Kentucky leading scorer Otega Oweh worked out for the Portland Trailblazers on Thursday and afterward, was asked about his upcoming decision about whether to remain in the draft or return to Lexington next season.
“I’m all in,” Oweh said. “I have one more year of eligibility, but my goal is to play in the NBA, so I’m not doing this process one foot in, one foot out.”
The consensus throughout the draft process has been as long as Oweh doesn’t receive a first round guarantee that he’ll be back with the Wildcats next season. Oweh would likely stand to make significantly more at UK in NIL next season than he would as a second round pick.
“I wouldn’t say it’s completely false,” Oweh said of that narrative. “I believe I’m a first-round guy, So, I’m just gonna go through these workouts, give it my all, then when its all said and done, I’ll see where I’m at, an I’ll make that decision.”
In addition to the Blazers, Oweh has also worked out for the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, and is scheduled to work out for the Brooklyn Nets.
Oweh has until May 28 to withdraw from the draft and maintain his eligibility.
Last offseason, BYU transfer and Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year Jaxson Robinson withdrew just ahead of the deadline before committing to Kentucky and was the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer before suffering a season-ending wrist injury.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony recently released his updated list of the top 100 NBA Draft prospects for 2025 and has Oweh at No. 77. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has Oweh going to the Houston Rockets with the 59th and final pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Oweh is set to compete at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, which will be another good indicator of his draft prospects.
His return could solidify Kentucky as a preseason top-5 team heading into next season.
The Second Team All-SEC selection averaged a team-high 16.2 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals while starting all 36 games for the Wildcats this season.
Oweh, a transfer from Oklahoma, scored in double figures in 33 of 36 games with 13 games of 20 points or more, including a career-high 28 points and the game-winner against the Sooners in Norman. He also scored 27 points and beat his former team at the buzzer in the SEC Tournament.
In a 76-57 win over Troy in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Oweh became the first UK player since Walter McCarty in 1996 with 20+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in an NCAA Tournament game.
Among Kentucky transfers, only Antonio Reeves (667 points in 2023-24) and national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe (590 points in 2021-22) scored more points in a season than Oweh’s 584 points this season.
Upon leaving Oklahoma last offseason, Oweh was ranked as the No. 31 overall transfer in the portal by 247Sports. In 247Sports’ final re-rank of the 2024 portal class, Oweh finished No. 7 overall.
