It has been a month now since Illinois basketball played in the Final Four, and I thought things were starting to slow down.
The Illini had retained most of the pieces from that magical run, and the class of 2026 seemed buttoned up. Well, the potential hiccups this offseason haven’t ended.
On Sunday afternoon, Jeff Borzello of ESPN reported that Andrej Stojakovic is now entering the NBA Draft.
NEWS: Illinois' Andrej Stojakovic has entered his name into the NBA draft, sources told ESPN, leaving open the option to return to the Fighting Illini. He was an All-Region selection during Illinois' run to the Final Four.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 26, 2026
It looks like Stojakovic is still entertaining the idea of coming back to Champaign. So, while this news is a bit surprising, and honestly, he seems like he is doing this backwards, Stojakovic isn’t full-go NBA right now.
I mention that this is backwards because usually, players declare for the NBA Draft, go through the process, and then they either back out and make a decision on where they are going, or they stay in the draft process.
Stojakovic is doing it the opposite way. He has already announced he was returning to Illinois. He even put out a funny little video on social media. Now, the wing is declaring for the next level while still keeping his eligibility.
The 2026 NBA Draft first round is June 23, and the second round is June 24. Stojakovic will go through the NBA Draft Combine from May 10-17, most likely. The deadline to withdraw from the draft process is June 13.
The decision by Andrej Stojakovic to declare for the NBA Draft is smart for the Illinois basketball star
There are some people who will see that Stojakovic declared for the NBA Draft and worry about the future. I am not one of those people. Honestly, it is extremely smart of Stojakovic to test the waters. I would argue this is the second-best decision he has made in his career. The first, obviously, is the transfer to Illinois.
What Stojakovic experienced last season at Illinois is a stark contrast to his first two seasons in the college game. He had a total of 28 wins in his time with Stanford and Cal. Illinois had 28 wins last season.
Stojakovic has become a more well-rounded player, too. He averages over 10% better from two-point range at Illinois than at any previous stop, and Stojakovic is pulling down more offensive rebounds per game than in any season prior. He also has a better defensive box plus-minus, +2.3, than any season he has ever had. The previous high was +0.6 at Cal.
Stojakovic doesn’t get a ton of chances to perform in front of NBA scouts and talent evaluators. He has a bunch of people telling him how great he is, but when he heads to the NBA measuring contests, they are going to give him honest feedback.
That feedback is so valuable for his career. Stojakovic can get more intel on what he needs to work on as a senior, and he can come back to Illinois and develop his game.
My guess is that Stojakovic goes through the draft process and returns to Champaign. I would bet the house on it. This kid is good, but he still has plenty to work on to get to The Association. This is a great career move, though.
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