Oregon Ducks star center Nate Bittle is declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft, according to a post on Bittle's Instagram account.
Bittle has remaining eligibility due to a season plagued by injuries in 2024, and despite entering the draft, Bittle will be maintaining his collegiate eligibility, allowing him to come back to Oregon if he changes his mind in the coming weeks. In his post, Bittle states that if he returns to college next fall, he will not be entering the transfer portal.
After missing almost all of the 2024 season, Bittle wasted no time becoming one of the Ducks' most dominant players in 2025. Playing 35 games in this season, Bittle led the Ducks in scoring, rebounding, and blocks, averaging 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game.
In Oregon's two NCAA Tournament Games, Bittle scored a combined 30 points, grabbed 21 rebounds, and dished four assists. In the Ducks' final game of the regular season, Bittle dragged the Ducks to victory, scoring 36 of Oregon's 80 points against an inferior Washington team.
The 2024-25 season was by far Bittle's best as a Duck, but Bittle has had an impactful career at Oregon since joining the Ducks in 2021. A former 5-star recruit from Central Point, Oregon, Bittle holds career averages of 8.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 blocks.
As a 7-foot-tall shooting threat, Bittle could be a touted prospect for NBA teams. In the modern game, a big with the ability to stretch the floor is invaluable, and with Bittle's skill protecting the rim, a team wouldn't be sacrificing anything on the defensive end by throwing Bittle into the game.
Most draft analysts project Bittle as a second-round pick, but since Bittle had a breakout season in 2025, he may get a second look, especially now that he's declared for the draft. To handle the physicality of the NBA, Bittle may look to put on 10-15 pounds, which would make him a more imposing force in the paint.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Basketball center Nate Bittle enters NBA Draft
