Braden Smith won't return to college after ruling
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Braden Smith will not explore a return to college basketball despite Friday's injunction that cleared a fifth year of eligibility for the Class of 2022, his representatives at Priority Sports told CBS Sports.
- Smith was the No. 38 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, selected by the Chicago Bulls and traded to the Indiana Pacers, and remains one of five unsigned second-round picks.
- Indiana GM Chad Buchanan said the Pacers are hard-capped at the first apron and still weighing how to fill their 15th roster spot, explaining Smith's contract delay.
- NCAA president Charlie Baker has reiterated that any player who signs an NBA contract — including a two-way deal — will not be cleared by the NCAA.
- Smith finished as the NCAA's all-time career assists leader with 1,103, passing Duke's Bobby Hurley, and is the only player in history with 1,500+ points, 1,000+ assists, and 500+ rebounds, plus 5,067 career minutes (most by a four-year player).
- Vanderbilt's Tyler Nickel and St. John's Dillon Mitchell are expected to explore their college options among the other unsigned second-rounders.
- Purdue coach Matt Painter is expected to give Israeli sophomore Omer Mayer and freshman Luke Ertel the first crack at replacing Smith at point guard.
Why it matters: Smith's decision closes the book on one of college basketball's most decorated careers, leaving Purdue to rebuild its backcourt around an Israeli sophomore and a true freshman. The Pacers' first-apron crunch — not eligibility uncertainty — keeps five second-round picks unsigned, with Nickel and Mitchell exploring college options under the new ruling.
