"NIL took over first round money?": College hoops fans react after Tahaad Pettiford pulls from NBA draft to stay at Auburn

Auburn star Tahaad Pettiford was one of the biggest stars in college basketball this past season. As a result, after a strong freshman season, Pettiford decided to declare for the 2025 NBA draft. The draft is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EDT on June 25.

The deadline for NCAA players to withdraw from the NBA draft while maintaining their college eligibility is on Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. EDT. On Wednesday afternoon, insider Joe Tipton reported that Tahaad Pettiford is withdrawing from the NBA draft and will return to Auburn next season.

Expand Tweet

After the news broke, fans reacted in the comments on X. One pointed out that the NIL appears to have incentivized some NBA-caliber players to stay in college.

"NIL took over first round money?" one fan wrote.

"After how good of a showing he had at the combine I could have seen this going either way but I’m happy he’s back. He is going to have a big time year being the main focal point of that Auburn offense next year," one fan commented.

"Was not expecting this," one fan added.

Fans continued to react in the comments.

"This is the correct choice from my perspective. Uncertain first-round status and a massive decision making concern that can be cleaned up next season. I can see him being a 2026 lottery lock if he takes that next step," one fan wrote.

"The most electric guard in America is backkkkk. Gonna be a fun year for the Tigers next year," one fan commented.

"The good side of NIL because players like this used to bolt for the 25th overall pick and NBA money in the past. Now he has a chance to be a star player and raise his stock," one fan added.

Tahaad Pettiford was projected to be a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft

While Tahaad Pettiford's decision to return to college was a surprise to some, it could end up being a smart decision. Pettiford was projected to be a late first or early to mid-second round pick. He had a strong year, but did not establish himself as a superstar prospect.

By returning to college, Pettiford gives himself an opportunity to grow on a team that could contend to win the national championship next season. If he has an improved year statistically and brings the Tigers on another deep run in the NCAA Tournament, he could be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

Know More

Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey - who is NCAAW's highest-paid coach? Find out here

Edited by Alexander O'Reilly