Kentucky’s Davion Mintz declares for the NBA Draft. What’s next for the Cats?

With Kentucky’s search for more basketball players still ongoing, Coach John Calipari might be losing another key member of his program.

Davion Mintz — a 6-foot-3 guard from Charlotte, N.C. — has submitted his name for the NBA Draft, though he will leave open the option of returning to Kentucky next season.

Mintz, who turns 23 years old next month, came to UK from Creighton as a graduate transfer last year and ultimately led the Cats in scoring and three-point shooting. He averaged 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 30.7 minutes per game. He also made a team-high 56 three-pointers in 25 games, shooting 37.8 percent from beyond the arc.

He arrived at Kentucky with the expectation that he would be with the team for only one season after playing three years at Creighton, but the NCAA’s ruling that all student-athletes would be granted an extra season of college eligibility would allow Mintz to return for the 2021-22 campaign.

Mintz is also in the middle of a graduate program at Kentucky, and a return to campus would allow him to finish that degree before moving on from college.

Instead, he could be leaving now to start his pro career.

“These last two months for my family and I have been filled with a lot of reflection and a lot of personal evaluation,” Mintz said in a statement released by UK. “I have spent a lot of time reflecting on this past season at Kentucky, a truly unique and unforgettable experience, while also trying to figure out what the next step is for me and my career. My ultimate dream has always been to play at the professional level. I believe at some point, whether that is now or down the road, that is where I will be. Figuring out when that time is right while weighing my love for Kentucky and thinking about the possibilities of next season has not been easy, and to be fully honest and transparent, I have not come to a decision yet of what I will ultimately do.

“… I am looking forward to the process and I am going into this stage in the decision-making process with an open mind.”

Mintz is not projected to be an NBA Draft pick this year, but he is expected to be able to play either in the G League or overseas next season.

“From his leadership to his shooting to how much he improved over the course of the season, I really enjoyed coaching Davion this last season,” Calipari said Monday. “I really believe if our team had been better and got into the NCAA Tournament somehow, his path would be clearer. As I told his mom and dad, he is a young man I could coach for 10 years. Whatever he ultimately decides, he has a bright future ahead of him.”

His departure would leave a major void for a program that has been rocked by a typical number of offseason exits in a year that — many Kentucky fans had hoped — would lead to more roster continuity. The Cats are coming off a 9-16 season and missed the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in Calipari’s 12 years with the team, yet Mintz would be the sixth scholarship player to leave UK this offseason, and more departures could be coming soon.

Brandon Boston Jr. and Terrence Clarke both declared for the NBA Draft after their freshman seasons. Clarke was tragically killed in a car accident in Los Angeles last month.

Fellow freshmen Devin Askew and Cam’Ron Fletcher decided to transfer after one season at Kentucky, with Askew landing at Texas and Fletcher committing to Florida State.

Mintz joins Olivier Sarr, who came to UK last year as a transfer from Wake Forest, as the second upperclassmen to declare for the pros. Sarr has made it clear he will not return to college.

Kentucky also lost a commitment from point guard recruit Nolan Hickman last week. The Seattle native was expected to play a key role as a freshman but asked for a release from his national letter of intent. Gonzaga and Arizona State have both been prominently mentioned as possible landing spots over the past couple of days.

The Wildcats are also awaiting final decisions from Isaiah Jackson, who is projected as a possible lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft and is widely expected to leave the team; and Keion Brooks, who might also depart after two seasons with the program.

The only other scholarship players from this past season’s UK team are Dontaie Allen, Jacob Toppin and Lance Ware, and — while there have been indications that all three intend to return to Kentucky — the school has not yet made any official announcements regarding any of them.

Kentucky basketball roster situation

Along with losing a proven college player and veteran leader — if Mintz does move on to the pros — Kentucky would need to fill yet another hole in its backcourt for the 2021-22 season.

Mintz’s departure would leave Dontaie Allen as the only returning guard from last season’s team, and Hickman’s decommitment means UK has zero incoming guards in its 2021 recruiting class. If Mintz leaves, his exit, along with Hickman’s decommitment (and Askew’s transfer) would leave Calipari with no players capable of playing the point guard position on next season’s projected roster.

The Cats have signed shooting guard Kellan Grady — a 2,000-point scorer in four seasons at Davidson — to bolster their backcourt attack next season, but it now looks like they could need as many as three additional guards this offseason. And, while there are plenty of talented players still available, time is running out on trying to piece together the right fit for the 2021-22 roster.

UK has been linked to several still-uncommitted perimeter players, including five-star point guard recruit TyTy Washington, Minnesota point guard Marcus Carr, Georgia point guard Sahvir Wheeler and Iowa shooting guard CJ Fredrick.

Carr and Wheeler — two instant-impact veterans — are both testing the NBA Draft process and have not yet decided on whether to return to college. Another proven college point guard — Georgia Tech’s Jose Alvarado — is also exploring his NBA Draft potential and could return to college for a fifth year. If that happens, the Herald-Leader has been told that UK might be an option as a transfer destination, though Alvarado has not yet entered the transfer portal.

Mintz and the other players who have declared for the draft will have until July 7 to withdraw their names from consideration and return to college basketball, so it could be another couple of months before Kentucky knows for sure what some of its top point guard options will do for next season.

Washington, who has UK on a list with five other finalists, has not set a specific date for his college commitment, though an announcement is expected to come in the next few days.

Calipari will surely add at least a couple of guards in the coming months, but it’s not yet clear who those players will be. And it might not be clear for quite some time.

Star point guard recruit Nolan Hickman is no longer committed to play for Kentucky

‘We are all in shock.’ Kentucky basketball mourns death of former player Clarke.

As he exits Kentucky, Olivier Sarr says he’s excited ‘to take on new challenges’