{"id":702806,"date":"2026-04-07T06:59:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T06:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/702806\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T06:59:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T06:59:17","slug":"kentucky-center-malachi-moreno-declares-for-the-nba-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/702806\/","title":{"rendered":"Kentucky Center Malachi Moreno Declares for the NBA Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" onclick=\"window.open('http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.nationofblue.com\/kentucky-center-malachi-moreno-declares-for-the-nba-draft\/&amp;t=Kentucky Center Malachi Moreno Declares for the NBA Draft', 'facebookShare', 'width=626,height=436'); return false;\" title=\"Share on Facebook\"><\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p><\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" onclick=\"window.open('http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=Kentucky Center Malachi Moreno Declares for the NBA Draft -&amp;url=https:\/\/www.nationofblue.com\/kentucky-center-malachi-moreno-declares-for-the-nba-draft\/', 'twitterShare', 'width=626,height=436'); return false;\" title=\"Tweet This Post\"><\/p>\n<p>Tweet<\/p>\n<p><\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"whatsapp:\/\/send?text=Kentucky Center Malachi Moreno Declares for the NBA Draft https:\/\/www.nationofblue.com\/kentucky-center-malachi-moreno-declares-for-the-nba-draft\/\" rel=\"nofollow\"><\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p><\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" onclick=\"window.open('http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https:\/\/www.nationofblue.com\/kentucky-center-malachi-moreno-declares-for-the-nba-draft\/&amp;media=https:\/\/www.nationofblue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/malachi-moreno--899x600.jpg&amp;description=Kentucky Center Malachi Moreno Declares for the NBA Draft', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;\" title=\"Pin This Post\"><\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p><\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationofblue.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#3d024e485f57585e490076585349485e56441d7e585349584f1d705c515c5e55541d70524f5853521d79585e515c4f584e1d5b524f1d4955581d737f7c1d794f5c5b491b5c504d067f72796400741d5b524853591d4955544e1d5c4f49545e51581d545349584f584e4954535a1d5c53591d495552485a55491d525b1d4e555c4f54535a1d54491d4a5449551d445248131d7e55585e561d54491d524849071d5549494d4e0712124a4a4a13535c49545253525b5f514858135e52501256585349485e5644105e585349584f10505c515c5e55541050524f5853521059585e515c4f584e105b524f1049555810535f5c10594f5c5b4912\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<p><\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationofblue.com\/kentucky-center-malachi-moreno-declares-for-the-nba-draft\/#respond\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Kentucky center Malachi Moreno is declaring for the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility. <\/p>\n<p>Moreno, who averaged 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds this season, has already decided that if he withdraws from the draft, he will return to Kentucky.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NEWS: Kentucky\u2019s Malachi Moreno will test the NBA Draft waters, his agent George S. Langberg of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GSLSportsGroup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@GSLSportsGroup<\/a> tells DraftExpress.<\/p>\n<p>If he withdraws and returns to college, he will be a Kentucky Wildcat next season.<\/p>\n<p>The 19-year-old 7-footer averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sSP0Qk1yZv\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/sSP0Qk1yZv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JonChep\/status\/2041300917866127377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">April 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cI\u2019ve always been a Cat. \u201d (via malachi.moreno on IG)<\/p>\n<p>Malachi Moreno will test the NBA Draft waters, but rest assured, if he decides to return to college, he\u2019ll continue playing in the blue and white. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/t67Jb2DLCD\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/t67Jb2DLCD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jenna Lifshen (@jensreporting) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jensreporting\/status\/2041305655386972462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">April 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Moreno has already signed a return deal with Kentucky and plans to be back in Lexington if\/when he withdraws from the draft. <\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.on3.com\/teams\/kentucky-wildcats\/news\/malachi-moreno-signs-return-deal-with-kentucky-will-test-draft-waters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Kentucky Sports Radio<\/a>: <\/p>\n<p>Kentucky is expected to have its center of the future back for year two in Lexington, as Malachi Moreno is planning to return for his sophomore campaign while also testing the draft waters, sources tell KSR. The 7-0, 250-pound big man out of Georgetown put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him home as the Wildcats\u2019 frontcourt anchor in 2026-27.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/FLEX_MAG_2-1.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&#13; Share &#13; Tweet &#13; Share &#13; Share &#13; Email &#13; &#13; Kentucky center Malachi Moreno is declaring&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":702807,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[7,6,12],"class_list":{"0":"post-702806","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba-draft","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-nba","10":"tag-nba-draft"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116362135165235025","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=702806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702806\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/702807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=702806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=702806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=702806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}