Dukes Paolo Banchero is jumping into the NBA after one season and is a contender for the No. 1 draft pick.
Banchero announced his decision in a social media video on Wednesday. The school said the freshman plans to hire an agent.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play at Duke and it’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA,” Banchero said. “Duke prepared me for this on and off the field. … It has been a great journey and I am blessed to be a part of the Brotherhood for Life.”
— Paolo Banchero🇮🇹 (@Pp_doesit) April 20, 2022
Banchero was considered a likely one-and-done player even before he set foot on the Durham, North Carolina campus from Seattle. Blessed with a strong frame, height, and perimeter skills, Banchero was named a third-team All-America pick by The Associated Press and is ranked #2 on ESPN’s latest draft list.
The 6-foot-10, 250-pound player was recently projected as the No. 3 pick in ESPN’s Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft.
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Banchero, the headliner in a talented recruiting class, averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, broke the 20-point mark 15 times and failed to break double digits just twice in 39 games. He helped Duke match now-retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski’s record 13th Final Four, shortly after the program won its first full Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title since 2006.
In a statement from the school, Krzyzewski said Banchero was “absolutely ready to attack the next phase of his career”.
“He’s so dynamic, explosive and versatile – a paragon player in today’s NBA game. He did everything we asked for at a very high level,” said Krzyzewski. “I loved having him and his family in our program and wish him all the best as he begins his professional career.”
Top 2 selection. Not 2. Thanks for everything @Pp_doesit! 💙👿#DukeintheNBA pic.twitter.com/Zn8IpRdrvZ
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 20, 2022
Banchero also took advantage of opportunities for college athletes to capitalize on their endorsement fame, which began last summer when the NCAA allowed athletes to capitalize on the use of their name, likeness and likeness.
In Banchero’s case, he worked with Creative Artists Agency for marketing and landed deals consisting of becoming the first player to be featured in the latest NBA 2K video game and a basketball trading card from Panini as part of a multi-year deal contract.
Now he wants to make even more money in the NBA.
Banchero is the second Duke player to announce an early jump into the NBA, following 7-foot-1 sophomore Mark Williams two days earlier.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.