Chris Livingston to stay in 2023 NBA Draft, will not return to Kentucky

Chris Livingston is set to stay in the 2023 NBA Draft, his agent told Stadium and The Athletic’s Shams Charania Wednesday night. As a result, he will not return to Kentucky for his sophomore season.

Livingston started 26 games during the 2022-23 season and made 34 appearances as a true freshman. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9% from the floor in 22 minutes per contest. One of his biggest games came against Florida when he had 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds to lead Kentucky to the 82-74 victory.

Livingston was one of five Kentucky players to declare for the draft, joining Cason Wallace, Jacob Toppin, Oscar Tshiebwe and Antonio Reeves. Tshiebwe and Reeves also said they planned to maintain their eligibility while testing the NBA Draft waters. Tshiebwe announced he’s also staying in the draft while Reeves withdrew ahead of Wednesday’s deadline.

Livingston played high school basketball at Oak Hill Academy (Ohio), where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 16 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.