A source confirmed to Rivals that Iowa junior forward Payton Sandfort has declared or the 2024 NBA Draft. He will maintain his final year of eligibility.
The news was first reported by The Des Moines Register.
“It has been a dream come true to represent this program and my state the past three seasons as a Hawkeye,” said Sandfort.
“Every day I pushed myself to make our team as successful as possible. I have loved every second of being a Hawkeye.“It has been my lifelong dream to get the opportunity to play in the NBA. I plan to enter my name into the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining my eligibility. I will continue to push myself every day to make this dream a reality. I appreciate the support from Hawkeye nation as I go through this process.”
“We fully support Payton using this opportunity to gain valuable feedback from NBA personnel through workouts and interviews,” said Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery.
“Payton is one of the best shooters in the nation and he displayed an all-around game during his junior season. He will go through this process with a professional approach, and we are excited to see his game continue to grow to another level.”
Underclassmen have until May 29 to remain in the NBA Draft or remove their names from consideration and return to college.
Sandfort led the Hawkeyes in scoring this season, averaging 16.7 points per game. He tied for the team-lead in rebounding with Owen Freeman as well, grabbing 6.6 boards per contest. Sandfort became the first Iowa men's basketball player to record a triple double, notching 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against Penn State this season. Overall, he shot 44.6% from the floor, 38% from three-point range, and 91% from the free throw line. Sandfort led the Big Ten in three-pointers, draining 94 shots from behind the arc.
From the beginning of the season, McCaffery made it clear that the Hawkeyes would need Sandfort to step up in a big way, especially following the graduation of players like Connor McCaffery, Kris Murray and Filip Rebraca.
"We need him to be special this year," McCaffery said in October. "I think he expects that himself."
With those high expectations came extra difficulties. Sandfort quickly rose to the top of every other team's scouting report.
"It's hard moving into a new role," he said following Iowa's win over Rutgers in early January. "You have to find new ways to score. If I can get myself in a rhythm, go out there and play my game, quit thinking about it -- that's where I can go out and excel."
That significant shift in roles for Sandfort -- and a good portion of the rest of the team -- was one of several reasons why the Hawkeyes struggled at the beginning of conference play, and why they dropped some games throughout the season.
Sandfort's leadership was also key in their turnaround and consistency over the latter half of the season.
"Payton has really taken it upon himself to be really supportive of the young guys and professional in his approach," McCaffery said in late February. "Payton has really, really taken it upon himself to be vocal."
The decision to enter the draft process by Sandfort only makes sense -- Joe Weiskamp, Kris Murray and many other college basketball players before them have made the decision to go through the process, be evaluated and return to the college ranks, if need be.
Mainly projected by mock drafts to be selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft (Yahoo! Sports hasn't included him in the first round), Sandfort can return to Iowa for another year to try and improve his stock and become a first round selection in 2025. Should that be the case, Sandfort will be have much more value to the team that drafts him, and he will be prioritized in development.
"Sandfort recorded the first triple-double in Iowa men’s basketball history at Penn State, showing passing IQ and more aggression (18-of-19 FTs) than a typical shotmaking specialist," Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report wrote on NBA.com, mocking him to the Boston Celtics at pick 47.
"Shooting versatility and touch shots will still be Sandfort’s moneymakers in the NBA, but the ball-moving and toughness do make him more attractive and well-rounded for a supporting role.
