Offseason Stakes Reaching Peak on Decision Day for MSU's Fears

It's not dramatic to say that a relatively random Wednesday in May will be the most impactful day of Michigan State basketball's offseason.

This Wednesday is the day when MSU All-American point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. has to make his decision to either return to East Lansing or to keep his name in the NBA Draft. He has until 11:59 p.m. ET to officially withdraw his name from the draft process and keep his eligibility.

The Factors in Fears' Decision

March 27, 2026; Washington, D.C.; Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. readies to shoot a free throw against UConn during the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

It seems like Fears would be selected if he were to remain in the NBA Draft. The key is just how high he would go, and whether that would justify leaving Michigan State and forgoing an opportunity to further improve his draft stock with the two years of eligibility he has remaining.

Most projections have had Fears in the middle of the second round. One mock draft from ESPN's Jeremy Woo from last week after the NBA Combine had him going 47th overall to the Phoenix Suns. Woo's rankings also have Fears as the No. 55 overall prospect in the draft.

Workouts From NBA Teams

Several different teams have also gotten private workouts from Fears. Reports have surfaced about those with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Washington Wizards. Neither of those teams seems like a true fit for Fears, though, barring a trade.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. gets back on defense against Indiana on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at the Breslin Center. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The Wizards pick first overall, 51st, and 60th. He's not going first, and going 51st or 60th probably isn't the reason he'd leave Michigan State. Milwaukee only has the 10th overall pick, which is also not a realistic area for Fears.

There may have been some other looks, though. Fears posted a photo of the Boston Celtics' facility a handful of days ago. Boston picks 27th and 40th, which is that late-first, early-second round area Fears probably wants to be. Fears also posted that he was in Toronto recently; the Raptors pick 19th and 50th this season.

Stakes of Fears' Decision

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. hunches over during a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Losing an All-American would always be hard. Losing one in late May, especially after Tom Izzo had expressed confidence in a return, would hurt even more.

Fears leaving would only leave one real ball-handler on the roster. That would be true freshman Carlos Medlock Jr. Izzo would probably have to look in the transfer portal extremely late in the process or seek an international prospect.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. looks on during the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Louisville at the KeyBank Center on Saturday, March 21, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The hope for this offseason has been to put together a team that competes for a Final Four berth and/or a national championship. Fears leaving would essentially blow that up well before practices even begin. He was ranked as the second-least "indispensable" player in college basketball by EvanMiya.com, too.

A return, on the other hand, means that MSU is pretty solidly in a spot to be ranked in the top 10 or the top five to start the 2026-27 season. The stakes of Fears' direction on the program cannot really be understated.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. dribbles the ball up against North Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

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