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Louisville Freshman Mikel Brown Jr. Declares for 2026 NBA Draft

NBA teams plan close medical reviews of his back with most mock drafts slotting him in the top 10.

Overview

  • Brown announced his decision Tuesday on Instagram after telling ESPN’s Andscape he will enter the 2026 NBA Draft.
  • He averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 21 games, then missed the ACC and NCAA tournaments with a lower back strain and sat out 14 games overall.
  • The 6-foot-5 guard flashed elite scoring with a 45-point game against NC State that set the ACC freshman record and included 10 made threes.
  • Multiple outlets project him as a lottery pick, with recent mocks placing him in the 7–10 range, and teams are expected to weigh his shotmaking against concerns about efficiency, turnovers and back durability during pre-draft workouts.
  • ESPN reports he will be represented by Seros Partners, and Yahoo/Courier Journal note he becomes Louisville’s first one-and-done after a 24–11 season that included a 16–5 mark when he played.