Ebuka Okorie's NBA Future Comes Down to the Next Few Weeks

Ebuka Okorie had one of the best freshman seasons in Stanford history. Now he's chasing NBA dreams

Feb 28, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) during the second half against the Southern Methodist University Mustangs at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

We're still a couple of months away from the NBA Draft, but the next month will be extremely interesting for Stanford's Ebuka Okorie. The freshman guard set college basketball ablaze unexpectedly, and has now decided to enter his name into the draft.

That said, there seems to be a belief that if he's not being looked at as a first-round selection, then he could opt to remove his name from this year's draft, take gobs of NIL money from Stanford, and return to the draft next year as a higher pick in a weaker class.

The deadline to withdraw from the draft and maintain college eligibility is on May 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET. While the mock drafts won't be the determining factor themselves, they will provide some insight into how teams are viewing him, and whether there is any chance he returns to the Farm for one more season.

Where does Okorie currently stand in mock drafts?

Mar 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) reacts after scoring against the NC State Wolfpack during the first half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The whole reason that Okorie even entered his name into the NBA Draft is because of the success he had on the court, averaging 23.2 points per game, along with 3.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He shot 46.5% from the field and 35.4% from beyond the arc, making him a real three-level threat.

In ESPN's most recent piece from April 25 by Jeremy Woo, it's more of a ranking of the players with no teams listed, which could change some of the overall calculus. Woo has him listed at No. 27 in the team agnostic rankings, which could mean that he'd go higher if the order shakes out one way, or lower if it goes another.

Late first round has been a typical landing spot for Okorie, and the larger question here is whether he'll be looking to be in a little better position than around 27th in order to remain in the draft, or if he'd roll the dice from that spot.

Bleacher Report is a little higher on Okorie in their mock draft, having him going to the Los Angeles Lakers with the 25th overall pick, and they even hung a Dennis Schroder comp on the Stanford point guard. Schroder was a first rounder back in 2013, landing with the Atlanta Hawks with the 17th pick in that draft class.

Schoder is still playing in the league, and has averaged 13.7 points per game over the span of his career. It also took him until his fourth year with the Hawks to become a regular starter in the league.

Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports has been churning out mocks consistently in recent weeks, and he has been sticking with Okorie in that same range. In his most recent mock, the Cardinal guard is going to the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 28 pick.

Finally, Tankathon has Okorie ranked No. 32 on the board, landing with the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis went 25-57 this season, and that could be another reason why going in the first round could be important to Okorie.

If he is selected in the second, then he could end up on a team like the Grizzlies or Kings, where his upside could be a little lower. Sometimes landing in a good situation is almost as important as the skills a player has.

The NBA Combine is scheduled to take place from May 10-17 in Chicago, with the May 10 also serving as the day of the NBA Draft Lottery. That week in particular should shape Okorie's future, and could ultimately determine if he's a first rounder or returning to Stanford.