Arizona basketball: Chance Comanche will test NBA Draft waters, but won’t initially hire an agent, per report

There’s no reason not to

Lauri Markkanen may not be the only player the Arizona Wildcats’ frontcourt will be losing to the NBA this offseason.

Evan Daniels of Scout.com reported Wednesday that sophomore big man Chance Comanche “will test the NBA waters, but won't initially sign with an agent.”

Under new rules implemented last year, NBA draft prospects now have the ability to go through the NBA Combine and workout for teams and still have the option to return to school, assuming they do not hire an agent.

That is the path it appears Comanche will be taking, and frankly it’s a rather wise one, since theoretically there’s nothing to lose from doing so.

Currently, DraftExpress.com does not project Comanche will be selected in the 2017 or 2018 NBA Draft, but it does rank Comanche 33rd among NCAA sophomores, as well as the 10th-best prospect in the Pac-12 Conference.

Comanche’s length — he has a 7-foot-2 wingspan — and his athleticism will surely put him on the radar of NBA front offices, though he may prove to be too raw to be worthy of a selection, which is the type of feedback Comanche may receive during the pre-draft process.

Comanche averaged 6.3 points and 3.6 rebounds as a sophomore this past season, playing 18.1 minutes per game.

He has shown glimpses of a low-post game as well as a mid-range jumper, though neither on a consistent basis (some of that has to do with how Arizona utilizes him).

And while Comanche does have the tools to be a defensive force both in college and at the next level, he has been inconsistent on that end of the floor as well.

If Comanche does indeed test the NBA draft waters, he will have until May 24 (10 days after the NBA Combine) to make a final decision on his playing status at Arizona.

If Comanche decides to return to school, he may find himself in a similar role he had as a sophomore, being the backup to Dusan Ristic and incoming five-star recruit DeAndre Ayton (instead of Markkanen).

Like Comanche, Daniels reported earlier in the day that Kobi Simmons plans to enter the 2017 NBA Draft, though Daniels reports Simmons does plan to hire an agent.

Meanwhile, Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins are still mulling their options.

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