Maryland Basketball: Robert Carter Jr. to declare for 2016 NBA Draft

Maryland forward Robert Carter Jr. will declare for the 2016 NBA Draft and most likely hire an agent, according to a source.

Just yesterday we wrote how Diamond Stone has no reason to stay wits the Maryland Terrapins. It was not expected that another Terp would declare for the NBA Draft one day later.

Robert Carter Jr. has one year of eligibility remaining, but has chosen to enter the draft instead of returning to College Park for another year. It’s an interesting decision by Carter because he will be a late second-round pick if he’s selected at all.

Jeff Ermann of InsideMDSports.com was the first to report the news.

Whether or not Carter hires an agent will tell us a lot about his future. If he does hire an agent, he will automatically lose his one year of eligibility. He could opt to not hire an agent and return to Maryland if things don’t pan out during the NBA Combine from May 11-15.

Testudo Times did a fantastic job of explaining why the financial situation looming in the NBA could be a factor in Carter’s decision. Long story short, another year at Maryland could cost him a huge chunk of change with the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. He also could choose to head to Europe if the money is what is drawing him away from college basketball.

Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon could enter the 2016-2017 season with all five starters no longer with the team. Turgeon is still waiting for the decisions of both Stone and point guard Melo Trimble. All three could attend the combine and decide to return by the May 25th deadline.

Next: No Reason for Diamond Stone to Stay at Maryland

Carter, a transfer from Georgia Tech, averaged 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in his one season with the Terps. Like we said about Stone yesterday, we wish him the best as he takes the next step in his dream of playing professional basketball.