Should he stay or should he go?
There are plenty of opinions about Jeremy Fears Jr.’s future, whether it be remaining in the 2026 NBA Draft or returning to Michigan State basketball for his fourth season.
Ultimately, it will come down to what Fears and his family feel is best or his future. But after an impressive showing at the NBA Scouting Combine from May 10-17 in Chicago, the All-American point guard now has less than a week to determine what that path will be. The decision likely comes down to whether or not he could be a first-round pick on June 23.
“Jeremy Fears, you only need one team to like you, to love you, to take you in the first round,” an NBA scout who saw Fears at the combine told the Free Press this week under the condition of anonymity. “But then also, you can go back to school and make some big money and also improve. You got all the feedback, so now it’s like, ‘Hey, I’m going back to Michigan State. This is what I need to work on, this is what I need to do.’”
The deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the process and return to college is Wednesday, May 27. The NBA draft will be held June 23-24 in Brooklyn, New York.
Fears – who turned 21 on April 19, nine days after entering the draft while retaining his college eligibility – said Thursday on the “Drive with Jack” podcast that he will consult with his parents, his agent Mike Miller (a former NBA player) and MSU coach Tom Izzo to make what he considers “a difficult decision.” Fears has been in New York during the process working out and training, and he has workouts scheduled with Milwaukee and Washington.
“A lot of people have to realize and understand the team, the coaches, the agents, I’m able to talk to the head people, whether it’s their coach or their scouts,” Fears said. “They know what range, what’s best, what I probably should or shouldn’t do.
“Just being able to talk to the people actually in that industry and make a decision really is the only opinion that matters. … I for sure will be using all of my time obviously to make that decision, which is a life-changing decision for sure.”
Fears said he felt he “helped myself at the combine.” He went to the draft last year in Brooklyn and watched as his younger brother, Jeremiah, become a first-round pick by the New Orleans Pelicans and the No. 7 overall selection after playing one season at Oklahoma. Then his former MSU teammate, Jase Richardson, go to the Orlando Magic late in the first round with the 25th pick.
The scout who was at the combine said he feels Fears could be a high second-round pick this year and potentially move up into the back of the first round like Richardson did a year ago. He also believes Fears has a chance to potentially boost himself into the late lottery pick range next season if he returns to MSU and shows an improved ability to hit jump shots and finish in traffic on offense along with displaying needed improvement at the defensive end that is required for NBA point guards.
“We know he’s got the pedigree, we know his dad played ball, we know who his brother is. So basketball runs in that family,” the scout said. “He’s a high character kid, so that’s the type of stuff you want to bet on – the gene pool, the pedigree, the character. And we know he’s intense, he’s feisty, he wants to get into it. Those are the type of guys you want in the foxhole.
“So with him, it’s kind of like, ‘Hey, I want to take you (in the second round) but we’re gonna give you a two-year guaranteed deal, and we’re gonna go half G League, half (NBA) that first year. And the second year, we expect you to be able to get some rotation minutes and we’ll just see where it goes.’ OK, cool. But I think the money for him is too fringe to not go back.”
The native of Joliet, Illinois – who measured at 6 feet and 196.2 pounds at the NBA Scouting Combine on May 12 in Chicago – led the nation at 9.4 assists and was fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.86) while leading the Spartans with 15.2 points and 32.5 minutes a game. He set the MSU single-season record with 328 assists while shooting 43.1% from the field and 32.1% from 3-point range, made 88.5% of his free throws and added 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals. The Spartans went 27-8 overall and finished tied for second in the Big Ten at 15-5, then advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season after Fears helped them to the Elite Eight in 2024-25.
One of the big knocks on Fears has been his jump shot. He made just 25.3% (19-for-75) from 3-point range over his first 25 games last season. However, that improved over the Spartans’ final 10 games to 47.1% (16-for-34), with Fears’ 2-point shooting dipping to 41% during that finishing stretch from 50.8% in the first 25 games as opponents became more physical with him as he attacked downhill on drives.
At the combine, Fears tried to dissuade some of his perceived weaknesses. He was 21-for-30 off the dribble and 13-for-25 on spot-up shots, while going 13-for-25 in the 3-point star drill and 18-for-28 on the 3-point side.
“His outside shooting consistency, the size of his frame – he’s not that big,” the scout said of the potential concerns about Fears. “He’s kind of stocky, but he’s not that big or strong. He’s not like a 6-3 type of guard, he can’t really finish like that. He doesn’t have a good finishing package in traffic. He needs to develop that, kind of using the angles, slithering through lanes, reverse layups and finishing with stuff like that.”
It was during the 5-on-5 scrimmages where Fears showed off his best attributes – leadership and making others around him better. The traits that allowed Fears to lead the nation in assists and shatter MSU’s single-season records were on full display in games surrounded by players he had minimal experience with.
“He definitely showed that he’s a true point guard,” the scout said. “He definitely showed that, pass-first. I think him and Bennett Stirtz and Braden Smith might have been the best point guards there just off the fact that they pass and get everybody involved and lead the charge.”
Fears said during the combine that he was focusing on improving his defense. That was an area the scout pointed to as something he needed to get better at, particularly to become more than just a niche NBA player, but also one that he could see Fears doing based on his makeup and having come through Tom Izzo’s program.
“What he does well is being unselfish and getting people involved. That’s his calling card, so that could make him a lot of money,” the scout said. “But if you ain’t defending and knocking down shots, I’m not really taking Jeremy Fears as a lottery pick. … I’m not saying (his defense) is terrible, but it isn’t where it needs to be. You see him putting effort in and putting care into it, which is great. Some guys don’t give a (care), they’re just kind of like James Harden. They let guys just blow by you. At least (Fears) is caring, putting in some effort.
“I think at the NBA level, probably knowing your man a little bit better, like playing up on the touch or giving some guys a little bit of space because you know they’re tendencies, just guys using screens and stuff like that. He has to get a little bit better at stuff like that, deeper stuff, like NBA level.”
The scout said being on the fringe of the first and second rounds makes the decision difficult, particularly now with money becoming less of a driving factor in the decision with how much elite players can make in NIL and revenue sharing if they return to college to hone their skills.
“It’s maybe a $50 million to $100 million dollar wager,” the scout said. “Because if you’re a late first-round pick or maybe go early second, you got a four-year deal, two years guaranteed. Well, you can go back to college and make you a good $5-6 million in NIL, then you could make your draft stock higher where you’re a lottery pick and where teams are forced to play you (after being drafted) and you’re in a situation where like you’re gonna have to play. Now that contract will be a little bit more higher.
“So I’ll tell guys this, man: they don’t realize it’s hard to get into the NBA, it’s harder to stay in it.”
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jeremy Fears draft stock and big decision: Go to NBA or return to MSU?
Reporting by Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
