Potential NBA Draft lottery pick Thomas Haugh returning to Florida

One of the more interesting NBA Draft decisions is off the board.

Thomas Haugh is heading back to Florida for his senior year, passing on a chance to enter the draft. The 6-foot-9 forward had been viewed as a potential lottery pick.

“It’s a chance to play with my boys. To play for coach (Todd) Golden. To go to the school I love,” Haugh told ESPN. “It was best for my career and future.”

That is not something you hear every day from a projected first-rounder.

Haugh is coming off a breakout junior season, averaging 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and showing growth across the board. He started all 34 games and earned second-team All-American honors after coming off the bench during Florida’s national title run the year before.

There is a real NBA case here. ESPN had him 13th on its big board, and evaluators see a tough, high-effort forward with size, versatility and an improving jumper, the type who could step into a rotation right away.

Instead, he is betting on one more year.

Part of that is unfinished business. Florida is expected to enter next season among the top teams in the country after an early tournament exit. Another title run is very much on the table.

There is also the reality of the current landscape. While Haugh downplayed it, NIL money could exceed what he would earn as a mid-first-round rookie.

So he goes back. Another year, another opportunity, and potentially an even higher ceiling in 2027.

He will not be alone. Alex Condon is also returning, while Rueben Chinyelu is testing the draft waters while keeping his college eligibility. So, yeah, Florida is loading up again.

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