Magoon Gwath withdraws from NBA Draft, returns to San Diego State

Gwath had been seeking feedback from NBA teams in recent weeks

San Diego State Aztecs forward Magoon Gwath (0). | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

San Diego State received big news on Wednesday morning when redshirt freshman forward Magoon Gwath announced that he has withdrawn from the NBA Draft early entry list to return to San Diego State.

Gwath had previously entered the college basketball transfer portal in March, entertaining interest from several big-name schools in the power conferences. After meeting with a handful of teams, Gwath announced his decision to withdraw from the portal while focusing on the NBA Draft. That decision marked a major win for San Diego State, which was able to keep Gwath, a player whom they recruited and developed while others largely ignored him during his high school years.

Three weeks later, Gwath has now made official what many had expected. He will return to San Diego State for his redshirt sophomore season after collecting Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors this past season. In his announcement posted on Instagram, Gwath said he gained valuable feedback and “the NBA remains a goal of mine in the future”.

A breakout star for San Diego State this past season, Gwath spent his first season on campus redshirting before starting 26 games in 2024-25. Gwath averaged nine points and five rebounds per game and was second nationally in block percentage. He also shot 38 percent from three-point range, showing his ability to impact the game inside and out at seven feet tall.

With three transfer portal additions, the return of Gwath and Reese Waters, plus two high school recruits in Tae Simmons and Elzie Harrington, Brian Dutcher and staff appear to have a loaded roster heading into the 2025-26 roster. The Aztecs continue to wait on the decision of Miles Byrd. Like Gwath, Byrd is on the NBA Draft’s early entrant list to gather feedback on whether to remain in this year’s draft or return to the Aztecs.

Unlike many players who entered both the draft and the transfer portal, Byrd made his intentions clear during media availability towards the end of the regular season.

“No portal for me,” Byrd said. “If I’m coming back to college, I’m coming back to SDSU… Maybe do pre-draft stuff with my agency and see where that takes me.”

While the Aztecs wait on Byrd’s decision, the return of Gwath gives San Diego State a foundational piece for next season as they work towards a return to their sixth consecutive NCAA tournament.