BYU Basketball’s Eric Mika declares for the NBA draft, but keeps his options open

On Wednesday, BYU announced that Eric Mika will be preparing for the NBA draft.

However, he is still eligible to return next season as he has decided not to hire an agent. This has become more and more popular over the years, especially for players that are weighing their options. Players at BYU have done this in the past, including Jimmer Fredette and Lee Cummard.

Most have not left for the NBA, but Eric might be different. Some outlets have him projected currently projected to go in the middle-late of the second round. A nice thing about this approach is that he will get significant training that will be valuable regardless of what he ultimately decides to do.

Mika discussed his decision this morning:

“I’m excited to declare for the NBA Draft and I’m looking forward to the process,” Mika said. “I have every intention of pursuing this opportunity with the hope of impressing NBA teams. I will work hard over the next several weeks to put myself in a position to be drafted. I’m optimistic about my chances."

“I’m not hiring an agent because I believe it’s important to have options and I don’t want to rule out the possibility of returning to BYU next season.”

Reading too much into these quotes is probably not wise at this time, but it does seem like he may be leaning towards leaving. Given the two year mission, he is the same age as most college seniors right now.

Not only that, but were he to come back and have an injury, that only hurts his chances of being drafted later on. This is a risk that few are willing to take but depending on what the NBA scouts tell him, it might be worth it.

NBA workouts begin April 25th and the deadline for eligibility to come back to college is May 24th.

Stay tuned to Vanquish the Foe as this story develops. We wish Eric the best of luck!