Payton Sandfort declares for NBA Draft, could return
As has been expected since the end of the Iowa basketball season, Payton Sandfort announced on Tuesday that he would be entering the NBA Draft process. He will also maintain his eligibility to return to the Hawkeye program for his senior year.
He will have until May 29th to decide if he will return for his final season with the Hawkeyes.
“It has been a dream come true to represent this program and my state the past three seasons as a Hawkeye,” said Sandfort. “Every day I pushed myself to make our team as successful as possible. I have loved every second of being a Hawkeye.
“It has been my lifelong dream to get the opportunity to play in the NBA. I plan to enter my name into the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining my eligibility. I will continue to push myself every day to make this dream a reality. I appreciate the support from Hawkeye nation as I go through this process.”
Sandfort, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward, put up career-best numbers across the board during the 2023-24 season, averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while shooting 44.6 percent from the floor, 37.9 percent from distance and 91.1 percent from the free throw stripe. He ranked second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, third in 3-point percentage, eighth in scoring, 12th in field goal percentage and 13th in rebounding en route to third-team All-Big Ten honors.
The most recent NBA Mock Draft in ESPN.com lists Sandfort as the 35th best prospect in the 2024 draft. At The Athletic, they list Sandfort as the 45th best prospect in this class.
Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery is fully supportive of Sandfort exploring this opportunity.
“We fully support Payton using this opportunity to gain valuable feedback from NBA personnel through workouts and interviews,” said Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. “Payton is one of the best shooters in the nation and he displayed an all-around game during his junior season. He will go through this process with a professional approach, and we are excited to see his game continue to grow to another level.”
