Key NBA Draft Decisions Ahead for Florida Gators

Now that the season is officially over for the Florida Gators men’s basketball team, several players have decisions to make that will drastically impact the outlook for the 2026-27 season.

Juniors Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu all have garnered NBA interest this year, thanks to their overall play at their respective positions.

At the least, Haugh’s draft prospect ranking makes it difficult to believe he would return for his senior year in Gainesville. Back near the beginning of February, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo tabbed Haugh as the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft.

In Condon’s case, it remains unclear which way he is leaning. Additionally, the big man said before the Iowa game that he is 50/50 on whether he will be back or not for his fourth year with the program.

His thoughts were less focused on his draft decision after the gut-wrenching defeat to Iowa on Sunday, though.

“I'm not really thinking about that right now, my future,” Condon stated. “I'm just trying to stay in the moment.”

However, he revealed that the loss could play a part in his decision.

“Yeah, probably influence it a little bit,” he added.

Florida Gators forwards Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh (10) have decisions to make regarding the NBA Draft. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Chinyelu appears to be the most likely to return among the three.

While he played his best basketball this season and broke many program records, he is not attracting the same interest from the NBA as the other two, based on draft prospect rankings. If he were to return, that would heavily impact how the Gators look on the hardwood next season.

Although that is the perception on the outside, the big man reiterated his uncertainty about returning to Florida.

“I don’t know right now,” he said. “Just focus on the present. We’ll see what the future has for me.”

The one glaring downside for Gators head coach Todd Golden is that these three decisions dictate how he attacks the transfer portal.

Should all depart for the pros, he then needs to attack the frontcourt market this offseason for several additions. If only one leaves, he would likely only need one to two newcomers in the frontcourt.

Another wrinkle for Golden’s frontcourt recruiting is if Micah Handlogten gets a medical redshirt granted to him for the 2024-25 season. He played in 16 games that championship-winning season, but missed 24, meaning he played in just 40 percent of the games that season. If he does not receive the redshirt, then his time in Gainesville will come to a close.

“It’s something I'm not gonna worry about right now. I'm gonna go out there, and I'm gonna just do my offseason workouts like as if I don't have any more years of eligibility,” he told Florida Gators on SI. “Then if it comes back, and I've been doing all those offseason workouts, so I'll be good coming back.”

Florida Gators center Micah Handlogten (left) is waiting on a waiver to play one more year of college basketball, while Rueben Chinyelu (right) will have to decide on staying or entering the NBA Draft. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Gators' backcourt could be taking a hit, too. Xaivian Lee just closed his final chapter in college, but Boogie Fland, who initially declared for the draft last season before transferring to Florida, could be on the move to the pros, as well.

Fland is only a sophomore, which leaves the door open for him to return for his junior year or enter the NBA Draft.

His 3-point shooting makes it difficult to know if teams are circling his name on draft boards, but his play outside that played a large role in the Gators' success during the regular season. He guarded the best perimeter player while setting the table as a playmaker on offense.

Like the others, though, he is unsure of his future.

“I’m not sure. I’m still soaking this in, I’m still kind of numb to it,” Fland said after the loss.

However this all shakes out, one thing is certain: it is likely to be a new era for the Gators next season.