NBA Draft: Motiejus Krivas Could Boost Stock for 2027 Draft

On Monday, Arizona announced the return of a few key players, one of which was center Motiejus Krivas.

A 7-foot-2 big, Motiejus will be coming back for his senior season with the Wildcats, having already played three seasons in Tucson and seeing a breakout junior year. He earned NBA Draft acclaim in anchoring the Wildcats’ interior en route to the Final Four, but is officially returning for a final season.

Krivas’ decision is an interesting one, coming shortly after the decisions of several others that have thinned the depth of the later first-round significantly, such as Braylon Mullins, Patrick Ngongba II, Thomas Haugh and plenty more. Still, he’ll will now have an opportunity to boost his stock ahead of a reportedly lesser 2027 NBA Draft class.

Krivas jumped from a small role to a reliable starter from his second to third season with Arizona, playing in just eight games total as a sophomore and starting in all 39 of the team’s games as a junior. On the season, he averaged 10.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.9 blocks, shooting 57% overall.

At 7-foot-2, Krivas’ value is tried to his size and mobility, with it aiding him as a play-finisher, but especially as a rim-protector and rebounder. His 12.9 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per 40 minutes were both among the best in the country, cementing him as a highly-effective five.