Reports: Jordan Bone expected to keep name in 2019 NBA Draft

It appears that nothing has changed on the Jordan Bone front over the last month. Tennessee’s junior point guard declared for the NBA Draft in early April, reportedly with intentions to stay there. Now with about 24 hours to make one final decision, Bone is expected to keep his name in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Evan Daniels broke the initial story on Bone declaring with the intention of staying and he’s sticking to his original report.

Additionally, a report from the Knoxville New Sentinel says that Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes also expects Bone to stay in the draft.

“He’s not given us any indication that he’s coming back, and he’s given us all the indication that he’s leaving and will stay in (the draft),” Barnes said. “We’ve always felt from the beginning that he indicated that he wanted to go into it full force and stay in it and that’s what we fully expected him to do.”

Tennessee saw Grant Williams leave early already, now it sounds like they’ll be down Bone. That means four of Tennessee’s five starters will officially be gone ahead of the 2019-20 season, with Admiral Schofield and Kyle Alexander graduating.

Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden will return, along with John Fulkerson, Yves Pons and Jalen Johnson. Those are the only major contributors from last season’s team set to return next season. D.J. Burns and Zach Kent will also return, and now figure into the immediate rotation in the post.

Tennessee will add five-star guard Josiah James, four-star forward Olivier Robinson Nkamhoua, along with three-star forwards Davonte Gaines and Drew Pember. They will also add former four-star center Uros Plavsic, who is transferring in from Arizona State.

With Bone expected to leave, Tennessee will have one more open spot to fill. That will likely be depth a the point guard position, perhaps in the form of a grad-transfer.