Amari Allen sets timeline for NBA Draft decision
By David Wasson
Published:
Alabama freshman forward Amari Allen has reportedly set a timeline to decide whether he will enter the 2026 NBA Draft or return for his sophomore season with the Crimson Tide.
As reported by 247Sports, Allen will decide by Wednesday whether he will turn pro or return to Tuscaloosa after working out for the Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat.
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The 6-foot-8 Allen delivered 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for Alabama last season. He started 24 of the Crimson Tide’s 32 games and also averaged 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per outing.
Allen’s best outing of the 2025-26 season came against then-No. 11 Vanderbilt on Jan. 7, as he torched the Commodores for a season-high 25 points along with 11 rebounds and four assists – one of five double-doubles in his first collegiate season.
Allen struggled against eventual national champion Michigan in the Sweet 16, though, posting just four points, six rebounds and three assists with four fouls in 22 minutes.
Allen is largely projected to land either late in the first round or early in the second round of the NBA Draft, which is set for June 23-24 in Brooklyn. The 20-year-old participated in the recent NBA Draft Combine, registering the second-highest max vertical jump (42½ inches) and the fifth-highest standing vertical jump (34½ inches).
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
