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After announcing last Friday that he would be returning to Illinois for his senior season, forward Andrej Stojakovic is apparently entering his name into the 2026 NBA Draft, according to a Tweet from ESPN's Jeff Borzello on Sunday.
Fighting Illini fans need not be too concerned about this development, which makes total sense for Stojakovic, who averaged 13.5 points per game last season for Illinois after playing his first two years at Stanford and California, respectively.
While the upcoming NBA Draft is supposed to be loaded, Stojakovic is doing the smart thing for his career, getting feedback on what areas of his game need to improve for this upcoming college basketball season. Stojakovic is not projected as a first- or second-round lottery pick at the moment, though that could always change if he does very well during the pre-draft process.
For Stojakovic, whose father Peja played 13 seasons in the NBA, getting a chance to go to the combine, test in front of teams and even go through interviews is an opportunity he should absolutely take advantage of even though he is best suited to return to the Illini. Next year's draft is considered much weaker, and Stojakovic will have a serious chance to get drafted if all goes well during his senior season.
In 2026-27, Stojakovic will be featured even more in the Illini offense and have a great opportunity to pick up his momentum from the 2026 NCAA Tournament, during which he shined as a sixth-man. Stojakovic is expected to return to the Illinois starting lineup next season. While showing an incredible ability to get to and finish at the rim, Stojakovic could use another year at Illinois to work on his three-point shooting and further demonstrate his defensive chops, which were on full display during the Illini's run to the Final Four.
Stojakovic's decision to enter the NBA Draft reminds me of something similar that former Illini Roger Powell Jr. did following the 2003-04 season. While entering one's name into the NBA Draft was much different back then, Powell did so after having a strong performance against Duke in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. After getting feedback about his game, Powell came back to Illinois for his senior season, the 2004-05 campaign during which the Illini were #1 for most of the year and reached the national championship game.
While Powell did not get drafted during the 2005 NBA Draft, he did sign on as a free agent with the Utah Jazz, for which he briefly played. Still, returning to college was the right decision for Powell, whose game was heavily showcased his senior season as Illinois was the primary focus of college hoops from December 2004 through early April 2005.
With Illinois expected to be a top-five team, Stojakovic will have plenty of opportunities to impress scouts next season. Ultimately, the 6'7'' Stojakovic is a much better NBA prospect than the 6'6'' Powell ever was, projecting as someone who can eventually be a nice piece off the bench at the next level.
While there is always the possibility that Stojakovic can impress, get a guarantee from a team and stay in this year's draft, this move is most likely being made with next year's draft in mind. If all things go well, Stojakovic would be a second-round pick at best this June, which does not come with a guaranteed contract and would mean less money than staying at Illinois.
From a financial perspective, Stojakovic is better off staying one more season at Illinois, where a monster campaign can improve his draft stock and make him a borderline first-round pick a year from now. Also, Stojakovic would be returning to a special team that not only has great potential to make another deep run but thoroughly enjoys playing with each other.
While Stojakovic's decision to enter the draft makes things a bit uncertain for the Illini for the next month, take a deep breath as Andrej should be back in Champaign for one more season.
As a reminder, the deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft and maintain college eligibility is 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 27th, with the combine taking place from May 10th through the 17th.
Expect more clarity on Stojakovic's future somewhere between the 17th and 27th of next month.
In the meantime, relax and watch some highlights of Andrej and his dad Peja, whose games could not be more different, like father, unlike son.
Fighting Illini fans need not be too concerned about this development, which makes total sense for Stojakovic, who averaged 13.5 points per game last season for Illinois after playing his first two years at Stanford and California, respectively.
While the upcoming NBA Draft is supposed to be loaded, Stojakovic is doing the smart thing for his career, getting feedback on what areas of his game need to improve for this upcoming college basketball season. Stojakovic is not projected as a first- or second-round lottery pick at the moment, though that could always change if he does very well during the pre-draft process.
For Stojakovic, whose father Peja played 13 seasons in the NBA, getting a chance to go to the combine, test in front of teams and even go through interviews is an opportunity he should absolutely take advantage of even though he is best suited to return to the Illini. Next year's draft is considered much weaker, and Stojakovic will have a serious chance to get drafted if all goes well during his senior season.
In 2026-27, Stojakovic will be featured even more in the Illini offense and have a great opportunity to pick up his momentum from the 2026 NCAA Tournament, during which he shined as a sixth-man. Stojakovic is expected to return to the Illinois starting lineup next season. While showing an incredible ability to get to and finish at the rim, Stojakovic could use another year at Illinois to work on his three-point shooting and further demonstrate his defensive chops, which were on full display during the Illini's run to the Final Four.
Stojakovic's decision to enter the NBA Draft reminds me of something similar that former Illini Roger Powell Jr. did following the 2003-04 season. While entering one's name into the NBA Draft was much different back then, Powell did so after having a strong performance against Duke in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. After getting feedback about his game, Powell came back to Illinois for his senior season, the 2004-05 campaign during which the Illini were #1 for most of the year and reached the national championship game.
While Powell did not get drafted during the 2005 NBA Draft, he did sign on as a free agent with the Utah Jazz, for which he briefly played. Still, returning to college was the right decision for Powell, whose game was heavily showcased his senior season as Illinois was the primary focus of college hoops from December 2004 through early April 2005.
With Illinois expected to be a top-five team, Stojakovic will have plenty of opportunities to impress scouts next season. Ultimately, the 6'7'' Stojakovic is a much better NBA prospect than the 6'6'' Powell ever was, projecting as someone who can eventually be a nice piece off the bench at the next level.
While there is always the possibility that Stojakovic can impress, get a guarantee from a team and stay in this year's draft, this move is most likely being made with next year's draft in mind. If all things go well, Stojakovic would be a second-round pick at best this June, which does not come with a guaranteed contract and would mean less money than staying at Illinois.
From a financial perspective, Stojakovic is better off staying one more season at Illinois, where a monster campaign can improve his draft stock and make him a borderline first-round pick a year from now. Also, Stojakovic would be returning to a special team that not only has great potential to make another deep run but thoroughly enjoys playing with each other.
While Stojakovic's decision to enter the draft makes things a bit uncertain for the Illini for the next month, take a deep breath as Andrej should be back in Champaign for one more season.
As a reminder, the deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft and maintain college eligibility is 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 27th, with the combine taking place from May 10th through the 17th.
Expect more clarity on Stojakovic's future somewhere between the 17th and 27th of next month.
In the meantime, relax and watch some highlights of Andrej and his dad Peja, whose games could not be more different, like father, unlike son.
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