NBA Executives Reportedly Aligned on Andrej Stojakovic's Draft Future

Stojakovic seemingly is still weighing his options, but NBA executives agree on what his choice should be

Jan 29, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) watches the dribble of Washington Huskies guard Zoom Diallo (5) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

When Illinois’ Andrej Stojakovic announced his intention to return to Champaign for the 2026-27 season, Illini fans collectively exhaled a sigh of relief. But when reports came out that Stojakovic had entered the 2026 NBA Draft just days later, the average blood pressure in the Champaign-Urbana area immediately spiked again.

But regardless of any proclamations, the general consensus has held unwaveringly since the 2025-26 season ended in Indianapolis: Stojakovic will be an Illini next season.

Even so, his decision to attend the NBA Draft Combine was logical. And his choice to go through the entire pre-draft process was another no-brainer. It was an opportunity to test the waters and then receive feedback from NBA front offices. Now Stojakovic presumably knows exactly what he needs to improve upon – spoiler: it's his perimeter jumper – in the next year if he runs it back at Illinois.

When will Illinois' Andrej Stojakovic make his NBA Draft decision

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) shoots the ball against UConn Huskies guard Malachi Smith (0) during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

As of Friday, Stojakovic, who has until end of day on May 27 (next Wednesday) to withdraw from the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, hasn’t made the announcement many expect he will. And according to 10 NBA executives, it’s also the decision he should make.

NBA executives offer take on Andrej Stojakovic's NBA Draft decision

Field of 68 college hoops analyst Jeff Goodman spoke to 10 NBA executives about whether Stojakovic (and 14 other players currently weighing the NBA-or-stay decision) should stick around in the draft or return to college. The unanimous vote saw all 10 choose the college route for Stojakovic.

I talked to 10 NBA executives and got their takes on what these guys should do:

Christian Anderson: 10 (go to NBA), 0 (back to college)
Meleek Thomas: 9 (NBA), 1 (college)
Allen Graves: 8 (NBA), 2 (college)
Tounde Yessoufou: 5 (NBA), 5 (college)
Koa Peat: 7 (college), 3 (NBA)…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 22, 2026

In ESPN’s post-combine mock draft, Stojakovic is projected to go with the No. 50 pick to the Toronto Raptors. At this point, in all likelihood, Stojakovic doesn’t have a ceiling above the No. 45 pick – and certainly not in the first round.

That leaves him in the same exact spot he has been for the past month and change: It simply wouldn’t make sense for him to make the leap to the league now. Going through the pre-draft process was smart. But he has already found what he was looking for: feedback from scouts. Evidently, they all appear to be sending a similar message.

Given what we know, our own stance at Illinois on SI also remains unchanged: All signs point toward a Stojakovic return – which means a Big Ten championship and perhaps even a national title should be within striking distance for the Illini next year.