Potential Portal Target Snubs Blue Devils, Will Remain in NBA Draft

The Duke Blue Devils are going to miss out on one of the transfer portal targets this offseason, as Santa Clara’s Allen Graves is opting to keep his name in the draft.

Graves entered his name in the draft earlier this offseason, while also entering the portal. Early in the process, he indicated that Duke and LSU were the only two schools with which he had been in contact. Instead of heading back to school and playing for one of those teams, Graves will stay in the draft.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Santa Clara Broncos forward Allen Graves (22) reacts after making a basket against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Graves Last Season

The blow does hurt a bit for the Blue Devils, as Graves would’ve likely been a welcome addition to an already loaded squad. As a freshman last season, he averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Broncos, shooting 51 percent from the floor and 41 percent from beyond the three-point arc. At 6-foot-9, 225 pounds, Graves offers a versatile game on both ends of the floor at either forward position.

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Graves was also a key part of Santa Clara’s thrilling run to the NCAA Tournament, where they barely lost to Kentucky in overtime in the first round. Graves scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss, but the Broncos nearly became a part of one of the more wild NCAA Tournaments in recent memory.

Mar 19, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Santa Clara Broncos forward Allen Graves (22) reacts during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Most mock drafts project Graves to be anywhere from an early-second round pick to even some as high as just outside of the lottery in the first round. For Graves, that’s a risk worth taking rather than coming back to college, and…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/potential-portal-target-snubs-blue-130007382.html

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Publish date : 2026-05-27 13:00:00

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