Aztec Nation is on fire right now. Miles Byrd has announced he will return to San Diego State for the 2025-2026 basketball season, officially withdrawing from the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Aztecs wing player had until 9pm PST on Wednesday, May 28th to decide whether to stay in the draft or return to SDSU. He did his due diligence, went through the process, and waited until the last day to make his decision. Byrd made the announcement via his social media page.
Byrd was not considered a 2025 NBA draft prospect at the beginning of last season. He landed on the radar of NBA front offices after his performance at the Players Era Festival in November leading the Aztecs to upset victories over Creighton and Houston.
His breakout performance came in January against Colorado State with many NBA scouts there to see Byrd go head to head with another draft prospect in Nique Clifford. Byrd outshined Clifford finishing with 25 points, seven steals, and six rebounds, including 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc in a 75-60 Aztecs win.
After leading SDSU to its 5th straight NCAA tournament, Byrd announced that he would be declaring for the NBA draft without entering the transfer portal.
After a standout performance at the NBA draft combine in Chicago held from May 11-18 in Chicago, Byrd solidly positioned himself to be drafted into the NBA. The combination of his measurables especially a 6-foot-10 wingspan and 24 points (8-16 FG, 5-11 3P), eight assists, five steals, four blocks across two games showed why he was among the top draft prospects this season.
He received praise from NBA front offices for his basketball instincts and IQ, ability to defend multiple positions, space the floor, block shots and force turnovers. Despite Byrd’s upside there were two concerns about Byrd’s game that hinted he might return to college for more development: size and 3 point shooting.
Hampered by injuries during conference play, Byrd’s 3 point shooting percentage dropped to 30% on the year. Fully healthy at the NBA Draft Combine, Byrd quieted his critics knocking down 3s from various spots on the floor.
More concerning is Byrd’s thin frame. At 181 pounds, draft experts questioned whether he could withstand the physical rigors of the NBA and suggested that another year of developing his body to gain weight and muscle would better prepare him for the league.
The counter argument is he could’ve developed his body faster in the NBA without having to focus on school and with access to a world class nutritional program.
Byrd admitted to being on the fence about staying in the draft or coming back to SDSU for his redshirt junior season stating prior to the Draft Combine that he needed more feedback from NBA teams to make an informed decision. Likely factoring into the decision is whether teams pledged to draft him and give him a multi year guaranteed contract instead of a non-guaranteed two-way contract.
By returning to SDSU, it signals that Byrd was not satisfied enough by the feedback and assurances he received from NBA teams to stay in the draft.
Instead of hearing Byrd’s name from the podium at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on draft night, Aztec fans will hear his name during lineup announcements before games at a packed Viejas Arena.
SDSU instantly becomes the preseason favorite for Mountain West champions and could start the year ranked in the top 25 with a trio of stars in Byrd, Magoon Gwath and Reese Waters along with arguably the deepest team ever fielded at SDSU.
To honor Miles Byrd’s return to the Mesa, make sure to check out the Sons of Montezuma NIL shop for exclusive Miles Byrd apparel. Get ready for an exciting 2025-2026 season.
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