Tyler Lydon made the best decision of his career signing an agent and entering the 2017 NBA Draft. Why would anyone take the risk to come back?
On Monday, CBS Sports College Basketball Insider, Jon Rothstein reported that Syracuse star Tyler Lydon will hire an agent and enter the NBA Draft. Which led to #LydonGate when conflicting reports suggested the opposite.
Although on Wednesday night, Lydon revealed on his Twitter account that he was indeed leaving the Orange in a heartfelt message to the fan base.
This wasn’t much of a surprise to Syracuse and basketball fans alike, but there was still some hope that he would return for his junior season.
The sophomore had high expectations coming into this season after an impressive freshman year, which included an iconic shot in the Final Four as he scored a clutch three-pointer with one shoe.
Lydon averaged 13 points and around eight rebounds this past season, per ESPN. He got off to a slow start, but really had a solid year for the Orange.
At times, it looked as if he struggled to find a true position fit. He played a variety of positions this season, including small-forward, power-forward, and center. At 6’9, 220, he will most likely play the four in the NBA. Once he puts on some more muscle, that should be a natural fit.
His decision to hire an agent and declare for the draft means that his agent (and NBA teams) view
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him as a first round pick. Only first round picks receive guaranteed contracts, which is the main incentive to leave college. Draft Express currently has Lydon going No. 23 overall to the Orlando Magic. This could be a nice fit for Orlando, having just traded their star power-forward in Serge Ibaka.
I think that this was the best decision for Lydon’s career. Fans are quick to call players selfish for leaving early, but it is a player’s right to make the best move for their career. As of now, Lydon is a projected first round pick so it is most likely that he will be a millionaire by June.
That is pretty tough to turn down, considering a lot can happen between now and the end of next season. It would be a big risk for him to return for his junior season. Many factors play into this (injuries, poor play, age). Would it have been great to have Lydon for one more year? Absolutely. But this was the right move for his career.
Next: Syracuse Sophomore PF Tyler Lydon Should’ve Stayed At SU
In a season with such high-expectations, Lydon’s departure leaves a sour taste in the mouths of Syracuse fans after such a disappointing season. This season had it’s ups (beating Duke, FSU, and Virginia) and downs (losing to Georgetown, St. Johns, and BC). Lydon had a very nice career for Syracuse and it’s sad to see it cut short. That being said, I wish him the best in the NBA and hope he has a long and successful career.