Santa Clara star freshman Allen Graves will keep his name in 2026 NBA Draft

If there was still any remaining hope that Kentucky could potentially go after Allen Graves, it’s now officially gone.

News broke Tuesday afternoon via Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress that Graves will not return to college next season, instead electing to keep his name in the 2026 NBA Draft pool. Graves was one of a handful of top prospects still debating their future ahead of Wednesday night’s NBA Draft withdrawal deadline. But with more and more mock drafts firmly projecting him as a first-round pick, the versatile 6-foot-9 forward is deciding to go pro.

Graves had been trending towards keeping his name in the draft in recent weeks, but Kentucky was already falling out of contention had he decided to come back to college for a sophomore season. Graves told reporters at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month that LSU and Duke were his top choices, adding that UK had only reached out to his agent.

None of that matters now, though. ESPN currently has Graves going to the Philadelphia 76ers with the 22nd pick of next month’s NBA Draft.

NEWS: Santa Clara's Allen Graves is staying in the 2026 NBA Draft, he tells DraftExpress.

Graves, a projected top-20 pick, swept WCC Freshman, Sixth Man and Defensive Player of the Year honors, turning down significant NIL offers to start his pro career. pic.twitter.com/NddltJVG4G

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 26, 2026

Graves is coming off a terrific freshman campaign for Santa Clara, which lost to Kentucky in overtime of the NCAA Tournament’s first round. He was tabbed the WCC Freshman of the Year and WCC Sixth Man of the Year with the Broncos, averaging 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.8 assists per outing on shooting splits of 51.2/41.3/75.0. Graves went for 17 points and seven rebounds against UK, even hitting what looked to be the game-winning three-pointer before Otega Oweh knocked in a half-court buzzer beater at the end of regulation.

With Graves off the big board, Kentucky will continue its efforts in recruiting Iowa State wing Milan Momcilovic, who remains in the NBA Draft pool with only one more day to decide if he wants to go pro or not. Kentucky, Louisville, and St. John’s have consistently come up as schools going after the 6-foot-8 sharpshooter should he return to college. KSR+ even has updated inside information on where things stand with Momcilovic and his process (along with a fourth school to keep an eye on). He’s considered a second-round pick right now, with a growing belief that he’ll ultimately return to college.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope still has a couple of roster spots to play with for a pivotal 2026-27 season. Landing Momcilovic would change the perception of his group and likely have the ‘Cats as an obvious preseason Top 25 team going into the fall. The withdrawal deadline is May 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET.