Former Purdue All-American Braden Smith is not considering a return to college basketball in the fallout of Friday’s injunction that cleared a path for a fifth year of collegiate eligibility for the Class of 2022, his representatives at Priority Sports told CBS Sports.
Smith was the No. 38 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, who traded his draft rights to the Indiana Pacers. He is one of five second-round picks who have not signed a rookie contract yet, joining BYU’s Richie Saunders (No. 32 to the Memphis Grizzlies), Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel (No. 47 to the New York Knicks), St. John’s Dillon Mitchell (No. 40 to the Boston Celtics) and Florida State’s Lajae Jones (No. 54 to the Golden State Warriors). Nickel and Mitchell are expected to explore their college options, but Smith’s record-setting career is over.
Colorado judge immediately grants extra year of eligibility to NCAA athletes who just graduated
Cameron Salerno
NCAA president Charlie Baker has reiterated that any player who has signed an NBA contract, including a two-way deal, will not be cleared by the NCAA. Smith’s hold-up on the contract front is not about a potential return to college basketball but rather due to a financial crunch on the Pacers’ side and Smith’s eagerness to land a guaranteed deal.
“We’re very, very tight to the first apron and we’re hard capped now,” Indiana general manager Chad Buchanan said on Setting The Pace. “We have different options to fill in that 15th spot. We’re still kind of making that decision, working through some choices at the back end of the roster, at that 15th spot, with the two-way spots, so still working through all those options at this point.”
Smith will finish as one of the most decorated point guards ever to play college basketball. Smith became the NCAA’s all-time leader in career assists (1,103), passing Duke’s Bobby Hurley in the Boilermakers’ first-round romp over Queens. The two-time All-American is the only player in NCAA history to have garnered at least 1,500 points, 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds. He was also an ironman, notching 5,067 career minutes, the most by a four-year player in NCAA history.
With a Smith-to-Purdue reunion off the table, Matt Painter is expected to give Israeli sophomore point guard Omer Mayer and prized freshman Luke Ertel the first crack at earning the starting point guard gig.
