Former San Diego State senior Lamont Butler has reportedly withdrawn from the 2024 NBA draft and will transfer to Kentucky, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
Butler declared for the draft on April 5 while maintaining his remaining college eligibility. He also opted to enter the transfer portal after four years with San Diego State and announced on April 27 that he had committed to head coach Mark Pope at Kentucky.
The 21-year-old was the second player since 1997 with at least 1,000 career points, 330 assists, 300 rebounds and 175 steals for the program. He finished ranked fifth in steals (183), 10th in assists (338) and 12th in games (131).
Source: Lamont Butler has withdrawn from the 2024 NBA Draft and will play for Kentucky next season.
Transfer from San Diego State.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 28, 2024
Butler was named the 2024 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 9.3 points, three assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals on 42.1% shooting from the field in 37 games. He also left the program as a three-time all-defensive team selection.
The 6-foot-2 guard will join the inaugural class at Kentucky under Pope. The team also added Ansley Almonor (Fairleigh Dickinson), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia), Koby Brea (Dayton) and Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), among others, via the transfer portal.
Pope signed a five-year contract last month to succeed John Calipari as the Wildcats’ head coach. The contract is reportedly worth $27.5 million, starting at $5 million next season.
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