NBA Draft 2019: Marques Bolden won’t return to Duke

Duke product Marques Bolden has heard enough good things about his game to remain in the NBA Draft pool.

Bolden committed to the draft Monday by signing with an agent and forgoing his remaining college eligibility, Yahoo Sports reported.

Marques Bolden of Duke will forego his remaining collegiate eligibility and remain in the 2019 NBA Draft. He will be co-repped by Rich Gray (@iamrichgray) of Gray Area Sports Group and Chris Gaston (@gastonbball) of Family First Sports Firm (@famfirstsports).

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 27, 2019

Bolden, a former five-star recruit out of Texas, averaged 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 19.3 minutes per game in 21 starts for Duke last season. He missed the ACC tournament with an MCL injury and played only 64 combined minutes and scored six points in four NCAA Tournament games.

Bolden’s underwhelming stats, paired with his extensive injury history, make his decision somewhat surprising. However, a 6-11, athletic, defensive presence has its place in today’s NBA if Bolden can stay healthy.

??? On the rise @MarquesB__ ?✋? pic.twitter.com/IBdgsQ5rti

— Duke Basketball (@DukeMBB) December 31, 2018

And while Bolden’s Duke teammates Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish will likely come off the board within the first 10 picks of next month’s draft, Bolden may not be selected at all.

The news of Bolden’s signing with an agent also brought a report regarding Javin DeLaurier, who declared for the draft alongside Bolden in April.

The 6-10 forward will return for his senior season with the Blue Devils, according to Stadium, and provide a veteran presence for a Duke team expected to be largely comprised of top recruits, including five-star prospects Vernon Carey and Matthew Hurt, and four-star recruits Wendell Moore and Cassius Stanley.