FSU Basketball Star Jamir Watkins to Also Enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Watkins declared for the NBA Draft in late April but is keeping all options on the table
Jan 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Jamir Watkins (2) drives
Jan 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Jamir Watkins (2) drives / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Florida State basketball forward Jamir Watkins will be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal as a late entry and has a "do not contact" tag, first reported by Rivals. Watkins had declared for the NBA Draft in the final week of April and will enter the portal with all options on the table.

The portal closed on the night of May 1st, but it takes 24-48 hours for players to appear in the portal, which means he entered either April 30th or May 1st before the portal closed. The "do not contact" tag is the most intriguing part of this decision. Usually, it means they have a destination in mind already, but with his declaration as an early entrant to the NBA Draft, I'm curious if he wants to focus on Draft preparation first and then come back to portal decisions later. The deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to school is May 29th.

READ MORE: BREAKING: FSU Basketball Lands Two Transfer Commitments

Watkins started his career at VCU before transferring to Florida State for this past season and blossomed into a good player, leading the Seminoles in points, rebounds, steals, and tied for first in assists. He was very clearly FSU's best player in a season that didn't have a lot of bright spots down the stretch.

Leonard Hamilton is only slated to return two players from last season's team: Chandler Jackson and Taylor Bol Bowen. They've filled seven of those remaining spots, but still have four to go in what has been a massive roster overhaul.

READ MORE: Four Former FSU Football Stars Ink Endorsement Deals with Nike After Being Drafted

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Austin Veazey

AUSTIN VEAZEY

Lead basketball writer; Former FSU Men's Basketball Manager from 2016-2019