Malachi Moreno announced he was coming back to Kentucky IF he was going to come back to college.
When the NBA Draft process started, most people believed Moreno would be a late second-round pick or possibly go undrafted. He has all the potential in the world, but his stats show a player who is still growing into his body: 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds a night, with nearly as many turnovers as assists. That’s not knocking who he could become, but another year of college growth could go a long way to seal
a first-round grade.
But recent reports indicate Moreno is climbing the draft boards, and some have him sneaking into the back half of Round 1. That would mean he would be staying in the draft.
One college basketball analyst believes it all to be a bluff.
CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter joined ESPN Louisville this week to discuss Moreno.
“I think it’s a bluff,” he said. “I think it’s an agent trying to pull some strings here to get a little more leverage. When you don’t play five-on-five, it raises the question of like, ‘Do you have a promise?’ I don’t think Malachi Moreno has proven enough to have a promise.”
Are Malachi Moreno’s agents leveraging Kentucky?
Well, if Malachi Moreno has a good agent, of course they’re going to try to spin any story in a positive light. That is their job; they literally want to make as much money as possible. But considering Malachi’s NIL deal was signed and everyone seemed happy with it, I really don’t think they’re trying to get more money.
I think they are trying to get as much attention for their client as possible, and that is exactly what they should be doing in this situation. Trotter continues:
“The more I look at it, the more I think he ends up back at Kentucky.”
That’s music to my ears. With Malachi’s work ethic and ability, a Year 2 in the same system would go a long way toward easing any doubts teams have about taking him in the first round next year. I love Malachi’s upside. I think he will be a great college player next season.
I do wonder whether, if he goes pro, he follows the same path as Daniel Orton, a guy with great talent who made the jump a little too early.
Either way, we will find out in the next week as the deadline to finalize a college return or stay in the draft is coming up on May 27 at 11:59 PM ET.
