Malachi Moreno has plenty of leverage ahead of NBA Draft withdrawl deadline

Malachi Moreno has until 11:59 p.m. ET on May 27th to either return to college or keep his name in the NBA Draft pool. That’s still eight days away. That’s also eight more days where he can hold the leverage when it comes to his final decision.

In a 45-minute sitdown on The Assist with Kyle Tucker from Monday, CBS Sports writer Isaac Trotter went over plenty of post-NBA Draft Combine headlines with Tucker. Kentucky was a big topic of the conversation, centering around Moreno’s draft decision and the potential of the Wildcats adding Iowa State wing Milan Momcilovic, also going through the pre-draft process, to next season’s roster.

But what stood out to me was Trotter’s take on Moreno’s fluctuating draft stock and electing not to participate in 5-on-5 drills. Let’s quickly provide some background first.

There’s no denying that the All-SEC Freshman big man has moved himself up NBA teams’ big boards since he began this process, with some media outlets now projecting him as a late first-round pick. This has gone from a no-brainer return a few weeks ago to a real decision. If Moreno ends up getting a first-round guarantee, it would be tough for him to turn that down. However, most mock drafts see him as a second-pick. In that case, Moreno would likely be better suited returning to Kentucky and seeing if he can develop into a first-round lock next summer.

Moreno has met with several NBA teams throughout the process. He’s hosting a Pro Day with GSL Sports Group, his agency, in Los Angeles on Tuesday. But he also refused to participate in the 5-on-5 portion of the NBA Draft Combine last week in Chicago, which other prospects in his draft range elected to go through with. Moreno said at the Combine he was in a “good spot” and didn’t feel the need to participate.

Some believe that means he has a promise from an NBA team and is going pro. Others, including Trotter, see this as a leverage play by his agency, one that could net Moreno more money from Kentucky when all is said and done.

“I think it’s a bluff,” Trotter told Tucker. “I think that’s what the agent is pulling right now, of like we aren’t scrimmaging because we want to have a little bit of narrative here, and we also know that Kentucky has a lot of money here on the table, and you aren’t getting us a sweetheart deal. We’re not getting a team-friendly deal here to get us back for a sophomore season. That’s the interpretation that I have had of this process. We’ll see, though.”

“I think it’s a way to try to, one, generate leverage with the NBA,” Trotter later added. “And two, try to generate a little bit even more leverage with Kentucky, and understanding that, hey, if he does go back to school, a pay bump is coming.”

Moreno and his agency have the leverage here. Kentucky needs him as the starting center on the 2026-27 roster. There are few, if any, options out there that would be able to replace him in the Wildcats’ frontcourt. And if it takes some extra cash at the negotiating table to lock Moreno down and keep him in Lexington for at least another season, then that’s just what Mark Pope will have to do.

You can listen to the full conversation by clicking the video below.