Andrej Stojakovic opted not to enter the transfer portal for the third time in his odyssian college career. However, the NBA still poses a threat to pluck him out of Champaign, though maybe not for much longer.
Stojakovic declared for the NBA Draft, but maintained his eligibility, leaving him the option to return to Illinois for his senior season, a decision he has until the May 27 deadline to make. He will presumably attend the NBA Draft Combine, which takes place in Chicago from May 10-17, testing himself against the top talent in the 2026 draft class, and more importantly, getting feedback from scouts.
However, the process of getting feedback, at least anecdotally, has already begun through mock drafts. The latest mock draft released by ESPN’s Jeremy Woo on Thursday sends Stojakovic a clear message: go back to school. And there’s a good chance that ultimately, he will listen.
Andrej Stojakovic slated as 54th overall pick in latest ESPN mock draft
While he came off the bench for Illinois down the stretch, Stojakovic cemented himself as one of the best players in college basketball once the NCAA Tournament came around. An aggressive downhill attacker with an imposing 6-foot-7, 205-pound frame, Stojakovic was stellar in the postseason before he went ice cold in the Illini’s Final Four loss to UConn, along with the rest of his teammates.
While he’s a lethal scorer from the mid-range, has an advanced post-up game, and is difficult to keep out of the paint, Stojakovic has yet to develop a reliable outside shot. He made just 24.4 percent of his 2.4 three-point attempts per game last season, and without that element to his game, his NBA ceiling will remain quite low.
He’s not the type of overwhelming athlete who can get to the rim without the threat of an outside shot to keep defenders from sagging into the paint and cutting off his path to the basket. His best bet to develop a jump shot is to return to Illinois and exhaust his final season of college eligibility. Not to mention, while getting paid handsomely to do so.
There’s value to testing the NBA Draft waters and experiencing the process before doing it again without college to fall back on next season. There just isn’t much value to leaving Illinois for Stojakovic, unless he does something to drastically improve his draft stock throughout the next month.
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