Mark Pope securing Franck Kepnang for Kentucky’s backup five spot feels like the final likely addition before Malachi Moreno announces his NBA Draft decision. Kepnang projects as a strong second-unit option, and his commitment has naturally energized Big Blue Nation this week.
However, with significant NIL money involved and Kentucky’s starting big man—arguably the most important returning piece—still testing the draft waters, Mark Pope’s roster for his third season in charge can’t truly be considered complete until Moreno decides. At this stage, his future could realistically go in either direction.
What Moreno ultimately wants from the draft process remains uncertain, but according to Kevin O’Connor, he chose not to participate in the 5-on-5 scrimmages at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. O’Connor also reported that Moreno is drawing interest from teams in the “mid-late first round range.”
For Kentucky fans, that naturally raises optimism that Moreno’s draft stock is trending upward.
Moreno’s Stock May Be Rising
That said, a mock draft is still only a projection. No one outside NBA front offices truly knows how teams value players or the exact reasoning behind Moreno sitting out scrimmages. Some may assume it signals a guaranteed first-round promise, but that is only one possible explanation.
As Ryan Hammer noted on X, Moreno could also be using the process to gather feedback from NBA teams before potentially returning to Lexington.
“Could it be ‘draft stock great don’t need to play in 5s & will stay in draft’? I guess – I just doubt in this class that Moreno has already got THAT MUCH confidence to not have to play 5s,” Hammer said.
Mark Pope has already stated that Moreno was the program’s top priority heading into the offseason, and technically, Kentucky has retained him for now. He remains signed with the Wildcats and is expected to be part of the roster unless he ultimately stays in the draft.
The NBA process, however, always introduces uncertainty. Kentucky fans experienced something similar last offseason with Otega Oweh before he eventually returned to Lexington for his senior year.
For now, the situation simply requires patience. Kentucky needs Moreno back, but his draft profile and potential upside mean this scenario was always on the table. Players have until May 28 to withdraw from the draft, so there is still time for the situation to evolve.