Washington State guard TJ Bamba declares for 2023 NBA Draft, enters NCAA Transfer Portal

Washington State guard TJ Bamba has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, but will maintain his college eligibility and enter the NCAA Transfer Portal in the event he changes his mind.

Bamba made the announcement on Twitter on Monday afternoon, explaining how thankful he is to everyone at Washington State, and stating the emotions of potentially realizing his NBA dream.

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— Tj (@TjBamba_) March 27, 2023

“First off, I want to thank Allah for allowing me to be in the position I’m in today and without him I would not be here,” wrote Bamba. “These last 3 years at Washington State University have been a dream come true. I have met countless people and developed strong relationships with teammates and coaches who will have a long lasting impact on who I am as a person and a player. I am forever grateful for the Wazzu coaching staff, especially Coach Smith for shaping me into the player I have become this year & for taking a chance on a young kid from the Bronx.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA and this past season has allowed me to take a step in the right direction. Pullman will forever have a place in my heart but it is time for me to begin the next chapter of my life. I am announcing that I will be declaring for the 2023 NBA draft while maintaining my college eligibility and making the very difficult decision to enter the transfer portal. Alhumdulilah for everything and inshallah to everything!”

Moreover, TJ Bamba steadily improved over his three seasons with the Cougars, but his best statistical numbers came over the 2022-2023 season, where he averaged 15.8 points per game.

Now, the former Washington State star will hope to take his game to the next level, either in the NBA or returning to college with a different program.

More on the TJ Bamba, 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.