Jaylen Clark reportedly staying in NBA Draft, won't return to UCLA

Jaylen Clark will not return to UCLA next season.

According to The L.A. Times’ Ben Bolch, Clark is keeping his name in the NBA Draft as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Clark had the option to return to Westwood for another season, rehab his injury, and improve upon his draft stock, but after three seasons of consistent improvement, he’s taking his chance in this year’s draft.

Clark’s father told Bolch he is ahead of schedule in his recovery and was recently walking unassisted. The injury happened on March 4 in UCLA’s final regular-season game of the year.

Earlier today, I spoke with Jaylen's father, Cornelius, who said his son was ahead of schedule in his recovery and walking unassisted. Also, doctors found his Achilles was unusually tight and were able to loosen it to improve mobility. The hope is it will increase his athleticism

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) May 31, 2023

The Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, Clark blossomed into one of the country’s best perimeter defenders. His offensive game expanded, too. He jumped from 6.7 points to 13 points a game and upped his 3-point percentage to 33% in the process. Despite the uptick in offensive responsibilities, Clark still shot the ball at 48% and his per-40 turnover numbers remained the same.

In ESPN’s latest mock draft, Clark is not listed in either the first or the second round. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Amari Bailey being taken in the second round.

Adem Bona revealed on Wednesday that he’s returning to Westwood for his sophomore season.