Mizzou Basketball: Jontay Porter is going to the NBA, maybe

Jontay Porter has followed in his brother’s footsteps and declared for the NBA draft, but unlike his brother, he’s not signing with an agent.

Jontay’s decision was expected but wasn’t official until it was announced on Thursday. The 6’11 freshman said in a statement released by Mizzou,

"“I have loved everything about my experience on and off the court as a member of the Mizzou family, but have always had a dream of playing in the NBA.”"

This could be a worse case scenario for Mizzou, losing both Jontay and his brother Michael Porter Jr after their freshman year. Michael is going for sure as he’s hired an agent and is a virtual lock to be a lottery pick in the draft. Jontay is currently seen as a late first round to early second round pick by most draft experts.

The saving grace for Mizzou is that Jontay is not hiring an agent, therefore leaving the door open for him to return to campus for his sophomore season. Without an agent, Jontay can go through pre-draft workouts, like the NBA combine, to find out what his draft stock is. If he doesn’t like where he’s expected to be drafted, then he has until May 30 to withdraw his name from draft eligibility.

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Jontay is an NBA level talent and he will be drafted, whether that’s this year or next year. If he’s picked in the late first round he’ll be slotted to make around $3 million guaranteed on a two year deal with another $4 million two year team option. For a college kid with empty pockets, it’s hard to turn down that money to play the sport you love.

It’s likely if he was drafted that late he would end up spending next season in the NBA development league called the G League. It’s still getting paid to play, but it’s the minors. If he falls out of the first round of the draft his contract is not guaranteed and again he’d likely be spending his first year in the G League.

Jontay’s other option is to return to Mizzou and try to improve his draft stock for the 2019 draft. Barring serious injury it’s unlikely his draft stock would drop any with another year of college experience. It is likely that he would have a better sophomore season and move up teams draft boards in a year with fewer big man options.

If he improves enough he could even work his way into the NBA lottery which would double his guaranteed money. His decision will most likely boil down to what the scouts tell him about his placement in the draft. If he’s told he won’t be taken in the first round, I believe it’s likely he returns to school. If he’s told he’s top 20, he won’t be coming back while if he’s 21-30 I think it’s a 50/50 shot.

As far as Mizzou is concerned they are likely planning on him not returning. Without Jontay, Mizzou is still in good shape with returning players Jeremiah Tilmon, Kevin Puryear, and Jordan Geist. They are adding four-star guard Torrence Watson and in the hunt for four-star guard Courtney Ramey. If they lock up Ramey to go with Watson and Geist, the Tigers will have a monster backcourt.

If the dreams of Mizzou fans come true and Jontay does return expectations will go through the roof. A front court of Ramey and Watson with Tilmon and Porter down low would make Mizzou one of the most balanced teams in the SEC.

For the next two months, Mizzou fans will be on the edge of their seats waiting to hear Jontay’s final answer. He will be an NBA millionaire someday, whether it’s in a few months or a year from now. The Mizzou program will be in good shape either way with the recruiting base Cuonzo Martin has established with the help of the Porter brothers. Fans will be happy with the program and Jontay either way, but it’s nice to imagine how special it could be if he did return.