Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford will withdraw from the 2025 NBA draft and return to the Tigers for his sophomore season, he told ESPN on Wednesday.
“I was happy to go through the process, getting feedback from NBA teams,” Pettiford told ESPN. “Going back to Auburn is a better situation for me. I see myself being a higher pick next year. It wasn’t 100% this year, so I didn’t want to take that chance.
“Being a short guard, it won’t be easy to play in the league, but I know I can do it. It’s maybe not the right time.”
Pettiford, who was the No. 35 prospect in ESPN’s NBA draft rankings, had a strong showing at the draft combine, including a 23-point, 8-assist, 2-steal performance in the opening scrimmage. He drew significant interest from teams picking in the first round, conducting six individual workouts with teams, and will enter next season as a projected first-round pick in the 2026 draft.
The 6-foot-1 guard ultimately elected to return to the certainty of a leading role for an Auburn team that made the Final Four last season. He averaged 11.6 points and 3.0 assists in 22.9 minutes per game and earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman Team.
“I plan on putting all the tools that teams told me to work on together and get better overall,” Pettiford said. “Going back to Auburn and trying to win another championship, do what we did this year.”
Pettiford, 19, ranked first on the Tigers in assists and third in scoring, despite finishing sixth in minutes played, which helped him carve out a strong role on a deep, veteran squad that started five players ages 22 to 25.
Pettiford’s late-game heroics coming off the bench helped propel Auburn to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. He then posted 23 points against Creighton in the second round and 20 points versus Michigan in the Sweet 16.
After losing the entire roster outside of Pettiford to graduation or the transfer portal, Auburn will look significantly different next season. But the Tigers have reeled in several key signings that should have coach Bruce Pearl’s squad right back in the mix for SEC championship contention.
UCF power forward Keyshawn Hall, Mississippi State big man KeShawn Murphy, Texas Tech wing Kevin Overton, Division II wing transfer Elyjah Freeman and juco forward Abdul Bashir will all likely be key rotational players, in addition to top-50 high school recruits Kaden Magwood and Sebastian Williams-Adams.
Also on Wednesday, Pearl received a commitment from Filip Jovic of Mega SuperBet in the Adriatic League. The 6-9 Serbian big man posted 12.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 22 minutes per game this season and will bring an experienced, physical presence that should allow him to make an immediate contribution in the SEC.
The NCAA deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft and maintain college eligibility is 11:59 p.m. ET. Wednesday.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.
