Florida State star Jamir Watkins was exploring a similar path to what he did a year ago, entering the NBA Draft and going through the process while also entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. Last year, Watkins decided to come back to Tallahassee after exploring all of his options, returning for what turned out to be Leonard Hamilton’s final season. The two of them had a nice exchange when Watkins checked out of their final game in the Tucker Center.
Watkins was one of the top names remaining in the transfer portal if he decided to come back to college, with a few teams likely lining up to hand him a seven-figure NIL deal. And on the last day to withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft, Watkins has made a final decision.
Jamir Watkins has announced that he’ll be staying in the 2025 NBA Draft, giving Leonard Hamilton one last likely NBA Draft selection. Watkins had a big showing at the Combine in Chicago, scoring 23 points on 8/13 shooting in the combine’s second and final scrimmage. He also impressed scouts by shooting well in the drills, enough for him to get some buzz at the end of the event.
Because of NIL, a lot of the fringe second-round or undrafted players are returning to school for the guaranteed money. But that opens opportunities for players like Watkins, who is considered to be a second-round pick, to have a better chance of being selected. Watkins already being 24 years old will hurt his draft stock more than anything he showed on the court, as a lot of teams prefer younger players so they can develop them, but Watkins should be NBA-ready from day one.
If Watkins is selected, he would be Leonard Hamilton’s 20th NBA Draft pick from Florida State. FSU hasn’t had one since the 2021 NBA Draft, when Scottie Barnes (4th overall), Balsa Koprivica (57th overall), and RaiQuan Gray (59th overall) were selected.
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