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Allen Graves to remain in 2026 NBA draft

Former Santa Clara forward Allen Graves will stay in the NBA draft after entering the transfer portal last month. The 6-foot-9 forward from Louisiana averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds last season.

ESPN
1 source·May 26, 8:32 PM(2 days ago)·1m read
Allen Graves to remain in 2026 NBA draftESPN
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Former Santa Clara forward Allen Graves will keep his name in the NBA draft, sources told ESPN. Graves had entered the transfer portal last month but has now closed the door on a return to college basketball. A 6-foot-9 forward from Louisiana, Graves was an unranked recruit coming out of high school and redshirted his first season with the Broncos.

9 steals coming off the bench. Graves ranked in the top 20 nationally in offensive rating, top 60 in offensive rebound percentage and top 10 in steal rate, while shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range. He posted 18 points and nine rebounds against Gonzaga in early January, scored 30 points against Washington State in early February and closed his career with 17 points and seven rebounds in a first-round NCAA tournament loss to Kentucky.

Graves was considered one of the best uncommitted players remaining in the transfer portal, with LSU perceived to be the favorite for his commitment. He said earlier this month at the NBA draft combine that he had conversations with LSU and Duke, while Kentucky had reached out to his agents. Graves is projected as a first-round pick and is listed at No.

22 in ESPN's most recent mock draft. The news was first reported by DraftExpress.

Key Facts

Allen Graves
6-foot-9 forward from Santa Clara
11.8 points per game
scoring average last season off the bench
Projected first-round pick
ranked No. 22 in ESPN mock draft
Transfer portal
entered last month, now staying in draft

Story Timeline

3 events
  1. Last month

    Allen Graves entered the transfer portal.

    1 sourceESPN
  2. Earlier this month

    Graves spoke at the NBA draft combine about conversations with LSU and Duke.

    1 sourceESPN
  3. May 26, 2026

    Sources told ESPN that Graves will remain in the NBA draft.

    1 sourceESPN

Potential Impact

  1. 01

    Graves will forgo remaining college eligibility and enter the 2026 NBA draft.

  2. 02

    LSU and Duke lose a potential transfer target.

Transparency Panel

Sources cross-referenced1
Confidence score75%
Synthesized bySubstrate AI
Word count212 words
PublishedMay 26, 2026, 8:32 PM

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