Juke Harris Commits to Tennessee, Announces Intention to Return to School

The 2026 NBA Draft continues to approach as the NBA season winds down.

With just eight teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs, most squads across the league are turning their focus towards this year's class.

The NBA Combine and draft lottery are both less than a week away, which will give teams a clearer picture of where their picks fall and which players they are interested in.

One prospect with the potential to be a first-round pick in the 2026 class made headlines on Monday, May 4 when he revealed a big decision.

Juke Harris, who entered the transfer portal and declared for the NBA Draft, announced his commitment to Tennessee, marking a big addition for Rick Barnes' squad. Harris was invited to the NBA Combine and is still in the pre-draft process, but announced his intention to return to school in a commitment video.

Let’s do it 🫶🏾 pic.twitter.com/XgPsGUEuPE
— JAYDEN “Juke” HARRIS (@Juke2Timez) May 4, 2026

"I decided to go back to school," Harris said in the video. "It's going to look a little different this time."

NBA prospects who have remaining eligibility have until May 27 to withdraw from the 2026 class, but it appears Harris has already made his decision.

At Tennessee, Harris will join fellow highly touted transfers Miles Rubin, Dai Dai Ames, Jalen Haralson and Tyler Lundblade, among others.

Harris entered the transfer portal after a breakout sophomore season at Wake Forrest, where the former four-star recruit averaged 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 44.4% from the field and 33.2% from 3-point range on more than 7 attempts per contest.

The coveted transfer's impressive 2025-26 campaign came after Harris averaged 6.1 points per game as a freshman for the Demon Deacons.

Listed at 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds, Harris has good size on the wing and showed the ability to get downhill and pressure the rim as a sophomore. The Tennessee commit was viewed by some draft analysts as a potential first-round pick, and could have elevated his stock at the NBA Combine.

While Harris could still participate in the pre-draft process, the commitment video posted on May 4 appears to indicate his decision regarding this year's class. With a strong season at Tennessee, surrounded by a group of talented players, Harris could be even more highly regarded in the 2027 NBA Draft class, which is believed to be less talented than the 2026 group.

In the SEC, the rising junior will also have the opportunity to showcase his talents against a number of other draft prospects and top teams.

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