Cal’s Jaylon Tyson announces decision on declaring for NBA Draft

Cal guard Jaylon Tyson, viewed as a possible first round draft pick, is declaring for the 2024 NBA draft, he has informed Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

“I am going to forgo my remaining eligibility and enter the draft,”  Tyson told Givony. “I am in Las Vegas getting ready right now.”

The No. 32 pick on ESPN’s big board, the 6-foot-7 guard enjoyed an All-Pac-12 season in 2023-24 while with the Golden Bears, posting averages of 19.6 PPG on .465/.360/.796 shooting splits, 6.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.2 SPG and 0.5 BPG.

Cal was Tyson’s third NCAA stop following stints with Texas as a freshman in 2021-22 and Texas Tech in 2022-23. His shooting acumen and multifaceted defensive upside make him an intriguing addition for many NBA clubs.

“I had a great season, statistically speaking, even though we didn’t make the end goal,”  Tyson said. “It was great to build some momentum for Cal going into next year.”

Tyson is banking on his versatility heading into the next level.

“NBA teams saw that I’m a versatile guard,” Tyson said. “I can play a lot of different positions on the court. I can be a ‘3-and-D’ player or a secondary ball handler. I even showed I can play point guard in spurts down the line.”