take place this week in Chicago. It will serve as an opportunity for teams to get an up-close look at some of the best prospects in this year's draft class while they compete against each other. It will also serve as a measuring stick for players on the fence about their respective stay-or-go decision.

So, who are the biggest names to watch? Keep an eye on Arizona's Koa Peat , Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr . and Iowa State's Milan Momcilovic . Peat and Johnson have been mocked as first-round picks by CBS Sports , while Momcilovic enters the Windy City trying to solidify his stock as a first-round pick. Momcilovic is arguably the best shooter in the NBA Draft and doubles as the top available player in the college basketball transfer portal . All three would project as All-Americans if they chose to return to college basketball next year.

Kentucky has a ton at stake this week. The Wildcats met with Momcilovic's representatives last week, and soon-to-be sophomore big man Malachi Moreno is also going through the draft process. Moreno is a projected second-round pick if he stays in the draft, but he's been a real riser in the pre-draft process. Kentucky's outlook changes dramatically if Moreno returns to Lexington, and it can reel in Momcilovic. But multiple dominoes have to fall correctly at the latest stage of the offseason.

NBA Mock Draft: Fits for all 30 picks with 2026 lottery set; Dybantsa No. 1 to Wizards, Peterson No. 2 to Jazz Adam Finkelstein

Then there are the players who are truly on the fence, headlined by Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou and Alabama's Amari Allen .

Projected first-rounders like UConn's Braylon Mullins , Florida's Thomas Haugh , Duke's Patrick Ngongba II and Arizona's Motiejus Krivas all returned to school without going through the combine, which opened up four more spots for hopefuls like Yessoufou and Allen. A strong week for Yessoufou could be a ding for transfer portal suitors, and Alabama desperately needs a second year of Allen if it hopes to compete for the SEC Championship.

These are massive wagers for both the players and the college programs.

With the NBA Combine this week and the deadline to officially withdraw from the NBA Draft and maintain college eligibility approaching (May 27, 11:59 p.m. ET), we are previewing the biggest names who will have a stay-or-go decision to make. NIL is being used to retain top talent, and unless you have a guarantee inside the top 20 picks, you will likely make more money (albeit in the short-term) by running it back.

Let's dive in.

Likely staying in the draft, but never say never

Koa Peat, Arizona

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  11

Peat could easily be the most impactful returnee in college basketball. This isn't really a new or hot take. I talked about Peat's as a name to watch as a stay-or-go decision last month . Another season of college basketball would do him wonders. If he improves his shot from outside of the paint, Peat would be a potential top-five pick next summer. His return to college seems unlikely, but this week will be illuminating. If Peat gets feedback that he's outside the top-20, a return to Arizona would make sense. Tommy Lloyd has a spot for Peat, both in the starting lineup and at the top of the budget. The Wildcats would be a top-5 team in America with Peat back in the fold, and he'd be a frontrunner for National Player of the Year.   -- Cameron Salerno

Nate Ament, Tennessee

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  9

Ament entered the season as a projected top 10 pick. Despite his freshman season at Tennessee being a mixed bag, he did show significant signs of improvement throughout the year and could be a potential lottery pick. The one knock on Ament's season was the efficiency, as he shot less than 40% from the floor. Ament did shoot 79% on 7.1 attempts per game from the free-throw line, which is a positive sign for his long-term development as a shooter. Tennessee has spent nearly $20 million in the transfer portal this offseason, so it's hard to envision Ament returning at this point, and he chose not to enter the transfer portal. He's all-in on the draft. CBS Sports' Gary Parrish and Adam Finkelstein both have Ament going No. 10 to the Milwaukee Bucks in their latest mock drafts following the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday  -- Salerno

NBA Mock Draft: Fits for all 30 picks with 2026 lottery set; Dybantsa No. 1 to Wizards, Peterson No. 2 to Jazz Adam Finkelstein

Dailyn Swain, Texas

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  27

Swain is expected to stay in the NBA Draft after a breakout junior season at Texas , where he flashed the ability to get to the rack whenever he wanted. Swain was a defense-first weapon in his first two seasons at Xavier before transforming into one of the best scorers in the SEC in Year 3. The 6-foot-8 wing can scale up or scale down to fill a void very easily, which makes him an attractive gamble for NBA decision-makers. It wouldn't be a surprise if Swain ends up as a top-20 pick. -- Trotter

Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  21

Johnson's teammate at Michigan, Aday Mara , appears to be all-in on the draft process. He's been one of the biggest draft risers the last two months because of his play in the NCAA Tournament. As for Johnson, he also improved his stock with a strong tournament run. Johnson is projected as a late first-round pick, which could open the door for a return. Johnson is a versatile forward who exploits mismatches against smaller defenders on offense. On defense, he's capable of guarding out on the perimeter against smalls. That versatility would make him a great fit on any NBA roster. Michigan's decisions to load up on high-priced bigs in the transfer portal, namely Cincinnati's Moustapha Thiam and Tennessee's JP Estrella , signal that Dusty May is expecting both Johnson and Mara to stay in the draft.  -- Salerno

Henri Veesaar, UNC

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  23

The 7-foot center is expected to stay in the NBA Draft after shooting over 40% from 3-point range on 94 attempts for North Carolina last season. The combination of size, passing and shooting is tempting, especially with so many NBA clubs opting for double-big lineups. With how the first round has thinned out, Veesaar has a real chance to be a top-25 pick.

But Alabama's Labaron Philon was also expected to stay in the NBA Draft last season before exiting at the very last second. That type of liferaft is something that UNC coach Michael Malone could use right about now. If the feedback isn't outstanding -- there are some questions about Veesaar's ability to defend in space  -- and UNC can cobble together an offer that doubles what Veesaar could get in the mid-20s, it's not out of the question that he could explore a return to college. But UNC is not holding its breath on this one.  -- Trotter

Heading back to school?

Rueben Chinyelu, Florida

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  28

Chinyelu has an interesting decision to make. The big man market near the middle/end of the first round has dried up a little bit after several players (Krivas and Ngongba) at the position returned to school. Could Chinyelu be next? If he does, it would solidify Florida as the best frontcourt in the nation. The Gators already have Haugh and Alex Condon running it back. Getting back one of the best defenders in the country could give Florida the edge to be the preseason No. 1 this fall.  -- Salerno

Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  34

It's pretty simple: Tanner is going to do everything he can to spike his stock this week, or he will return to Vanderbilt to be one of the best guards in the country.

Tanner isn't tall or jacked, but he's one of the best pound-for-pound athletes in this class. He threw down 17 dunks last year, an unprecedented number for a 6-foot guard. He's also a dogged point-of-attack defender and incredibly hard to keep out of the paint.

Tanner will be a Preseason All-American if he returns to Vanderbilt, but it only takes one team to believe Tanner is an outlier who can stick. Vanderbilt's chances to make the Final Four in 2027 hinge on Tanner's decision. He's the force multiplier for everything the 'Dores want to be. I expect him in college next year, but I wouldn't be surprised if this gets sweaty down the stretch.  -- Trotter

Malachi Moreno, Kentucky

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  48

Every school on this list would love to see its player return to school for another season. However, one of the most important is Moreno. Kentucky's offseason has been highlighted by coming in second for some of its biggest targets in the transfer portal. Now, it's wait-and-see mode for coach Mark Pope and company to see if UK gets back its star big man. Moreno had a really solid freshman season and would benefit from another year.  -- Salerno

Mark Pope's hot seat intensifies amid Kentucky's portal struggles as rivals Louisville, Tennessee thrive David Cobb

Andrej Stojaković, Illinois

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  60

Stojakovic's counting stats went down after transferring from undermanned Cal to loaded Illinois , but he became a better all-around player. Stojakovic is one of the best slashers in this draft class. The 6-foot-7 wing can deck it with the best of 'em, and he showcased much-improved attention to detail on the glass and defensively last year.

If he can double down on the non-negotiables and improve his shooting (25% on 80 catch-and-shoot 3s), Stojakovic will be an NBA player just like his dad, Peja. Stojakovic will get feedback this week, but he is expected to return to Champaign for his senior season. He will be one of the highest-paid players in college basketball next season. -- Trotter

Billy Richmond III, Arkansas

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  43

Richmond is one of the most entertaining players to watch in college basketball. His athleticism and defense pop on tape. Richmond is coming off a breakout sophomore season, but still needs to improve as a shooter from beyond the arc to take the next step. Richmond shot 56.3% on 2-pointers but just 25.9% from the 3-point line. It seems more likely than not that the logical move will be to run it back.  -- Salerno

Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  66

Fears is going through the process to get feedback from NBA decision-makers, but he is expected to return to Michigan State for his redshirt-junior season. The outstanding floor general has tremendous vision, a sky-high basketball IQ and owns all the toughness and intangibles, but he'll likely hear that he needs to continue to show growth with his jumper.

Fears shot just 30% on jumpers in 2024-25. That spiked to 39% last season on over 200 attempts. One more surge in 2026-27 could vault Fears into the draftable range in 2027. He'll be a preseason First-Team, All-Big Ten lock if (when) he returns.  -- Trotter

Flory Bidunga, Louisville

CBS Sports NBA Draft Ranking:  25

Bidunga is expected to return to college after signing a massive deal to transfer from Kansas to Louisville last month. He was the No. 1 player in the transfer portal and got paid in the $5 million range.

The projected salary for the No. 25 pick based on 2025's projections is around $2.49 million.

We can do that math.

Returning to Louisville is the most likely option, but Bidunga will still go through the process. He's the most switchable defender in all of college basketball. While he's generously listed at 6-foot-10

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2026-nba-draft-combine-stay-go-decisions/)._