Julian Strawther declares for the NBA Draft

Gonzaga Bulldogs sophomore winger Julian Strawther has declared for the 2022 NBA Draft, he announced on social media today.

Strawther has not announced whether or not he has hired an agent or is maintaining his eligibility.

After spending a year waiting behind Corey Kispert, Strawther demonstrated his scoring potential immediately with more minutes in his sophomore season. He averaged 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He demonstrated a consistent three-point shot, hitting 36.5 percent on the year, and his length allowed him to be constantly active and disruptive on rebounding efforts.

Thanks to his size and his length, Strawther has generated some NBA Draft chatter throughout the year, with some scouts thinking he could potentially be a late-first round pick.

After demonstrating consistent scoring potential throughout the year, Strawther ended the season a bit quieter than many would’ve expected. He scored fewer than 10 points just 11 times last season, but five of those outings came in the Zags’ final eight games.

If Strawther is in fact just testing the waters, he would return to a Gonzaga team as one of the primary scoring options and the potential to truly boost his NBA Draft chatter.

Strawther becomes the second Zag to announce their NBA Draft intentions, following in Drew Timme’s footsteps. Timme has hired an NCAA-approved agent and is retaining his collegiate eligibility.