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Update, 4:09 p.m.

Julian Wright has formally announced that he will be leaving school for the NBA. He plans on hiring an agent, which would automatically forfeit the two years of eligibility he has remaining.

“It’s hard. It’s a tough decision,” he said. “I expect to be chosen in the 10 to 15 range. It’s good to be in the lottery, but just to be in the top echelon of teams, it’s important in that regard.”

Original story

One Jayhawk basketball player could declare for the NBA Draft today ­— but it’s not the obvious one.

Sophomore forward Julian Wright, who has repeatedly maintained that he would return for his junior season, may have changed his mind.

Wright will announce his intentions at a press conference this afternoon. Those intentions reportedly include hiring an agent and declaring himself eligible for the NBA Draft.

If chosen, Wright would almost certainly be among the top 10 players selected, guaranteeing him a two-year contract for millions of dollars.

The allure of a big payday may be too much for Wright to resist, as well as the risk he would run next season if he were to get injured or go through a slump. Throughout this year, he said he would come back to finish his degree. He is on pace to graduate next May in his third year at Kansas and promised his mother he would get a college diploma.

Prior to Sunday’s news, nothing had indicated that Wright might leave. Speculation focused on sophomore guard Brandon Rush, who is continuing to weigh his options and has yet to make a decision about the draft.

If Wright were to leave for the NBA, it would have an impact on several other players. Freshman forward Darrell Arthur would be assured of a starting spot, giving him further incentive to return for another year. Incoming freshman Cole Aldrich would also have the opportunity to contribute immediately.

In addition, Kansas would no longer be responsible for Wright’s scholarship. Due to NCAA sanctions, the team was one scholarship above the limit for next season. That would no longer be the case.

Neither Wright nor coach Bill Self could be reached Sunday evening. Self was on the West Coast recruiting but will return from that trip today.

NBADraft.net, a Web site that tracks how NBA scouts are rating players, had Wright projected to be the fifth pick overall in the draft. However, the site took his name off the board after his repeated assertions that he would stay in school.

One option for undergraduate college players is to declare for the NBA Draft but not hire an agent or accept any endorsement money. If a player did this, they would be able to withdraw from consideration before the June 28 draft. As soon as a player accepts money or hires an agent, his NCAA eligibility expires.

Kansan senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@kansan.com. For updates on this story, visit Kansan.com.

— Edited by Ryan Schneider

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