Auburn star spurns NBA, set to return to Tigers

After testing the NBA Draft waters following his freshman year at Auburn, Tahaad Pettiford has decided to pull out of the draft pool and return to the Tigers for the 2025-26 season, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Pettiford confirmed the news with a post on his Instagram account.

Pettiford, a 6-foot-1 point guard who will turn 20 in August, earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman Team after averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game in 38 appearances (one start) in 2024/25.

He posted a solid shooting line of .421/.366/.804 and helped Auburn earn a No. 1 seed and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were defeated by eventual champion Florida in the Final Four.

Pettiford was considered a strong candidate to be drafted but was less likely to be a first-round pick. He came in at No. 38 on the most recent update of ESPN’s big board of 2025 prospects.

According to Givony, Pettiford is expected to enter his sophomore season as a projected first-rounder in the 2026 draft.