Kentucky Wildcats News: Malachi Moreno opens up about his NBA Draft decision

May 14, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Feb 28, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) celebrates from the bench during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

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Kentucky Basketball center Malachi Moreno continues to weigh whether he will return to Kentucky for his sophomore season or remain in the 2026 NBA Draft.

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When Moreno first announced he would test the NBA Draft waters, many believed the Georgetown, Kentucky native was almost certainly going to return to Lexington. Moreno reportedly even took a pay cut to return to Kentucky instead of entering the transfer portal.

However, after a breakout freshman season and increasing NBA interest, that decision is no longer viewed as a guarantee.

Coming into last season, Moreno was expected to be Kentucky’s third center behind Jayden Quaintance and Brandon Garrison. Instead, Quaintance played only four games all season, while Moreno stepped into a major role and became one of Kentucky’s biggest surprises.

Moreno averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 58.2% from the field. He played in all 36 games and started 30 while averaging 22.6 minutes per contest.

“This is my dream, to be in the NBA, so I am looking at it with my best foot forward,” Moreno tells Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports. “Obviously, I left the option on the table to go back to college if I could. Right now, all this leading into the decision is just how these next couple of weeks go. I know I have until the 27th to make that decision, and I will just have a lot of talks with my brother because he is probably going to be the most important factor in this decision, talks with my family, talks with my inner circle, and seeing what is the best decision for me at the time.”

Good stuff from Kentucky big man Malachi Moreno on what’s next for him in the decision-making process.

He chose not to participate in today’s scrimmage because his agent relayed that “he thought I was in a pretty good spot.” pic.twitter.com/xtTSdYBOsT
— Isaac Trotter (@Isaac__Trotter) May 13, 2026

Moreno also explained why he decided not to participate in scrimmages at the NBA Draft Combine.

“After talks with my brother, like I said, my agent, they kind of just said that they thought that I was in a pretty good spot,” Moreno said. “I’ve got Pro Day coming up after this, after the week is over in L.A., and they want me to be full strength for that. Then I’ve got a couple more workouts after that that are getting set up.”

When discussing whether he would need first-round draft status to remain in the draft, Moreno said he is still evaluating everything.

“Obviously, I would love to be a first-round pick. That would be great,” Moreno said. “I’ve got two weeks before I’ve got to make any kind of decision, so I am kind of talking with my inner circle and seeing what the best decision is.”

Kentucky fans will be anxiously awaiting to hear if he’ll spend one more year in Lexington.

Tweet of the Day

Louisville must be operating with an absolutely absurd war chest this offseason. Keep hearing the Cards are a serious threat to land Momcilovic if he returns to college.

That would be a game-changer for Pat Kelsey. And pointedly, Mark Pope cannot let it happen. https://t.co/AJkTh7bC1U
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTuckerCBB) May 13, 2026