Coward forgoes Duke, to remain in NBA draft

Cedric Coward is keeping his name in the 2025 NBA draft and will forgo the opportunity to play at Duke next season, he told ESPN on Saturday.

"This is the best opportunity for me to achieve part of my dream, which is making the NBA," Coward said. "Everything is pointing in the right direction right now to follow that."

Coward, a 21-year-old senior, spent the past season at Washington State, but he was forced to redshirt after suffering a partially torn shoulder labrum that sidelined him after six games and required season-ending surgery. He was averaging 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game, shooting 40% from 3 and drawing significant attention in NBA circles due to his unique backstory, measurables and outstanding productivity.

"NBA teams learned that the injury wasn't a setback," Coward said. "I got better and became more profound in all the different details of my game. I improved tremendously in aspects that I needed to work on, which showed in my athletic testing and shooting. I'm stronger mentally, physically and emotionally now."

Coward entered the NCAA transfer portal and in late April announced he had committed to Duke after taking an official visit, spurning interest from the likes of Alabama, Kansas, Washington and Florida.

"Even though I am staying in the draft, I picked Duke for a reason," Coward said. "I feel like I'm halfway in the brotherhood. This was a difficult decision at first, but after the combine, it became a lot easier with the path I wanted to take.

"This was always the main goal. Even if I went to Duke, it would have been in order to get to this level. I feel like I am ready. It didn't hurt that I did pretty well at the combine."

Coward's standing with NBA teams has risen amid a strong predraft process that boosted him from fringe prospect to projected first-round pick, resulting in his decision to remain in the draft without ever playing a single game for Duke.

He measured an enormous 7-foot-2¼ wingspan at the NBA draft combine, tested a 38½-inch max vertical leap, ranked as one of the best shooters in drills (making 71% of his aggregate attempts) and conducted a well-attended pro day in Los Angeles on Tuesday organized by Life Sports Agency, where he demonstrated his physical tools, perimeter shooting and conditioning.

Coward improbably started his career at Division III Willamette in 2021, earning Northwest Conference Freshman of the Year honors. He transferred after his freshman year to Eastern Washington, where he spent two seasons under coach David Riley, becoming a Big Sky All-First Team member in 2024. When Riley was named the coach at Washington State, Coward followed him to Pullman, Washington, appearing to be en route to an all-conference campaign in the WCC before injuring his shoulder.

A young senior, not turning 22 until Sept. 11, Coward fits a mold every NBA team is seeking with his length, perimeter shooting, defensive potential and late-blooming trajectory.

Coward, projected as the No. 30 pick in ESPN's latest mock draft, will be cleared for full contact activity on June 14. He said he has visited two NBA teams for private one-on-zero workouts -- the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder -- and has worked out in Los Angeles in front of another seven teams that came to evaluate him.

"I see myself as a draft pick," Coward said. "I'm looking for a team that wants to take a chance on me. I've gotten really positive feedback. A lot of teams have been coy, not showing exactly how they feel. It doesn't matter if it's a guarantee or not, there's still work ahead of me. There are only 59 picks. If I am fortunate to be one of those 59, it's all a blessing. If I am 1 or 59, it doesn't really matter. There's always work to be done. It doesn't matter what spot. It's more about what team will give me the opportunity to show what I can do on the court."

The NBA draft will be held June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.