Baylor power forward Johnathan Motley has decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft to test the waters, the school announced today in a press release. Motley won’t hire an agent, which will allow him to withdraw his name by the May 24 deadline if he wants to retain his NCAA eligibility.
“Johnathan had a tremendous junior season, and he became one of the all-time Baylor greats,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said in a statement. “Entering his name into the draft without hiring an agent gives him a chance to get feedback from NBA teams and make an informed decision for his future. We want what’s best for him and his family, and Baylor Nation will fully support him along the way.”
Motley, who will turn 22 next month, is coming off a breakout junior year in which he averaged 17.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.1 BPG. According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, NBA scouts would like to see him shoot and make a few more three-pointers — if he were able to consistently make outside shots, he could be a first-round pick, though he’s more likely to come off the board in the second round, assuming he remains in the draft.
Ford ranks Motley 46th overall on his big board at ESPN.com, while Jonathan Givony has the 6’9″ junior at No. 39 on his top-100 list at DraftExpress.com.