The Los Angeles Times reported late Monday night that UCLA junior forward Malcolm Lee will become the second Bruin this year to declare for the NBA draft.
But, according to the report, Lee will not hire an agent, which will preserve his college eligibility.
Should Lee declare without hiring an agent, he would have until May 8 to withdraw from the draft process and return for his senior year.
Lee recently underwent minor knee surgery, which coach Ben Howland said would sideline him for one to two months, but not affect his draft status.
The website NBADraft.net currently has Lee as the third pick in the second round, No. 33 overall. DraftExpress.com projects Lee as a late first-round pick in 2012, should he return for his senior season.
Sophomore forward Tyler Honeycutt announced on a Monday teleconference that he would hire an agent and declare for the draft, bringing his UCLA career to a close.
Lee was the Bruins’ leader by example all year, providing offense as the team’s second-leading scorer while establishing himself as an elite defender. He shook off memories of a difficult sophomore season, during which he was forced to play point guard, to earn All-Pac-10 first and all-defensive team honors.