Miami guard Isaiah Wong announced Wednesday he was withdrawing his name from the 2022 NBA draft and will return for the Hurricanes next season.
The Hurricanes’ guard tweeted his return to the program saying “let’s run it back” after aiding Miami in an Elite Eight run last season, averaging more than 15 points, four rebounds and two assists per game. Wong initially declared for this year’s draft on April 25 while maintaining his eligibility, allowing him to work out with several NBA teams including the Celtics and the Thunder.
In a wild offseason, Wong nearly entered the transfer portal in late April. Adam Papas, Wong’s agent, previously told ESPN that Wong would enter the portal if his name, image and likeness value was not elevated. Wong saw that Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack reportedly received $400,000 per year and a car from company, LifeWallet, to commit to Miami. As a result, per Papas, Wong and his family wanted a bigger deal that met their expectations.
However, in late April, Wong refuted his agent’s statement, saying it was made “without his authorization”, that it did not reflect his views and that he did not want to “jeopardize his relationship with LifeWallet or Miami.”
During Miami’s recent tournament run, Wong recorded three performances with double-digit point totals. In three seasons with the Hurricanes, Wong has played in 95 games, started 75 and averaged more than 13 points per game while shooting nearly 44% from the field.
