Josh Jackson declares for NBA Draft, hires agent

Kansas Jayhawks guard Josh Jackson is going into the draft. Where will he land?

Former Kansas guard Josh Jackson is officially a one-and-done player. Jackson declared for the NBA draft on Monday morning. He signed with agent BJ Armstrong, who is part of the Wasserman Media Group. Jackson was arguably Kansas’s best player this season, and he will take his talents to the NBA next year.

The Big 12 named Jackson Freshman of the Year for the 2016-17 season. Jackson is a big guy, standing at 6-foot-8 but he brings a combination of play-making and strong defensive skills to either forward position. Jackson averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game for the Jayhawks, and helped lead the team to another conference championship.

Jackson is projected as a top-5 pick — he could go as high as No. 2, and as low as No. 10 next year. Jackson has some off-the-court issues that could scare off potential NBA teams, such as being cited for traffic violations and property damage. Kansas suspended Jackson for the Big 12 tournament opener, which ended up in a loss to TCU. The property damage incident resulted in a misdemeanor as well. He broke into a Kansas women’s basketball player’s car.

While an on-the-court beast, his off-the-court issues could be problematic in a loose NBA environment. As a potential All-Star player, no one can question his on-court performance. It will be interesting to see if Jackson going one-and-done will have a negative impact on his draft stock, given these issues. A team with an experienced leader (think Boston) might be more willing to mentor Jackson better than a team of young players (think Lakers).

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Jackson is an older freshman, at 20, but he has the game to be an impact player at the next level. He’s definitely a name to watch as the draft approaches.