Colorado forward Cody Williams will declare for the 2024 NBA Draft on Monday and pursue a professional career. The former McDonald's All-American is expected to be a lottery pick, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Williams is trying to follow in his brother Jalen's footsteps in the league. The Oklahoma City Thunder star is in the midst of a first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans. He was also a lottery pick out of OKC and went 12th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The freshman forward had an injury-plagued season at Colorado, appearing in 24 games. He averaged 11.9 points per game, shooting 55.2% from the field and grabbing 3 rebounds. Williams scored a career-high 23 points against the Oregon Ducks. Marquette coach Shaka Smart said before last month's March Madness matchup that Williams is “probably the best young player” in basketball.
If Williams is selected in the lottery, he would be the first Buffs player to be selected in the lottery since Chauncey Billups was selected third overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1997 NBA Draft. Still, the future Hall of Famer wasn't as nationally known as Williams is today.
The 2024 NBA Draft begins on June 26th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Coverage begins at 6pm ET and will be available on ABC and ESPN (available on Fubo).
