Jamir Watkins is weighing his professional future after declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft and entering the transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag.
But if he decides to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft, North Carolina has emerged as the frontrunner to land the versatile 6-foot-7 forward. Arkansas, Louisville, and Kentucky are also interested in the former Florida State guard.
Find out which team offers the best fit for Watkins’ next team.
Drake Powell is officially keeping his name in the NBA Draft and Hubert Davis suddenly needs to acquire another high-profile player to round out the roster.
North Carolina has had a relatively disappointing offseason, failing to secure commitments from top transfers, including Andrej Stojaković and Boogie Fland, who were linked to the Tar Heels both during their recruitment and in the portal. Under Davis, UNC has developed a reputation as a destination where top recruits go to tank their NBA Draft stock and Powell’s recent comments at the NBA Combine didn’t help alleviate those concerns. Of course, that didn’t stop UNC from securing top-five recruit Caleb Wilson, who is expected to step in and contribute immediately.
The frontcourt is stacked with transfers Henri Veesaar and Jarin Stevenson joining Wilson to round out the forward spots but UNC has a glaring hole on the wing and very few players who possess the type of shot creation needed to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.
Watkins makes perfect sense as a high-volume scorer with ACC experience who can also use his length and athleticism to disrupt opponents at the point of attack. He had a strong NBA Combine, flashing impressive shot-making and defensive versatility and could remain in the Draft after likely securing his status as a potential second-round pick. However, in doing so, he’d likely be leaving millions on the table in 2025, which could ultimately be the deciding factor for the 23-year-old guard.
North Carolina has the NIL budget, potential usage, and national spotlight to seal the deal. The only question is whether or not Watkins believes he can improve his NBA standing by playing one more season in Chapel Hill.
