Alabama freshman Amari Allen to test NBA Draft waters

Alabama forward Amari Allen has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, he announced on his Instagram on Sunday night.

Allen will be testing the draft waters for feedback while leaving the option open to return to school for his sophomore season. He has until 11:59 p.m. ET on May 27 to withdraw his name from the draft if he decides to return for another year.

The 6-foot-8 forward was the biggest surprise of Alabama’s freshman class, earning a starting role after the first month of the season. He started in 24 of his 32 games this past season, averaging 11.4 points and 3.1 assists while leading the team with 6.9 rebounds, shooting 44.6% from the field and 34.1% from three.

He was named the SEC’s freshman of the week on three different occasions, and was named to the league’s All-Freshman team at season’s end. He posted eight games of 15-plus points and five double-doubles.

Allen has most recently been mocked as a late first-rounder, currently the 28th overall pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft. He would be Alabama’s first one-and-done prospect since Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney in 2023.

Key dates coming up in Allen’s pre-draft process include the NBA G League Combine from May 8-10, followed by the NBA Draft Combine from May 10-17.

Check out BamaOnLine’s roster tracker to stay up to date with all the moves Alabama is making throughout the offseason.

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