Jayson Tatum will reportedly leave Duke to enter the 2017 NBA Draft

By Ian Levy | Mar 22, 2017

Mar 19, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts during a press conference after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

Jayson Tatum will reportedly leave Duke after just one season, entering the 2017 NBA Draft.

This season clearly didn’t end the way Jayson Tatum and the Duke Blue Devils were hoping — an 88-81 loss to South Carolina in the second round of the NBA tournament. Duke had an up-and-down season but the emergence of Tatum as a playmaking small ball power forward was one of the key factors in their strong finish to the ACC season.

Tatum, a 6-foot-8 forward with a smooth offensive game, averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game for Duke this season, shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from the 3-point line. He is currently listed as the fifth-best prospect in the draft class on The Step Back’s Big Board and he reportedly is ready to test his draft stock.

Duke's Jayson Tatum will sign with an agent and enter the 2017 NBA Draft, per his twitter page.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 22, 2017

The tweet Rothstein appears to be referring to is a little more ambiguous and doesn’t mention anything about signing with an agent.

https://twitter.com/jaytatum0/status/844610377396764679

If Tatum did sign with an agent he would be ineligible to return to Duke. Not signing with an agent would allow him to go through pre-draft workouts and receive feedback from teams, before returning to school if he didn’t like his draft projections.

It’s not a surprise to see Tatum headed for the draft, he has long been considered one of the best prospects in this class. His combination of size, passing, and ball handling makes him a unique and appealing prospect. As he transitions the NBA, the biggest questions about his potential will focus on his shooting, particularly from behind the arc, and how his average athleticism will translate on the defensive side of the ball.

Next: Matchup Breakdown: Jayson Tatum versus Jonathan Isaac

Duke could find themselves needing to rebuild a significant portion of their roster next season. In addition to Tatum, key big man Amile Jefferson will be graduating and other key contributors like Luke Kennard, Grayson Allen, and Harry Giles could all test the draft process, potentially landing in the first round.